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ATLANTA (AP) — Joe Biden diverged Monday from activists pushing to “defund the police” in the United States, arguing that an overhaul of policing in America can be accomplished within existing law enforcement agencies.
A Biden presidential campaign aide said the Democrat “hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change” after George Floyd’s death by police in Minneapolis refocused the nation’s attention on institutional racism.
Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died after a white officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes, as three other officers stood by.Video of the officers’ actions led to protests in cities across the world and pushed Biden and other high-profile Democrats to call for America finally to confront institutional racism.
The “defund the police” mantra has gained steam among some protesters and progressive activists since Floyd’s death, potentially complicating Biden’s ability to satisfy a splintered movement demanding differing levels of changes in policing practices.
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The Republican incumbent, who’s postured as a “law and order” figure and urged federal and state authorities to “dominate” protesters, has seized on the latest dynamics, casting “defund the police” as the official rallying cry for Biden and all Democrats.
