Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign released a statement on Monday saying that the former vice president is not in favor of defunding police departments.
His campaign’s statement comes a day after the Minneapolis City Council voted on dismantling the city’s police department in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Biden’s campaign added that he is supportive of police reforms, many of which are backed by those leading massive protests throughout the country.
“Vice President Biden does not believe that police should be defunded,” Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bats said. “He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change, and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain.”
Biden’s campaign says it is supportive of increasing funding for public schools, summer programs and mental health and substance abuse treatment, “so that officers can focus on the job of policing.”
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that “the radical left Democrats have gone crazy” in response to defunding the police.
“The president is appalled by the defund the police movement,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.
Earlier on Monday, Democrats in Congress proposed legislation calls on a national ban on police use of chokeholds, mandates racial bias training for officers, and sets restrictions on transferring military-type vehicles from the federal government to local police departments.
Last week at a speech in Philadelphia, Biden said that he would call on Congress to implement a ban on chokeholds and a stop of transferring military equipment to police departments.
McEnany said that the president does not have a specific police reform plan in response, but said it’s something he will look into.
