During a campaign stop in Howell, Michigan, on August 20, former President Donald Trump pledged to support law enforcement and combat rising crime if re-elected in 2024.
Speaking at the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, Trump promised to “re-fund” the police, reversing the “defund the police” movement, and vowed to protect officers from what he described as unfair lawsuits and prosecutions.
“When I’m president of the United States again, we will never even think about or mention the words, ‘defund the police,’” Trump declared to an audience of law enforcement officers and supporters. “Under my leadership, no community will be surrendered to violent criminals; no citizen will be abandoned to migrant crime.”
With record numbers of illegal immigrants entering the United States since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office in 2021, Trump highlighted the surge in crime associated with these migrants.
In his speech, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s handling of crime data, suggesting that reported crime rates are misleading. He argued that the current administration’s shift to a new crime data reporting system has resulted in underreporting, thereby giving the false impression of a decrease in crime.
Citing the National Crime Victimization Survey Trump pointed out that violent crimes, both reported and unreported, increased by 42 percent between 2020 and 2022.
Senator JD Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, echoed these sentiments earlier in the day during a speech in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Vance praised Trump’s record on public safety and promised that a Trump–Vance administration would end sanctuary cities, deport violent illegal aliens, and shield police officers from frivolous lawsuits.
Looking ahead, Trump and Vance plan to continue their “Make America Safe Again” message with a series of appearances in battleground states.
On August 21, they are scheduled to appear together in Asheboro, North Carolina, to discuss their plans to strengthen the nation.
The weeklong tour will also include stops at the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona and a rally in Glendale, as well as a session on tax policy in Las Vegas.
As Trump and Vance campaign on a platform of law and order, they aim to draw a sharp contrast with the Biden-Harris administration’s approach to crime and immigration, positioning themselves as the candidates who will restore safety and security to American communities.