Trump Secures Endorsement From Nation’s Largest Police Union
Former President Donald Trump has made notable strides with organized labor, an area where Republicans usually don't fare as well, and this has led to him receiving another significant endorsement.
The National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), the largest police union in the country representing approximately 378,000 officers, has officially endorsed Trump for president.
“Public safety and border security will be key issues in the final stretch of this campaign,” said Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, in a press release. “Our members thoroughly evaluated the candidates’ positions on these matters, and there was no doubt—zero doubt—about who they want as our President for the next four years: Donald J. Trump.”
According to the FOP’s statement, “The FOP’s endorsement process is distinctive, as every member can express their choice through our 46 State Lodges. Once the membership’s preferences are gathered, the National Trustee casts their vote at our National Board meeting. A candidate needs two-thirds of the State Lodges' support to secure the endorsement, a threshold former President Trump easily surpassed.”
“During his first term, President Trump clearly backed law enforcement and border security,” Yoes noted. “In the summer of 2020, he stood with us when few others would. With his help, we overcame the ‘defund the police’ movement, and now we’re witnessing crime rates finally decline. If we want to keep these gains, we need to re-elect Donald Trump.”
Despite the unusual nature of this election, the FOP reviewed both 2024 presidential candidates’ track records. This included Trump’s responses to an FOP questionnaire and a letter from the Harris-Walz campaign outlining their positions on criminal justice and police labor. “An FOP committee met with former President Trump in person, but no such meeting was granted by the Harris-Walz campaign,” the organization explained. All this information was shared with the FOP’s more than 377,000 members so they could make an informed decision.
“As the oldest and largest law enforcement labor group in the nation, the FOP’s endorsement is among the most coveted by presidential candidates,” Yoes remarked. “We represent America’s law enforcement, and we owe it to our members, the 700,000 sworn officers in the U.S., and the communities they serve to help determine the future of this country.”
The FOP considers each election carefully, focusing on which campaign emphasizes the issues most critical to its members, such as the challenges faced by rank-and-file officers, public safety concerns, and the criminal justice system's problems. Over the years, the FOP has endorsed a range of candidates, including George H. W. Bush (1992), Bill Clinton (1996), George W. Bush (2000, 2004), John McCain (2008), and Donald Trump (2016, 2020). In 2012, the FOP chose not to endorse any candidate.
“The National FOP endorsed Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020. He led the country through difficult times,” Yoes stated. “Now that he’s seeking a second term, we’re committed to helping him win.”
In addition to the FOP's support, Trump has received endorsements from figures with diverse political backgrounds, including former Democrat and Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and former rival, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp.