The nation’s oldest and largest police organization endorsed Donald Trump on Friday, expressing "zero doubt" about their support for his bid for a second term in the White House. Trump, in turn, criticized Vice President Kamala Harris as a "defunder" of law enforcement and pledged to tackle what he termed "Kamala's crime wave" if elected.
Trump made the endorsement official during a visit to North Carolina, where he spoke at a Fraternal Order of Police meeting, calling the endorsement an "honor." The organization had previously endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020.
FOP National President Patrick Yoes emphasized that public safety and border security will be critical issues in the final stretch of the campaign. He highlighted that Trump’s support for law enforcement and border security was a decisive factor in their endorsement.
"In the summer of 2020, Trump stood with us when very few would," Yoes said. "With his help, we pushed back against the ‘defund the police’ movement, and we are now seeing crime rates decrease. To maintain these gains, we need to re-elect Donald Trump."
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"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."
Yoes said Trump, during his first term, "provided our nation with strong, effective leadership."
"Now that he is seeking election to a second term, we intend to help him win it," Yoes said.
Trump touted the endorsement Friday afternoon during an event with members of the Fraternal Order of Police.
"It's an honor to be here. This is a big endorsement for me…It's an honor," Trump said. "I'm thrilled to be back with the incredible heroes and patriots of the Fraternal Order of Police, an incredible group and a group that's highly respected all over the country."
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Trump added: "To all of the law enforcement men and women here today, I respect you so much. I admire you, and as your president, I will always back the blue as I did."
Trump blasted his opponent Vice President Kamala Harris as a "defunder."
"I back to blue more than any other. I was not a defunder like Kamala. She was a defunder. She was a ten year defunder. When you, when you want to defend for ten years, that's the end of that one," Trump said.
He joked: "I think I could leave right now, and you say there's no way that we're not voting for that guy."
"I consider you in this room to be America's finest," Trump said. "You're all over the country, all over from the country, all over the place. And, we really appreciate you being here."
Trump said law enforcement officers just want to "see our country, be safe and prosperous, and we want to love our country."
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives to speak about national security during a campaign rally at the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro, North Carolina, August 21, 2024. (PETER ZAY/AFP via Getty Images)
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"We know all about you and the great job that you do. And, the people of this country respect you greatly for it. So I just want to thank you on behalf of everybody," Trump said.
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"Under the Harris regime, 99% of law abiding citizens suffer while criminals run free and our country is plagued into literally third world conditions. In many ways, we're a third world country, but we're going to clean that up real fast," Trump said. "I'm here today to declare that we do not have to live this way. And when I'm President of the United States, we are not going to take it anymore."
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