Rep. Peter King had a testy exchange with Ryan Lizza on Monday over accusations that the New York Police Department had engaged in racial profiling, with the Republican congressman from Long Island telling The New Yorker correspondent to stop “propagating” lies.
King, who made an appearance on CNN’s “Starting Point” to discuss his recent demand that Democrats apologize for singling out the NYPD for allegedly engaging in racial profiling, was asked by Lizza, a guest panelist on the show, to explain why he is “unilaterally” defending the department.
“First of all, there’s no profiling. That’s the absolute nonsense that people like you and others are propagating,” King said.
When Lizza responded that he was simply bringing attention to questions that have been raised about the NYPD’s conduct, King grew increasingly irritated.
“I’m telling you there is no profiling, so I want you to take that back. There is no profiling. You have no evidence of profiling at all. They use terms like ‘profiling’ [and] ‘spying’ casually and cavalierly and you don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “To have this broad-based attack accusing of profiling, racism, bigotry is absolutely wrong. And that’s where the apology is due. That’s the irresponsible conduct.”
Lizza pressed that the media has raised “legitimate issues” about the NYPD, to which King shot back, “They’re not legitimate. They’re illegitimate … They’re irresponsible charges to make.”
When CNN’s guest host Brooke Baldwin attempted to interject, calling Lizza’s comments “valid points,” King pushed back, “They’re not valid. He can say whatever he wants. He’s wrong.”
Following The Associated Press’s Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative series examining how Muslims may have been targeted by the NYPD, Democrats voted on an amendment that would have prohibited federal funds from reaching organizations that engage in racial profiling.
Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.), who introduced the provision, had accused the NYPD of “surreptitious, uncoordinated and unprofessional approach to counterterrorism.”
Over the weekend, King demanded that Democrats apologize for voting on Holt’s amendment, saying in a statement that he was “utterly dumbfounded and shocked that after such a slanderous attack, the overwhelming majority of congressional Democrats and the entire Democratic leadership voted for the Holt amendment and against the NYPD” and adding that Democrats owe the department “an explanation for their shameful surrender to political correctness.”