The Western Journal By Randy DeSoto
The National Association of Police Organizations has endorsed President Donald Trump in the upcoming election, touting his “steadfast and very public support” of law enforcement officers.
The Wednesday announcement on its surface came as a surprise, given the group had backed the Democrats’ Barack Obama/Joe Biden ticket in the 2008 and 2012 elections, Fox News reported.
The NAPO chose not to endorse either candidate in the 2016 presidential race.
Given Trump’s very vocal support of the “thin blue line,” especially during the recent push to defund the police, while Biden has tried to play both sides, perhaps the endorsement should not come as a surprise at all.
“Our endorsement recognizes your steadfast and very public support for our men and women on the front lines, especially during this time of unfair and inaccurate opprobrium being directed at our members by so many,” the group’s president, Michael McHale, wrote in the endorsement letter.
NAPO has endorsed President Trump in his reelection campaign. Here is our endorsement letter which was issued following today's meeting. pic.twitter.com/mf6ZUTf10l
— NAPO (@NAPOpolice) July 15, 2020
“We particularly value your directing the Attorney General Bill Barr to aggressively prosecute those who attack our officers,” McHale said.
Trump responded to the endorsement, tweeting, “THANK YOU @NAPOpolice and their 241,000 brave law enforcement members for a FULL & COMPLETE ENDORSEMENT! I will ALWAYS back the men and women in blue, and never let you down. LAW AND ORDER will prevail! #LESM”
The hashtag #LESM stands for “law enforcement social media.”
Trump campaign senior adviser Bob Paduchik added in a statement, “This endorsement for President Trump highlights that as the Law and Order President, he is defending the hardworking people who risk their own lives every day to keep our communities safe.”
“Joe Biden has done nothing to stop his party’s defund the police movement and remains silent as police officers across the country are being attacked by violent rioters and protesters,” Paduchik said.
Trump himself responded quickly on social media.
THANK YOU @NAPOpolice and their 241,000 brave law enforcement members for a FULL & COMPLETE ENDORSEMENT! I will ALWAYS back the men and women in blue, and never let you down. LAW AND ORDER will prevail! #LESM https://t.co/tJnA0EpuTR
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2020
Biden did not jump entirely on the defund the police train but has backed redirecting funds from police departments to other programs, The Associated Press reported.
That would seem to line up with what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the City Council did when they took $1 billion of the NYPD’s funds (17 percent of the $6 billion budget) for that purpose.
The Big Apple has seen an extreme spike in murders and other violent crimes in recent weeks.
Biden is trying to split the baby by not fully getting behind the Democrat-led defunding movement while also not offering much in the way of vocal support for the police.
The NAPO got it right: Trump has their back, and Biden does not.
