NYPD Commissioner Slams Trump, Praises Obama On Terrorism And Guns

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:05 pm

Even NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton sees through the empty tough talk of Donald Trump.

In a press conference at the NYPD headquarters on Tuesday, Bratton praised President Obama’s record on combatting the threat of terrorism and questioned whether Trump could ever match it.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Bratton said. “[Obama’s] been doing one hell of a job, I think, basically trying to kill those bastards before they kill us. So, let’s see what Mr. Trump does in terms of matching actions to rhetoric.”

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Bratton is likely referring to the extensive list of senior-level terrorists taken out during Obama’s presidency, including Osama bin Laden. The president has also authorized thousands of airstrikes against ISIS, more than all U.S. allies combined, resulting in the terror group’s loss of almost half their territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria.

The commissioner’s comments come in the midst of Trump’s erratic and irresponsible response to the tragedy in Orlando. Trump, of course, responded by first congratulating himself for being right on terrorism and then accused the president of siding with extremist groups like ISIS.

Bratton also expressed his concern at the alarming number of mass shootings that take place in the United States.

“We have a mass shooting every day in the United States involving four or more victims. Every day in the United States, a mass shooting,” the commissioner said. “It’s become almost a fact of life here.”

On MSNBC’s Morning Joe this morning, Bratton was even tougher on Trump and Republicans, saying they “prostitute themselves in front of the NRA.”

“They put the interest of their own political careers and that of the NRA ahead of the American people,” he said.

At his press conference later in the day, Bratton also responded to critics of Obama – namely Trump and Rudy Giuliani – who have accused the president of making it harder for police to do their job and prevent terrorism. 

“This is an old warhorse that he and the presidential candidates continue to bring up,” New York’s top cop said. “I knocked it down with [Sen. Ted] Cruz, I’ll knock it down with Trump and I’ll knock it down with the former mayor.”

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.