Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said on Sunday that the federal government should not take any action after the death of Tyre Nichols because, according to him, there is no “law that can stop that evil.” He also claimed there are not enough “good people” applying to be officers, putting the blame on the “defund the police” movement as a reason why.
Jordan’s comments came during a Sunday interview on “Meet the Press” after NBC host Chuck Todd asked him what federal legislation Republicans would consider after five former Memphis police officers were charged with the murder of Nichols.
“Well, I don’t know that there’s any law that can stop that evil,” the lawmaker insisted, calling the video of the killing “difficult to watch.”
“What strikes me is just the lack of respect for human life,” he continued. “So, I don’t know that any law or any training or any reform is going to change. You know, this man is handcuffed; they continued to beat him.”
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“The fact that we saw that these five individuals did not have any respect for life,” Jordan said, “And again, I don’t think these five guys represent the vast, vast majority of law enforcement. But I don’t know that there’s anything you can do to stop the kind of evil we saw in that video. The federal government screws it up so many times.”
He added: “The other thing that needs to frankly happen is we’re not getting enough good people applying because of the of the disparagement of police officers,” Jordan told Todd.
“They don’t get enough people applying, taking the test to enter the academy, to be an officer because there’s been this defund the police concept out there,” he continued. “There’s been this attack on law enforcement, and you’re not getting the best of the best.”
He said that he does not know whether banning chokeholds, like what was outlined in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, would solve the problem. He said he prefers reform to come from local authorities.
“You want to keep this at the state and local level,” he said. “This is a law enforcement issue.”
"I don't know that there's any law that can stop that evil that see saw" — Jim Jordan on Meet the Press (!) on killing of Tyre Nichols pic.twitter.com/UJjkL4QYen
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2023
CHUCK TODD: Why not a federal ban on police chokeholds?
JIM JORDAN: I'm for the best training possible.
TODD: Why not set some minimum standards?
JORDAN: I still think you want to keep this at the state and local level. pic.twitter.com/zUKabEM5Qg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 29, 2023
