House Majority Whip James Clyburn defended his Democratic colleague Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s call for the elimination of police officers by chalking it up to frustration.
“No, I don’t think so,” the South Carolina lawmaker told CNN’s Don Lemon when asked if Tlaib’s comments this week calling for “no more policing” were “harmful.”
“I think that she represents her district,” Clyburn added. “She knows what’s going on in and around Detroit. That is one thing. But I come out of a culture where people honor the police, but they want good policing. We do not honor bad police officers.”
OFFICER WHO SHOT DAUNTE WRIGHT RESIGNS, POLICE CHIEF FOLLOWS
Lemon followed up by asking Clyburn if Tlaib’s comments hurt the push for police reform, and he responded, “No, I don’t think they do. I think she’s expressing her frustrations and what she hears from her constituents, and I can understand that. But we need to pass this Justice in Policing Act.”
Clyburn made it clear that he believes “we’ve got to have police officers.”
Tlaib has been widely criticized by conservatives for her tweet in the wake of the shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright that appeared to suggest that police departments should be done away with altogether.
“It wasn’t an accident,” she tweeted. “Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.”
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It wasn’t an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist.
Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder.
No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) April 12, 2021
Police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, say that 26-year department veteran officer Kim Potter accidentally shot Wright with her handgun instead of her Taser as Wright resisted arrest and attempted to flee from officers in his car. Law enforcement officers had been attempting to arrest Wright for an outstanding warrant related to a first-degree attempted aggravated robbery case.
Potter has since resigned from the force and been charged with second-degree manslaughter.
