Trump law and order campaign sees rioting a way to win suburbs

Amid clashes in the streets, from Portland to the nation’s capital, President Trump has leaned into a “law and order” campaign, making the case that out-of-control looting, rioting, and death will become the norm in Joe Biden’s America.

The president on Friday vowed that federal officers will respond to the ongoing unrest in Portland with “very strong offensive force” if needed.

The Justice Department recently announced that Operation Legend, a federal law enforcement initiative to stop violent crime that started in Kansas City, Missouri, would be expanding into Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee — all cities in key battleground states in the fall election.

“Peaceful protesting and discourse is part of our fabric, but when you’re burning buildings, attacking people you don’t agree with, destroying property and looting — none of that has anything to do with the protests,” said Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.

The Trump campaign had blanketed the airwaves with foreboding ads of people trying to dial 911 and getting no answer.

The Trump campaign rolled out a new ad on Friday proclaiming that supporters of Mr.

Biden “riot,” “loot,” and “take over cities” overlaid with video of a burning building and clashes between police and demonstrators.

Joe Biden stands with them and embraces their policies — defunding the police,” a narrator says.

Biden — notably among suburban voters, who are the clear target for his law and order message.

A recent ABC/Ipsos poll found that 30% of Americans think having federal law enforcement officers respond to protests in cities makes the situation better, compared to 52% who said they think it makes the situation worse.

And 36% of Americans gave the president positive marks on promoting “law and order” in the country, compared to 50% of Americans who said he’s doing a poor job, according to a recent IBD/TIPP poll.

Trump poor marks on the issue, compared to 34% who said they approve.

Other polling has shown that Americans are indeed opposed to measures that would defund the police by taking money away from law enforcement and redirecting it to social programs.

adults said they oppose reducing their own community’s police budget to direct the money into social services programs — a 7-point jump in a month.

The Trump campaign said Mr.

“Enforcing laws and condemning violence shouldn’t be a political issue, but by painting rioters – who have destroyed private property, attacked police officers, and burned down cities — as ‘peaceful’, Joe Biden is telling the American people [that] appealing to his political base is more important than their safety,” said Samantha Zager, a spokeswoman for Mr.

Trump is determined to stoke division and chaos because his campaign is flailing.

Trump is intentionally fomenting violence because he thinks it will help his re-election campaign

“If he was the law-and-order president, then he would follow the law himself,” the Florida Democrat, who was Orlando’s first female chief of police, said recently on Sirius XM radio