California’s controversial district attorney, George Gascon, is blaming a current recall effort on “race-based fear-mongering.” Gascon, who has often been the subject of controversy for his liberal crime policies, said during an interview with the podcast “How We Win” that conservatives are working to create a false narrative about the crime in Los Angeles.

He took office in December 2020 and immediately implemented a series of progressive reforms that include not seeking cash bail or the death penalty, not prosecuting children as adults, even for serious crimes, and other measures.

Fox News reports:

“They have sort of created this false narrative about this is anti-safety, which is kind of the same fear-mongering tactics frankly that you can go back to the Nixon era, right, you know Willie Horton,” Gascon said.

The Willie Horton ad was not from the Nixon era, but from when George H.W. Bush was running for president against Democrat Michael Dukakis in the 1988 election. The television spot, put out by a pro-Bush group, used the story of Horton, a convict who escaped during a prison furlough and committed rape, assault, and robbery.

Gascon also took a shot at the GOP by blaming the party for mass shootings during the interview.

“Generally I’m a very optimistic person, but unfortunately so long as we continue to have 50 members of Congress that are Republicans and a couple of reluctant Democrats to do what’s right I think we’ll continue to have this problem,” Gascon said, likely referring to the Senate.

“I hate it when people offer prayers, you know, because I think it’s so hypocritical … to offer prayers when especially those that can do something about it are not doing it,” he added.

Gascon survived a previous recall effort in last after the petition failed to gain enough signatures.