Senator Cruz Grills Biden Nominee: “Your Record Is Deeply Disturbing” — Murder Rates Nearly Doubled Under DAs She Advised

On 2/16/2022, Senator Ted Cruz delivered a blistering cross-examination of Biden judicial nominee Nina Morrison during her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, confronting her with the murder statistics from cities where she had served on the transition teams of progressive prosecutors. Cruz revealed that Philadelphia’s homicides nearly doubled — from 315 to 562 — under DA Larry Krasner, and Los Angeles County murders rose 54% under DA George Gascon. Morrison repeatedly said she was “not an expert on crime statistics” and could not say whether either city was safer.

”Is Philadelphia Safer? Yes or No?”

Cruz opened with a direct question. “Is Philadelphia today more safe or less safe than when Mr. Krasner became district attorney?” he asked.

Morrison attempted to redirect. “The issue on which I worked specifically—”

“A specific question,” Cruz interrupted. “Is Philadelphia more safe today than when he was elected?”

“Senator, respectfully, I have not—” Morrison began.

“That’s a yes or no,” Cruz said.

“I do not consider myself an expert on crime statistics,” Morrison replied.

“You have no view,” Cruz said flatly.

315 to 562: The Philadelphia Numbers

Cruz provided the answer Morrison would not. “When Mr. Krasner became district attorney, there were 315 homicides citywide,” Cruz said. “How many do you think there were this past year?”

“I’m not familiar with the specific—” Morrison said.

“It went from 315 to 562. Almost twice the 2017 number. The highest in over 60 years,” Cruz said. “Let me ask you, is that progressive? You call these progressive prosecutors who let violent criminals go, who then murder innocent people. Is that progressive — 562 people murdered in Philadelphia?”

Cruz detailed how Krasner — “backed by George Soros” — had upon taking office “immediately fired 31 veteran prosecutors” and seen an additional 39 veterans resign. “Over 60% of the office consists of less experienced junior attorneys with less than four years’ experience,” Cruz said.

Los Angeles: 54% Surge Under Gascon

Cruz then turned to Los Angeles, where Morrison had also served on the transition committee for DA George Gascon. “Do you have any idea what the murder rate was in Los Angeles County in 2021?” Cruz asked.

“I’m aware the murder rate is up nationally, and I don’t know the specifics,” Morrison said.

“So you serve on transition teams for DAs, but you’re not concerned with the murder rate,” Cruz said. “Well, it was 397 murders in 2021. That was 11.8% higher than the year before, which was 355. And it was 53.9% higher than the 2019 total before Mr. Gascon was elected. That was 258."

"Why Do You Keep Advising Radical DAs?”

Cruz posed the central question. “Why is it that you keep being part of the transition team, helping advise district attorneys on how to release violent criminals?” he asked. “Do you care about the innocent people who are murdered because you keep advising people who put policies in place that result in more innocent people being murdered?”

Morrison said she took “a strong interest in the successful prosecution of murder cases.”

“I actually don’t believe your record reflects that,” Cruz responded.

The Lawyerly Answer on Krasner

Cruz also highlighted Morrison’s earlier exchange with Senator Kennedy, where she had given what Cruz called “a very lawyerly answer” about her relationship with Krasner. Morrison had told Kennedy “I did not actually work on District Attorney Krasner’s campaign” — technically true, but she had served as an advisor to his transition committee, as disclosed in her own questionnaire to the committee.

“You may not have worked on his campaign, but you advised him in his transition committee,” Cruz said.

”Deeply Disturbing”

Cruz closed with a sweeping indictment. “Ms. Morrison, you’ve urged this committee to look at the whole of your record. I will confess — the whole of your record is deeply disturbing,” Cruz said.

“Across this country, Americans are horrified at skyrocketing crime rates, at skyrocketing homicide rates, at skyrocketing burglary rates, at skyrocketing carjacking rates,” Cruz continued. “And all of those are the direct result of the policies you’ve spent your entire lifetime advocating. You have repeatedly praised the steps the new ‘progressive prosecutors’ have taken, refusing to prosecute violent crime and letting violent criminals go.”

“Sadly, your nomination is part of a pattern from this administration,” Cruz said. “And Democrats in the Senate, if they follow their pattern, will vote to confirm yet another judge who will let more violent criminals go.”

Key Takeaways

Philadelphia murders nearly doubled from 315 to 562 — the highest in over 60 years — under DA Krasner, whose transition team Morrison advised.
Los Angeles County murders rose 54% from 258 to 397 under DA Gascon, whose transition team Morrison also advised.
Morrison repeatedly said she was “not an expert on crime statistics” and could not say whether either city was safer.
Cruz told Morrison “the whole of your record is deeply disturbing” and said skyrocketing crime was “the direct result of the policies you’ve spent your entire lifetime advocating.”
Krasner fired 31 veteran prosecutors upon taking office and saw 39 more resign, leaving over 60% of the office staffed with attorneys with less than four years’ experience.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

Is Philadelphia more safe today than when he was elected? I do not consider myself an expert on crime statistics.
It went from 315 to 562. Almost twice the 2017 number. The highest in over 60 years. Is that progressive?
Why do you keep advising radical district attorneys who let violent criminals go and result in homicide rates skyrocketing?
Do you care about the innocent people being killed because of the policies you’re implementing?
The whole of your record is deeply disturbing. All of those are the direct result of the policies you’ve spent your entire lifetime advocating.
So you serve on transition teams for DAs, but you’re not concerned with the murder rate.

Full transcript: 1196 words transcribed via Whisper AI.