Rick Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator and Republican 2012 presidential candidate, said Tuesday that demilitarization is not the answer to ongoing violence in Ferguson, Missouri.
Speaking from Israel, where he is currently traveling to assess the situation in Gaza, Mr. Santorum told America’s Forum that community leaders are responsible for stabilizing the situation in Missouri. America’s Forum is a morning news show on Newsmax TV.
“I think the police have every right and responsibility to protect themselves and protect the citizens,” Mr. Santorum said in the AF interview. “I don’t know if demilitarization is an answer, I think what the answer is, is that community leaders need to start taking responsibility for that community and bringing people in line, and if there are people from the outside that are causing the problems, then I think those people need to be dealt with accordingly by the police.”
Mr. Santorum hinted that he might be considering another presidential run in 2016 saying, “Yes, of course I’m looking at it.”
He discussed the conflict in Gaza and said the U.S. needed to demonstrate more support for it’s allies in Israel.
“The average Israeli knows whose side that John Kerry and Barack Obama are on, and it’s not to protect the security of Israel,” Mr. Santorum said.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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