Giuliani: Clinton refusal to seek police endorsement shows Dems as ‘anti-law enforcement party’

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Giuliani: Dems have become the anti-law enforcement party

Former mayor of New York City reacts after Democratic candidate fails to seek support of police union

Hillary Clinton’s decision not to seek the endorsement of The Fraternal Order of Police is a sign that the Democrat presidential nominee leads “an anti-law enforcement party,” former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said on Sunday.

Giuliani, who supports Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, said on “Fox and Friends” that he sees an anti-police atmosphere developing in America, and he blames Clinton and the Democrat Party for fomenting those feelings.

“It comes right from the top, it includes Hillary, and she’s made herself a part of it,” Giuliani said. “You don’t even go talk to and seek the endorsement of one of the major police unions in the country?”

During her campaign, Clinton has voiced support for the Black Lives Matter movement, which grew out of recent controversial shootings of black men by police officers. Clinton also invited mothers whose sons were killed by police officers to speak on stage at the Democratic National Convention – though the same convention also featured a speech by Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez.

Still, Clinton's decision not to seek The Fraternal Order of Police’s stamp of approval makes Clinton just the second Democratic presidential candidate in at least the last 20 years not to do so. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, also did not seek the endorsement of the union, which represents 335,000 members. The FOP endorsed Bill Clinton in 1996, but has given the nod to Republicans in 2000, 2004 and 2008. The union did not endorse any candidate in 2012.

“We were talking to the highest levels of the campaign, and we had all indications that she was going to return the questionnaire,” FOP President Chuck Canterbury told The Hill on Friday. “And on the deadline date we were advised that they declined.”

Clinton’s campaign, speaking to The Hill, did not directly address why the form wasn’t submitted, but instead focused on how “Hillary and her team had engaged law enforcement throughout the campaign.”

“As she said from the beginning of her campaign, across the country, police officers are out there every day inspiring trust and confidence, honorably doing their duty, putting themselves on the line to save lives,” Clinton spokesman Jesse Ferguson said. “She believes we must work together to build on what’s working and to build the bonds of trust between police and the communities they serve – because we are stronger together.”

Trump has submitted his endorsement paperwork, and Canterbury stressed Trump’s “long history of being friendly to law enforcement.”

Giuliani said the choice not to submit the FOP questionnaire is indicative of the extreme left swing of the current Democrat Party and its presidential candidate.

“I think this only makes the point that the Democratic Party has gone so far to the left now – so far to the left – that it won’t even seek the endorsement of the major police organization in the country,” Giuliani said.