You can count among Donald Trump's supporters the executive board of the New England Police Benevolent Association, a union that represents police and corrections officers. The New England police union endorsed Trump for president in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Thursday night, and Trump returned the favor by promising to allow local police departments to start acquiring castoff military vehicles and equipment, and promising that "one of the first things I'd do in terms of executive order if I win will be sign a strong, strong statement that will go out to the country, out to the world, that anybody killing policemen, police woman, police officer, anybody killing a police officer, death penalty is going to happen, okay?"
The executive board of the NEPBA, which represents almost 5,000 people in 200 locals in New England, met behind closed doors to decide on whom to endorse. Trump's proposal to ban all Muslims from traveling to the U.S. did come up briefly, said union executive director Jerry Flynn, but the board decided on Trump because of his past verbal support of police. "Listen, our message [is] very clear: It's what is the next president of the United States going to do to unite this country in an effort to save police officers?" Flynn said. "Because it’s open season on police officers." He added that the NEPBA had invited several candidates to attend the board's meeting, including Jeb Bush, but Trump was the only one who showed up. You can watch parts of his speech to the union below. Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
-
$1M ‘Trump Gold Card’ goes live amid travel rule furorSpeed Read The new gold card visa offers an expedited path to citizenship in exchange for $1 million
-
US seizes oil tanker off VenezuelaSpeed Read The seizure was a significant escalation in the pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
