Trump’s ‘complicated relationship’ with law enforcement under the spotlight

In the abstract, the larger set of circumstances is so utterly implausible that it reads like unrealistic fiction: A suspected felon, facing 88 criminal counts, has spent years condemning those he describes as “dirty cops“ and suggesting he’d like to see prosecutions of police officers.

That same accused criminal — currently on trial in one jurisdiction, while awaiting trials in other jurisdictions — is telling voters that he’s running on a “law and order” platform. His alleged crimes and condemnations of law enforcement haven’t stopped multiple police unions from endorsing his 2024 candidacy — the first time in modern American history in which police unions have backed a suspected criminal for national elected office.

As fanciful as this dynamic might sound, it is precisely the one playing out in American presidential politics this year. The New York Times this week shined a light on the “complicated relationship” between Donald Trump and law enforcement.

I’ve long believed there’s a parallel between Trump’s support for law enforcement and his support for the military. On the surface, the Republican celebrates superficial elements of the armed forces: He likes the flags, the uniforms, the symbols, the saluting, and perhaps most importantly, the idea of conveying “strength” and “toughness.”

It’s just below the surface — at which point Trump is expected to go beyond the superficial — where the trouble emerges. In the case of the military, this is where we see Trump trashing generals, questioning the value of military service, and denigrating veterans.

A similar dynamic emerges when examining the presumptive GOP nominee’s approach to law enforcement. He appears to like the idea, in the abstract, of supporting well-armed good guys who’ll keep the streets safe from scary looking bad guys.

But beyond the abstractions, there’s a reason President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign recently issued a written statement accusing the former president of “lying about supporting cops.”

Consider a newly revised list of 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.”

9. Trump is currently a suspected felon out on bond, facing dozens of criminal counts across multiple jurisdictions.

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 have 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, recently declared via social media, “No one Backs The Blue more than President Trump.”

There’s ample evidence to the contrary.

This post updates our related earlier coverage.