Rep. Scalise on violent protests: Americans deserve to feel safe
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise weighs in on federal forces being deployed amid violent protests.
American cities must stand up to the anarchists hijacking peaceful protests and protect their communities, Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise urged Tuesday.
In an interview on "America's Newsroom," the House Minority Whip pointed out that rioting and looting are where many lawmakers should draw the line.
"And, that’s where you’ve got these mayors [who] need to be standing up and protecting their communities. Some are doing it really well, by the way. But, some aren’t," he said.
A demonstrator holds an umbrella during a protest against racial inequality in Portland, Oregon, on July 21, 2020. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs
The congressman said that it is "a right" for taxpaying Americans to be "safe and secure in their homes."
"They pay taxes to have police forces to keep them safe, and police officers do an incredible job. There are brave police officers every day who risk their lives. If there’s a bad cop, they’ll root them out," he said.
"But, by and large, the vast majority of police are risking their lives to keep us safe. We need to back them up and give them the support and the tools they need to do their job safely," Scalise said.
As violence has escalated in Portland, Ore., over the past two months, local Democratic politicians have clashed with the Trump administration over sending in federal authorities.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf told "Fox & Friends" on Monday that he did not need "invitations by the state, state mayors or state governors to do [his] job" and that they would do so "whether they like us there or not."
"We want to work with them," Wolf added. "And we have a great working relationship with the vast majority of local law enforcement. However, there are some communities that, again, want to breed this environment that allows this lawlessness."
On the same day, President Trump signaled he could order federal agents to be deployed to other liberal cities, including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
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"Look, the president has got a responsibility to keep Americans safe," Scalise told host Bill Hemmer. "And, I'm glad that he's carrying out his duties as the president of the United States to do that, even if some of these local mayors are not going to be willing to keep their people safe."
"And, you've seen the ‘defund the police’ movement. And, whether it's Joe Biden saying he's going to allocate money away from police officers -- that is defunding police – [and] that's not where most Americans are. Americans deserve to be safe in their homes and to be safe when they go about their business, and right now some of these mayors aren’t providing that, which is very unfortunate," he said.
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