Can you count on Republicans to fix rising crime? Not so fast!
There is a recent advertisement, jointly used by US House representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), that is critical of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R), particularly on issues involving crime and accountability for Donald Trump.
Kevin McCarthy’s hometown, Bakersfield, California, has grappled with crime, especially the past few years. In 2021, Kern County, which encompasses the entire Bakersfield metropolitan area, had a homicide rate of 13.7 per 100,000, more than twice the statewide homicide rate (6.0 per 100,000); the counties of Alameda (Oakland), Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Clara (San Jose) had lower homicide rates compared to Kern. Furthermore, the Bakersfield metro area has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. Even California governor Gavin Newsom deemed Kern County to be the “murder capital” of California.
The advertisement juxtaposed McCarthy’s “no” vote on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (which included $350 billion in funding for law enforcement) with McCarthy’s party having steadfast opposition to the FBI investigation involving former president Donald Trump, on top of the Big Lie and the 2021 US Capitol riot being seen as “legitimate political discourse”.
As the issue of crime is increasing in prominence ahead of the midterms, it won’t hurt to highlight the Republican Party’s blind spots on the issue, especially if Republicans continue to push permitless carry in more places.