Speaking to a graduating class of the FBI National Academy this morning President Donald Trump told a gathering of local, county, and federal officers "I have your back 100%."
Trump praised all law enforcement officers and their families for their sacrifice and their dedication. "You love your job, your community, and your country," the president said. "Being a police officer is not a career, it's a calling," he added.
He cited a statistic that a law enforcement officer is assaulted every 10 minutes. "Every drop of blood spilled by the men and women in blue is a wound on our nation," Trump said and he drew cheers from the audience when he said anyone killing a law enforcement officer should get the death penalty.
Addressing critics of law enforcement, Trump said, "It's not a news story when an officer saves a life, rescues a family, or stops a crime. It's just another day on the job."
Trump talked about the murder rates in Chicago and Baltimore. He said law enforcement agencies coping with these problems are "overstretched, underfunded, and underappreciated."
Addressing MS-13 by name and referring to them as "savages," Trump said the federal government and local law enforcement are working to get the gang's members off the street by arresting, prosecuting, and imprisoning them. He emphasized deportation as a solution: "We will throw you out of the country," he said.
Established in 1935, the FBI National Academy is an educational program for active law enforcement officers. Its 11-week curriculum is held four times per year on the grounds of the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA.--David Griffith