Mayor Kenney: Trump Insulted Philadelphia Police Today

Jim Kenney says Trump disrespected the police when he said Philadelphia’s murder rate was “terribly increasing.”

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Jim Kenney has responded to Donald Trump’s comment about Philadelphia in the president’s speech in the city today.

In a statement posted on the city website, Kenney says Trump insulted the Philadelphia Police force today when falsely saying Philadelphia’s murder rate is “terribly increasing.”

“President Trump’s false statements today were an insult to the men and women of the Philadelphia police force — the very same men and women who are working long hours today to ensure his safety. Our police officers have worked tirelessly and with great personal sacrifice to get Philadelphia’s crime rate down to its lowest point in forty years, while also successfully implementing reforms to strengthen police-community relations and uphold the rights of all our residents. “Our homicides are, in fact, slowly declining, and while we are not satisfied with even our current numbers, we are handicapped by Republican refusal to enact any kind of common sense gun control and by their obsession with turning our police officers into ICE agents – which will prevent immigrants from coming forward to report crimes or provide critical witnesses statements that can put dangerous criminals behind bars.”

Kenney (as well as the mayors of many other cities) has said the city will defy Trump’s order on “sanctuary cities,” while the president has threatened to strip most or all federal funding Philadelphia receives in return.

Trump has since left the city and flown back to Washington, D.C. Per a White House pool report, Trump had exited his limo at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia to shouts of “We hate you” and “Go home.”