Defund police movement threatens Democrats' 2020 chances
Progressives threaten to alienate voters with radical push; reaction and analysis on 'The Five.'
Progressives are running the risk of alienating voters across the country with their "radioactive" push to dismantle police departments, "The Five" co-host Jesse Watters said Monday.
"Think about this, the Democrats have come out with a position that even [co-host] Juan Williams thinks is so radioactive, you have to distance yourself from it," Watters said after Williams voiced his opposition to defunding the police earlier in the segment.
'DEFUND THE POLICE' WRESTS SUPPORT FROM POLITICIANS COAST-TO-COAST
Watters' comments come amid growing calls to weaken law enforcement in the wake of George Floyd's May 25 death. As protests broke out across the nation, the Black Lives Matter movement announced a “call for a national defunding of police," which has gained support among notable Democratic politicians and celebrities.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's campaign came out Monday against the growing movement, saying instead that the candidate supports the “urgent need for reform.”
"Joe Biden said the right thing today," Watters said. "He disowned this whole thing. But that's just his campaign releasing a statement that he didn't write ... it's pretty easy to release a statement from your basement."
Guest host Katie Pavlich praised President Trump for taking a stance against police brutality while defending law enforcement and condemning calls for their disbandment.
"The president has been able to really do this both ways," she said. "He's been able to condemn the murder, or the killing of George Floyd, and then he's also been able to say, 'We are going to defend law enforcement, uphold law and order, and we believe that the majority of police in this country are good people who are doing good things to protect the neighborhoods that needed them most.'"
"Biden has done a pretty poor job of being able to thread the needle," she added, "and do both of those things at the same time."
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