An undercover video featuring North Carolina Democrat Senate candidate Roy Cooper shows him consistently declining to express remorse towards families of murder victims related to his mass prison release actions.
In the video, Cooper falsely claims about the reasons why thousands of offenders were released from prisons during 2021.
The footage, shared by conservative X user Matt Van Swol, showcases a nearly 90-second conversation between Cooper and an unidentified individual at an event. Breitbart News confirmed the timing aligns with a campaign rally on September 2 in Cabarrus County, a quickly growing suburb near Charlotte.
During the video, when asked what he would convey to the numerous victims of violent crimes, Cooper responds, “Look, we followed the court order. The state followed the court order to have those inmates released and it was critical that the state follow the court order.”
This frequently mentioned justification is misleading, as it was Cooper who agreed to that court order, making him the sole governor in the U.S. to sign such a legally binding document. Unlike him, Democratic governors in Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey actively contested similar release lawsuits.
Cooper then accuses Republican rival Michael Whatley of misrepresenting the facts but fails to provide any actual evidence to support this claim.
The unidentified person queries Cooper again about what he would say to the victims. When pressed, Cooper repeats that he did not sign the order and adds, “anyone who has that situation is in a terrible, terrible situation, I pray for them and have sat with many victims’ families.”
WATCH — Former RNC Chairman: Roy Cooper is “the Worst Governor in the History of North Carolina”:
The unidentified person pushes Cooper for a third time on whether he has apologized. At this point, he falls back on a debunked talking point regarding his prosecution of violent criminals and keeping them incarcerated.
Cooper claims that as governor, he enacted stricter laws for violent offenders and implemented tougher bail standards, also without providing proof. Interestingly, during his eight years in office, he vetoed legislative proposals aimed at increasing penalties for rioting and mandating cooperation with ICE. Additionally, he authorized an executive order in 2020 that initiated his perceived lenient approach to crime, suggesting measures to rethink public safety and soften bail laws in the state.
Feeling cornered in the video, Cooper exclaims, “this whole campaign’s been based on lies, okay?” He then gestures for a staffer to intervene and move the unidentified person away, leading to the video’s conclusion.
