On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Stephanie Ruhle Reports,” host Stephanie Ruhle responded to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison arguing that Republicans are the ones who are really defunding the police by arguing that what defund the police “really does is enhance and empower law enforcement.”
Ruhle asked, “Eric Adams had a tough on crime message in New York City. Now, he is leading the race to be New York’s next mayor. He said that the Democratic Party needs to pay attention to New York, or you’re going to be in trouble. How do you have a big tent party without turning off voters that you need to win?”
Harrison responded, “Well, we’re going to — at the end of the day, it’s about delivering for the American people. The Republican Party likes to talk a lot. Right now, they’re talking about defunding the police. But who really is defunding the police? In the American Rescue Plan, Stephanie, we had $350 billion to go to our cities, and many of those cities, under the authority of President Biden, are using those resources to fund their police departments. And guess what, not one Republican voted for it.”
Ruhle then stated, “I’m with you. But then how are you going to convince the American people of that, right? You have Republicans that are not supporting a commission on the insurrection, which is all about law and order. But Republicans have co-opted this idea that defund the police means wiping out police forces, when what it really does is enhance and empower law enforcement. But you and I both know the defund the police message is not translating correctly across a lot of American homes.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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