Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Sunday said that the recent calls to defund the police by many celebrities and protesters that have occurred since the death of George Floyd are “ridiculous.”
In a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Scott was asked about defunding law enforcement as support for abolishing or defunding the police is quickly gaining support among those on the left.
“What a ridiculous idea. It is not an idea whose time has come. It should never come. The absolute nation requires law and order. We need order in our streets, and the easiest way to have that is to have a strong presence of character-driven law enforcement officers,” Scott said.
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Earlier Sunday morning, Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said he would not call for the defunding of the police.
The question comes as the words “Defund The Police” were painted in the streets of Washington, D.C., next to the words “Black Lives Matter.” Many Democrats on have called for the defunding of law enforcement since Floyd’s death. (RELATED: DC Mayor Won’t Answer Repeated Questions About Removing ‘Defund The Police’ Mural From City Street)
Former Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, who now leads left-wing group Demand Justice, tweeted out his support for defunding the police Wednesday. Protesters booed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey Saturday after he wouldn’t say he would abolish the city’s police department.
Floyd died while in Minneapolis police custody after an officer put his knee into the back of his neck for over eight minutes while he was handcuffed and on the ground. (RELATED: Senate Democrats Silent When Asked If They Would Consider Legislation Labeling Antifa A Terrorist Organization)
Since then, all four former officers involved have been charged.