White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace that Republicans defunded police when they voted against COVID-19 relief.
Richmond argued that because some COVID-19 relief measures had included funding for local governments, opposition to those packages had put a greater strain on police and fire departments that were already moving toward hiring freezes and layoffs due to a lack of revenue. (RELATED: ‘Those Are His Words’: Dana Bash Presses Cedric Richmond After Biden Says ‘No’ To Progressives’ ‘Socialist Agenda’)
WATCH:
Wallace began with a question about President Joe Biden’s plan to deal with nationwide spikes in crime, sharing a clip of Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s response.
“The Biden five-point plan will not address the rise in murder and vicious assaults in this country. We have a lack of prosecution and we’ve declared war on the police and that is backfiring on those who have done it,” Graham said.
“Does Senator Graham have a point there?” Wallace asked, turning to Richmond.
“Absolutely not. In fact, Senator Graham doesn’t have a clue,” Richmond shot back. “And let’s talk about who defunded the police. When we were in Congress last year trying to pass a rescue plan — I’m sorry, not the rescue plan but an emergency relief plan for cities that were cash-strapped and laying off police and firefighters, it was the Republicans who objected to it and in fact, they didn’t get funding until the American Rescue Plan.”
“Republicans are very good at staying on talking points of who says ‘defund the police,’ but the truth is, they defunded the police,” Richmond claimed.
Wallace pushed back, arguing that funding was not the only problem and pointing to anti-police sentiment as a major factor.
“I think the point that Senator Graham and some Republicans make, beyond just the question of funding, is that there has been an attack on the police as if they are part of the problem, especially from some Democrats,” he said.