not falter. They stared down danger, raced down alleys, chased
down criminals, kicked down doors and faced down evil,” Trump
announced during his 2018 National Peace Officers Memorial
Day remarks. “And they did it all with courage, with dignity, with
pride, with love for their nation and with love for their families.
They lived every day of their lives by that most sacred calling: to
serve and protect. And today, every American heart bleeds blue.”
He continued with another passage from that 2018 appearance
that also tends to be part of each presidential address to the blue.
“Today we are also joined by Savannah and Ayzayah Hartfield,
along with their amazing mom, Veronica. We honor their father
and husband, Officer Charleston Hartfield of the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department. As many of you remember,
Officer Hartfield was off duty attending a concert with Veronica
when that horrible shooting began in Las Vegas in October
(2017). He immediately leapt into action, rescuing the wounded
and shielding the innocent. You all read about it. I remember it so
well. As he did, he was shot and killed by rounds of gunfire. He
knew he was right in the path, and it made no difference. He gave
his life so that countless others could live.
“Savannah and Ayzayah, your dad was a guardian angel to those
in need. Now he is keeping watch on you from heaven.”
As applause gave way to tears, imagine the scene of 20,000 law
enforcement officers collectively wiping their eyes. To honor law
enforcement this way is the most sacred genuflect to the blue,
and from Trump it usually climaxes with a lasting thought, just
like it did on that May day.
“We must confront and condemn dangerous anti-police
prejudice,” Trump declared as officers rose one more time to
cheer. “We’re not going to let bad things happen to our police. In
2016, an officer was assaulted in America on an average of every
10 minutes. It’s outrageous and it’s unacceptable. We must end
the attacks on our police and we must end them right now. We
believe criminals who kill our police should get the death penalty.
We must show appreciation, gratitude and respect for those who
police our streets and patrol our communities.”
REAL-TIME EXPERIENCE
Law enforcement brings a right-back-atcha to the president with
regard to honor and tribute. It would be easy to characterize this
as a mutual admiration society. And it is.
But if admiration is the mother of attention, then aspiration has
been the mother of invention for the Trump Administration
to continually formulate policy and practice to make law
148 The TRUMP RALLY Publication