Violent crime rates are continuing to rise, a fact that has many Americans worried. It’s something the Biden administration is reluctant to discuss.
According to Fox News, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently refused to say whether or not major cities are safe.
Are they safe?
That refusal came on Monday when Jean-Pierre was asked about the subject by Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy.
“Does President Biden think America’s big cities are safe?” Doocy asked. “We know that deaths and robberies are up about 20 percent in the first half of this year, so I’m wondering if he thinks America’s big cities are safe.”
Rather than directly address Doocy’s inquiry, Jean-Pierre instead responded by boasting of Biden’s record on funding police.
“Look, this is a president who has secured historic funding to make sure law enforcement has what it needs. And he was able to do this in the face of opposition from Republicans,” she said.
“It is not a yes or no question”
The White House press secretary then went on to tout Biden’s American Rescue Plan, claiming that it allocated “more than $300 billion” to states and local jurisdictions to hire additional law enforcement personnel.
Doocy remained undeterred however, stating, “Just the original question: Does President Biden think America’s big cities are safe?”
“It is not a yes or no question,” Jean-Pierre replied. “It is very much a question of what has he done…to make sure that cities…have the funding and have what they need to protect their community, and that is what the president has done,” Jean-Pierre responded.
Major issue
While Jean-Pierre may wish to equivocate when it comes to crime, new polling data suggests that the thoughts of many Americans are far more concise.
An ABC/Washington Post survey released this past weekend found that 69% of respondents said they regarded crime as being a “highly important” issue ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
In comparison, only 61% said the same of abortion. What’s more, the poll found that when it comes to which party is better suited to address crime, Americans trust Republicans over Democrats by a 19 point margin.