Politico’s Jonathan Martin Confronts Democratic Socialist on Abolishing the Police: ‘This System Is Not Working’

(Photo Credit: @DaveWeigel on X)

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate and democratic socialist Francesca Hong gave a head-scratching answer when Politico reporter Jonathan Martin confronted her about her past support for abolishing police — an idea she has recently backtracked on.

Hong brought up prison employee suicide rates and backed vague plans like “building systems of care” when Martin asked what she believed backstage at a Tuesday debate.

Semafor reporter David Weigel captured the vexing interaction and posted a clip of it to X.

“Why do you believe that the police must still exist?” Martin asked her.

Hong answered:

Because the reality of this moment and the types of public safety systems that we have, I want us to be sensible and realistic, but we know now the billions invested in the criminal legal system is not working. We are spending on incarcerating an individual than tuition for UW-Madison.

This is about making sure that local law enforcement is working with community, that we are taking resources from the state and investing in things like public education, victim services, out-of-school programs for our kids to go and have a great — like, be able to be themselves.

Martin asked the question after Hong said last week she “did not believe that police funding should go away” during a local radio interview. Her answer contradicted her 2021 claim, “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”

“Do you still want to long-term abolish police? Ultimately?” Martin asked after Hong’s initial answer. She gave him another long and fairly vexing response.

She said:

I believe that we have to be serious about public safety, and I’m going to be a governor that is more serious than anyone else in making sure that we are building systems of care, that we are focusing on lowering crime, getting guns off our street, and making sure that folks who are incarcerated – which 90% of those folks will be going back [into] the community — that we’re lowering recidivism rate and it’s appalling to me that for folks who are working within our prisons, they have some of the highest suicide of any job and occupation.

So this system is not working, if we want to be serious, we better be putting these billions into things we know prevent crime.

Hong was then ushered away by one of her team members.

Her answers come as several democratic socialist candidates have won primaries in recent months.

Two of those candidates in New York — Darializa Avila Chevalier (D) and Claire Valdez (D) — are card-carrying members of the Democratic Socialists of America, just like NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D). The mayor backed both Chevalier and Valdez in their primaries. 

Beyond its socialist economic agenda, the DSA website said it is against Trump’s “racist immigration policies” and America being allied with Israel, which it said has committed a “genocide” in Gaza. Chevalier and Valdez have also said they agree with Mamdani on the need to abolish ICE.

Soon after the primaries, Trump sardonically congratulated Mamdani on getting “solid Communists” elected. His tone shifted a few days later, when he said the communists have started to make “their move” in the USA.

“The game is on,” Trump said. “Enjoy watching!”

Trump has ripped the socialists and socialism plenty of other times recently, including when he called communism a “cancer” that must be dealt with ASAP during his Fourth of July address.

He issued a similar warning during a speech last week.

“Communism is the single greatest threat to our country in its history, including even World War I and World War II, Pearl Harbor, 9/11 — I think it’s the greatest threat that I have ever seen to our country,” Trump said. “These people are stone cold crazy.”

Hong is the front-runner to win the Democratic primary, which is being held on August 11.

Watch above.

The post Politico’s Jonathan Martin Confronts Democratic Socialist on Abolishing the Police: ‘This System Is Not Working’ first appeared on Mediaite.