You don’t find too many Democrats still parroting the mindless “defund the police” mantra that was so popular during the summer of 2020, and there’s a good reason why: In autumn of 2022, America has seen where it’s taken us, and they don’t like it.
According to an August Pew Research poll, violent crime is the third-most important issue to midterm voters this year, with 60 percent describing it as “very important.” (Only the economy and gun policy ranked higher.)
USA Today reported last month that violent crime is up 4.4 percent on the year — and much higher than it was before the pandemic. While murders are down, they still haven’t returned to pre-pandemic (and pre-“defund the police”) levels.
With just a month to go before the midterms, then, the Democrats have a lot to answer for on crime. Just don’t expect them to answer it.
In a series of viral clips, Fox News reporter Gianno Caldwell confronted four prominent Capitol Hill Democrats — Sen. Charles Schumer of New York and Reps. Jerrold Nadler of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — this week about rising crime rates.
None had a single substantive thing to say.
Schumer, the Senate majority leader, had just two words to address the crime crisis. When Caldwell tried to get an answer out of him, all he received in return was, “Thank you.”
Q: “Senator, any reaction to the crime crisis in America? Crime is up. There’s a crisis. “
SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER: “Thank you.” pic.twitter.com/1iuepi9Umo
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 6, 2022
Schumer, at least, had a vehicle to duck into. Rep. Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, was less fortunate when Caldwell caught up to him while he was waiting for an elevator.
“I’m in a rush right now,” he said while waiting for the lift.
“We just want to talk about the crisis that is impacting our country with crime across the nation,” Caldwell said as Nadler paced over to another elevator.
“Maybe. I’m going to be pretty busy,” Nadler said, saying that “today” was a hectic day.
“Tomorrow, does that work?” Caldwell said. Nadler, his elevator having arrived, ducked into it and stopped answering.
Democrat Jerry Nadler repeatedly refused questions about rising crime:
“I’m in a rush.” pic.twitter.com/sJy2HPZgdm
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 6, 2022
Rep. Omar — as Fox News’ report reminded us — said that “we need to completely dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department” at the height of the defund movement.
She was from the city where it all began, after all. So surely, she’d be willing to talk about the effect defunding, demonizing and demoralizing police had on crime — or at least how she planned to stop it — when Caldwell reminded her of her words.
“Do you have any reaction?” he asked.
Q: “You supported the ‘Defund the Police’ movement — it led to a rise in crime. Do you have any reaction?”
Democrat Ilhan Omar: *rolls up car window* pic.twitter.com/v2C17TDqdr
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 6, 2022
Or she could roll up her car window on Caldwell. That too.
Rep. Pressley, another defund-the-police fanatic, may have been the most entertaining of the bunch.
When confronted by Caldwell at a media briefing and asked about rising rates of violent crime and how it affected young students, she blamed the Biden administration for “policy violence,” given the White House has only forgiven up to $20,000 in student loan debt:
When asked about rising violent crime, Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley says Biden’s student debt bailout is a reaction to “policy violence.” pic.twitter.com/1Pat6S0lOk
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 6, 2022
“Our work on student debt cancelation is a direct response to what I would consider to be policy violence,” Pressley said.
As she walked away, Caldwell tried to get something more out of Pressley than student loan policy violence (there’s a new one by me), but she was shielded by a staffer.
“The Democrats were not happy,” Caldwell told “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade on Thursday.
“They had no response to what they’ve supported over the course of years, defunding the police. This led to a rise in crime. The fact that they’ve had all these horrible things to say about the men and women in uniform who are set to protect us, now we see in police departments across the country where they can’t even get police in.”
Do you think the ‘defund the police’ movement caused crime to skyrocket?
Yes: 99% (468 Votes)
No: 1% (3 Votes)
“This is outrageous, and it’s impacting everyone,” he added. “They need to be held responsible, and that was my mission going to Washington.”
There’s a reason the mission is so important to Caldwell. The reporter’s 18-year-old brother Christian was a victim of America’s crime crisis; he was shot and killed in Chicago on June 24.
But the defund-the-police Democrats were all too busy to provide answers. So very, very busy. If that’s the case, perhaps voters ought to consider turning the situation over to a party that has time to formulate real answers.
