Scott Powers
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio landed another blow on Democratic Rep. Val Demings‘s effort to highlight her police background when he announced Friday he’d received the endorsement of the Florida Fraternal Order of Police in their U.S. Senate contest.
The endorsement, made in Demings’ backyard in Lake Buena Vista, is yet another that the Miami Republican has landed from law enforcement ranks. It followed endorsements of the usually more conservative Police Benevolent Association, 55 Florida Sheriffs, and the Florida Police Chiefs Association.
Demings campaign has been running statewide TV ads this week lauding her 27 years as an Orlando cop, including almost four as Orlando Police Chief.
Friday, Demings’ campaign countered, releasing several testimonials supportive of her from various law enforcement officials.
Rubio’s campaign has sought to devalue Demings’ law enforcement background as an asset to her for weeks while Demings has pushed her police background, including with the TV commercial.
The efforts have led to back-and-forth barrages or words.
Rubio’s attempted to tie Demings to the 2020 “defund the police” movement. But that largely failed, as Demings has repeatedly stood against such calls. And she made that opposition the centerpiece to her commercial.
Earlier this week, though, Rubio’s campaign landed a blow with criticisms of Demings’ vote last year on a police reform bill (HR 1280) that included a provision to strip away officers’ qualified immunity from lawsuits.
Demings’ campaign responded to that with lists of bills supporting police that she has backed, and which Rubio has not backed or has not committed to, including her current VICTIM Act (HR 5768,) written to help police solve gun crimes and murders.
On Friday Rubio was joined by several law enforcement officers supporting him with the latest endorsement.
“This endorsement was a unanimous vote of our members present at our state conference this year,”said Florida FOP President Steve Zona. “Val Demings’ positions change as much as the wind direction changes, while Senator Rubio stands like an oak tree. Val Demings abandoned law enforcement when we needed her most.”
Demings campaign released several of her testimonials in response.
“Knowing Val Demings like I do, for someone to tell me that she wanted to, or she wants to defund the police — I just find that ludicrous,” said Kelly Lowe, Army veteran, former Patrol Service Bureau Aid.
“Val is an extremely honest person. She does what she believes. I don’t think Val Demings will ever change her core beliefs. She’s always going to be a leader, she’s always going to be honest. I don’t have a lot of confidence in the Democratic Party at all, but if there’s anybody within the Democratic Party that I do have confidence in, it’s Val Demings,” he added.
16 comments
Impeach Biden
June 18, 2022 at 9:40 am
I can’t imagine any police organization in this country endorsing a Democratic candidate. The defund movement will come back and bite these Democrats come November, and it should. A total disregard and disrespect of the people that protect us.
Tjb
June 18, 2022 at 10:13 am
Interesting that President Biden and Val DO NOT support the defunding of the police, but folks such as Impeach and the Trump Republicans will lie and say they want to defund.
Impeach Biden
June 18, 2022 at 10:18 am
You live and die by your party’s platform. Demings will suffer the consequences of the Democrats defund movement. Watch.
Tjb
June 18, 2022 at 10:26 am
Please don’t forget that Trump cut back on federal funding for public safety in his last year in office. This defunding included law enforcement.
Daniel Rousseau
June 18, 2022 at 9:46 am
I find the comment by “Impeach Biden” to be interesting in that it accuses Democrats of having “A total disregard and disrespect of the people that protect us.” Has “Impeach Biden” not seen the Republican mob that attacked and beat the Capitol police who were protecting both Republican and Democrats who were in session in the Capitol Building?
Impeach Biden
June 18, 2022 at 10:13 am
Yes I saw that. Did you see all the chaos that went on In This country after the George Floyd death? Remember the riots, the looting, the destruction in general? I do and so do many others. Then there were some of your reps like Omar, AOC, Bush, Tlaib, Pressley, Waters, Jayapal, and on and on calling for defunding. Yes, we all remember now suffer the consequences come November. Bye, bye Pelosi as speaker.
Tjb
June 18, 2022 at 10:19 am
Do the Democratics that you mentioned truly represent the Democratic platform regarding the funding of the police? If anything we need to fund the Capitol Police to protect the halls of democracy from the Trump mob that attempted to overthrow our government.
Impeach Biden
June 18, 2022 at 10:25 am
How was the Trump mob going to overthrow the government armed with American Flags? Yes, it was a protest that got out of control, but there was no way they were going to overthrow the government. Next conspiracy
Tjb
June 18, 2022 at 10:33 am
And you probably think that the Democratic stole the election.
PeterH
June 18, 2022 at 11:18 am
Imagine endorsing a politician who receives a lifetime hundreds of thousands of dollars from the gun industry!
For fifty years I’ve sent $100.00 annually to the FOP. I’m done! Trumpsters can support police retirees and families in the future.
Al
June 19, 2022 at 10:19 am
Jan 6th was a pre-planned attempted coup. People died and some were gravely injured.
Some elements of the rioters were tasked to find certain members of congress and the VP of U.S. to do great harm to them.
I don’t understand how anyone can support that political party after this.
Impeach Biden
June 20, 2022 at 7:26 am
A coup d’etat? Really? Armed with American Flags? With regards to your political party support, I agree with you. How could anyone support a party that was fine with rioting, looting, nightly firebombing of a Federal Courthouse in Portland, and on and on?
tom palmer
June 20, 2022 at 5:49 pm
There were thousands of arrests from those riots, but that doesn;t fit into the GOP fantasy
Impeach Biden
June 24, 2022 at 6:22 am
Thousands arrested that day? Really? Check your numbers. Another drama queen Democrat. When will the arrests come on the Firebombers on the Federal courthouse in Portland?
Earl Pitts American
June 20, 2022 at 9:34 am
Good Morning America,
The Jan. 6 folks y’all leftys keep trying to gin up hate for were against leftys not against America.
You leftys have taken your crazy too far in the past few years. You all know you must pay the price for what you and your crooked leadership has done this time to the voters of our Great Nation. You all can hear the justice train roaring down the track coming for your ride to political irrelevance.
Your answer? Ramp up the crazy hundreds of times and pouring more gas on your burn out of American political control.
Time for a Forrest Gump type of quote to drive home how the majority of America’s voters see you leftys: “Crazy is as Crazy does”.
Thank You America,
Earl Pitts American
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