The epitome of hypocrisy

In 2020, the NYPD’s Police Benevolent Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and other police organizations across America endorsed Donald Trump for president.

In March, the Florida PBA endorsed Trump in this year’s election. In April, Michigan police organizations followed suit. He’s also secured the National Association of Police Organizations’ endorsement.

Several organization leaders took a turn at the podium praising the four times indicted and twice impeached former president. They stated that they needed Trump so they could be supported in doing their job as police officers. Jim Tignanelli, the president of the Police Officer Association of Michigan, said, “I think that’ll help restore the honor to this job.” 

It’s hard to fathom that Trump who has been indicted four times, convicted of 34 felonies, encouraged an attack on the nation’s capitol where cops were assaulted, routinely defies the law and lambastes the FBI and prosecutors could “restore the honor” to a police officer’s job.

In July, the National Police Association’s president, Michael McHale, endorsed Trump. So did the Arizona Police Association and the  Suffolk County Police Union in August.

But would any of those agencies hire a person as a police officer who was indicted for falsifying business records, mishandling classified documents, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, election interference or otherwise convicted of 34 felonies?

The answer is no.

Notwithstanding, police associations continue to support Trump for a second term despite his indictments and felony convictions. In fact, he would never pass a background check for any law enforcement position.

In addition, on Jan 6, 2021, Trump encouraged his supporters to go the the Capitol and “fight like hell” to stop the certification of Joe Biden as president. During the rebellion, Trump supporters chanted “hang Mike Pence” while dozens of police officers were injured and five died in the months  following that insurgency.

Trump has called Jan 6 “a beautiful day” and has vowed to pardon the insurrectionists.

Not surprisingly, none of the police association leaders that endorsed Trump even mentioned the U.S. Capitol police officers who died as a result of events that day. 

At a Trump rally this year, the announcer, referring to those in prison who were convicted of January 6-related crimes  including assaults on police officers, began by asking the attendees to rise and salute the “horribly and unfairly treated hostages.” 

There was also no mention of the injured or deceased police officers who bravely protected the Capitol — and America — from rebellion.

On Jan. 19, 2021, the day before Trump left office he commuted the life sentence of Jaime Davidson, who was convicted of masterminding the murder of Syracuse police officer Wallie Howard. Davidson walked out of prison a free man.

And police association leaders still support and endorse Trump. This is the ultimate paradox.

I am baffled that even this unscrupulous act of betrayal to every cop in America has not dissuaded police associations and unions from supporting Trump.

How do we explain this aberration?

On April 22, The New York Times reported that John Miller, a former senior police official and ex-FBI official noted “that the cultural bond between Mr. Trump and police officers stems from police across the country who have felt increasingly abandoned and isolated, unsupported by their city councils, by their mayors, by their governors.”

Today, police work is extremely difficult. Police officers are unsung heroes, yet they are treated like villains by many, including politicians. As a result, some police organizations long for support and acceptance even from a demagogue like Trump.

Trump, who successfully manipulates that longing, is able to hold police association leaders  politically captive by providing insincere and feigned support for them, which is nothing more than a thespian performance for votes. Can their endorsement be a form of “Stockholm Syndrome” in which  captives side with their captor?

Some law enforcement organizations are smitten by Trump’s misanthropic disregard for immigrants and the rights of accused or convicted criminals — unless of course Trump is the accused criminal in question.

In 2017, in the Suffolk County hamlet of Brentwood, Trump told police “please don’t be too nice” while placing handcuffed persons in the back of the police car, to the laughter and applause of uniformed Suffolk County police officers standing behind him.

To their credit, the Suffolk County Police Department officials immediately issued a statement saying, “we do not and will not tolerate roughing up prisoners.”

Had a police chief made this statement, they would have been fired and if police officers followed that specific direction and a suspect was injured the supervisor giving that instruction and the officers involved would likely have been at the very least disciplined. 

But some police officers interpreted Trump’s words as support.

Trump has condemned the FBI and any district attorney or special prosecutor who is investigating or prosecuting him. And any judge that is appropriately ruling on legal issues and doesn’t allow Trump to control the court proceedings is also lambasted.

In the lead-up to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that eventually found that presidential immunity from criminal prosecution extends to all of a president's "official acts,” Trump contended, according to oral arguments, “that the clear-statement rule requires criminal laws to apply to the President only if explicitly stated by Congress.” 

If this were true a Republican Congress could shield Trump even from murder. Trump further argues that “absolute criminal immunity for presidential official duties” should be granted by the high court to presidents as a way to preserver executive independence.

Is this the law and order philosophy of American jurisprudence? No, this is more akin to a dictator’s power in an oppressive police state.

By endorsing Trump, police union and association leaders have severely damaged the credibility of police officers across America and made a cop’s job much more difficult.