Biden On The Defensive After Leaked Audio Reveals Push For Police Reform Delay

The incoming administration is on the defensive after leaked audio revealed that President-elect Joe Biden recently warned civil rights leaders against immediate police reform out of fear it would hurt Democrats chances at winning the upcoming Senate runoff elections in Georgia.

Biden spoke Tuesday with a group of civil rights leaders and insisted, unprompted, that Republicans ability to define the Democratic Party as one in favor of defunding the police is how they beat the living hell out of us in downballot races, according to audio obtained by The Intercept that can be heard on its podcast Deconstructed this week.

During the meeting, NAACP President Derrick Johnson warned Biden that appointing Tom Vilsack instead of Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) to be agriculture secretary would anger Georgias Black voters, and particularly Black farmers . Vilsack, who was agriculture secretary under the Obama administration, notoriously fired Black USDA official Shirley Sherrod from her role as Georgias director of rural development.

Sherrods firing was based on a manipulated video aired by the late conservative Andrew Breitbart. Johnson told Biden that Georgia very much remembers Vilsacks decision to fire her.

If you consider the victory that you appreciated in Georgia, it was around 12,000 votes. And so as you consider appointments, you must also consider what impact would that have on voters in the state of Georgia, Johnson can be heard saying. And I will submit to you that former Secretary Vilsack could have a disastrous impact on voters in Georgia. Shirley Sherrod is a civil rights legend, a hero.

Biden announced Thursday that he had nominated Vilsack anyway .

Civil rights leaders warned Biden that picking Vilsack could backfire in Georgia, where Shirley Sherrod is still a hero. He responded by saying the real threat in the runoffs was \"defund the police.\" https://t.co/NSykP8rN0L

Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) December 10, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Ryan Grim","author_url":"https://twitter.com/ryangrim","cache_age":86400,"description":"Civil rights leaders warned Biden that picking Vilsack could backfire in Georgia, where Shirley Sherrod is still a hero. 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Civil rights leaders warned Biden that picking Vilsack could backfire in Georgia, where Shirley Sherrod is still a hero. He responded by saying the real threat in the runoffs was "defund the police." https://t.co/NSykP8rN0L
Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) December 10, 2020

Biden argued that a push to implement police reform during the transition, rather than Vilsacks appointment, is whats likely to hurt Democrats during the Georgia runoffs in January.

Also, dont think we should get too far ahead of ourselves on dealing with police reform, the president-elect can be heard saying, warning that Republicans have already labeled us as being defund the police.

Thats how they beat the living hell out of us across the country, saying that were talking about defunding the police. Were not, he added.

While Democrats did lose an unexpected number of races across the country, it should be noted that many of the progressive candidates who were vocal about defunding the police actually won reelection.

Were talking about holding them accountable. Were talking about giving them money to do the right things. Were talking about putting more psychologists and psychiatrists on the telephones when the 911 calls through. Were talking about spending money to enable them to do their jobs better, not with more force, with less force, and more understanding, Biden said.

The phrase defund the police refers to the redistribution of government funding from police departments to social services for underserved communities that tend to be targeted by law enforcement. The Brookings Institutions Rashawn Ray noted that defunding does not equal abolishing police which is also a movement being pushed by some progressives but instead highlights fiscal responsibility and advocates for a market-driven approach to taxpayer money.

After The Intercept published the audio of Bidens remarks, his transition team reiterated its defense of the president-elects position.

President-elect Biden is the same person behind closed doors that he is public; honest, direct and realistic about the challenges facing our nation the day he is sworn in, the transition team told NBC News . As he made clear throughout the campaign, he believes in supporting bold and urgent reform to our criminal justice system while continuing to support law enforcements mission to keep our communities safe.

Responding to leaked audio, transition official tells @NBCNews: \"\"President-elect Biden is the same person behind closed doors that he is public; honest, direct and realistic about the challenges facing our nation the day he is sworn in.\" 1/

Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) December 10, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Mike Memoli","author_url":"https://twitter.com/mikememoli","cache_age":86400,"description":"Responding to leaked audio, transition official tells @NBCNews: \"\"President-elect Biden is the same person behind closed doors that he is public; honest, direct and realistic about the challenges facing our nation the day he is sworn in.\" 1/ Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) December 10, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_thread":{"label":"Hide previous Tweet in conversation thread","value":true},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Mike Memoli on 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Responding to leaked audio, transition official tells @NBCNews : ""President-elect Biden is the same person behind closed doors that he is public; honest, direct and realistic about the challenges facing our nation the day he is sworn in." 1/
Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) December 10, 2020

In Januarys runoff, Democratic nominee Jon Ossoff will be facing Republican Sen. David Perdue, while Democratic Rev. Raphael Warnock is facing Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

Ossoffs platform includes calling for a new Civil Rights Act and an end to police brutality . Warnock, meanwhile, has an agriculture platform that includes level the playing field for Black and minority farmers by expanding access to capital for equipment and financial resources and ending discriminatory policies at the federal level that limit opportunities, according to his campaign website.

The Biden transition did not immediately respond to HuffPosts questions about how his comments on police brutality and his nomination of Vilsack play with the two Democratic Senate candidates platforms.

Biden has made no secret of his position on defunding the police , a cause that grew in popularity during this years protests against police brutality and racial injustice. During his campaign, the president-elect repeatedly expressed support for police reform but said he would not take away police funding. Many progressives argue that the police system is past the point of reform and should have its funds redistributed to preventative resources.

Former President Barack Obama recently received backlash after expressing sentiments similar to Bidens and those of other moderate Democrats . In a Dec. 1 interview on the Snapchat political show Good Luck America, Obama warned that a snappy slogan like defund the police makes it a lot less likely that youre actually going to get the changes you want done.

Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza rebuked Democrats attacks on the push to \"defund the police.\"

Their dismissal of the slogan, she said, is an insult to activists who helped secure Joe Biden's victory https://t.co/2TR7UJ23Ny pic.twitter.com/a3yjXeGzLJ

POLITICO (@politico) December 8, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"POLITICO","author_url":"https://twitter.com/politico","cache_age":86400,"description":"Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza rebuked Democrats attacks on the push to \"defund the police.\" Their dismissal of the slogan, she said, is an insult to activists who helped secure Joe Biden's victory https://t.co/2TR7UJ23Ny pic.twitter.com/a3yjXeGzLJ POLITICO (@politico) December 8, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":675,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/amplify_video_thumb/1336406943339061250/img/ck0Pm-g6VTqjf6Kc.jpg","thumbnail_width":1200,"title":"POLITICO on 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Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza rebuked Democrats attacks on the push to "defund the police."

Their dismissal of the slogan, she said, is an insult to activists who helped secure Joe Biden's victory https://t.co/2TR7UJ23Ny pic.twitter.com/a3yjXeGzLJ
POLITICO (@politico) December 8, 2020

Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza said earlier this week that establishment Democrats attacks on the push to defund the police is insulting to the activists who helped secure Bidens victory.

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This movement, which really helped to push [Bidens] campaign over the finish line, was used as a political football all throughout this election cycle and that was true in 2016 as well, Garza said Tuesday at Politicos Women Rule Capstone event . Theres a lot of valuable airspace that was used to be condescending to the very people who have opened the imagination that this country can be and how we can get closer to the promise that this country has offered so many.

HuffPost also asked if Biden felt like his response to civil rights leaders on Tuesday is letting down the wave of Black Americans who helped bring about his victory. The transition team did not respond.