Trump pays tribute to fallen law officers
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump paid emotional tribute Tuesday to fallen law enforcement officers and the loved ones who carry on without them, saying those who wore the uniform “were among the bravest Americans to ever live.”
“They made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live in safety and in peace,” Trump said.
Trump, who likes to project an image of strength and has been criticized for failing to bring the nation together at times of tragedy, made a rare showing of public empathy as he shared the stories of some of the families gathered in the crowd.
Near the end of his speech, he invited onstage the elderly mother and other loved ones of a slain police officer from his native New York City. Officer Miosotis Familia, a mother of three, was killed in President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at the 37th annual National Peace Officers’ Memorial service on Capitol Hill Tuesday.
July 2017 after being shot in the head by a man who fired into a parked police vehicle in the Bronx. The gunman was later fatally shot by police.
age of Familia’s mother, Adrianna Valoy, but that she climbed the stairs better than he did. Trump turns 72 next month.
“So I promised that I wouldn’t tell you that she’s 90 years old, but, you know what, she is really something, right?” he told the audience. “You look like 55 maybe, 55. Boy, I’ll tell you what. You got up those stairs better than I did.”
After inviting Familia’s police partner to say a few words, Trump told her children how proud their mother was of them.
“She’s looking down, and she’s so proud of you. She’s so proud of you. And you are great,” Trump said. “Your mom’s legacy will never, ever die. You have good genes. Right? Good genes. The best genes I’ve ever seen.”
The president, who made law and order a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, also used the yearly tribute at an outdoor memorial near the Capitol to press Congress to prioritize border security. He said that includes ending policies that allow individuals he described as “violent criminals” back onto the streets.