HOWELL, Michigan – Former President Donald Trump sharply criticized Vice President Kamala Harris’ “anti-police” policies in a speech Tuesday that focused largely on law enforcement. At the same time, his campaign unveiled plans for a tougher crackdown on crime, including the introduction of the death penalty for child abuse and a nationwide return to “stop-and-frisk” policies.
Trump accused Harris of leading a “crusade against the police” and supporting “extremist, pro-crime, anti-police” policies such as “defund the police.”
“We will never even think about defunding the police,” Trump said, flanked by local Michigan sheriffs. “That idea is so terrifying and so horrifying.”
“We will give the police back their resources,” he vowed.
Trump criticized the low arrest rates under Presidents Biden and Harris, arguing that the current administration “goes after people like me, but not people who kill people.”
He also blamed Harris for the rise in crime since he left office.
“Since Comrade Kamala took office, her own administration’s crime statistics show that she was responsible for a 43% increase in violent crime, including a 58% increase in rape, 89% increase in aggravated assault, and 56% increase in robberies,” Trump said.
“Everything is run by Democrats”
“Major cities are almost all run by Democrats,” Trump said. “You can’t just walk across the street to get a loaf of bread. You get shot. You get robbed. You get raped. You get whatever you want.”
“Kamala Harris will bring us crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Trump argued. “I will provide law, order, security and peace. And I will protect those who protect us.”
Standing in front of three SUVs from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department, Trump also promised to provide law enforcement with “reinforcements” if he is elected in November.
“Under my leadership, we will make record investments in recruiting, retaining and training police officers,” Trump said.
The Trump team announced that the former president would support the death penalty for child abuse, a return to stop-and-frisk police measures, and punishment of doctors who perform transgender surgeries on minors without parental consent.
The 78-year-old candidate also vowed to “aggressively pursue dangerous criminals who violate existing gun laws” and promised to strengthen law enforcement if elected in November.
He also promised to close the southern border and “get all the bad guys out.”
“We will get it done quickly,” Trump said.
Before his remarks on Tuesday, Trump told The Washington Post exclusively that he believed Harris’ “terrible job” as border agent under President Biden made her path to victory much more difficult than his as Election Day approaches.
“She was in charge of the border and it was the worst and weakest border in history… the work she did is a disgrace,” he said.
“She should be the underdog because she did such a bad job.”
SUBTITLE: “Law, Order, Security”
Harris has consistently stressed that she is the “underdog” in this race, even though her poll numbers have deteriorated significantly less than a month since she replaced 81-year-old Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket.
“Kamala Harris will bring us crime, chaos, destruction and death,” Trump said. “I will provide law, order, security and peace. And I will protect those who protect us.”
During his interview with the Washington Post, Trump said the theme he saw at the DNC on Monday was “lies.”
“I think it was about lies. It was lies about me, all night long they were saying things that weren’t true,” Trump said.
“Charlottesville has been debunked,” he said of Biden’s claim that he praised neo-Nazis.
“Everything they have said has been disproven. The way they constantly treat French soldiers has been disproven in the French cemetery,” he added, denying making controversial remarks attributed to him by Democrats, such as calling veterans “suckers and losers.”
He then claimed that Democrats were “good at lying.”
“Everything they talked about. Immigration. And inflation? We didn’t have inflation, they had high inflation, and they said the opposite,” Trump said.
