Fox News anchor Chris Wallace turned the tables on Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) on Sunday, accusing the Republicans, not the Democrats, of defunding police amid rising crime rates.
Wallace pressed Banks on his position, outlined in a recent Fox News op-ed, that crime is surging because of the “violence” of Black Lives Matter protests last year (but not the violent Capitol insurrection by Donald Trump supporters), and the “defund the police” movement he said Democrats supported.
Banks again grumbled on “Fox News Sunday” that Democrats have spent a year “stigmatizing” police and providing a “recipe that criminals in every city in America are liking.”
But that got Wallace going, and he quickly accused Republicans of defunding law enforcement.
Wallace pointed out that Republicans voted against President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID relief American Rescue Plan, which includes a massive $350 billion for local law enforcement agencies.
Biden called the plan a “central part of his anti-crime package,” Wallace noted. “Cities and states can use this money to hire more police officers, invest in new technologies and develop summer job training and recreation programs for young people,” Wallace pointed out to Banks.
“Congressman Banks, you voted against that package, against that $350 billion, just like every other Republican in the House and Senate. So can’t you make the argument that it’s you and the Republicans who are defunding the police?” Wallace pressed.
Banks said “not at all,” and immediately returned to comments made by Democrats about police, until Wallace cut him off — repeatedly — in a failed attempt to get Banks to respond to the funding question.
Ironically, in light of the Republicans’ defense of the violent Capitol riot, Banks insisted: “If we turn a blind eye to law and order and a blind eye to riots ... we’re inevitably going to see crime rise.” But he was only referring to Black Lives Matter protests “last summer.”
Check out the video clip of the confrontation up top.
