Whoopi Goldberg insisted that no one actually wanted to “get rid of the police department” despite a direct quote from Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar saying the opposite.
Goldberg jumped in, taking control of the conversation on Tuesday’s “The View,” after cohost Meghan McCain argued that a hard push to “defund the police” would make a great campaign slogan for President Donald Trump. (RELATED: Meghan McCain: The Push To Defund Police Is ‘Giving Trump A Great Campaign Slogan’)
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“Listen, you guys can spin and say anything you want,” McCain explained. “Politics at the end of the day, unfortunately, is real simple. It’s about slogans. ‘Defund the Police’ is a great one for the Trump campaign.”
Everyone started talking at once, and Goldberg wrested control from the others.
“Wait, wait, no, no, no, I’m gonna talk,” Goldberg interrupted. “I got something to say, I got something to say. I got something to say. You must explain, because you don’t want people not understanding. I’m going to explain to Bill Barr now, who says there’s no systemic racism: Eric Garner, George Floyd couldn’t breathe. Breonna Taylor, police didn’t knock. Philando Castile told cops, ‘I have a gun.’ Tamir Rice was 12.”
“If you can’t look at that and say, ‘Hey, we have an issue and we have to sit down and talk about it and figure out how to make the good cops better and get the bad cops out of the way’ — no one that I know wants to get rid of the police department. No one,” Goldberg continued.
“Congresswoman Ilhan Omar does,” McCain interrupted, referencing Omar’s recent comments about disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department — which she claimed was “beyond reform” — in its entirety.
The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform.
It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis.
Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020
“No. I think she probably wants to reform it. It sounds better. Both sides always do — they do the better word. But the truth of the matter is no one wants the police department gone,” Goldberg insisted. “We celebrated the police department during 9/11. We celebrated the police department in Covid times. What we’re saying is, those are the great things we want the police departments to continue to do and to take care of the people.”