Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik on Tuesday defended President Donald Trump’s controversial move to rescind race guidelines in college admissions.
In remarks on Newsmax TV’s “Newsmax Now,” Kerik answered the sharp criticism of Democratic strategist Joel Payne, who charged that Trump “views everything through the lens of race, and … has made decisions that have harmed African Americans — and it feels purposeful.”
“No I don't think it's intentional,” Kerik responded, noting “I’ve known [Trump] 20 years and I don’t know him to be a racist.”
“And I know a number of black Americans to know him pretty well and they don't consider him a racist,” Kerik added. “But beyond that point, and getting back to the college applications, I think we need to come to a day in this country where we…. stop looking at race.
“I don't care if it's a college application an employment application,” he continued. “I don't care what it is. Stop looking at race. Look at the people for who they are, what they are and making decisions based on that, not about race.”
Kerik urged that Americans, no matter their ethnicity, “be judged on their education, their qualifications, their background.”
“I’m sick of the whole race argument.”
Payne replied, however, “African Americans would love that if we could walk down the street or if we could better yet call the police to come and help us with something ,or call the police to assist us in our community and not feel like were under attack because were African American.”
But Kerik staunchly defended the record of police work in the black community.
“In New York City under my watch, crime was cut by 65 percent, violent crime by almost 70 percent,” he said. “Where was the biggest benefactor of those reductions? In the black and Latino community, primarily the black community. Armed cops who went into those communities every day were on the line for the black community.”
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