Bongino: Defunding police ‘single most catastrophic, deadly public policy decision’ in modern history

Fox News commentator Dan Bongino said calls to defund the police are “the single most catastrophic, deadly public policy decision we’ve seen in the modern history of the United States.”

“Make absolutely no mistake about it. People will die. Real people. Not Hollywood nonsense. Not movie types. Real people, kids, teenagers, and adults will die,” Bongino, a former New York police officer and Secret Service agent told “Fox & Friends” on Monday.

“Think about the continuum from low-level property crime to murderers and terrorists. The message that sends to all of them,” he said.

Watch: Fox News’ @DBongino issues a dire warning on defunding police departments: “This would be the single most catastrophic, deadly public policy decision we’ve ever seen in the modern history of the United States. Make absolutely no mistake about it, people will die.” pic.twitter.com/jYGly6373K

— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) June 8, 2020

Calls to defund police departments across the country have been growing since the death of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody after an officer pinned Floyd to the ground with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The officer now faces second-degree murder charges. Three other officers at the scene were also charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey was booed out of a Minneapolis protest on Saturday after he said he did not support abolishing police in response to a question about whether he’d back defunding the local police,

Several Democratic lawmakers have called for governments to at a minimum look into defunding local police.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tweeted that elected officials should work to defund over-funded police departments. 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “If you’re an elected official… I’m asking you to ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to make sure that over-funded police departments are defunded?” pic.twitter.com/P9gSWwlCrr

— The Hill (@thehill) June 7, 2020

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said the defund police movement should not be brushed aside.

Know that it’s still both, but don’t let the “who” overshadow the decades of structural racism that has created the system that allows police officer after police officer off the hook for murder. I just want us to dig deeper so that the #DefundPolice movement isn’t brushed aside.

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 31, 2020

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said the Minneapolis Police Department should be disbanded.

The Minneapolis Police Department has proven themselves beyond reform.

It’s time to disband them and reimagine public safety in Minneapolis.

Thank you to @MplsWard3 for your leadership on this! https://t.co/AQfHM5M6eR

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 5, 2020

A recent YouGov poll released earlier this month showed just 16 percent of Democrats and 15 percent of Republicans surveyed support cutting police funding.