Fresh off her latest stunt sleeping outside the Capitol to protest the end of the federal eviction moratorium, freshman Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) spouted off on CBSN, defending her own use of private security while telling critics to “suck it up” and “defund the police” on Wednesday.
The Ferguson/Black Lives Matter activist turned congresswoman gave a 20-minute interview with CBSN anchors Anne-Marie Green and Vladimir Duthiers that started out about the newest Squad member’s ridiculous eviction protest before turning to her efforts to defund the police.
At one point, Duthiers inquired, “You faced some criticism in recent weeks over your push to defund the police. Campaign records show that you spent roughly $70,000 on private security. Critics say that move is hypocritical. What’s your response to those critics?”
She demanded of them, “They would rather I die? You would rather me die? Is that what you want to see? You want to see me die? You know, because that could be the alternative.” This, funnily enough, is the exact response of millions to the idea of defunding the police. Most of us don’t have hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on private security every year.
Bush doubled down, claiming that her use of private security was the difference between life and death, not seeming to understand that that is what the police are for most people.
“So, either I spend $70,000 on private security over the last few months and I’m here standing now and able to speak. Able to help save 11 million people from being evicted. Or I could possibly have a death attempt on my life,” she spun.
Related: Lawyers Representing Landlords Ask Federal Judge to Strike Down Eviction Moratorium
She blamed her critics who “lie” and “say horrible things about me” and “the white supremacist, racist narrative that they drive into this country” for the death threats “this black woman who puts her life on the line” receives that supposedly necessitate her need for a security detail.
“I have private security because my body is worth being on this planet right now,” she said, but apparently those she wants to strip police protection from don’t deserve to be on Earth.
You peasants don’t deserve protection, but her life and her work are just too important to put at risk!
“I’m going to make sure I have security because I know I have had attempts on my life and I have too much work to do, there are too many people that need help right now for me to allow that. So if I end up spending 200,000. If I spend 10-10-10 more dollars on it, you know what? I get to be here to do the work. So, suck it up and defunding the police has to happen. We need to defund the police and put that money into social safety nets because we’re trying to save lives.”
It’s easy to say “suck it up” and “defund the police” when you have your own security and never have to feel the consequences of a world without cops, but you'd have to be on another planet to think it will save lives.
Watch the video below: