Dallas mayor Eric Johnson to RNC crowd: 'Woke Democrat Party is with the criminals'

Dallas mayor: 'Woke' Dems are 'with the criminals'

Dallas mayor Eric Johnson gives a speech at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin just months after announcing he had switched parties.

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Dallas mayor Eric Johnson criticized Democrats for being soft on crime at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

Johnson addressed the crowd at the RNC as a part of the theme "Make America Safe Again."

He opened with a story about Black Lives Matter protesters gathering on his lawn in 2020, calling for him to defund the police.

"I've 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.

Johnson announced he switched parties from a Democrat to a Republican in September of last year, after he was elected to a second term.

"The truth is on matters of public safety, the Democrats were never actually there for me, for Dallas families or the American people," he said. "The heart of today's woke Democrat Party is with the criminals, not their victims."

Though the Dallas mayor seat is technically nonpartisan, Johnson is the only Republican mayor of the country's 10 largest cities.

Johnson has served as the mayor of Dallas since 2019.

Overall violent crime in the City of Dallas dropped for the third straight year in 2023, according to the Dallas Police Department.

Johnson finished his speech with an endorsement of Donald Trump.

"Let's make American safe again by retiring Joe Biden and electing Donald J. Trump," Johnson said.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson on switch to Republican Party

The Texas Democratic Party has called on Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson to resign after announcing he is switching parties earlier this month. Johnson also denied that he plans to seek another office after his party affiliation change.

Prior to being elected as mayor, Johnson represented Dallas in the Texas Legislature for nine years as a Democrat.

The Republican Party widely embraced him after making the switch to becoming a Republican and is now the head of the newly-formed Republican Mayors Association.