On Friday, 16th of August, a union representing tens of thousands of New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers took an historical action – endorsing President Donald Trump for re-election. This action, which has not been seen in 40 years in the case of NYPD, has come as quite a shock to many people across the country.
This move was made by the NYPD union on the back drop of many recent events. First of these being the Black live matter protest which culminated in widespread calls from protesters and politicians for de-funding of the police force. In the case of some smaller groups within the protest there were even calls for abolishing the police altogether.
This has led to the NYPD budget being cut by 1 Billion dollars as a way of appeasing the protesters. However, it must also be stated that one of the reasons for the budget cuts was due to the negative effect Covid-19 has had on the states economy.
These factors have led the NYPD union to take drastic action and endorse President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. The NYPD union members, as well as many other officers around the country, believe that the President and the Republican Party are the only ones to stand up for law and order within the current political climate.
This sentiment has been supported by the PBA President Pat Lynch saying: “I have 36 years on this job, 21 as the President of this fine organization. I cannot remember when we’ve ever endorsed for the Office of the President of the United States, until now. That’s how important this is”
The endorsement of the police union, which has traditionally remained neutral, as well as the fact that this endorsement came from New York City, a true Democratic stronghold, we are seeing a glimpse of the deep political divide in the nation.
The Jackdaw Post 