Rep. Lesko Tells Police Reform Witnesses "I Have Two Black Grandsons", Turns To Blast Defund the Police Movement

Arizona Representative Debbie Lesko (R-CD8) made her five minutes during the House hearing on police reforms personal, sympathizing with the witnesses who lost loved ones to police violence and telling them that "I have two Black grandsons." She later recounted her time as a domestic violence victim and asked former police officer Dan Bongino what would happen to future victims if we "defund the police."

George Floyd's brother (Philonise) testified the day after the Houston funeral. Lesko opened by saying it seemed disrespectful that Floyd was permitted to make an emotional opening statement but that Angela Underwood Jacobs - whose brother was a federal security guard shot in riots last month in Oakland - was not then immediately introduced to give her opening statement.

She followed that with "I have two Black grandsons. And so, I haven't experienced the discrimination that some of you have experienced and you've told us about, but I sure don't want them to be discriminated against. So, this is very important to me.

Lesko sequed into reading comments from individuals and officials about defunding the police. Which led into her (only) question about what would happen to a domestic violence victim like herself, if there was no police department to call. Dan Bongino, a former NYPD officer and conservative talk show host, answered that an abuser did not want to stop when he and another officer confronted him with guns. "Do you think he will care if it's a social worker?" asked Bongino.




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