The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the nation’s largest police union, has ignited outrage after endorsing Donald Trump, despite his criminal conviction and inflammatory rhetoric. The union’s decision to back Trump comes amid his promises to push controversial law enforcement policies and undermine criminal justice reform.
At the FOP’s National Board of Trustees meeting in Charlotte, N.C., Trump reaffirmed his commitment to expanding police immunity and reinstating aggressive tactics like stop and frisk, a policy notorious for its disproportionate targeting of minorities.
With your help, we will restore public safety to our streets, we will bring back law and order to our nation, and we will give the heroes in blue the power to legally protect us and the respect that you deserve, more than any other group of people,” Trump declared.
Trump promised that if he wins in November, he would enact legislation to “enhance protections for police officers” and aggressively target “Marxist prosecutors,” specifically naming district attorneys in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Trump’s endorsement of stop and frisk and broad immunity for police officers come despite his recent conviction on 34 felony counts of business fraud. The FOP’s support of a convicted felon has been met with fierce criticism.
“Here it is: Fraternal Order of Police just endorsed a criminal. History made,” Huffington Post reporter S.V. Dáte sharply noted.
Critics have also pointed out Trump’s role in inciting the January 6 Capitol attack, where rioters violently clashed with police officers. NBC News reporter Ryan Reilly pointed out that the FOP’s endorsement comes despite Trump’s repeated promises to pardon individuals convicted in the riot that injured and killed numerous officers. The FOP’s endorsement has sparked outrage not only for its timing but also for its implications about the union’s stance on the sanctity of law and order.
“The Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said he would pardon criminals convicted in a violent riot that injured dozens of police officers and resulted in officers’ deaths,” Reilly highlighted.
The union’s endorsement is especially striking given its past failure to support officers affected by the January 6 violence. Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone publicly criticized the FOP for its lack of support after the attack, revealing that his outreach to FOP President Patrick Yoes was met with indifference.
“I finally picked up the phone and called the president of the national FOP, Patrick Yoes and, and described to him the displeasure I felt that there was no outreach being done not only to myself but to other officers,” Fanone told CNN. “And I asked him to do a few things to make up for that lack of support, and he was unwilling to do any of them. I asked him to publicly denounce the 21 house Republicans that voted against the gold medal bill.”
The Justice Department’s investigation confirmed that the shooting of Capitol rioter Ashli Babbitt was justified, but the FOP’s reluctance to support officers in the aftermath of the attack underscores the deep rifts within the law enforcement community. The union’s endorsement of Trump, despite his controversial and criminal past, raises serious questions about its commitment to the very principles it claims to uphold.
