Fox News host Chris Wallace turned the tables on congressional Republicans who love to claim that Democrats want to “defund” the police, and a congressman from Indiana wound up having to try and defend his refusal to vote for a bill that provides millions of dollars in federal funds to police departments across the United States.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) was the guest, and Wallace immediately pinned him down with facts:

“In the program that he announced this week, the president said that the central part of his anti-crime package is the $350 billion in the American Rescue Plan — the COVID relief plan. Congressman Banks, you voted against that package, against that $350 billion just like every other Republican in the House and Senate.

“Can’t you make the argument that it’s you and the Republicans who are defunding the police?”

“Not at all,” Banks replied, but he then began falling back on what he said were “comments” made by Democrats in Congress.

But Wallace was having none of the bait and switch Banks was selling, telling him:

“Respectfully, sir, respectfully, I heard you make that point but I’m asking you — there’s $350 billion in this package the president says can be used for policing.

“Respectfully, I’ve heard your point about the last year, but you and every other Republican voted against this $350 billion.”

Rather than respond, Banks once again fell back on his talking points and began blathering:

“When Rep. Omar says that policing is evil and Nancy Pelosi compares police officers to Nazi stormtroopers, it makes it very difficult for police departments around the country to recruit people to become police officers. And that’s the crisis that we find in police departments all over America. You can give them more funding and that’s good but if they can’t recruit people to become a police officer because we’ve stigmatized one of the most honorable professions in America then we’re at a dangerous point.”

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, however, both voted for the American Rescue Plan, meaning they voted to give $350 billion to fund police while Rep. Banks voted to deny cops a dime of federal funding.

So who exactly is defunding the police? It sure as hell isn’t Democrats.

Here’s the video:

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