As law enforcement faces national reckoning over systemic racism and police brutality following the police killing of George Floyd, the Cleveland police union announced it will not issue a presidential endorsement for Donald Trump this year after backing the President in the 2016 cycle.
The Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) decided not back either Trump or any other candidates in future presidential or mayoral elections following a vote by its board of directors and a group of 30 officers, Cleveland.com reported Saturday.
The CPPA’s 2016 endorsement of Trump marked the union’s first-ever presidential endorsement, sparking divisions within the group and ultimately costing former CPPA president Steve Loomis his job.
CPPA’s President Jeff Follmer, who unseated Loomis in 2017, campaigned on a promise that he would not pressure members to issue endorsements.
Amid massive protests nationwide, Trump has rallied around a “law and order” mantle, earning him the endorsement of the New York Police Department’s union, and accused Biden of seeking to “defund the police,” a stance the former vice president does not hold.
The CPPA did not immediately respond to a Daily Boulder request for comment.
