Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions
With elections just three weeks off, Democrats have suddenly been singing a different tune on a wide range of issues, especially — given that soaring crime is a top issue — criminal-justice reforms and defunding the police. Here are 10 examples of almost comical flip-flops by leading Democrats.
President Joe Biden
![President Biden has flipped his view on defunding the police since 2020.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Joe_Biden.1.jpg?w=1024)
Question: “But do we agree that we can redirect some of the [police] funding?”
Answer: “Yes, absolutely.”
— President Biden, July 2020
“The answer is not to ‘defund the police,’ it’s to fund the police.”
— Biden, August 2022
Letitia James, NY state attorney general
![New York AG Letitia James now wants to fox cashless bail instead of eliminating it.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/letitia-james-abortions-for-all.jpg?w=1024)
“I’ll work to eliminate cash bail.”
— NY state Attorney General Letitia James, 2018
“We need to address a wide range of issues, including . . . looking at [fixing cashless] bail.”
— James, Tuesday
Beto O’Rourke, Texas gubernatorial candidate
![Beto O'Rourke is now claiming he never supported the "defund the police" movement.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/beto.orourke.jpg?w=1024)
“I really love that Black Lives Matters and other protesters have put this front and center . . . in some necessary cases, completely dismantling those police forces and rebuilding them.”
— Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, 2020
“I don’t think I’ve ever advocated for defunding the police.”
— O’Rourke, 2021, after launching his campaign for governor
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
![Rep. Jerrold Nadler is now in favor of giving police departments more federal money.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Manhattan_Federal_Prosecutor_Congressman-Jerry-Nadler.jpg?w=1024)
“We’re spending too much on the police.”
— Rep. Jerrold Nadler, 2020
“Yes.”
— Nadler, August, 2022, when asked if he backed more federal funding for police
John Fetterman, US Senate candidate, Pa.
![Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. previously wanted wanted to reduce the prison population by a third.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Election_2022_Pennsylvania_Senate_John-Fetterman.1-1.jpg?w=1024)
“We could reduce our prison population by ⅓ and not make anyone less safe.”
— John Fetterman, US Senate candidate, Pa., 2020 (a sentiment he’s repeated numerous times)
“This idea that I want to release all these prisoners is just also a lie.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
![House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed Biden didn't have the authority to forgive students loans.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Wildfires_New_Mexico_Pelosi.1.jpg?w=1024)
“People think that the president . . . has the power for [student] debt forgiveness. He does not . . . That has to be an act of Congress.”
— Speaker Nancy Pelosi, July 2021
“Clearly, it seems he has the authority.”
— Pelosi, August 2022
Mandela Barnes, US Senate candidate, Wis.
![Wisconsin Senate candidate Mandela Barnes advocated for redirecting money from police department budgets.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/mandela-barnes-wisconsin.jpg?w=1024)
“We need to invest more in neighborhood services . . . Where will that money come from? . . . From overbloated budgets and police departments.”
— Mandela Barnes, US Senate candidate, Wis., 2020
“They’re claiming I want to defund the police . . . That’s a lie.”
— Barnes, recent ad
Stacey Abrams, candidate for governor, Ga.
![Stacey Abrams has finally changed her tune on the 2018 gubernatorial election she lost.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/20220905_zaf_stacey-abrams.jpg?w=1024)
“Despite the final tally . . . we won.”
— Stacey Abrams, April 2019, on Georgia’s 2018 governor’s race
“I have never been unclear . . . I did not win the race.”
— Abrams, this month
Vice President Kamala Harris
![Vice President Kamala Harris' views on marijuana legalization have changed since she was a district attorney.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Biden.Harris.jpg?w=1024)
“He’s entitled to his opinion [backing pot legalization].”
— Vice President Kamala Harris, laughing and taking issue with her then-GOP foe, 2014. As San Francisco’s district attorney, Harris oversaw 1,956 marijuana convictions.
“Nobody should have to go to jail for smoking weed.”
— Harris, this month
President Biden
![Biden claimed that inflation would be temporary.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Biden.21.jpg?w=1024)
“The data shows that most of the price increases we’ve seen are — were expected and expected to be temporary.”
— President Biden, July 2021
“Prices are still too high.”
— Biden, this month
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board