GOP campaign arms attack Cori Bush’s ‘Defund the Police’ comments, her private security demands

Congressional Republicans are using Rep. Cori Bush’s comments about defunding the police to accuse the Missouri Democrat of hypocrisy over her demands for her own private security.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, the GOP’s House campaign arm, unveiled a campaign video Thursday, juxtaposing reports of national rising crime rates and Ms. Bush’s calls for defunding the police.

The ad also emphasized Ms. Bush defending her use of private security for personal protection.

“I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life,” Ms. Bush said in an interview Thursday with CBS News. “If I end up spending $200,000, if I spend 10 more dollars on it, you know what, I get to be here to do the work. So suck it up. And defunding the police needs to happen.”

The video, shared on Twitter by the NRCC, had reached nearly 1.2 million views by Thursday afternoon.

“We want to thank Cori Bush for reminding everyone that Democrats are the party of Defund the Police. While violent crime ravages communities, Democrats are spending campaign dollars on private security for themselves,” NRCC Communications Director Michael McAdams said in a statement.

A spokesman for the NRCC confirmed to The Washington Times that they plan to use Ms. Bush’s comments “heavily” in their advertising against vulnerable House Democrats.

The NRCC’s Senate counterpart, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is already tying other Democrats to the ad about Ms. Bush, tagging Rep. Val Demings of Florida and North Carolina Senate candidate Cheri Beasley as “allies” to the progressive lawmaker and member of “the Squad.”

“As a former Police Chief and member of the law enforcement community, Val Demings should be vocal in her opposition to the radical Defund the Police movement espoused by her allies in the House,” said NRSC spokeswoman Priscilla Ivasco in a statement.

Mrs. Demings is currently challenging Republican Sen. Marco Rubio for a spot in the upper chamber. Before taking office in 2017, she has served as Orlando’s first female police chief from 2007 to 2011. 

On the House side, the NRCC is targeting 57 Democrats who represent swing or purple districts. The majority of the targets are members of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition and New Democrat Coalition.

Ms. Bush has been prominent in the public eye this past week, after leading a protest on the Capitol steps to demand that the expired eviction moratorium be extended after the House failed to do so before adjourning for recess.

The lawmaker, who slept out on the Capitol steps, remained in the District for several days to call on the White House to extend the moratorium.

The Biden administration announced a temporary moratorium to be put in place on Tuesday, after five days of protest led by Ms. Bush and other progressive Democrats.