Democrats Now Running From 'Defund the Police' Talk

Democrats who had championed "defunding" police departments before being forced to pour money back into policing amid a nationwide rise in crime are now publicly admitting the social justice movement was a colossal mistake, trying ahead of the midterm elections to dodge critics who charge that the push was responsible for fueling the increase in crime.

The "defund the police" mantra caught fire in Democrat-led cities and states in 2020. The idea had been around for years but previously garnered little high-level support until two years ago when progressive politicians aligned with protesters to call for a total "reimagination" of police departments in the wake of several police-involved deaths of unarmed Black people, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.