In newly leaked audio, President-elect Joe Biden is heard admitting the GOP managed to “beat the living hell” out of Democrats over their efforts to “defund the police,” and suggested they avoid discussing police reforms before the crucial Georgia Senate runoffs.
Biden’s remarks came speaking at a virtual meeting between him, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and several prominent civil rights leaders.
The audio was first obtained by the Intercept.
In it, Biden can be heard suggesting that radical messaging to ‘defund the police’ is an electoral killer while adding that any talk of police reform needs to be tabled until after the election.
“I also don’t think we should get too far ahead of ourselves on dealing with police reform in that, because they’ve already labeled us as being ‘defund the police’ anything we put forward in terms of the organizational structure to change policing — which I promise you, will occur,” Biden said.
“That’s how they beat the living hell out of us across the country, saying that we’re talking about defunding the police. We’re not. We’re talking about holding them accountable,” he states.
“We’re talking about giving them money to do the right things. We’re talking about putting more psychologists and psychiatrists on the telephones when the 911 calls through,” Biden continues.
“We’re talking about spending money to enable them to do their jobs better, not with more force, with less force and more understanding.”
RELATED: Omar And ‘Squad’ Fire Back At Obama After He Criticizes ‘Defund the Police’ Slogan
Biden: Defund the Police Killed Us in the Elections, So Let’s Keep It Quiet Before the Georgia Runoffs
Biden’s comments echo those of former President Barack Obama who recently criticized “snappy” slogans like “defund the police” as a losing political argument.
“You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you’re actually going to get the changes you want done,” said Obama during a Snapchat interview earlier this month.
“Do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with?” he chastised.
Obama tells @Snapchat’s @PeterHamby in an interview that will debut tomorrow on Snap that broad slogans like “defund the police” lose people
More on @axios: https://t.co/LofapVF8FR— Sara Fischer (@sarafischer) December 1, 2020
Also, like Obama, Biden is being dishonest when they say members of the Democrat party aren’t really calling for defunding the police.
Members of the far-left Squad, who arguably had the most success in their House races this election than any other faction of the Democrat party, made it clear that they intend to defund.
“It’s not a slogan but a policy demand,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said in response to Obama’s remarks.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO), a newcomer to the Squad, made the argument rather clearly.
“It’s not a slogan,” she claimed. “It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police.”
With all due respect, Mr. President—let’s talk about losing people. We lost Michael Brown Jr. We lost Breonna Taylor. We’re losing our loved ones to police violence.
It’s not a slogan. It’s a mandate for keeping our people alive. Defund the police. https://t.co/Wsxp1Y1bBi
— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) December 2, 2020
RELATED: Obama Turns On Far-Left, Says Dems Lose With Slogans Like ‘Defund The Police’
Wants to Hide the Fact That Democrats Will Pursue Police Reform If They Win the Senate
The reality here is that Biden doesn’t want Democrats to stop talking about the push to “defund the police” specifically, he would just rather they keep it quiet until after the Georgia Senate runoffs.
In other words, he recognizes that if voters know what the party is really about, they won’t like it.
Echoes of Nancy Pelosi saying ‘pass the bill and then we’ll find out what’s in it.’ Echoes of Biden insisting repeatedly that he wouldn’t discuss certain views – court-packing in particular – until after the election.
Biden “warned the civil rights leaders that pressure on the incoming administration around police reform could hurt the party’s chances in the Georgia Senate runoffs,” the Intercept reports.
Leaked audio of Biden bragging again. Shows his true colors as a neoliberal ghoul that he is. Looking forward to another crappy 4 years of chaos. pic.twitter.com/BDAIafGXlv
— Danny (@DanylYoung) December 10, 2020
Biden told the civil rights leaders “to think about how much do we push between now and January 5th,” the date of the Georgia runoffs, regarding police reform, but still promised a “full-blown commission” to examine the matter.
The runoffs – between Republican Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff and between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock – will determine which party has control of the Senate.
Republicans maintaining control has been deemed crucial in keeping a Biden administration in check. Democrats see victory as a mandate to implement extreme policies.
President @realDonaldTrump: “If you don’t vote. The socialists and the communists win.” pic.twitter.com/VLhaX0iKKa
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) December 6, 2020
President Trump warned voters of what could happen if Democrats capture both Senate seats.
“Very simply, you will decide whether your children will grow up in a socialist country or a free country,” he claimed.
“Socialism is just the beginning for these people. They want to go into a communistic form of government,” the President added.
If you don’t vote, they will defund the police. And Biden doesn’t want you to know that. Why?
