Bird says Democrats, Republicans differ on public safety

(The Center Square) - Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird called Democrats the party of "defund the police" at a four-minute speech given at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have made life miserable for law enforcement," Bird said. "They treat police like criminals and criminals like victims. And tragically, many crime victims feel abandoned by a justice system that doesn't seem to put their interests first. They deserve better than what these 'defund the police' Democrats deliver."

Democrats have a different definition of public safety, according to Bird.

"Democrats like Harris use words like 'reimagine the police,'" Bird said, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. "They're probably imagining more DEI programs for the police. Harris even said putting more cops on the street wouldn't make communities safer. American families disagree."

Bird defeated Democrat Tom Miller in 2022. Miller served as the state's attorney general for more than 40 years. Miller first took office when she was just two years old, she said.

"Perhaps more than anything, Iowa voters wanted an attorney general who would back the blue," Bird said.

Bird endorsed former President Donald Trump in the Iowa Caucus as other Republicans, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She attended Trump's criminal trial in New York City in May. The trip was paid for by the Republican Attorneys General Association, according to published reports.

Democrats criticized the trip.

"It has long been evident that Brenna Bird's focus is not on serving her constituents in Iowa; it's on fluffing her resume so she can be the far-right candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial elections," the Iowa Democratic Party said in a news release.