OnTheIssues Fact Checking: on Crime


Donald Trump: FactCheck: No, not endorsed by Portland's Sheriff

Trump said that he has endorsements from "almost every law enforcement group in the United States. I have Florida. I have Texas. I have Ohio. I have Portland--the sheriff just came out today and he said, 'I support President Trump.' "

Is that true about Portland, the site of ongoing police protests? No, Portland's Sheriff says it's not true. Excerpts from a 9/30 article in "The Hill" with headline "Sheriff from Portland quickly refutes Trump claim of endorsement":

"The sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon, which includes Portland, quickly refuted President Trump's claim of an endorsement during Tuesday night's first general election presidential debate. 'I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him,' Sheriff Mike Reese responded on Twitter. The sheriff added: 'Donald Trump has made my job a hell of a lot harder since he started talking about Portland, but I never thought he'd try to turn my wife against me!' "

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on First 2020 Presidential Debate Sep 29, 2020

Donald Trump: FactCheck: Yes, Trump aide said rioting & chaos helps Trump

[We checked if Biden was correct in this exchange about BLM protests:]

BIDEN: [Trump's] own former spokesperson said, "Riots and chaos and violence help his cause." That's what this is all about.

TRUMP: I don't know who said that.

BIDEN: I do. [Former White House advisor] Kellyanne Conway.

TRUMP: I don't think she said that.

[So we found this article from Business Insider magazine on Aug 27, 2020, headlined, "Kellyanne Conway says 'chaos and violence' after the police shooting of Jacob Blake is good for Trump's reelection"; excerpts:

"President Trump's close adviser, Kellyanne Conway, told Fox News that 'chaos and anarchy' following police shootings are good for Trump's reelection effort. 'The more chaos and anarchy and vandalism and violence reigns, the better it is for the very clear choice on who's best on public safety and law and order,' Conway said. Conway was referring to protests following the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha, Wisconsin this week.

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on First 2020 Presidential Debate Sep 29, 2020

Donald Trump: FactCheck: falsely claims Biden wants to defund the police

WALLACE: George Floyd's murder has reignited the issue of racism in policing in this country. Can you understand why blacks would be angry at that?

TRUMP: Of course I do. Many whites are killed also. You have to say that.

WALLACE: I understand that.

TRUMP: I mean, many, many whites are killed. This is going on for decades. This is going on for a long time, long before I got here.

WALLACE: Why is it so bad right now?

TRUMP: Biden wants to defund the police.

Q: No, sir, he does not.

TRUMP: Look. He signed a charter with Bernie Sanders.

WALLACE: He says defund the police?

TRUMP: He says defund the police. They talk about abolishing the police.

(WALLACE VOICE OVER: The White House never sent us evidence the Bernie-Biden platform calls for defunding or abolishing police--because there is none. It calls for increased funding for police departments--that meet certain standards. Biden has called for redirecting some police funding for related programs--like mental health counseling.

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on Fox News Sunday 2020 Jul 19, 2020

Joe Biden: FactCheck: Endorsed by 175 law enforcement officials

Trump said to Biden, "We just got the support of almost every law enforcement group in the United States. I don't think you have any law enforcement."

Is that true, that no law enforcement has endorsed Biden? We found this article dated Sept. 4 on Fox News, headlined "More than 175 current, former law enforcement officials endorse Joe Biden, slam Trump as 'lawless' president." Excerpts:

"Fox News first obtained the list of the Biden-supporting law enforcement officials, which includes former sheriffs and former police chiefs who touted the former vice president's experience 'keeping communities safe.'

"The endorsements come after a number of high-profile law enforcement organizations threw their support behind Trump. In July, the National Association of Police Organizations endorsed Trump, praising his 'steadfast and very public support' for law enforcement. NAPO did not endorse a candidate in the 2016 election but endorsed Barack Obama and Biden in both the 2008 and 2012 elections."

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on First 2020 Presidential Debate Sep 29, 2020

John Kasich: FactCheck: Catholic faith does NOT support death penalty

On "Meet the Press" on May 31, 2015, asked about religious objection to the death penalty, Kasich responded, "I think it's consistent with my Catholic faith." Is that true, that Catholic faith supports the death penalty?

No. Pope Francis, the world leader of the Catholic faith, said unambiguously in his address to the US Congress on Sept. 24, 2015, that "the golden rule reminds us of our responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development. This conviction has led me, from the beginning of my ministry, to advocate at different levels for the global abolition of the death penalty. I am convinced that this way is the best, since every life is sacred. Society can only benefit from the rehabilitation of those convicted of crimes. Recently my brother bishops here in the United States renewed their call for the abolition of the death penalty."

Kasich can say he supports the death penalty, but he cannot accurately say that doing so is consistent with his Catholic faith.

Source: OnTheIssues Fact-Check: John Kasich on Meet the Press (2015) Sep 24, 2017

  • The above quotations are from Presidential Primary Fact Checking by OnTheIssues.org.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Crime.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Herman Cain on Crime.
2024 Presidential contenders on Crime:
  Candidates for President & Vice-President:
V.P.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(I-CA)
Chase Oliver(L-GA)
Dr.Jill Stein(D-MA)
Former Pres.Donald Trump(R-FL)
Sen.J.D.Vance(R-OH)
Gov.Tim Walz(D-MN)
Dr.Cornel West(I-NJ)

2024 presidential primary contenders:
Pres.Joe_Biden(D-DE)
N.D.Gov.Doug Burgum(R)
N.J.Gov.Chris_Christie(R)
Fla.Gov.Ron_DeSantis(R)
S.C.Gov.Nikki_Haley(R)
Ark.Gov.Asa_Hutchinson(R)
Former V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
U.S.Rep.Dean_Phillips(D-MN)
Vivek_Ramaswamy(R-OH)
S.C.Sen.Tim_Scott(R)
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Page last updated: Nov 03, 2024