By The FirstJunior squad member Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) believes money for police departments could be better spent elsewhere – like on private security for herself.
During a recent interview, Rep. Bush was questioned about spending one-third of her campaign funds on private security while advocating to defund police departments around the country.
“You faced some criticism in recent weeks over your push to defund the police,” a CBS anchor asked Bush. “Campaign records show that you spent roughly $70,000 on private security, and some critics say that move is hypocritical. What’s your response to those critics?”
“I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life,” replied Bush after alleging that she experiences death threats from white supremacists. “And I have too much work to do. There are too many people that need help right now for me to allow that. So if I end up spending $200,000, if I spend ten more dollars on it, you know what? I get to be here, to do the work. So suck it up. And defunding the police has to happen; we need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets, because we’re trying to save lives.”
Bush is the latest in a long line of Democrats who back defunding the police while hiring private security for themselves. Meanwhile, violent crimes are surging nationwide.
