Vasquez’s Police Turnaround Sparks Fresh Backlash
Rep. Gabe Vasquez, a New Mexico Democrat in one of the toughest swing districts in the country, is getting hit with a simple accusation: hypocrisy. Old social media posts and a 2020 protest interview are back in the spotlight, and they clash hard with his newer message that he backs police.
The controversy centers on comments Vasquez made during the height of the George Floyd protests. On June 1, 2020, then-Las Cruces city council member Vasquez posted, “Black lives matter. Until we deconstruct and rebuild the systems of oppression that keep black people in perpetual harm, justice will not be served. That includes law enforcement, the economy, and the disgusting wealth inequality that keeps white rich men in power.”
A separate local news interview from that time also resurfaced. In it, a masked man identified by the station as “James Hall” said, “We need serious police reform in this country,” and “it’s not just about defunding police, it’s about defunding a system that privileges white people over everyone else.” A later report by The Washington Free Beacon said deleted screenshots of social media posts showed Vasquez at the same rally, and the outlet reported that a Vasquez spokesperson confirmed he was the man who made those statements, saying, “The name was attributed to him by the news station when he declined to give his name as he wanted the focus to be on the organizers.”
That past is now colliding with his current messaging. This week, Vasquez published an opinion piece in the Las Cruces Sun News saying police officers “deserve thanks, support and funding.” He added that “no amount of public recognition can ever fully express the gratitude they deserve.” He also said, “I will always stand with our law enforcement officers,” and stressed that officers need “resources, investments, and funding.”
But Republicans are not buying the shift. A National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman said, “Defund the police Gabe Vasquez’s shameless hypocrisy isn’t fooling anyone.”
The timing is awkward for Vasquez. He also voted against a House resolution during National Police Week that backed law enforcement, condemned “defund the police” rhetoric, criticized sanctuary city policies, and praised Trump-era law-and-order efforts. Democrats said the measure was too partisan. Republicans saw it as a clean test of where lawmakers stand.
Vasquez’s campaign says the record shows support for police, not opposition. A spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “If you want to know where Vasquez stands on public safety, look at the receipts. This year alone, Vasquez singlehandedly brought $1.8 million home for local police departments from Albuquerque to Carlsbad to pay for technology, station upgrades and facilities for more officers to keep themselves and New Mexicans safe.” The campaign also pointed to a House floor speech honoring Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Antonio Aleman, who was killed in the line of duty in 2025.
Still, the old comments are the kind that stick. In a tight race, opponents do not need much. They just need contradiction. And in Vasquez’s case, critics say the contradiction is right there in black and white.