Donald Trump's attempt on Tuesday to defend releasing violent felons who assaulted police officers on Jan. 6 ended up turning into him claiming he supports the badge because he will be pardoning two police officers he claims have been unjustly prosecuted.
That led MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-hosts Mika Brzezsinki and Willie Geist to dismantle his comments as a complete fabrication.
Asked by a White House reporter on Tuesday, "Mr. President, you're a president who has long said that you backed the blue but aren't you sending the message that assaulting officers is okay with these pardons?"
"No, the opposite," Trump replied. "In fact, I'm going to be letting two officers from Washington Police, D.C., I believe that from D.C. but I just approved it," he replied before rambling, "They were arrested, put in jail for five years because they went after an illegal and I guess something happened where something went wrong, and they arrested the two officers and put them in jail for going after a criminal, a rough criminal, by the way."
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"And I'm actually releasing," he added before protesting, "No, I'm the friend of –– I am the friend of police, more than any president that's ever been in this office."
After sharing the clip, host Brzezinski stated, "A fact check on the president's statement about the D.C. officers he said he intends to pardon. They were not chasing an immigrant who was in the U.S. illegally."
"Back in October of 2020 the officers were in an unmarked car when they chased a man named Karon Hylton-Brown who was on a moped," she reported. "Hylton-Brownn crashed the moped and died during the pursuit that authorities said violated police policy and was illegally reckless."
"Authorities also said both officers later lied about the incident to forestall a potential federal civil rights investigation. Despite their convictions, both officers were allowed to go free pending the outcome of their appeals, which are still ongoing –– so there's that."
"Yeah, a thin defense it should be pointed out by President Trump of what he did under questioning from Peter Alexander and didn't know if he'd commuted or pardoned," Geist offered. "And then, as you said, had some bad information in his defense there."
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