As his presidential transition is underway, Joe Biden made a major concession with respect to his party’s messaging on the movement to “defund the police.” Biden urged Democrat voters to “remain quiet” about the hope to strip funding from law enforcement departments during a call with civil rights activists, via The Intercept:
"I also don’t think we should get too far ahead ourselves on dealing with police reform in that, because they’ve already labeled us as being ‘defund the police’ anything we put forward in terms of the organizational structure to change policing — which I promise you, will occur. Promise you...I just raise it with you to think about how much do we push between now and January 5 — we need those two seats — about police reform. But I guarantee you, there will be a full-blown commission. I guarantee you it’s a major, major, major element," Biden said to the group of activists.
Biden’s comments put an even bigger spotlight on Democratic Senatorial candidates Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, ahead of his campaign visit to Georgia. Both candidates have entertained the radical movement to “defund the police,” to different degrees. Ossoff maintains that funding for law enforcement should be “on the line” and contingent on national standards for use of force. Warnock, on the other hand, vilified police officers as “gangsters,” “thugs,” and “bullies.”
Both candidates are endorsed by outside groups that advocate for defunding the police and neither Senate hopeful has come close to denouncing the fringe movement.
"Those trying to radically change our country, and undermine safe and secure communities are fully invested in Georgia Democrats Warnock and Ossoff," said NRSC spokesperson Jesse Hunt. "They're desperate to hide their 'defund the police' agenda, but Georgians know the truth that Warnock, Ossoff, and their backers in DC are too radical."
As he hopes to hand himself a majority in the Senate, Biden concedes that the movement to “defund the police,” perpetuated by the far-left, is not the avenue to secure a runoff victory in Georgia. While his candidates undermine the importance of law enforcement, incumbent GOP Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are endorsed by law enforcement communities and have co-sponsored legislation further protecting police officers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that if Democrats win in Georgia, his party can "change America." Both of the runoff elections will occur on January 5, as control of the Senate hangs in the balance.
