Republicans have long accused Democrats of working to "defund the police," but President Donald Trump actually succeeded this week, according to New Jersey's attorney general.
Matthew Platkin told CNN's John Berman on Wednesday that Trump's order to freeze federal grants and loans has illegally halted funds for necessary government programs like Medicaid, and has taken needed money away from law enforcement.
ALSO READ: Top GOPer's ‘most immediate’ priority for new committee includes probing a MAGA conspiracy
"What the president and his administration did a little over a day ago was extraordinary and unprecedented in freezing potentially trillions of dollars of funding simply because he woke up with a political vendetta," Platkin said. "And we have to remember what this does. It freezes funding potentially for seniors' health care, for kids' education, for law enforcement. I got a notice yesterday that they were freezing all funding for drug cartel trafficking enforcement."
Platkin added, "He defunded the police!"
New Jersey is part of a coalition of states that are suing to reverse the freeze. Berman explained that "This is separate from the suit that actually won a pause in the freeze" until at least 5 p.m. ET Monday, February 3.
" White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said moments ago they are prepared to fight," Berman said.
