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Sen. Ted Cruz is slamming Democrats for trying to “gaslight” the nation as they now try to pin the “Defund the Police” movement on Republicans — calling the move a “cynical lie” to escape blame for the escalating crime rate in the country. 

​​”​Republicans support the police and Democrats have led a campaign to defund the police. For the Biden administration to suggest otherwise is a cynical, calculated lie,” Cruz wrote in an op-ed published Monday on Fox News.

“Democrats know that the politics and the policy of defunding the police are not working for them, which is why they’re desperately trying to blame Republicans​,” the Texas Republican wrote.​​

“​Not only did some Democrats blame calls to defund the police for close races last November and a razor-thin Democrat majority in the U.S. Senate, they know it’s not popular with the American people,” Cruz said, adding that a recent poll found that only 18 percent of Americans support defunding the police.

“The facts are Democrats have repeatedly called to defund the police and have done so in many cities. As a result, crime is rising and Democrat policies have had deadly consequences,” he said. 

Democrats, including the White House, have accused Republicans of not supporting the police because they voted against the American Rescue Plan.

President Biden last month said states could use $350 billion in leftover state and local aid to combat the coronavirus to hire more police.

Cruz slammed White House press secretary Jen Psaki for pushing that line during a daily briefing, saying that “wasn’t spin — it was gaslighting.”​

“That’s like an arsonist showing up as the fire’s blazing and blaming the firemen; it’s like the Chinese Communist Party blaming America for the Wuhan virus; it’s like O.J. saying he’s going to help find the real killer. It’s absurd, it’s ridiculous, and Democrats know it​,” Cruz wrote in his opinion piece. ​

The senator went on to recall that Mayor de Blasio pledged to cut the NYPD budget​ by $1 billion and how other Democratic politicians argued against support for police nationwide. 

“​Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has said ​’​defunding the police means defunding the police​’​ and ‘the fight to defund the police continues.’ Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., has called for ‘no more policing,​’​ Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said ​’​you can’t really reform a department that is rotten to the root,​’​ and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., introduced legislation to defund police officers in public schools and has said that defunding the police is about true reparations​,’” Cruz wrote. ​​

​”​The facts are Democrats have repeatedly called to defund the police and have done so in many cities​,” Cruz said. 

​​He pointed out that Democrat-run cities like Los Angeles, Portland, Minneapolis and Seattle ​cut police budgets. 

“​Now, those Democrat-led cities are reaping what they sowed — crime rates are skyrocketing. The New York Times has reported that homicides in Los Angeles increased 36%, more than 82% in Portland, and almost 72% in Minneapolis last year, and it looks like those homicide spikes will continue this year​,” Cruz said.

“Not only have homicides risen, but there were more law enforcement officer fatalities in 2020 than there have been in 46 years, since 1974 –264 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty, many from COVID-19 as a result of being first responders during the pandemic and from getting shot while on duty​,” he wrote.

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