'Be more polite': House Republican defends GOP senator's racist comments at Donald Trump's rally

United States Congressman Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) on Sunday defended Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) after Tuberville made racially-charged remarks at former President Donald Trump's Save America rally in Minden, Nevada on Saturday.

Tuberville accused Democrats of being "pro-crime" and that 'they want crime because they want to take over what you've got. They want to control what you have. They want reparations because they think the people who do the crime are owed that. Bullsh*t! They are not owed that!"

MSNBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker, who was guest-hosting Meet the Press, asked Bacon if Tuberville's comments were "appropriate" coming from an incumbent senator.

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Bacon took no issue with it:

Well, I wouldn’t say it the same way, but there is a problem in our country with crime. Major cities have seen a 40 to 50% increase in violent crime. And the primary reason, in my view, is we have these far-left prosecutors, county attorneys and mayors who are releasing violent criminals back on the street. My opponent.

Welker:

Congressman, there is a different way to say that. I mean, most people heard those comments and felt, not just polite, but a lot of people heard those comments as being racist.

Bacon:

Yeah, that’s not the way I present things. But we’ve got to be honest that we have a crime problem in our country.

Welker:

But do you feel those comments cross a racial line, Congressman? Do they cross a racial line?

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Bacon:

I don’t, I don’t, I’m not going to say he’s being racist, but I wouldn’t use that language, be more polite. But the fact is, we can’t ignore we have a 40 to 50% violent crime increase and it's because Democrat politicians, prosecutors, are putting violent criminals back on the street early and that's unacceptable. When a guy commits a crime the first time, shame on them. When society releases that same criminal, and they create more victims, that's shame on us for letting that happen.

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