Donald Trump has stated that people who kill police officers should get the death penalty in a fair but ‘quick’ trial.
Trump made the comments on Wednesday (May 15) during a speech for the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day service on Capitol Hill.
The event honours law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, with the president sharing a handful of stories about law enforcement officers.
PATrump said people convicted of ambushing and killing police officers should receive the death penalty, but not before a ‘quick trial’.
The president said, as per the Washington Examiner:
The ambushes and attacks on our police must end, and they must end right now. We believe that criminals who murder police officers should immediately, but with trial, get the death penalty.
But quickly. The trial should go fast. It’s got to be fair, but it’s got to go fast.
Trump’s comments reinforce those made in his 2016 campaign, where he promised that people who kill police officers should face the death penalty.
Tonight, the White House was lit in blue in honor of Peace Officers Memorial Day. pic.twitter.com/Tv9nAn5M2G
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 16, 2019
In fact, Trump’s promise to bring in the death penalty for people who kill police officers has been something he’s been saying since 2015 – before he was even president.
As reported by Politico, Trump said after a meeting with the New England Benevolent Police Association:
I said that one of the first things I’d do in terms of executive order if I win will be sign a strong, strong statement that will go out to the country, out to the world, that anybody killing policemen, police woman, police officer, anybody killing a police officer, death penalty is going to happen, OK. Can’t go. We can’t let this go.
As reported by Fox News, Trump made the same proposal during the 2016 presidential campaign, saying he would issue an executive order stating that ‘anybody killing policemen, policewomen, police officer, anybody killing a police officer, death penalty is going to happen’.
GettyHowever, despite the president keeping repeating these ‘promises’, Trump is yet to specify any proposals on what his administration would do to encourage the death penalty.
This is the third time Trump has attended the memorial service for fallen police officers, which was held in front of the US Capitol.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).