Kamala Harris Responds to Trump’s ‘Defund Police’ Attack: Reforming ‘Doesn’t Mean We Get Rid Of Police, Of Course Not’
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) responded to President Donald Trump’s attack that Democrats want to “defund the police” by saying that while sweeping reform is needed, it “doesn’t mean we get rid of police, of course not.”
Senator Harris — a leading contender for the vice presidential slot on Biden’s ticket — appeared on ABC News’ Good Morning America Tuesday morning, where she edged away from activist calls to “defund the police,” while supporting the broad themes of that activism.
Anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Sen. Harris to respond to Trump’s attacks on Democrats, in which he claims they want to “defund and abolish” the police.
“Well, it’s just creating fear where none is necessary,” Harris said, and added that “People protesting in the streets are protesting what has been a long standing at issue in America that needs to be addressed, and it can be done in a way that does not require us to create fear in people.”
Harris then referenced the legislation that Democrats introduced on Monday, saying “There needs to be accountability and consequence for anyone who breaks the law and breaks the rules. And so what we’re talking about in our package of bills is doing just that.”
“And separately, we really do have to get to a point where we agree that the status quo way of thinking about achieving safety is really wrong when it assumes that the best way to achieve more safety is to put more police on the streets. It’s just wrong,” Harris added, and spoke about funding priorities like education and jobs.
Stephanopoulos asked Harris if she supports proposals like the one in Los Angeles, which diverts $150 million from the police budget into other community priorities.
“I support investing in communities so that they become more healthy and therefore more safe. Right now what we’re seeing in America is many cities spend over 1/3 of their entire city budget on policing. But meanwhile we’ve been defunding public schools for years in America, we’ve got to reexamine what we’re doing with Americans’ taxpayer dollars, and ask the question are we getting the right return on our investment? Are we actually creating healthy and safe communities?” Harris said, and applauded L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti for the proposal.
“Does that mean, bottom line, we need fewer police on the streets for America right now?” Stephanopoulos asked.
“It means that we need to invest in communities, George,” Harris replied, and restated her call for funding of other priorities.
“We need to recognize that if you invest in communities, they will be healthy, they will be strong, and we won’t have a need for militarization of police,” Harris said. “We have to stop that, we have to stop militarization of police, but that doesn’t mean we get rid of police, of course not. But we have to be practical about this.”
“Does Joe Biden have the formula right? Don’t defund the police, but condition federal money on reforms and policing?” Stephanopoulos asked, referring to Biden’s Monday statements opposing the defunding of police.
“Listen, Joe Biden believes that we need to reform the system, and I couldn’t agree with him more,” Harris replied.
In several interviews Monday, Harris made similar remarks about the need for reform while studiously avoiding directly rebuking or supporting the “defund” language, walking the line between contextualizing the aims of the activism that has been spurred by the police killing of George Floyd and reframing them as responsible reform measures.
Her comments to Stephanopoulos come closer to a rejection of the slogan that Trump is trying to turn into a campaign issue — and Biden is trying to neutralize — while still attempting to be supportive of activists’ aims.
Watch the clip above via ABC News.
