Here’s the president of the United States encouraging police officers to be rough with people they arrest pic.twitter.com/iLzoUEY89e
— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 28, 2017
Thanks to President Trump, the people of Long Island today learned that they have been living in the “blood-stained killing fields” of the MS-13 gang. Not only that, but he believes that it’s a peril best resolved by letting suspects in custody bonk their heads on police cars.
In the wake of another setback on his healthcare agenda last night, Trump flew to Brentwood, New York to hit the subject of immigration hard. During his speech today at Suffolk County Community College, the President addressed the audience in front of a backdrop of law enforcement officials, and described the way he thought they should handle suspects in gang-related crimes:
“When you see these thugs being thrown into the back off a paddywagon, you just see them thrown in, rough. I said please don’t be too nice. Like when you put somebody into a car and you protect their head? … I said you can take the hand away, OK?”
The audience laughed, cheered, and applauded as Trump advocated this approach to handling the scourge of MS-13 gang members lurking just outside the boroughs of New York, Trump’s hometown and stalwart sanctuary city. It was just one instance this week of Trump’s return to incendiary rhetoric around immigration. At an Ohio rally just days ago, the President called immigrants violent “animals” who have a predilection for “slicing and dicing” young girls.
Trump built up the speech ahead of time on Twitter, announcing that he was about to head to Long Island, “an area under siege from MS13 gang members.” That wasn’t the only war-tinged metaphor the President used. He also said that MS-13 has “transformed peaceful parks…into bloodstained killing fields.”
Departing for Long Island now. An area under siege from #MS13 gang members. We will not rest until #MS13 is eradicated. #LESM pic.twitter.com/GsgbBUXyHS
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2017
Some noted the obvious hyperbole implicit in that description.
"Blood-stained killing fields" all over Long Island, folks. This is the president of the United States.
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) July 28, 2017
Again, I feel obligated to inform everyone: there aren't blood-stained killing fields all over Long Island. https://t.co/eK561LwoZW
— Matt Singer (@matthewjsinger) July 28, 2017
The New York branch of the ACLU condemned Trump’s speech ahead of time, releasing a statement yesterday. “Trump’s vile rhetoric and cruel deportation machine mean that vulnerable immigrants must fear both gangs and the government at once,” it read. “When the Suffolk County Police Department does the bidding of immigration enforcement, they push away people the police need and people who need the police.”
Watch the full video below. It’s a former live-streamed link, so fast forward to 1:21:00 for Trump’s remarks.