Former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell is criticizing a tweet from Hillary Clinton’s former national press secretary that calls for police departments to be defunded across the country.
The tweet was from Brian Fallon, who is also a former spokesman for the Justice Department under former Attorney General Eric Holder. He is now the executive director of Demand Justice, a progressive group that works to get liberal justices appointed to federal courts.
Grenell called for Fallon’s tweet to be condemned.
There have been other calls for police departments to be defunded in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Floyd was killed after a police officer in Minneapolis pinned the unarmed black man to the ground while placing his knee to Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. The officer now faces second-degree murder charges and three other officers who did not intercede were also charged on Tuesday.
Outrage over the incident has exploded across the country with people calling for major changes in police departments given long patterns of killings of African Americans and other minorities.
An online petition has been launched and backed by singer John Legend, soccer star Megan Rapinoe and actresses Natalie Portman and Jane Fonda, among others, to defund police departments across the country.
On the right, there was heavy criticism of the calls to defund police.
Grenell stepped down from his post last month after the Senate confirmed former Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) as his successor.
CORRECTION: Grenell is the former DNI. An earlier story included incorrect information.