News that President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE was set to give a speech this morning in front of a group of FBI National Academy (NA) graduates at Quantico, Va. made me briefly wax nostalgic. His remarks were delivered inside the very auditorium where some twenty-six and a half years ago, I had nervously strode across that same stage to be handed the badge and credentials of a newly minted FBI Special Agent.

The man who handed me the accoutrements related to the job I proudly held for the next quarter-century was President George H.W. Bush. At the time, May of 1991, he was in need of a law enforcement platform to urge Congress to act on an omnibus crime control bill he supported.

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So that’s how it happened that I was proudly able to receive the tools of my trade from Bush 41. I still cherish the photograph I’ve displayed on my office wall all these years later.

But this visit by a most polarizing sitting president today carried with it far different undertones than did Bush’s almost quaint visit to that same stage almost three decades ago.

Bush’s 1991 visit was but a blip on the national radar. Today’s address was must-see-TV.

So, why the need to set your watch and grab the popcorn for this one?

Well, there of course is the well-chronicled feud between the president and the FBI director he fired, James B. Comey, Jr. And then there is the special prosecutor, Robert S. Mueller III, tapped to pick up the baton in the investigation into possible collusion between Trump associates and Russia.

Then there’s the president’s tweets attacking Deputy Director Andrew G. McCabe and his recent blasting of two senior level FBI officials whose investigation by the DOJ OIG has uncovered partisan text exchanges that denigrate Trump and expressed support for his 2016 opponent in the general election, Hillary R. Clinton.

It’s Trump’s contention that the FBI ignored Clinton wrongdoing in its investigation into her private email server. The president is also of the mind that the parts of DOJ/FBI have been comprised and have embarked upon a partisan witch-hunt to delegitimize his historic win.

But what truly set the backdrop for today’s visit was Trump’s recent tweet that the FBI’s reputation was “in tatters” and “worst in history.”

Many have opined that this was a shot directed at the FBI’s rank and file. And though the FBI Agents Association (FBIAA) issued a fairly unprecedented response countermanding the president’s proclamation, I think it’s fair to say that most of the FBI’s 35,000 employees discerned that the president’s reckless remarks were aimed at agency leadership.

So with the political stage set at Quantico this morning, the president delivered his remarks in front of a packed house of law enforcement officers and their families. The speech appeared at the onset like a pro forma, scripted, safe teleprompter read. It included the usual bromides about appreciating the courage and sacrifices of police — it was the standard offerings from a politician when remarks are tailored for applause lines.

Yet unlike Bush, 41 who in 1991 urged congressional action on one particular bill on that stage, Trump’s “flights of fancy” covered his disdain for MS-13, sanctuary cities, chain migration policies, and those who criticize cops. He pledged support for the death penalty and threw shade on Chicago and Baltimore — cities led by Democrats — where violent crime statistics have reached historic heights.

These talking points weren’t unexpected. And they will certainly play well in front of a law enforcement audience. As a profession, were are not a monolith. But we generally hew to the conservative law-and-order side of things. So for the Blue, this was our red meat.

But one passage in particular troubled me:

So when you return home to your local precincts, I want you to deliver a message to your fellow officers: The President of the United States has your back 100 percent. (Applause.) I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down — ever. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue.

On its face, a commendable attribution. But intent can be misinterpreted, and (mis)construed as a “dog whistle.” Some have rightly criticized the president for his inflammatory rhetoric to law enforcement before. Like when he has encouraged them to be “not so nice” to persons in their custody.

That’s not what law enforcement needs, President Trump. Those words are reckless and if acted upon by the infinitesimal amount of us who are criminals and misinterpret your suggestive language, it results in police brutality. We want you to back us when we do a tough job honorably. Don’t make it more difficult as we continue to work to bridge the divide that exists between us and some communities.

We understand you want to be different from your predecessor, who at times exhibited tepid support for our profession. We just don’t want an inappropriate course correction. Please weigh your words more carefully next time.

James A. Gagliano is a CNN law enforcement analyst and retired FBI supervisory special agent. He also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at St. John's University and is a leadership consultant at the Thayer Leader Development Group (TLDG) at his alma mater, the United States Military Academy at West Point. Follow him on Twitter @JamesAGagliano.