Politics

‘You Earned This Endorsement’: New York City Police Union Backs Trump

Patrick Lynch, Donald Trump

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David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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The New York City police union endorsed President Donald Trump’s reelection on Friday in what is believed to be the organization’s first presidential endorsement in its history.

The New York City Police Benevolent Association (PBA) is the largest police union in the United States. Its president, Patrick Lynch, told Trump during the official announcement that the president had “earned this endorsement and that Lynch was “proud to give it.”

Lynch reminded the crowd that “there’s an election that we’re in the midst of — so I’m here to say this … I am 36 years in this job, 21 as the president of this fine organization, I cannot remember when we’ve ever endorsed for the office of president of the United States until now: that’s how important this is.” (RELATED: ‘Defunding … Means Defunding’: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Not Satisfied With Cutting NYPD By $1B)

“We need your strong voice across the country to say, ‘We have the support of law enforcement across this country,’” Lynch said.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 16: Police stand at the scene of a shooting which happened as Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) was holding a peace march in response to a surge in shootings in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn on July 16, 2020 in New York City. The march and shooting was held near the scene in Brooklyn where a one-year-old child, Davell Gardner Jr., was recently shot and killed. Davell was shot near a playground during a Sunday picnic when gunfire erupted. Two other adults were wounded in the evening shooting. New York City has witnessed a surge in gun violence over the past month with 9 people killed, including children, and 41 others wounded on the Fourth of July weekend alone. The gun violence is occurring against the backdrop of a nationwide movement to consider defunding police departments. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Police stand at the scene of a shooting which happened as Save Our Streets (S.O.S.) was holding a peace march in response to a surge in shootings in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn on July 16, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The union president has been highly critical of local and state government and recently said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have “given the street back to the criminal” while blasting the decision by de Blasio and the city council to cut $1 billion from the NYPD. (RELATED: You Took My Son: Go To Hell: Father And Grandmother Of Slain 1-Year-Old Baby Speak Out Against Killers)

Trump tweeted his gratitude early Saturday, saying, “Thank you to the great Pat Lynch & the @NYCPBA. I will never let you down!