Kamala Harris has been trying desperately to leverage her background as a prosecutor and former California Attorney General to position herself as a "law and order" candidate. But that narrative took a significant hit on Friday when the nation's oldest and largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, delivered a resounding rejection of her record by endorsing Donald Trump for president.
"Public safety and border security will be important issues in the last months of this campaign," Patrick Yoes, national president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement. "Our members carefully considered the positions of the candidates on the issues and there was no doubt—zero doubt—as to who they want as our President for the next four years: Donald J. Trump."
According to the FOP's press release, "The FOP's endorsement process is unique in that every member has the opportunity, through our 46 State Lodges, to make their choice known to the National Trustee."
"Once informed by the membership as to their choice, the National Trustee casts his or her vote at our National Board meeting," the release continued. "In order to secure our endorsement, the candidate needs the support of two-thirds of the State Lodges, a benchmark former President Trump easily cleared."
Related: More of Kamala's 'Defund The Police' Agenda Exposed
"During his first term, President Trump made it clear he supported law enforcement and border security," Yoes continued. "In the summer of 2020, he stood with us when very few would. With his help, we defeated the 'defund the police' movement and, finally, we are seeing crime rates decrease. If we want to maintain these lower crime rates, we must re-elect Donald Trump."
The FOP consistently endorses candidates focused on law enforcement concerns. Past endorsements include George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, John McCain, and Donald Trump, while in 2012, it chose not to endorse anyone.
"As the nation's oldest and largest law enforcement labor organization, the FOP's presidential endorsement is one of the most sought-after endorsements by candidates running for the presidency," Yoes said. "The FOP is the number one voice of America's law enforcement. We have a responsibility to our members, to the 800,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the United States, and to the communities they serve to do our part in determining the direction in which our country will head."
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) reviewed the records of both candidates, including President Trump’s responses to its questionnaire and a letter from the Harris-Walz campaign outlining positions on criminal justice and police labor issues. While an FOP committee met with Trump, the Harris-Walz campaign did not offer a similar meeting. The FOP shared this information with its 377,000 members to inform their decision.
National President Patrick Yoes announced today that the members of the FOP voted to endorse Donald J. Trump for President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/kCcnPsKzPG
— National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) (@GLFOP) September 6, 2024
This endorsement from the FOP is a major setback for Harris's effort to rebrand herself as a "law and order" candidate after supporting the "defund the police" movement. Despite Harris's background as a prosecutor, law enforcement’s overwhelming support for Trump highlights doubts about her commitment to public safety. Her campaign's failure to engage with the FOP further damages her credibility, making it harder to convince voters that she's serious about tackling crime and border security.
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