The National Fraternal Order of Police, the nation's oldest and largest police union, announced Friday that it is endorsing Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), in the upcoming presidential election.
Patrick Yoes, National President of the Brotherhood of Police; said in a press statement. The group's members considered both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris before voting to support Trump.
“Public safety and border security will be key issues in the final months of this campaign,” he said. “Our party members carefully considered the candidates' positions on these issues, but there was no doubt about who they want as their president for the next four years: Donald J. Trump.”
Yoess pointed to President Trump's support for law enforcement during the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020, as well as his support for border security.
“President Trump has made it very clear during his first term that he supports law enforcement and border security,” he said.
“In the summer of 2020, he stood with us when most people didn't. With his help, we defeated the 'defund the police' movement and our crime rates finally started to fall. If we want to keep our crime rates low, we must re-elect Donald Trump,” he added.
Yoess said he considered both Trump's responses to the FOP's questionnaire and a letter from the Harris-Waltz campaign outlining their positions on criminal justice and police labor issues.
He said FOP committee members met privately with Trump but were not granted a similar meeting by the Harris-Waltz campaign.
Yoess said the FOP's more than 377,000 members have been provided with information so they can make their own decisions.
“As the nation's oldest and largest law enforcement union, the FOP's endorsement of the president is one of the most sought-after endorsements by candidates running for office,” he said.
“The FOP is the first voice of law enforcement in America. We have a responsibility to our members, the 700,000 law enforcement officers across the country, and the communities they serve to play a role in determining the direction our country will take,” he said.
Yoess noted that the national FOP supported Trump in 2016 and 2020.
“He has led the country through some very tough times,” Yoesu said. “He provided strong and effective leadership for the country during his first term, and now he is seeking election for a second term and we intend to support him in winning.”
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