ABC Finds it ‘Surprising’ ‘Defund the Police’ Not Bigger in NYC Mayor Race

News & Politics

In another example of the New York-based national media thinking their local activities and politics were a concern for the rest of the country, ABC’s This Week featured chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl (because D.C. is apparently New York now) examining the race for mayor. And while he only looked at Democrats, he found it “surprising” that the radical “defund the police” movement was only being actively pushed by one of the eight major candidates.

Karl described it as “Back to normal, but there is something surprising happening in progressive New York City.” He was shocked that they were trying to appeal to sensible people. “While you might think this would be a race to the left, the leading candidates are talking tough on crime. Opposing tax hikes and talking about keeping businesses in New York,” he reported.

Adding: “Last year’s defund the police rallying cry, not here, not now.”

Karl spoke with some of the top candidates to press them on why they didn’t want to dismantle the New York Police Department:

KARL: What you do to the overall budget for the NYPD?

KATHRYN GARCIA: I have not been planning to make changes to the budget. We will look at them from whether or not there are efficiencies to be found, but I believe we need to have our patrol strength on the streets of New York.

KARL: So, what happened with the whole defund the police movement that was so big just last year?

ANDREW YANG: Defund the police is the wrong approach for New York City. Most New Yorkers I talk to are very, very concerned about what is going on in their neighborhood and if anything they want to see more officers and we need to go on a recruitment drive city wide for more officers.

“Public safety. Because public safety is really the foundation for all the issues. We can’t turn around our economy if we’re not safe,” Brooklyn Borough President and form NYPD officer Eric Adams told Karl, explaining the number one issue in the race.

Karl also highlighted the campaign of Maya Wiley, the anti-police candidate who “got a big endorsement from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” “Wiley says she would take a billion dollars out of the police budget,” he noted.

It was only at that point did Karl admit how out of control crime had gotten in the city since the left’s defend the police movement took off:

That has been a tougher argument to make when the city is in the midst of a rise in crime. The overall crime rate in New York City is up more than 20 percent since last year. And shooting incidents up more than 70 percent.

In a later conversation with Yang, Karl seemed to admit how surprised he was by the messaging from most of the Democratic field. “But the tough on crime, pro-business, no tax increase approach sounds a little bit like the early Mayor Bloomberg and maybe even Mayor Rudy Giuliani back in the day.”

Jonathan Karl’s confusion on why defunding the police wasn’t more popular was made possible lucrative sponsorships from CarMax and Google. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.

The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:

ABC’s This Week
June 6, 2021
9:46:55 a.m. Eastern

JON KARL: In New York this week, eight candidates vying for one of the biggest political prizes of 2021, spread apart, but in person and together, a sign that and in politics too, life is getting back to normal.

(…)

KARL: This race is a classic New York free for all, but it is also the largest election anyone in the country, by far, since the end of the Trump presidency and since we turned the corner on the pandemic.

Back to normal, but there is something surprising happening in progressive New York City. While you might think this would be a race to the left, the leading candidates are talking tough on crime. Opposing tax hikes and talking about keeping businesses in New York.

Last year’s defund the police rallying cry, not here, not now.

What you do to the overall budget for the NYPD?

KATHRYN GARCIA (D-mayoral candidate): I have not been planning to make changes to the budget. We will look at them from whether or not there are efficiencies to be found, but I believe we need to have our patrol strength on the streets of New York.

KARL: So, what happened with the whole defund the police movement that was so big just last year?

ANDREW YANG (D-mayoral candidate): Defund the police is the wrong approach for New York City. Most New Yorkers I talk to are very, very concerned about what is going on in their neighborhood and if anything they want to see more officers and we need to go on a recruitment drive city wide for more officers.

KARL: Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is campaigning as a former cop, who was also a victim of police brutality as a teenager.

ERIC ADAMS (D-mayoral candidate, via political ad): I’m Eric Adams. I’ll be a blue collar mayor. I’ll rebuild our economy while tackling violent crime and bring New York back.

KARL: What is the number one issue in this race?

ADAMS: Public safety. Because public safety is really the foundation for all the issues. We can’t turn around our economy if we’re not safe.

KARL: There are Progressives in the race.

MAYA WILEY: Good afternoon.

KARL: Maya Wiley got a big endorsement from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

(…)

KARL: Wiley says she would take a billion dollars out of the police budget.

WILEY: We are going to stop the hiring in the next two police cadet classes and as I have said we have a police department that is bloated.

KARL: That has been a tougher argument to make when the city is in the midst of a rise in crime. The overall crime rate in New York City is up more than 20 percent since last year. And shooting incidents up more than 70 percent.

(…)

9:50:09 a.m. Eastern

KARL: Yang says public safety is not just about recruiting more cops, but also turning around the city’s pandemic ravaged economy.

What about taxes?

YANG: Right now would be the wrong time to raise taxes here in New York City. We do have $12 billion in federal aid or so and a lot of families right now are looking around wondering whether this is the place for them to raise their family, to build a business. We cannot give people more reasons to start looking at places like Florida because the reality is we need people who make a lot of money to pay their taxes right here in New York City.

KARL: But the tough on crime, pro-business, no tax increase approach sounds a little bit like the early Mayor Bloomberg and maybe even Mayor Rudy Giuliani back in the day.

YANG: I certainly admire Mike Bloomberg a great deal. And one thing I want to take from his example is hiring a group of world-class managers who are not ideological, just results-oriented, just solving problems and getting things done for New York.

(…)

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