WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and his allies have seized on calls to “defund the police” as a dangerous example of Democratic overreach as the Republican president fights for momentum amid crises that threaten his reelection.Key Democrats, including presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, are distancing themselves from the “defund” push, which some supporters say is a symbolic commitment to end systemic racism and shift policing priorities rather than an actual plan to eliminate law enforcement agencies.
But confusion over the proposal's intent has created an opportunity for Trump, who has struggled to navigate the delicate debate over racial justice, risking support from people of color, suburban women and independents less than.