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Top Democrats Distance Themselves from Calls to “Defund the Police”
“You can’t defund the police, that’s stupid, it’s crazy and anyone who talks about it is nuts.” — Sen. Joe Manchin (D.)
To Defund or Not to Defund?
“Is ‘Defund the Police’ a massive political mistake?” asks CNN Editor-at-large Chris Cillizza today.
Judging by the quickness and vehemence with which prominent Democrats have distanced themselves from the new rallying cry of the progressive left, the answer is most certainly “yes”.
“This movement today, some people tried to hijack it. Don’t let yourselves be drawn into the debate about defunding police forces.” — House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
“We could rebalance some of our funding to address some of those issues more directly. But this isn’t about that and that should not be to story that leaves here.” — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
“Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded. He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain.”
“Biden supports the urgent need for reform —…