While giving a speech in Pennsylvania, President Joe Biden accused “MAGA Republicans” of wanting to defund the police and the FBI.
“MAGA Republicans are calling for defunding the police department and defunding the FBI now,” Biden said during an event at the Finishing Trades Institute in Philadelphia. “That’s a good one. I like that.”
Biden: "MAGA Republicans are calling for defunding the police departments, and defunding the FBI now. That's a good one, I like that one." pic.twitter.com/Vyp4PgtdzZ
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 9, 2023
Biden announced a budget proposal that hires 100,000 additional police officers and offers money for crime prevention strategies.
“My budget invests in public safety. It includes funding for more training, more support for law enforcement at a time they are expected to play many roles. We expect our cops to be social workers, psychologists, and mental health counselors.” he said. “You know, more cops are killed, responding to domestic violence calls, than anything else.”
Republicans have called to defund the FBI, claiming the agency has been “weaponized” against conservatives.
After the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in August 2022, Republicans called for its defunding.
Many Republicans, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ), criticized the raid.
DEFUND THE FBI!
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) August 9, 2022
The FBI raid on Trump's home tells us one thing.
Failure is not an option.
We must destroy the FBI.
We must save America.
I stand with Donald J. Trump.
— Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS (@RepGosar) August 9, 2022
At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) accused federal law enforcement of being “weaponized,” and called for its defunding.
“We either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of the FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of ’em if they do not come to heel. And I don’t think it’s too much to ask,” Gaetz said.
Republicans were not the first to call for defunding the police. After George Floyd died in 2020, Democrats advocated defunding police departments. Floyd, a longtime criminal, was killed by former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.
In 2020, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called for the relocation of funds from police departments.
“Governments are going to have to look at how they can reallocate money,” Reid said. “Of course it’s a good idea if we have more social services rather than police because police are to be our guardians rather than warriors. There are a lot of things we’d rather have a sociologist work through rather than a guy with a gun and a holster.”
During an interview in July 2020 with “Now This” activist Ady Barkan, Biden agreed that funding for police should “absolutely” face relocation.
“But do we agree that we can redirect some of the [police] funding?” Barkan asked.
“Yes, absolutely,” Biden replied.
Democrats created the “defund the police” movement, not Republicans.
