Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said it was time to “retire Joe Biden” — and elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United States — during a speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Johnson also used the Tuesday evening address to slam progressive leadership nationwide and said the “heart” of the Democratic party “is with the criminals, not with their victims.”
Johnson said progressive activists in Dallas came to his house four years ago “with the stated goal of intimidating” his family.
“They wanted me to defund the police,” Johnson said. “I said no.”
Johnson, a lifelong Democrat who switched to the GOP months after being reelected as mayor in 2023, said the incident was part of the reason he switched parties.
“I’d been a Democrat my entire life, albeit a conservative one, but when those activists tried to scare my kids, my fellow Democrats were silent,” Johnson said. “It was Republicans that offered their support both privately, and publicly.”
Johnson faced both harsh criticism and praise last year after switching parties. The Dallas County Democratic Party called on Johnson to resign, saying he “knowingly portrayed himself as a lifelong Democratic voter and representative.”
“Now, less than four months after being re-elected to his final term in office, he has declared that he will govern the city as a Republican," the party’s statement to KERA last year said.
The statement went on to call Johnson's announcement a "selfish and cynical strategy" to advance his political career.
Texas' top GOP leaders praised Johnson's switch — and welcomed him to the party with open arms.
Shortly, Johnson also formed the Republican Mayors Association to build a “network of like-minded mayors” and “lead our cities to a brighter future.”
Dallas elected officials have said in the past Johnson’s political moves don’t make sense. When Johnson made the announcement to switch parties, District 9 Council Member Paula Blackmon told KERA that party affiliation doesn’t play a role in how she represents her constituents.
"I ran for municipal office because partisan politics should not play a motivating role in decisions affecting our residents. My work at Dallas City Hall most directly impacts the lives of everyday residents, and I show up every day to do the job they elected me to do,” Blackmon said.
During his speech, Johnson said he grew up in high crime areas and claimed his community wanted more high-quality policing. He says that never happened and blamed Democratic leadership.
“On matter of public safety, the Democrats were never actually there for me, for Dallas families or for the American People,” Johnson said.
Tuesday’s four-minute speech echoed current GOP talking points. Johnson said that Democrats don’t care about “stopping the killers and thieves that terrorize Black and Brown communities,” securing the border — or “dangerous homeless encampments.”
Johnson touted Dallas as the country’s “safest large city” and said other Republicans also lead what he believes to be safe cities. He said “that’s because Republicans wont be silent about public safety.”
“Lets make America safe again by retiring Joe Biden and electing Donald J. Trump,” Johnson said.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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