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In early August, Donald Trump sat down with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo and claimed Vice President Kamala Harris doesn’t have support from law enforcement. As The Hill reported, there’s fresh evidence to the contrary.
In a letter signed by 101 law enforcement officials, the group declared that Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) are “the only candidates we trust to keep our communities safe.” The group cited Harris’ work as a prosecutor, district attorney, and attorney general, during which she took on issues ranging from child sexual assault to transnational crime organizations. ... It also cited Walz’s investment in law enforcement in Minnesota, including $300 million in public safety training and community engagement.
It’s worth emphasizing that this group includes officials with ranks like sheriff, police chief, retired chief of police, retired detective, captain, state trooper and FBI special agent.
“This November,” they wrote, “Americans will choose between someone who spent her career enforcing our laws and someone who has been convicted of breaking them.”
It was the end of that quote that was of particular interest, because while the 101 law enforcement officials made clear that they believe Harris and Walz earned their 2024 backing, they simultaneously emphasized their opposition to Trump.
The former president, their joint statement read, “has repeatedly shown he does not respect law enforcement or the rule of law,” citing the Republican’s stated plans to pardon Jan. 6 rioters who clashed with the police at the U.S. Capitol.
At a campaign rally in July, the GOP nominee told an audience that the Democratic campaign was telling the electorate, “‘I’m the prosecutor, and he is the convicted felon.’” Trump added, “I don’t think people are going to buy it.”
I can think of 101 people who do buy it.
The timing of this announcement was not coincidental: It reached the public just hours ahead of the former president’s scheduled remarks at a Fraternal Order of Police event. It also comes roughly a month after Trump received an endorsement from the National Association of Police Organizations.
The fact remains, however, that the idea of the Republican candidate being a friend to law enforcement continues to be a tough sell. In fact, given the circumstances, it’s probably worth revisiting The Top 10 Reasons Donald Trump Deserves To Be Seen As An Opponent Of Law Enforcement.
10. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at those he’s described as “dirty cops,” as part of a larger offensive against law enforcement. He’s also condemned law enforcement officials as “fascists” and accused law enforcement officials of pushing “fake” crime rate statistics as part of a political plot to help Democrats.
9. A jury recently found Trump guilty of 34 felonies, and he’s still facing dozens of other criminal counts across multiple jurisdictions. (He has pleaded not guilty to all of them.)
8. Trump is facing civil suits from police officers who sustained injuries during the Jan. 6 riot the Republican instigated.
7. Trump has condemned common law enforcement tools, including plea agreements for witnesses who cooperate with prosecutors.
6. Trump abused his powers by intervening in criminal cases in which the defendants were political allies, letting politically connected suspects go free — even after some pleaded guilty — and undermining law enforcement in the process.
5. Trump has undermined law enforcement by abusing his pardon powers, in one case even commuting the sentence of a man accused of helping murder of a police officer.
4. Trump lashed out at the police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt as a “thug” and a “coward” who deserves to be vilified.
3. Trump has promised day-one pardons for insurrectionists, many of whom violently clashed with police officers.
2. While in office, Trump saw law enforcement as a political weapon he can wield at his convenience, which led him to urge law enforcement officials to enforce his political vendettas and help Republicans win elections.
1. Trump has expressed support for prosecuting members of the Capitol police.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a sycophantic supporter of the former president, declared earlier this year via social media, “No one Backs The Blue more than President Trump.”
It was difficult to believe when the Ohio congressman first made the comment in March, and it hasn't improved with age.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.