More than 190 current and former law enforcement officials endorsed Joe Biden for president on Friday, while slamming President Donald Trump as a “lawless” president, Fox News reports. The list includes former U.S. Attorneys, former state attorneys general, former sheriffs, and former police chiefs who touted the former vice president’s experience “keeping communities safe.” “Joe Biden has always stood on the right side of the law and is offering a much needed vision for our Nation. When asked the question, would you feel safe in Joe Biden’s America? The answer is yes,” said Tom Manger, retired Montgomery County, Md., police chief and former president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. “I’ve worked with Vice President Biden for years and know that he can heal the divide in our country. He has condemned violence of all kinds, and there is no question that I would feel safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
Noble Wray, former Madison, Wi., police chief, said, “It’s ironic that a lawless president claims to be the ‘law and order’ president.” The endorsements come after a number of high-profile police and law enforcement organizations have thrown their support behind Trump. In July, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) endorsed Trump, praising his “steadfast and very public support” for law enforcement. NAPO did not endorse a candidate in the 2016 election but endorsed former President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Biden in both 2008 and 2012. And last month, a New York City law enforcement union, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), endorsed the president’s re-election. The endorsements from the prominent police organizations for the president come amid criticism of Biden over his calls for police reform and potential cuts for local law enforcement, although he says he opposes “defunding” police.