The Milwaukee Police Association on Monday endorsed pro-law enforcement Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., for the November election, expressing their support for the incumbent over his anti-police opponent, Democrat Mandela Barnes.
“During these increasingly trying times, the over 1,400 men and women of the Milwaukee Police Association appreciate leaders like you who are willing to stand and be an advocate for Law Enforcement Professionals,” the Milwaukee Police Association wrote in its endorsement letter.
Johnson has made his pro-law-enforcement stance quite clear throughout his time in Congress. The senator has advocated for “better fund[ing]” for police, saying it’s dangerous for communities and police when law enforcement is “understaffed or defunded.” During National Police Week this past May, the Wisconsin senator stated, “With crime reaching record highs across the country and the increase in officers killed on the job, the men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities deserve our support. Their heroism keeps our families safe and we thank the officers for their service.”
Johnson has also spoken out against the rise in crime perpetuated by “radical left, soft on crime policies,” stressing the need for strong police throughout Wisconsin. “It’s because the policies, the rhetoric of the radical left is dispiriting law enforcement. Who is going to keep us safe? How can we expect to protect our citizens in our communities if we attack the police? If we propose defunding?” Johnson said.
Just last month, Sen. Johnson hosted a roundtable on U.S. border security, drawing attention to the failed border policies of the Biden administration and voicing his support for secure borders through law enforcement.
Barnes — Johnson’s opponent for the November election — has quite a track record of opposing law enforcement. “Defunding the police only dreams of being as radical as a Donald Trump pardon,” Barnes tweeted in 2020, implying either his support for the “defund the police” movement or at least his belief that this radical stance is non-extremist. Barnes has also been photographed holding a T-shirt that says “Abolish ICE,” an anti-law enforcement movement that supports dismantling border security in the name of protecting human rights.
Despite his attempts to distance himself from “defund the police” and other anti-law-enforcement movements, Barnes has received multiple endorsements from groups that advocate for these policies. And when Barnes’ campaign released a list of his law enforcement endorsements, two of the names were removed, with those police officers stating they never endorsed him.
After seeing the rise in crime as a result of failed left-wing policies, Wisconsin law enforcers know that supporting a candidate like Barnes will not improve the safety of their state. That’s why a more than 1,400-member police association enthusiastically backs Johnson — while his opponent fakes police endorsements.
