The New York City Police Benevolent Association formally endorsed President Trump re-election bid Friday evening, praising the law and order president for his “strong voice” supporting our New York’s finest and police officers across the nation.
“I have 36 years in this job, 21 as a president of this fine organization. I cannot remember when we’ve ever endorsed for the office of President of the United States, until now — that’s how important this is,” PBA President Pat Lynch said while presenting Trump a bronze statue of a police officer with one hand on the shoulder of a child and the other holding the flag. “We need your strong voice across the country to say we have the support of law enforcement across this country.”
“Mr. President, we are fighting for our lives out there. We don’t want this to spread to the rest of this country,” Lynch added. “Now, many times people say that a union like ours, law enforcement group, gives endorsements. Not in the New York City PBA, sir. In the New York City PBA, Mr. President, you earn the endorsement and you’ve earned this endorsement. I’m proud to give it,” Lynch added.
The NYC PBA represents 24,000 rank-and-file cops — the nation’s largest of the city’s police unions.
Trump warned the few hundred NYPD officers in attendance at his private club in Bedminster, N.J. if his opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden and his newly anointed running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) are elected, they would immediately pass legislation to “gut every single police department in America.”
“As we gather today, our country is suffering from a radical far-left movement,” Trump said. “Democrats wanted to defame, demoralize, defund, dismantle, and dissolve our great police departments.”
“No one will be safe in Biden’s America,” Trump continued. “Joe Biden’s national police strategy will be modeled on the Bill de Blasio catastrophe. It’s a left-wing war on cops.”
At one point, Trump polled the cops on which nickname they preferred for Biden: “What’s better, Slow Joe or Sleepy Joe? I go back and forth.” The crowd picked “Sleepy Joe.”
The president slammed NYC Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio for launching a “crusade against the police.”
Earlier, Trump tweeted that he will “bring our beloved New York City back” when re-elected, linking a New York Post article “New York’s economic outlook ranked worst in the nation,” referring to the Empire State being ranked dead last on the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual ranking for the seventh straight year.
The coronavirus pandemic along with Mayor de Blasio’s liberal policies imposed the last few months has made the city unbearable to live in. Crime and homelessness encampment are rising at an alarming rate, residents are abandoning their apartments to head down to the South for a new way of life and the city’s wealthiest residents fled to their vacation home of Long Island, Connecticut, and other parts of the United States. Governor Andrew Cuomo has begged for the rich New Yorkers to return back to help its economy bounce back, while de Blasio waved them off saying they can be replaced.
We will bring safety to our cities. We will bring hope to our most distressed communities — and in everything we do, we will stand in solidarity with the men and women of LAW ENFORCEMENT! Thank you to the @NYCPBA for your endorsement. God Bless the #NYPD, and God Bless America! pic.twitter.com/u86rfizIom
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2020
Trump mostly focused his remarks praising police officers, especially New York Finest, saying they have a special place in his heart and promised to “bring law and order back.”
“My agenda is anti-crime and pro-cop all the way, and that’s what it’s got to be,” Trump said. “We have to bring law and order back to our cities, back to our country. We have great police, and they have to be able to do their jobs.”
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was also in attendance and gave a brief remark. Rocking a navy blue “NYPD” snapback, Giuliani reminisced of his tenure as mayor, saying he transformed the Big Apple that was infested with crime and drug by hiring more officers.
“You hear people say you don’t need police to reduce crime. Out of their effing minds,” Giuliani said. “’I have people of all races from Blacks, white, Hispanics come up to them and say they want more police. They say please, please, we love the police.”
The former mayor slammed Democrats for “hating America,” adding that the reason they hate the police and want to defund them is because they were “in the way of them creating a socialist government.”
Shortly after the event, the Trump campaign released a statement from Lynch citing the endorsement is due to Trump being that “one strong voice” for defending police officers.
“Our endorsement of President Trump isn’t about politics. It’s about defending police officers and the work we do,” Lynch said in a statement. “Across this country, police officers are under attack. Our neighborhoods are being ripped apart by violence and lawlessness. Most politicians have abandoned us, but we still have one strong voice speaking up in our defense, one national leader fighting to protect public safety. We are fortunate to have that voice and that leadership in the White House. We cannot afford to lose it.”
The endorsement from NYC PBA marks the sixth one Trump has received from America’s police associations. Early this month, 48 Florida sheriffs and the Florida PBA endorsed Trump at a mini-campaign rally event in Tampa. Vice President Mike Pence has attended multiple “Cops for Trump” campaign events, with one event accepting the endorsement of the Arizona Police Association earlier this week.
Last month, The National Association of Police Organizations endorsed Trump, despite endorsing former President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 because of Biden’s presence on the ticket.
“For Joe Biden, police are shaking their heads because he used to be a stand-up guy who backed law enforcement,” Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations said. “But it seems in his old age, for whatever reason, he’s writing a sad final chapter when it comes to supporting law enforcement.”
20202020 Election2020 Presidential Race45Joe BidenMayor Bill de BlasioNAPONew York CityNYPDPat LynchPBAPolice Benevolent AssociationPolice OfficersPresident TrumpSen. Kamala HarrisTrump 2020 Campaign
A.Olsson
August 17, 2020Indeed with Trump he always backs up talk with solid action. How can we vote otherwise in November? MAGA 2020!
A.Olsson
August 17, 2020Thank God we have POTUS to inspire and lead the way during these dreadful times of civil disobedience in the country. We need him now more than ever. Hail to the Chief! KAG 2020 and beyond! God bless America and always keep law and order!