Former Biden comms director urges Democrats to get more 'aggressive' on crime and immigration

Former Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield argued on Wednesday that the Democratic Party should get "more aggressive" on crime because Americans in major cities are "feeling frightened."

Reacting to comments made by Mayor Eric Adams, D-N.Y., Bedingfield said it would be smart for Democrats to get tougher on crime. 

"I think it’s smart for Democrats to be more aggressive on it because people are feeling frightened. Now, I don’t subscribe, to borrow the mayor’s language, I don’t subscribe to the Trump vision of America as a decaying wasteland where packs of people are running wild committing crime, but it is true that people across the country, particularly in cities, are concerned about crime. It is smart for Democrats to be more aggressive about it, to be more responsive to what people are feeling," Bedingfield said on CNN. 

But, she said it gets "dangerous" when people "veer into the demagoguery and the bashing immigrants and making immigrants scapegoats."

CNN political commentator and former Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield said Wednesday that Democrats could benefit from being more aggressive on crime. (Screenshot/CNN)

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"Now, that, I don‘t believe is where the Democratic Party should be. But I do think that taking on this issue of crime, being tougher is a good thing for Democrats," she added, and said it would end up benefiting the party. 

Former Republican Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan also weighed in on the issue and said immigration had become a three-dimensional issue.

"This illegal immigration issue has become three-dimensional. When you watch these cities start to swell and you watch Democrat mayors really struggle with just how to deal with just the structure and the technical details of dealing with this influx. Brian Kemp puts it well, he says, ‘every state is now a border state.’ And, you know, we've watched in Georgia, over the past couple of weeks, play out just the awful scenarios of UGA student Laken Riley, who was murdered by an illegal immigrant…. There are two separate issues, but they are – they are blurred into one just horrific issue in Georgia," he said during the media appearance.

"And I think Democrats have this wrong. I think the Biden administration has this wrong. I think Democrats know that. And I think it's up to mayors to step up and say that out loud, not just tongue in cheek, but out loud say, Joe Biden, you're wrong, move your feet on this issue," he continued. 

Border Patrol agents encounter over 1,000 migrants in El Paso, Texas, on March 29, 2023. (Customs and Border Protection)

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The New York City mayor argued on Tuesday that people who commit violent crimes in the city shouldn't have the privilege of remaining in the city. 

"I don’t believe people who are violent in our city and commit repeated crimes should have the privilege of being in our city," Adams said during a press conference on Tuesday. "You don’t have the right to be in our city and tarnish the overwhelming number who are here following the rules." 

Adams also argued on Monday that sanctuary city law needed to be modified in New York City so that any migrant who commits a felony can be turned over to ICE and deported.

Mayor Eric Adams holds a press availability at a news conference on Jan. 8, 2024, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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 "But those small numbers that are committing crimes? We need to modify the sanctuary city law, so that if you commit a felony… we should be able to turn you over to ICE and have you deported," Adams said. "It is a right to live in this city… and you should not be committing crimes in our city."

Fox News' Greg Wehner and Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.