I’m up early. Kind of tossing and turning trying to wrap my head around the latest policy stance my team is pushing me to say. I need to say I’m in favor of defunding the police. Across America.
And now, I can’t sleep because it’s not sitting well with me.
My entire career I have asked for more government. More money for police. Police Labor Unions have always supported me. But I have to pick a side. The lawless rioters and looters taking advantage of a tragic situation or the men and women in blue that sacrifice daily for others. Serve and protect. Which do I want to support? The ones that cause the trouble, that wear face masks… or the ones who wear a badge and run towards the trouble to help those in need?
Of course, most protestors have been peaceful and most police people are good. But the bad ones on either side – that is not good. Bad police should be fired and/or jailed. Just like the people that are making violent acts that have no place in these protests and are blocking a part of the important message.
If no politics were at play, it would be an easy decision. My heart is with the police. Who doesn’t like law and order? We are a nation of laws. And more than that. There are more calls to 911 from poor and minority neighborhoods than affluent neighborhoods. Who helps these people when the police are defunded? After Ferguson, when the cops “backed off” – crime increased. Probably more police in these neighborhoods — not less — would help those trying to have violence-free lives.
But, Trump is pro police. So, I have to go opposite.
In reality, it doesn’t really matter to me. I’ll have secret service with guns to protect me. Even if I’m not elected in November, I can use all the money from my book deals or the money my son got from China or that Ukraine gas company to pay for a great security team for me and my family… So, really, the police are completely unnecessary. If Trump has already sided with the police, I have to go against the police. That’s my platform. Anti-Trump. And now, anti-police. Predictable? Sad and predictable? It’s just politics, folks.
Come on, man.