The spokesman told the Tribune no deputy superintendent, commander or chief has met with Trump “since at least March,” when the candidate canceled a rally at the University of IL at Chicago, citing a raucous crowd of protesters.
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He went on to say that police should be allowed to “counter attack” anyone attacking them.
TRUMP: You have unbelievable – how? He has never given as much thought to racism, for example, as his fans on the alt-right have, or developed a theory of sexual relations more sophisticated than crude banter with Howard Stern. They right now are not tough. Trump stated, “I would be very, very strong and be a cheerleader for the police”. O’Reilly mentioned detention centers, to which Trump responded, “you’re the first one to mention detention centers”. How do you stop this? “Bill, you’re the first one to mention ‘detention center.’ You don’t have to put them in a detention center”. At the same rally, Trump asked for “the vote of every, single African-American citizen in this country who wants to see a better future”.
TRUMP: All I know is this. “Well, I’m going to do the same thing”. “Well, I’m gonna do the same thing”. “Trump, I’d be able to stop it in one week.’ And I believed him 100 percent”.
O’REILLY: But he didn’t tell you exactly precisely how. No, I’m not flip-flopping. But I’ll tell you what. I sent his name in and I said you probably should hire this guy.
“You know the expression, you have nothing to lose?” Look at what’s going on in Chicago. “This guy felt totally competent that he could stop it at a very short period of time”. On the other hand, if Trump’s comments aren’t an actually policy proposal, they could be just another joke, like when he suggested that “Second Amendment people” stop Hillary Clinton from getting elected and nominating a Supreme Court justice.
Several key questions remain unanswered by the discussion about Chicago. The host begins by asking Trump what he’d do about “chaos in the street” and attacks on police officers.
But after a turbulent few weeks, which included a campaign shakeup, Trump appears to be walking back his divisive rhetoric to some degree.
After the rally, the Clinton campaign released a statement denouncing Trump for “insults, fear and stereotypes that set our community back and further divide our country”.
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On one hand, the frenzy over Trump’s potential reversal is understandable. “They had a very productive and interesting conversation as Mr. Trump does with officers and law enforcement communities around the country”. But these facts do not fit in with Donald Trump’s narrative of a country out of control that needs a savior who will restore law and order.
