A pro-police statement by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Saturday night’s New Hampshire debate prompted an immediate response from supporters of the Black Lives Matter group.
In an exchange transcribed by the Washington Post, Trump was asked about the left’s antagonism towards police, and the GOP front-runner gave an unapologetically pro-law-enforcement answer.
MODERATOR: Mr. Trump, there are many who argue cell phones and smartphones are just now exposing what’s been happening in this country for years. Cases of excessive force against minorities.As you know, Mr. Trump, on the other side, the FBI director recently said there’s a chill wind blowing through law enforcement because of increased scrutiny. You have said police are the most mistreated people in America. As president, how do you bridge the divide?TRUMP: Well, there is a divide, but I have to say that the police are absolutely mistreated and misunderstood, and if there is an incident, whether it’s an incident done purposely — which is a horror, and you should really take very strong action — or if it is a mistake, it’s on your newscasts all night, all week, all month, and it never ends.The police in this country have done an unbelievable job of keeping law and order, and they’re afraid for their jobs, they’re afraid of the mistreatment they get, and I’m telling you that not only, me speaking, minorities all over the country, they respect the police of this country and we have to give them more respect.They can’t act. They can’t act. They’re afraid for losing their pension, their job. They don’t know what to do. And I deal with them all the time. We have to give great respect, far greater than we are right now, to our really fantastic police.
Long time, notably white leftist activist Medea Benjamin from the group Code Pink clocked in with an emotional response ...
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