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3h ago

Hawley Grills Ex-Biden Gun-Violence Aide Over 'Two Spirit' Language in Crime Playbook

The clash spotlighted GOP criticism of a CJAF guide that prioritizes community-led violence prevention over bigger police budgets.

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Gregory Jackson Jr., former deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, testifies before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at the U.S. Capitol on September 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. In the face of Republicans seeking to expand their control over the federal city, Mayor Muriel Bowser has described her cooperation with the White House on law-and-order as a "productive partnership;" while DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb has sued the administration of President Donald Trump twice, writing that the takeover of the city's police is both "un-democratic and un-American." (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Overview

  • At a Senate Judiciary hearing on Sept. 30, Sen. Josh Hawley pressed Gregory Jackson Jr. about a Community Justice Action Fund playbook that references “safe space initiatives led by lesbian, gay, bisexual, two spirit, trans and gender non-conforming people.”
  • Asked to define “two spirit,” Jackson said he was not completely aware of the language or the spirit of how it was written, while noting the report’s focus on intervention, outreach and victim services.
  • Hawley cited the playbook’s call to support communities “not just by adding more money to police budgets” as evidence it argues against increasing police funding.
  • The exchange grew heated as Jackson called Hawley “two-faced” and the senator labeled the recommendations “gobbledygook” and “absurd,” with Jackson asserting his work helped reduce homicides by 31% and referencing his experience being shot.
  • Jackson previously served as deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention created in 2023 and reported dismantled earlier in 2025, and the hearing produced no new policy actions.