Trump vows to help police end 'brutal plague' of crime in speech to key police union

Former President Donald Trump on Friday vowed to support law enforcement and give them the authority to clean up "crime-ridden" cities if he returned to the White House.

Trump warned that American towns were "under siege" from crime, contending that "Kamala Harris and the communist left have unleashed a brutal plague of bloodshed, crime, chaos, misery and death upon our land."

"You're going to solve the problem we have, crime ridden cities like we've never seen before. We've never seen anything like it, and you can do it," Trump continued, promising to empower law enforcement to take action.

Trump made the remarks during an address to the Fraternal Order of Police in Charlotte, N.C.

"We know all about you and the great job that you do, and the people of this country respect you greatly for it," he told members of the group. "So I just want to thank you on behalf of everybody, because I see it, I'm all over and this is a group that's respected like never before."

"I visit a lot of families of police officers who are no longer with us, and we have to give back the power and respect that they deserve more than anybody, and we're going to do that," he said.

The FOP, which represents more than 377,000 members, endorsed Trump on Friday. It previously backed his campaigns in 2016 and 2020.

“Our members carefully considered the positions of the candidates on the issues and there was no doubt—zero doubt—as to who they want as our President for the next four years: Donald J. Trump," National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes said.

“He provided our nation with strong, effective leadership during his first term, and now that he is seeking election to a second term, we intend to help him win it," Yoes added.