OBAMA’S AMERICA: San Antonio Police Under MAJOR Fire For Showing Open Support Of Trump On Video
The Chief of Police in San Antonio is reprimanding a group of officers for wearing “Make America Great Again” hats in a video tweeted out Tuesday by Donald Trump.
The video, posted Tuesday night, depicts the Republican nominee posing for pictures on the tarmac at San Antonio International Airport with a group of uniformed officers wearing the hats.
Thank you Texas! If you haven’t registered to VOTE- today is your last day. Go to: https://t.co/HfihPEA3Sp & get out on 11/8/16 to #MAGA! pic.twitter.com/KlRx4GoO64
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2016
However, San Antonio policy bars public employees from engaging in political activity on the job, something the city’s Police Chief William McManus made very clear when he promised the officers involved would be disciplined for their actions.
“The officers wearing the campaign hats while in uniform violated SAPD policy and will be disciplined appropriately,” McManus said in a statement. “I expect them to know better than to give the appearance of endorsing a candidate while on duty and in uniform, regardless of the political campaign or the candidate.”
Mayor Ivy Taylor was also upset with what the officers had done.
“Police must be above politics and serve everyone equally,” she tweeted.
“Everything they do should send that message and today’s actions did not.”
This is not the first time Trump has found himself at the center of controversy involving perceived support from police officers.
In late September, the Trump campaign put out an ad showing the billionaire talking with on-duty Phoenix police officers while standing on an airport tarmac.
This prompted Brad Holm, an attorney for the city of Phoenix, to send the Trump campaign a cease-and-desist letter due the ad violating state and federal law.
In the letter, Holm noted that the officers were in uniform when filmed and this promoted what he said was the false impression that those officers were endorsing Trump.
“The ad unmistakably and wrongfully suggests that Phoenix and the officers support or endorse Mr. Trump’s campaign,” Holm wrote.
Despite the controversies, the Trump campaign has received a great deal of support from law enforcement, with the Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the United States, formally endorsing the billionaire, saying he “understands and supports our priorities, and our members believe he will make America safe again.”