OPINION:
Earlier this month, Republican Ted Budd and Democrat Cheri Beasley squared off on the North Carolina Senate debate stage. Headed into the debate, Ms. Beasley’s goal was to distance herself from President Biden and radical Democrats, whose image and policies are deeply unpopular in the Tar Heel State. Mr. Budd simply had to point out that it’s a scam and highlight his own strong track record of fighting for North Carolinians. By this standard, Ms. Beasley had a terrible night. Mr. Budd had a great night.
It’s not just that Ms. Beasley couldn’t say whether she’ll campaign with Mr. Biden and lied about Democrats recently hiring 87,000 new IRS agents. She explicitly refused to acknowledge there is a crisis at the border — which is disqualifying, considering that 4.5 million illegal immigrants have crossed into the United States under Mr. Biden. And when Mr. Budd pointed out that he now has the support of police groups that previously supported her, Ms. Beasley had no answer.
Instead, she harped on the obvious fact that we “must fund the police.” This is a disingenuous dodge. The fact is that she has raised money with a leader of the “defund the police” movement, Rep. Cori Bush. And her own campaign website says she supports ending the cash bail system. She can’t have it both ways: Fund the police and then institute policies that let criminals back on the streets.
To fully understand the extent of Ms. Beasley’s extremism, we have to look back to the summer of 2020. She said there is “great value” in tearing down the criminal justice system and rebuilding it. She also said we must “recognize the legitimate pain” of rioters when discussing destroyed businesses and towns, and insisted that “it is not enough to say to protesters: Go home and follow the rules. It’s just not that simple.”
Let’s talk about “pain.” The riots caused over $2 billion worth of damage nationwide. In North Carolina, insurance claims had already surpassed $10 million by the beginning of June 2020, and the riots cost taxpayers millions of dollars in police overtime and resources. In one riot in August 2020, extremists vandalized a memorial in Raleigh for deputies who had died in the line of duty. A month later, in September 2020, Ms. Beasley called the protests “helpful” and dismissed “the violence and all that” as a “detraction … around what the real issues are.” Her rhetoric was — and remains — shameful and disqualifying.
However, it’s unsurprising. It’s a continuation of her soft-on-crime record in North Carolina. In her 20 years as a judge, she defended cop killers and threw out the indictment of child sex predators. She even helped overturn the sentence of a convicted murderer who shot a young boy in the face.
So let’s talk about who really supports law enforcement. While serving in Congress, Rep. Ted Budd co-sponsored legislation to hold criminals accountable for rioting and assaulting police. Mr. Budd has also met with sheriffs from all 100 North Carolina counties who told him that “every single county in North Carolina is now a border county because of Biden’s policies.” On the debate stage, Mr. Budd said they told him that within “72 hours from crossing our border … fentanyl, those drugs, those cartel members, they’re right here in our neighborhoods.”
Yet Ms. Beasley couldn’t bring herself to call what’s happening at the border a “crisis”? Clearly, she’s more interested in politics than listening to law enforcement and helping North Carolina families. Mr. Budd now has the endorsement of the North Carolina Troopers Association and North Carolina Police Benevolent Association. He also just received the endorsement of the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police — the group that endorsed Ms. Beasley in 2008, 2014 and 2020.
Ms. Beasley badly miscalculated. It’s one thing to stand on a debate stage and try to rewrite history. But you can’t turn your back on the brave men and women dedicated to protecting families and businesses when it matters most.
The Tar Heel State deserves better than Ms. Beasley. She knows it, too, if her lies, pandering and deception are any indication. She’d only be a rubber stamp for Mr. Biden and Democrats’ disastrous soft-on-crime policies.
Take it from Mr. Budd, North Carolina’s next senator: “Joe Biden is on the ballot on November 8 and he goes by the name, this year, of Cheri Beasley.” Vote for Ted Budd like your life depends on it.
• Ronna McDaniel is chairwoman of the Republican National Committee.
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