COLUMBIA, USA — Former President Donald Trump suggested that “one rough hour” of aggressive law enforcement would swiftly end retail theft, reiterating his support for more forceful policing just weeks before Election Day.
Speaking at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania on Sunday, Trump said, “One rough hour — and I mean real rough — the word will get out and it will end immediately. It will end immediately.”
His remarks come as part of an escalating campaign rhetoric that includes descriptions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally as criminals and claims that crime is rising, despite national statistics showing otherwise.
The former president has long advocated for tougher, and at times violent, law enforcement tactics.
His comments are consistent with previous statements in which he has called for broader immunity for police officers, arguing that law enforcement officials are unfairly restricted from doing their jobs effectively.
At a Fraternal Order of Police endorsement event in Charlotte, North Carolina, just weeks ago, Trump pledged strong support for police, including expanded use of force, stating, “We have to get back to power and respect.”
Trump’s aggressive policing stance is not new.
In August, at his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey, he called for greater immunity for officers from prosecution, linking this to the deportation of undocumented immigrants. “Our police are treated horribly,” Trump said. “They’re not allowed to do their job.”
This rhetoric echoes Trump’s response to the 2020 racial justice protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
During those protests, Trump posted on social media, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” a comment widely condemned for its endorsement of violent police tactics.
In his speech, Trump referred to a 2014 measure passed by California voters when Vice President Kamala Harris was the state’s attorney general.
Trump has repeatedly criticized the provision, which reclassifies theft of goods worth $950 or less as a misdemeanour rather than a felony, claiming it encourages shoplifting without consequences.
When asked if his comments on Sunday amounted to a formal policy proposal, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign said that Trump “has always been the law and order President and he continues to reiterate the importance of enforcing existing laws.”
The spokesperson also warned of “all-out anarchy” if Harris were elected, pointing to her record as California’s top prosecutor.
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Democrats, however, have often pointed to the fact that dozens of police officers were injured during the January 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.
As the November election draws nearer, Trump has ramped up his tough-on-crime messaging, positioning himself as the candidate of “law and order,” while his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, continues to face scrutiny over her time as California’s attorney general.
