Psaki backdating of crime surge undercuts link to protests, cop defund push

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Monday appeared to embrace a Democratic argument that anti-brutality protests and the subsequent ‘Defund the Police’ push aren’t to blame for rising crime — despite statistics that suggest otherwise.

Psaki said crime began increasing about 18 months ago when the COVID-19 pandemic started — and not 13 months ago with the nationwide protests and riots that followed the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis cop.