GOP lawmakers flee questions about Trump's demands to defund FBI

GOP House members representing districts ripe for Democratic pick-up in the 2024 general election want no part of Donald Trump's latest jihad against the FBI.

Fresh off being indicted in a Manhattan courtroom on 34 felony counts, the former president lashed out at the Department of Justice and the FBI in a Truth Social screed, writing in his understated manner, "REPUBLICANS IN CONGRESS SHOULD DEFUND THE DOJ AND FBI UNTIL THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE TOTALLY WEAPONIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT IN OUR COUNTRY AND ARE VICIOUSLY USING THIS ABUSE OF POWER TO INTERFERE WITH OUR ALREADY UNDER SIEGE ELECTIONS!"

That led Punchbowl News to put House Republican on the spot to see if they are willing to, in effect, defund the police at Trump's behest -- and there were no takers.

As the report notes, "It’s just the latest instance where Trump’s political goals have diverged from the Republican Party’s as a whole. Trump’s efforts to push election deniers in last year’s Senate races cost Republicans a shot at the majority in that chamber. He also led Republicans to losses during the 2018 and 2020 cycles, although not as badly as some GOP lawmakers feared."

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Nonetheless, Trump's demands to defund the FBI found no takers among House Republicans.

“I don’t support defunding law enforcement," Rep. Young Kim (R-CA) replied with a spokesperson for Rep. Marc Molinaro(R-NY) didn't want to talk about it at all, stating, "Molinaro “has never and isn’t going to start responding to every Tweet from other politicians, presidents, and candidates for office. He was elected to address the issues facing Upstate NY — not to be a political pundit.”

As for others, Punchbowl was unable to get a response from the offices of Reps. David Schweikert (AZ), Juan Ciscomani (AZ.), John Duarte (CA), David Valadao (CA), Mike Garcia (CA), Michelle Steel (CA), Don Bacon (NE), Tom Kean (NJ), Nick LaLota (NY), George Santos (NY), Anthony D’Esposito (NY), Mike Lawler (NY), Brandon Williams (NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) and Jen Kiggans (VA)," with the report adding the offices, "didn’t provide any comment on whether they back Trump’s calls to defund the FBI and DOJ."

You can read more here.