/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/5f5297b556c35eb44a0d049b/0x0.jpg?cropX1=0&cropX2=5947&cropY1=142&cropY2=3487&w=1200&resize=1200,675&ssl=1 "Biden And Trump Tout Law Enforcement Backers, With Some Party Crossovers")
TOPLINE
President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on Friday rolled out dueling endorsements from law enforcement groups amid an increased focus on crime and civil unrest in recent weeks, with Biden adding to his already sizable list of Republican backers.
WILMINGTON, DELAWARE – SEPTEMBER 02: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks on the … [+]
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KEY FACTS
The Fraternal Order of Police, which boasts 355,000 members nationwide, announced it voted unanimously to endorse Trump’s reelection because he “supports our law enforcement officers” and “understands the issues our members face every day.”
FOP President Patrick Yoes said that, after considering the candidates’ records and responses to a questionnaire, Trump won the “full and enthusiastic support” of the order because “he has our backs” and is “committed to keeping our communities and families safe.”
That endorsement is not groundbreaking; the FOP has endorsed Republicans in all but the 2 of the last 7 presidential elections – including Trump in 2016 – throwing their weight behind Bill Clinton in 1996 and not endorsing any candidate in 2012.
Biden, meanwhile, won the backing of 107 former state attorneys generals, who praised him in a Medium post for his “commitment to eliminate abuses of power” and his belief in “common sense law enforcement.”
The group also praised Biden for tapping Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), herself a former state attorney general, who they said “understands the needs — and the complexities — of modern law enforcement.”
The list is notable for including several non-Democrats; independent Jahna Lindemuth of Alaska and Republicans Greg Zoeller of Indiana, Mark Shurtleff of Utah, Jim Jones of Idaho, Doug Baily of Alaska, Jeff Amestoy of Vermont and Jeff Pine of Rhode Island.
Key Background
Trump has sought to pitch himself as the “law and order” president in recent months by adopting hardline stances on enforcing the law during recent periods of civil unrest. He ruffled feathers during the early stages of the George Floyd protests in May when he tweeted “when the looting starts, the shooting starts,” and in June, when he threatened to deploy the military to “dominate the streets.” Trump’s tough stance on law enforcement cropped up again in July when Homeland Security officers arrested protesters in Portland by detaining them in unmarked vans.
Crucial Quote
“Joe Biden is not on the side of Law Enforcement, and that was spectacularly evident on my very successful trip yesterday to Kenosha,” Trump tweeted on Wednesday. “We solved the problem quickly, and it was very much appreciated by the people of Wisconsin. Joe Biden wouldn’t know where to begin – a bad record!”
Chief Critic
Biden has accused Trump of inciting violence with his hardline rhetoric. “Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames… he can’t stop the violence because for years he fomented it,” Biden said Monday. On Friday, he accused Trump of focusing on issues like law and order because “he doesn’t want to talk about anything about the job he hasn’t done.”
Big Number
55%. That’s the percent of Americans who feel Biden would keep the country safe, compared to 42% who said Trump, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll of 709 U.S. adults released Friday. Biden is also favored by 20 points on reducing violence and on handling protests, while 55% say Trump’s rhetoric on the protests has made the situation worse. That is in line with an abundance of data showing Trump’s focus on the issue of crime has not benefited him politically.
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