President Joe Biden said during a Wednesday town hall with CNN that Republicans who claim the Democratic party is anti-police are “lying.”
CNN host Don Lemon asked the president what he would say to Republicans who try to paint him and the Democratic party as anti-police. Biden responded with a list of reforms that he supports but stopped short of saying that the entire police force should be defunded, as some activists have called for. (RELATED: ‘The Squad’ Pushes To ‘Defund The Police’ While Spending Thousands On Private Security To Protect Themselves)
Don Lemon: “How do you respond to Republicans who try to paint you and your party as anti-police?”
Pres. Biden: “They’re lying.” pic.twitter.com/3tPksfCYBV
— The Recount (@therecount) July 22, 2021
“They’re lying,” Biden responded, as the crowd began cheering. “Look, we have to change police conduct, we have to have rules, where things are open, we have to have rules where you can be able to determine what the background, how many times a cop has violated the rules, be able to have access to what’s going on in police departments so the Justice Department can get involved in whether or not they have to change their pattern or practices. I’ve always said that.”
Lemon asked Biden about activists calling to defund the police.
“I’ve never said defund the police,” the president responded. “I don’t know any communities, particularly communities that are in the most need, and the poorest, and the most at-risk that don’t want police. They want police, though, to look at them as equals.”
Several Democratic politicians have supported defunding the police, including Missouri Rep. Cori Bush, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar. However, Democrats have recently pivoted their stance and tried to blame Republicans for defunding the police due to the movement’s plummeting popularity.