In response to the Republican Study Committee pushing a blueprint to defund law enforcement and make communities less safe, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“MAGA Republicans are making their priorities clear: pushing a soft-on-crime agenda to defund law enforcement as Donald Trump promises to pardon violent insurrectionists and fill the ranks of the party with convicted criminals.”

The Republican Study Committee’s new budget proposes slashing funding for law enforcement and community safety.

Republican Study Committee FY 2025 Budget Proposal: “COPS was created in the 1990s as a means to support state and local law enforcement agencies with expenses like salaries, court programs, and juvenile justice programs. … the RSC Budget would support a reduction to this program.”

Trump is pressuring his MAGA minions to defund law enforcement, just like he tried to do every year in office as murder rates skyrocketed…

Sahil Kapur, NBC News: “Donald Trump pressures Republicans to defund the (federal) police.”

MSNBC: “Trump joins other Republicans in pushing to ‘defund the FBI’”

Jonathan Allen, NBC News: “When Trump was president, he proposed slashing federal funding for local police forces.”

Wall Street Journal: “The [Trump] administration’s 2021 budget, like all its previous budgets, recommended eliminating the Community Relations Services and Community Oriented Policing Services and placing their functions under other parts of the department to ‘improve efficiency.’”

Vox: “Donald Trump is defunding the police”

“President Trump has repeatedly proposed cuts in federal funding for police, criticized landmark legislation that boosted financial support for police departments, and is currently involved in blocking legislation that would greatly reduce pressure on local governments to cut police funding. In layman’s terms, he’s been trying to defund the police.”

Associated Press: “FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever”

Philadelphia Inquirer: “The Council on Criminal Justice, a D.C.-based research group, found that homicides in 21 American cities were up 32% between March and October compared with 2019. And some analysts believe 2020 could record the largest-ever single-year increase in murders in the United States.”

… and Republicans are falling in line. MAGA Mike Johnson claims the GOP “stands for the rule of law,” but congressional Republicans have repeatedly threatened to gut or abolish federal law enforcement.

CNN: “Some lawmakers on the far right such as Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Gaetz of Florida and Paul Gosar of Arizona, have carried Trump’s mantel in calling for a full defund of the FBI.”

CNN: “In January, an effort to pass a resolution expressing support for law enforcement agencies, which was meant to serve as a messaging tool, fell apart. The House GOP’s behind-the-scenes disagreements reflect growing divisions inside the conference over whether to defund or restrict the Department of Justice and FBI. The contentious political issue is returning to center stage as CNN has learned that some House Republicans are actively sketching out ways to limit certain federal law enforcement programs through the appropriations process.”

The Hill: “GOP Rep Chip Roy threatens to defund DOJ, DHS” 

Matt Gaetz: “I don’t care if it takes every second of our time, and every ounce of our energy, we either get this government back on our side or we defund and get rid of, abolish the FBI, CDC, ATF, DOJ, every last one of them if they do not come to heel.”

Reminder: Every single Republican voted AGAINST the American Rescue Plan, which included hundreds of billions of dollars for state and local governments that could be used to boost local law enforcement. 

ABC News: “President Joe Biden will announce Friday that $10 billion from the American Rescue Plan has been committed to police departments and public safety across the U.S. … These funds show what has been reported from cities through the end of 2021. The COVID-19 relief law included $350 billion for state and local governments to reduce violence.”

White House: “The American Rescue Plan (ARP) has provided over $15 billion to prevent crime and promote public safety, including community violence intervention programs and crisis responders, while Bipartisan Safer Community Act —the most significant gun safety legislation in the last 30 years—provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives, in addition to key investments for schools to expand mental health services and violence intervention programs.”

Trump not only sides with violent January 6 insurrectionists over law enforcement — he’s also promised to pardon them.

Business Insider: “Then-President Donald Trump didn’t want to specifically call for the Justice Department to prosecute January 6 rioters or forcefully condemn those who stormed the Capitol as unrepresentative of the MAGA movement, according to draft remarks obtained by the House committee investigating the attack. In a video posted Monday, the committee showed an excerpt of prepared remarks for Trump’s January 7, 2021, pre-recorded address to the nation. … The president did not give a more specific and forceful call for the Justice Department to prosecute those involved.”

Washington Post: “No, Trump did not order 10,000 troops to secure the Capitol on Jan. 6”

“As we have documented before, President Donald Trump never requested 10,000 National Guard troops to secure the Capitol that day. He threw out a number, in casual conversation, that is now regarded by his supporters as a lifeline to excuse his inaction when a mob inspired by his rhetoric invaded the Capitol.”

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

Buck Sexton: “Will there be a lot of pardons and commutations of people you think were treated unfairly, J6 defendants, January 6 defendants under an administration, your administration?”

Trump: “Yes, absolutely. They were treated horribly … We had people put in jail for five, six, seven years who didn’t do anything wrong. And yes, that will happen very quickly.”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

​​Washington Post: ​​“Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. … Trump has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot, including by pledging to pardon them if he returns to the White House, praising them as patriots, participating in a recording with Jan. 6 prisoners singing the national anthem, and playing it at his first rally of the 2024 campaign last month.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

NBC News: “Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants”