Trump Appears To Urge Police Union Leaders To Illegally Surveil, Intimidate Voters

Donald Trump appeared to encourage police union leaders to monitor voting and intimidate voters, which would be illegal.

Trump urged police to "watch out for voter fraud," noting that their presence, presumably at polling stations, could intimidate members of the voting public.

"They're afraid of that badge. They're afraid of you people," he said.

He made the remarks to the national board of the Fraternal Order of Police union in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Friday. The union endorsed him for president, despite Trump being a convicted felon and hailing rioters who assaulted law enforcement officers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Trump has falsely claimed he lost the 2020 election due to voter fraud. Recently, however, he has admitted he was actually a "bit short" on votes.

"Watch for the voter fraud because we win without voter fraud," Trump insisted to the police group. "We win so easily. Hopefully, we're going to win anyway. But we want to keep it [fraudulent voting] down."

He added: "And you can keep it down just by watching because, believe it or not, they're afraid of that badge. They're afraid of you people. They're afraid of that more than anything else. They're afraid. So I hope you can watch."

Laws restrict the role of any poll watchers, and voter intimidation is illegal.

"State and local laws and practices place limits on the role of law enforcement and poll watchers," noted the Brennan Center of Justice.

In addition, a "host of federal and state laws, many of which also carry severe criminal penalties, prevent anyone — whether a law enforcement officer or a vigilante — from harassing or intimidating voters."

There was no immediate comment from the Fraternal Order of Police on Trump's suggestion about "watching" voters.

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