Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Sunday morning said he would not call for the defunding of the police, as many celebrities and protesters have done since the death of George Floyd.
When asked about defunding law enforcement on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Booker said he would not defend or use the term but that he does believe the U.S. is “overpoliced as a society.”
“Well, I understand clearly the sentiment and the substance behind the slogan. And so while it’s not a slogan I’ll use, if people just dismiss it and don’t get deeper into the substance, as I said earlier,” Booker said. “It is not a mark of a beloved community to prey upon the most vulnerable in your society.”
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The question comes as the words “Defund The Police” were painted in the streets of Washingon, D.C., next to the words “Black Lives Matter.” Also, many Democrats on have called for the defunding of law enforcement since Floyd’s death. (RELATED: DC Mayor Won’t Answer Repeated Questions About Removing ‘Defund The Police’ Mural From City Street)
Former Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, who now leads left-wing group Demand Justice, tweeted out his support for defunding the police Wednesday. Protesters booed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Saturday after he wouldn’t say he would abolish the city’s police department.
Floyd died while in Minneapolis police custody after an officer put his knee into the back of his neck for over eight minutes while he was handcuffed and on the ground. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Silent When Asked If They Would Consider Legislation Labeling Antifa A Terrorist Organization)
Since then, all four former officers involved have been charged.