When Donald Trump told supporters this week that migrants are “not humans,” the former president made the comments in Michigan, while flanked by police officers. A casual observer might see an image or a clip from the event and perceive the Republican as a champion of law enforcement.
Indeed, that was the point. As a New York Times report noted, “The former president often takes pictures with the police who accompany his motorcade on the campaign trail, and his aides regularly share videos of the interactions on social media to highlight the officers’ support.”
This did not go unnoticed by President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign, which issued a written statement after the event in Grand Rapids, which said the presumptive GOP nominee “lying about supporting cops.”
“Donald Trump pretends he cares about violence against police officers, but apparently not the ones who lost their lives after being violently assaulted by his supporters. He calls their attackers ‘hostages’ and has promised to release them from prison if he gets re-elected. Trump is a fraud.”
So, which is it? Is Trump a great ally to law enforcement, or is the former president a “fraud” who’s “lying about supporting cops”?
Circling back to our recent coverage, Team Biden clearly has the facts on its side. Consider a list of The Top 9 Reasons Donald Trump Deserves To Be Seen As An Opponent Of Law Enforcement.
9. 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.”
8. Trump is currently a suspected felon out on bond, facing dozens of criminal counts across multiple jurisdictions.
7. Trump is facing civil suits from police officers who sustained injuries during the Jan. 6 riot the Republican instigated.
6. Trump has condemned common law-enforcement tools, including plea agreements for witnesses who cooperate with prosecutors.
5. Trump has undermined law enforcement by abusing his pardon powers and letting politically aligned criminals go free.
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 urged 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 support of the former president, declared via social media this week, “No one Backs The Blue more than President Trump.” The closer one looks, the more ridiculous the Ohio Republican’s claim appears. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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