Vulnerable Virginia Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger attempted to reboot her anti-law enforcement record this week, saying the Defund the Police slogan pushed by her far-left colleagues was “a terrible idea,” despite her record showing otherwise.
Spanberger, who has a history of supporting the defund the police movement, was trying to rewrite history this week in a predominantly conservative area and was likely looking to pick up support and votes before her tough reelection battle in November.
Spanberger previously railed against her party for “playing into the GOP’s hands” when it came to defunding the police, as Politico noted. She even said after the election to “not ever use the word socialist or socialism ever again” because “we lost good members because of that.” She even noted that if her party classified losing seats by maintaining the majority as a success, “we will get fucking torn apart in 2022.”
Nonetheless, this week, the Democrat toured the Culpeper Police Department and addressed officers during the morning roll call. And after she visited with the local police department, Spanberger told Politico that the Defund the Police slogan was “a terrible idea.”
Culpeper county is a strong conservative area in her congressional district and will remain in her district after the new maps were confirmed from the redistricting process. In 2020, Culpeper county voted 59.05 percent for former President Donald Trump, and in 2021 voted 66.47 percent to elect Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin — the first Republican elected statewide since 2009.
But, Spanberger, along with Rep. Cindy Axne (D-IA), recently cashed a $5000 check from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) pro-defund the police PAC, Courage to Change, which has a “litmus test” that requires all candidates seeking their endorsement to promise that they would “reduce the annual budget for law enforcement.”
In this June 2020 photo, a rioter raises their fist as a fire burns in the street after clashes with law enforcement near the Seattle Police Departments East Precinct shortly after midnight. (David Ryder/Getty Images)
One of the questions asked to those seeking its endorsement is:
If running for a legislative position, do you pledge to vote for the following; alternatively, if running for an executive position or a position that does not vote on such matters, do you pledge to publicly support and work towards the following: A public safety strategy to reduce the annual budget for law enforcement and defense spending, and shift those funds towards community resources and programs, including: victim support and compensation funds; community schools; rehabilitation and re-entry programs for incarcerated persons? [Enphasis added.]
She also voted for an anti-law enforcement bill backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The bill, George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, was passed on a party-line vote to enact sweeping police reform.
Spanberger also voted against condemning calls to defund the police and marched with Black Lives Matter. The Black Lives Matter group has nationally demanded to defund the police departments and claimed that “law enforcement doesn’t protect or save our lives. They often threaten and take them.”
The Congressional Leadership Fund press secretary Cally Perkins hammered Spanberger and her “anti-cop record.”
“Abigail Spanberger can run but she can’t hide from her anti-cop record,” said Perkins. “Spanberger is clearly panicked voters will discover that her actual actions against law enforcement do not match her phony grandstanding.”
Breitbart News recently wrote about Spanberger’s congressional district. Her district was recently moved from a “Lean Democratic” to a toss-up race by the Cook Political Report, which rates congressional races across the county.
The newly drawn Seventh District is very different geographically from the current map and will exist without the Richmond suburbs. Even so, when taking Youngkin’s win into account with regard to the redrawn district, he won it by nearly five points.
Spanberger has raised a formidable war chest, raising more than $1.1 million during the last fundraising quarter and ending March with $3.9 million cash on hand — more than $4.2 million raised so far this cycle.
Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.
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