Christina Nolan attacks Welch on crime, says he ‘voted three times to defund the police’

Appearing on “The Morning Drive” radio show with Kurt Wright and Anthony Neri on Wednesday, former United States Attorney Christina Nolan, a candidate for U.S. Senate, blasted her opponent Peter Welch for being soft on crime.

In the race to replace retiring Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Nolan is a Republican going up a well-established Democratic U.S. representative. On the issue of policing, however, Nolan appears to see an opportunity to position herself on the side of most Vermonters, and expose Welch as working against the interests of law enforcement.

“Twice [he voted] to get rid of qualified immunity, when he enjoys qualified immunity, and his legislator friends enjoy qualified immunity,” she said. And once he voted against a resolution that would have condemned calls to abolish the police. This is unacceptable, I believe he is a good person, but those are leadership-disqualifying votes.”

U.S. Department of Justice

ATTACKING WELCH ON HIS POLICE RECORD – Former U.S. District Attorney Christina Nolan, now running as a GOP candidate for one of Vermont’s U.S. Senate seats, is highlighting her opponent’s voting record which includes three votes to defund police.

Nolan continued to hit Welch on his voting record. She said, “How you can be soft on crime at a time when violent crime is on the rise in cities across the country? 21,500 homicides in 2020, that number looks to be higher in 2021. And right here in Vermont, while the police have been defunded, shootings in Burlington are at 10 this year.”

She explained that qualified immunity is something that helps police to be able to make split-second decisions during tense situations.

“It is an extreme leftwing position. … To vote to get rid of that for police, so that they can be sued in their personal capacity and bankrupted for every split-second decision they make … would drive them all out of the police force.”

She talked about some of the challenges in finding help for departments.

“We have a recruitment and retention crisis in the police force at all levels … and this coincides with the rise in overdose deaths in Vermont, because drug traffickers are operating more freely,” Nolan said. “And it coincides with a disturbing rise in crime of all varieties including violent crimes. Congressman Welch has voted three times to defund the police.”

She also said Welch “votes with the extreme wing of his party 100% of the time. … If you look at his reports he’s awash in special interest money.”

One caller to the show asked if Nolan had close ties with U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Nolan made a pitch that she is not part of the ruling political establishment.

“I’ve said that I will be independent-minded and follow my conscience and do right by Vermonters in Washington,” Nolan said. “… I’ve already taken stances during this campaign that are very much not in line with Mitch McConnell’s views. That will continue to happen once I’m in the Senate.”

About 20 minutes of the interview can be heard on the radio show’s homepage.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Image courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice

13 thoughts on “Christina Nolan attacks Welch on crime, says he ‘voted three times to defund the police’

  1. I personally was very impressed with Myers Mermel.in the debate. He is well spoken, a true conservative, and not as limited on his positions as Gerald Malloy. I believe he is the one who can beat Pete.

  2. Peter Welch is in it for the money and power. In a debate I had with him when asked why he was running he said “I like my job”. Never said anything about being there to support Vermonter’s or help VT. He did vote to increase his pay which I believe is now $187K per year plus housing and “expenses”. Peter needs to retire if elected to Senate he will be 81 yrs old at the end of his term. We don’t need another bumbling senior like the one in the White House.

  3. Not part of the ruling political establishment? Independent minded? Not the kind of republican that I can support. I will go with Mr. Malloy

  4. Christina Nolan will never get my vote after saying that Ketanji Brown Jackson was qualified to sit on the Supreme Court and that she would vote to confirm her. She is a RINO that is willing to just check the boxes to placate the left. We don’t need a Vermont version of Susan Collins. We have to stop voting for candidates that we think can win the general election because they are a little more palatable and get a few more votes than the progressive they are running against. Then go along to get along with the progressives as we watch ourselves be sold out again. Can anyone say Mitch McConnell?

    There is a true conservative in this race and that is Gerald Malloy.
    https://www.geraldmalloyforussenatevermont.com/

  5. Welch is a died in the wool pelosi drone and will vote whatever she tells him to..
    He’s no friend of VT and we shouldn’t pay for him being there anymore. Throw the
    bum burnee out too time to clean house..

  6. “If Vermonters are smart they won’t let Welch slither into that Senate seat, Vermont needs
    a leader, not a follower………………”
    Well put. Welch has shown very little, if any, independent thought (or leadership) over his career. If you want a reliable, complacent democratic hack , he’s your man.
    We have heard very little of Welch’s “accomplishments” or innovative programs as a leader that have actually helped Vermonters over the past several years. Where there any??
    But now that he wants to get deeper in the swamp, we see him taking credit for all sorts of deficit spending, dishing out money we can’t afford with a few a few crumbs to potential voters in Vermonter.
    Let’s start fresh!

    • Absolutely indeed, is against anything that makes sense…..goes along with the “fad of the admin”……NO NO NO……vote him OUT
      TERM LIMITS (which he does not want per email when I asked; it took a very long time to get back to me…..he disagrees they are needed)
      anyone with a ounce of common sense can see the need for Term Limits across the board, and no special consideration post “service” which I can only see as service to self and peers at this point……NOT representing me, never has…….
      and all the fancy tv commercials……….NOPE not buying it!

  7. If Vermonters are smart they won’t let Welch slither into that Senate seat, Vermont needs
    a leader, not a follower………………

    Christina has proven she can handle crime and punish the criminals, as she has stated
    Welch has sided with defunding the police, he was just following the liberal agenda !!

    Wake up people, Vermont needs a real voice in the Senate one that follows the constitution
    not an agenda and that’s a leader not a follower.

    Vermont always wants to be first, so let’s give Christina a chance, Vermont’s First Female
    Senator !!

    • She won’t get my vote. She couldn’t be forthright about who she voted for in the presidential race, giving some hogwash about not wanting to have it come back on her former office. Not acceptable. Several other answers ring RINO to me.

    • Any conservative can punish criminals and handle crime. Any true conservative would not defund the police. Would Trump endorse her? I Think not. We don’t need to check another box just to have a first of anything except a conservative first. Anyone that approves of Ketanji Brown Jackson on the Supreme Court is a RINO like Murkowski, Romney and Collins. Sell outs.

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