The National Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police labor organization in the country with approximately 378,000 members, endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Friday. In a press release, FOP President Patrick Yoes said, “Public safety and border security will be important issues in the last months of this campaign,” he said. “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 Yoes, a candidate must secure the support of two-thirds of the union’s 46 State Lodges, and former President Trump easily met and exceeded that requirement, Newsmax reported. “During his first term, President Trump made it clear he supported law enforcement and border security,” Yoes said. “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 union’s announcement noted that they meticulously reviewed the records of each candidate, evaluated Trump’s responses to a detailed questionnaire, and assessed a letter from Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz outlining their positions on criminal justice. The FOP committee held a meeting with Trump, but the Harris-Walz campaign declined to arrange a meeting.
Yoes concluded, “The National FOP endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. He led our nation through some very tough times. He provided our nation with strong, effective leadership during his first term, and now that he is seeking election to a second term, we intend to help him win it.” Trump spoke Friday at the Fraternal Order of Police’s National Board of Trustees fall meeting in Charlotte, N.C., a major battleground state in this year’s presidential election.
Last month, the Milwaukee Police Association announced its endorsement of the GOP nominee and vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance in another major win for the former president’s campaign. “We like to say the Milwaukee Police Association is the ‘force behind the force,’” MPA President Alex Ayala said in a statement. “We use the words ‘honor’ and ‘service’ when we talk about the brave men and women of our department. Their importance extends far beyond the uniform and badge; it is about their commitment to serving and protecting us all.”
The association reported numerous policing challenges in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including low bail for dangerous criminals and a staffing crisis. “The Milwaukee Police Association believes the solutions to these challenges are possible,” Ayala wrote. “That’s why we are endorsing the Presidential ticket of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.”
In 2020, Trump was endorsed by a major New York police union, according to Spectrum News, and the union had no regrets despite his loss. “Addressing these issues isn’t political — it is truly a matter of life and death to Milwaukee,” Ayala said.
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