(Headline USA) Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon claimed the effort to recall him is being driven by racist “fearmongering.”
Californians started a campaign to recall Gascon after it became clear his soft-on-crime policies were contributing to skyrocketing crime in the area.
During an interview this week, Gascon claimed that the recall campaign is “really driven by very cosnervative, very right wing forces” that want to perpetuate a bigoted, racist culture.
“They have sort of created this false narrative about this is anti-safety, which is kind of the same fear-mongering tactics frankly that you can go back to the Nixon era, right, you know Willie Horton,” Gascon said, referring to an advertisement when George H.W. Bush was running for president that shared the story of Horton, a convict who escaped during a prison furlough and committed rape, assault, and robbery.
Opponents of the ad claimed it was racist due to its use of images of Horton.
Gascon also took a shot at the GOP for “enabling” mass shootings.
“Generally I’m a very optimistic person, but unfortunately so long as we continue to have 50 members of Congress that are Republicans and a couple of reluctant Democrats to do what’s right I think we’ll continue to have this problem,” he said.
“I hate it when people offer prayers, you know, because I think it’s so hypocritical … to offer prayers when especially those that can do something about it are not doing it,” Gascon added.
Recent polls indicate that Republicans are far from the only ones who support recalling Gascon. Democrat Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been a vocal opponent of Gascon’s, blaming him for refusing to prosecute the criminals law enforcement arrests.
Another LA County prosecutor, Jonathan Hatami, echoed Villanueva’s concerns.
“This isn’t just a recall. It’s a public safety movement,” Hatami said.
“Democrats, Republicans, DTS’s, and independents – ANGELENOS – have all come together, have dedicated their time, and have worked incredibly hard over the last 18 months to fight for victims, survivors, families and children when George Gascón completely abandoned them.”
