Former Democratic Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford Jr. suggested Monday on Fox News’ “The Five” that Congress should pass a crime bill to address issues like cashless bail, prompting co-host Greg Gutfeld to ask why lawmakers haven’t already done so.
In an effort to crack down on crime and civil unrest, President Donald Trump has deployed the National Guard to several cities, including Washington, D.C., Chicago, Portland and Atlanta. When asked about the move and Democrats’ pushback, Ford Jr. said he had no issue with the troops “helping police forces across the country make neighborhoods safer.”
“Police forces, police departments that don’t have enough cops and prosecutors in jails, and, for that matter, training dollars and ammunition, I think if it’s done in a targeted way, as I’ve said around this table many times, I think it’s the right thing. I think we conflate these things a little bit,” Ford Jr. said. “The president has the right to call the National Guard if he believes there’s an emergency, and, in this instance here, President Trump has done it, and he’s being challenged in the courts, and, ultimately, the Supreme Court likely will have the final say on whether or not this is constitutional. I come back to where I’ve been on weeks on this as it relates to crime.”
“Why not pass a crime bill? The National Guard cannot stay indefinitely in these cities, Memphis, Portland, D.C., wherever it may be. What we need are more cops and more prosecutors, more training in cashless bail, and these cities will qualify for millions if not billions of dollars to be able to flow into their cities for them … for local control to be asserted again because they’ll have the people and have the resources to enforce the law,” Ford Jr. added.
In August, Trump deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital after a wave of crimes drew national attention. Following a drop in Washington, D.C.’s crime rate, Trump sent troops to other cities not only to crack down on crime but also as protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities surged in several areas. (RELATED: Newsom Says He’s Suing Trump For Sending National Guard To Portland)
WATCH:
Ford Jr. said he understood why the National Guard was sent to protect ICE facilities that “are under threat,” adding that some have been repeatedly targeted by violent activists. Gutfeld said he didn’t understand what Ford Jr. meant about ending cash bail.
“No, you bring up this thing about ending cash bail. I don’t understand. What is not—why aren’t we? We keep bringing this up, and how come— ” Gutfeld asked as co-host Dana Perino jumped in to note Trump’s executive order on the issue. “Yeah, isn’t it done?”
“No, it’s not. You need to pass a bill in Congress, and you have Republicans in the majority … in the House and the Senate. He has not offered a national crime bill with billions and billions of dollars— ” Ford Jr. responded.
On Aug. 25, Trump signed an executive order requiring “commonsense policies that protect Americans’ safety and well-being by incarcerating individuals who are known threats.” As part of the order, Trump said that “federal policies and resources should not be used to support jurisdictions with cashless bail policies, to the maximum extent permitted by law.”
Gutfeld asked why the cashless bail policy can’t “just stop?” Ford Jr. replied that they are local issues.
“What you can do is incentivize them to do it, which is saying you won’t get any more federal money to do the crime fighting you want unless you do this,” Ford Jr. said.
While many states, including California, Illinois, and New York, have implemented laws that either scaled back or fully eliminated cash bail, reports indicate that Trump’s executive order could not unilaterally end cashless bail. Instead, according to PBS, the administration could withhold federal funds, which some predict would then be redirected to the courts.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
