Every day on Twitchy there seems to be a daily narrative, and Monday’s is all about calls to defund the police from activists, politicians, and activist politicians. Joe Biden’s campaign put out a statement putting some distance between Biden and defunding the police. Sally Kohn utilized some dizzying spin to turn abolishing the police into “rethinking and reimagining public safety.” Al Sharpton warned that people might misinterpret calls to defund the police, and PBS News’ Yamiche Alcindor did some activist tweeting by adding “some needed context”: “Activists calling for defunding the police are not always calling for dismantling departments.”
In other words, “defund the police” is getting some actual play in places like Minneapolis and Democrats know it’s a losing issue. Even House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn warned Democrats on a conference call not to get caught up in the debate over defunding police forces.
Senior House Dems warning caucus against getting caught up in “defund the police” debate and overshadowing police reform bill.
“This movement today, some people tried to hijack it,” House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn tells Dems on a private caucus call this afternoon.
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) June 8, 2020
“Don’t let yourselves be drawn into the debate about defunding police forces,” Clyburn said, per Democrats on the call.
More on today’s bill intro w @sarahnferris @BresPolitico https://t.co/wbg1qztc4b
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) June 8, 2020
Rep. @AOC on call: "I understand that there is profound discomfort around these notions of defunding police," she says.
"I don’t ask we change our trajectory … I ask [that] people understand it."
Adds its "very important we don’t demoralize or undercut" grassroots leaders
— Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) June 8, 2020
And undercutting grassroots leaders would be what the Biden campaign’s statement did.
let them keep pursuing it and destroy their own party.
— Christopher Hanzelka (@CHanzelka) June 8, 2020
No… keep it going. More votes for President Trump.
The Democrat Party is imploding right before our eyes.
— Sandib – Drain the Swamp 2020 (@sandib1200) June 8, 2020
THE MEDIA WOULD BE THRILLED TO HELP THEM AVOID THAT DEBATE. https://t.co/9aczlLxcrI
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) June 8, 2020
Is either "I'm for defunding the police" or "I support the police" which is it democrats?
— Donna Johnson (@dolojohn7) June 8, 2020
It seems to be morphing into “reimagine the police.”
This is weak. They must listen to the base, and listen up now.
— JonathonSnyder (@JonathonSnyder) June 8, 2020
The base wants police departments defunded, dismantled, and even abolished. If Democrats don’t want to be drawn into the debate, they’re going to tick off a lot of angry voters who thought real change was in the cards this time.
Related:
‘Are you effin high?’ Sally Kohn presents dizzying spin for what ‘defund the police’ actually means https://t.co/ctkoQgoQup
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 8, 2020
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