By Steve Neavling
GOP efforts to defund federal law enforcement agencies is similar to the Democrats’ calls to “defund the police,” fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said.
The Alaska senator, a centrist, is among a growing number of Republicans who are warning their colleagues about attacking the FBI and Justice Department. Doing so risks alienating moderate and swing voters and provoking violence, they say.
“It was not too many years ago when the big cry [among Democrats] was, ‘Defund the police,’ and Republicans were saying, ‘Are you out of your mind?’ Now, the Republicans are saying defund the Department of Justice, defund the FBI. What are we doing people? Yes, I’m worried,” Murkowski told The Hill.
“We can’t get to a place where justice is in the eye of the beholder, that only if it works for me that justice is fair,” she said. “We need to believe in the integrity of our institutions and unfortunately this rhetoric does nothing to uphold the integrity and credibility [of the justice system].”
Former President Trump has increased his rhetoric against the FBI and Justice Department after he was charged for his handling of classified records. Other Republicans have followed suit, even calling for the FBI to be defunded.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., cautioned Republicans against making irresponsible remarks and urged them to trust the legal process.
“We have a legal system. He’ll be represented, there will be appeals, this will go all the way to the Supreme Court,” he said. “There’s a belief on the Republican side that the law doesn’t apply equally to Republicans and Democrats, but that’s no reason to engage in violent activity.”
