On Wednesday, former President Barack Obama stated a strong message to current Democrats who wish to defund the police, suggesting that the slogan and overall message are counterproductive to the Democratic Party. The slogan has been a strong message of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
The statement against Defund the Police by Obama goes against the Black Lives Matter Movement's message
The recent interview brought to light the stark contrast President Obama has with the more progressive wing of his party, stating that once you say the "Defund the Police" slogan, "you lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you're actually going to get the changes you want done.”
Obama mentioned that a better method for attracting new voters to the Democratic Party is through proposing solutions instead of slogans.
"If there was a homeless guy, can maybe we send a mental health worker there instead of an armed unit that could end up resulting in a tragedy?”
“Suddenly a whole bunch of folks who might not otherwise listen to you are listening to you,” Obama said. “So the key is deciding, do you want to actually get something done, or do you want to feel good among the people you already agree with?"
The debate as to whether the United States should defund the police came soon after the death of George Floyd, who was killed by police in May.
The push for this notion has been brought to the table by young voters and progressive politicians, who see defunding the police as an immediate solution to solving the high death rate of African Americans in the country.
However, the majority of Americans see a different perspective, with 64% opposing the idea, with only 34% approving, according to an ABC News Poll.
There is also speculation that the campaign "Defund the Police" had significant implications on the 2020 Senate Race in South Carolina, where Lindsay Graham defeated his Democratic rival, Jaime Harrison, in a wider margin than predicted.