WASHINGTON ― As Republicans ramp up their assaults on Vice President Kamala Harris for her remarks on the “defund the police” motion, they continue to be locked into defending Donald Trump, a convicted felony who actually salutes violent insurrectionists who beat law enforcement officials on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Ironic, isn’t it,” stated a Republican Nationwide Committee member who spoke on situation of anonymity, stating that Trump additionally has known as for “defunding” federal regulation enforcement. “He desires to dismantle the FBI.”
Harris, a former prosecutor and later the lawyer basic of California, by no means signed onto calls to “defund” complete police departments, however stated she did assist “reimagining” how a lot cash was dedicated to police in comparison with social companies in crime-ridden communities. On June 9, 2020, she stated in an interview simply days after the homicide of George Floyd by Minneapolis police that “this entire motion is about rightly saying, we want to try these budgets and determine whether or not it displays the proper priorities.”
The coup-attempting former president and his allies have labored to spread these remarks to make her look smooth on crime ― despite the fact that Trump has promised to pardon all these prosecuted for his or her actions on Jan. 6, together with those that attacked law enforcement officials with flag poles, sticks, a baseball bat, pepper spray and even the officers’ personal Tasers.
“Trump oversaw the biggest single-year spike within the homicide charge in additional than a century, proposed defunding regulation enforcement in each single one in every of his budgets and desires to pardon the criminals who violently assaulted law enforcement officials on Jan. 6,” Harris marketing campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa stated. “A Donald Trump presidency means extra shootings, extra deaths and extra criminals like him with quick access to weapons.”
Trump started the apply of standing at consideration for Jan. 6 rioters his March 2023 rally in Waco, Texas. It’s since grow to be a function of his rallies: a recording of incarcerated rioters singing the nationwide anthem performs, interspersed with Trump’s studying of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Trump marketing campaign officers didn’t reply to HuffPost queries about whether or not Trump is rethinking his pledge to pardon insurrectionists or his honoring of them at his rallies.
By the top of final 12 months, the previous president had been indicted by federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., and state prosecutors in Georgia, for actions associated to overturning the election he misplaced; by federal prosecutors in Florida, for refusing to show over secret paperwork he had taken to his Palm Seashore nation membership upon leaving the White Home; and by New York prosecutors, for falsifying enterprise information to cover a hush fee to a porn actress within the days earlier than the 2016 marketing campaign.
He has since been convicted on 34 felony counts within the New York case, whereas the trial choose’s choice to dismiss the paperwork case is beneath attraction. The 14 felony counts in Atlanta and the 4 counts in Washington are nonetheless awaiting trial.
“However he’s nonetheless main in spite all of that,” stated David Kochel, a Republican guide from Iowa who has not supported Trump. “Regular guidelines don’t apply to Donald Trump.”
Different anti-Trump Republicans aren’t satisfied that Trump’s assaults on Harris on regulation enforcement points will work.
“You noticed what she stated about Gaza protesters this week,” stated Fergus Cullen, a former GOP state chair in New Hampshire, referring to Harris’ assertion condemning pro-Hamas protesters. “She will simply pivot again to her ‘again the blue’ days as a prosecutor and lawyer basic. The identical difficulty that harm her within the 2020 primaries helps her now in a basic election. And the Dem base will give her a go to marketing campaign as extra of a centrist.”
Fellow former New Hampshire GOP chair Jennifer Horn stated she is now not stunned by what her one-time social gathering will do and say in service of Trump.
“The GOP doesn’t know tips on how to marketing campaign in opposition to her. She’s an clever, completed, brave girl ― all of the issues GOP leaders hate in girls,” Horn stated.
