The backdrop of a summer of civil unrest in America’s largest cities and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic looms large as motivated voters prepare to submit their ballots for president in less than two weeks.

Police departments – many of which saw days, weeks, and even monthslong anti-police brutality protests and riots this summer – said they are hoping for the best when voters hit the polls on Nov. 3, but are also preparing for the worst in the days before and after.

New York police take security measures as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arrives to vote at the Beckman Hill International School in New York City on Nov. 8, 2016. (Photo by Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

“There is no secret that this election is more contentious than in years’ past,” said New York Police Department’s Chief of Department, Terence Monahan, during a Tuesday press conference covering election preparedness. The NYPD is one of many departments throughout the country with a plan in case any protests devolve into criminal activity.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION COMES DOWN TO THESE 9 STATES

Chicago, much like New York City, has seen spurts of civil unrest, including devastating looting downtown. Its police department is now working with several city agencies in a coordinated effort to be prepared for any fallout, whether at the polls or on the streets, during the election period.

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a recent news conference that police and emergency officials are training to make sure they’re ready “regardless of whatever scenario happens on Election Day.”

Police officers inspect a damaged Best Buy store in Chicago after parts of the city suffered from widespread looting and vandalism over the summer. (Getty Images)

“Many cities across the country are doing similar planning,” he said last week. “We are all in conversations with our counterparts across the country about what we might expect, but everything is uncertain, and so we’re trying as best we can to anticipate any hazard that might happen, including a weather hazard, snow might happen in our city, along with anything related to protests, embedded agitators that might loot or cause violence or destroy property.”

Even without the prevalent unrest in certain parts of the country, this year’s election will nonetheless look different. People have the option of voting early and by mail, and officials anticipate clear results might take days, if not weeks.

Here are what some police departments in big cities have to say about their plans to best ensure every American stays safe before, during, and after Election Day.

MIAMI

Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina told Fox News this week that it was “difficult to tell” what kind of unrest – if any – the city will face in the days leading up to the election.

“We’re going to have more people working, a bigger, more robust uniformed presence. And then we’re going to have some undercover officers that will go by polling places,” he said.

Colina said the city will also be prepared with groups of officers who could mobilize at short notice, “especially those groups that want to create havoc.”

He told Fox News he believes the protests could look different depending on who is ultimately elected president.

“This state [Florida] is up for grabs, according to the polls. This is a state that both candidates covet, obviously, and that’s always been the case,” he said. “I can’t help but wonder that if that’s not going to inspire some fringe groups to want to do their part to win it for one or the other. And that’s where it gets a little dangerous because people, you know, they become extreme.”

His concerns, he said, are not based on any credible threats, but he plans to be ready, nonetheless.

“I know that these kinds of things exist, right? Where people want to come out and they want to create an issue and then blame it on the other. I mean, we’ve seen that we’ve seen that. So I’m hoping that that’s not the case again,” Colina said. “Again, I think we’re gonna be fine, but I recognize that, certainly, that could happen because this state is up for grabs.”

City of Miami police officers gear up as they prepare for any problems with protesters Sunday, May 31, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

During a press conference on Monday, Colina said the department had canceled vacation days and days off during the election period and will deploy additional officers. The department has also instructed every sworn officer, whether assigned to a desk job or patrol duty, to bring their uniform to work in case a greater police presence is needed.

“The truth is, this is a very contentious election cycle. Unlike we haven’t seen in many, many years,” he said during the news conference. “We have a very savvy community here who understands that some people may want to take actions into their own hands and try to and swing some votes. We just want to make sure that we don’t allow that to take place.”

NEW YORK CITY

Said to be the largest police force in the nation, the NYPD is directing its officers to be “prepared for deployment” beginning Oct. 26, as it braces for increasing protests in the lead-up to and following Election Day 2020, according to an internal memo from Oct. 13 obtained by Fox News.

NYPD brass are planning for potential civil unrest as New York City and the nation begin a contentious series of weeks, starting with the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and coupled with the upcoming presidential election, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said in the internal announcement.

“This November 3rd will be the (sic) one of the most highly contested presidential elections in the modern era,” Shea wrote, noting that Barrett’s confirmation hearing was set to begin at the same time of the missive’s release. “Accordingly, we should anticipate and prepare for protests growing in size, frequency, and intensity leading up to the election and likely into the year 2021.”

Shea also noted that the election winner “may not be decided for several weeks,” and the confirmation hearing was also expected to continue for weeks.

During an interview later that day, Shea told local news station NY1 that the department wanted to be ready for anything.

A New York City police officer stands guard outside a polling station in a public school Nov. 2, 2010 in New York.  (DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty Images)

“It would be nice if we had an uneventful fall season, but this is 2020,” he said during the Oct. 13 interview. “It’s really all-hands-on-deck across the NYPD and this is really about, listen everyone is well aware of the climate right now in this country, certainly here in this city and the election coming up and it’s our job to prepare for the worst and hopefully it’s not needed.”

Accordingly, the NYPD has instructed hundreds of officers to come to work in uniform and ready for duty beginning on Oct. 26, Monahan said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference.

PORTLAND

Portland police officers push protesters past a dumpster fire during a dispersal from in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in the early morning on August 21, 2020 in Portland, Ore. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

No stranger to violent protests that have, at times, devolved into riots, Portland Police Bureau is working with Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and will be upping law enforcement staffing during and following the election period “as a precaution,” the department said in a press release last week.

“In the past, some individuals and groups have gathered and marched following the election results, both in celebration and sometimes because they are angered or upset. In some instances, significant damage was done to local businesses, which did not change the election outcome, but hurt our community members,” the release states. “While we promote and support the exercise of the First Amendment rights to assemble and engage in free speech, engagement in criminal activity will not be tolerated.”

PPB officials said they will not tolerate any demonstrators blocking pedestrian and vehicular traffic, lighting fires, “vandalizing and damaging property,” illegal use of weapons and violence.

“We’re just trying to prepare and coordinate to increase safety during that time,” Officer Derek Carmon, a PPB spokesperson, told Fox News on Monday. “We’ve seen in the past where people come out because they’re either excited about the election results or they’re completely unhappy with the election results and they come down causing damage and things like that in the past. So we’re just trying to be prepared for that by having more officers available.”

Carmon said the department is not allowing officers to take any vacation days during and in the days following the election period, but had not established specific requirements of personnel during that time.

PPB Chief Chuck Lovell said in a prepared statement that this election season “has increased fear and uncertainty for many of our community members.”

“We want our community to know we are prioritizing public safety by adding resources and collaboration during this important time. We ask for the public to help us by reporting criminal activity, staying informed, and engaging in lawful activities. Together, we can achieve a safe election season in Portland,” Lovell said.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Oregon city’s election-related safety and security measures can visit the Multnomah County Elections website.

SEATTLE

In gearing up for the election period, Seattle Police Department set a limit to the time off allowed for personnel around the time of Election Day “to ensure the department is able to adequately provide public safety services at any events, gatherings or demonstrations related to the election,” said SPD spokesperson Sgt. Randall Huserik.

Huserik also said SPD recently launched its Community Response Group, to “dynamically deploy to unplanned large-scale events and ensure SPD is able to quickly respond to 911 emergencies,” in case such a response is needed.

ORLANDO

Though not particularly known for experiencing unrest in recent months, Orlando Police Department officials are working with the Supervisor of Elections office to ensure the election period goes smoothly, Sgt. David Baker, a spokesperson for OPD told Fox News.

“The Supervisor of Elections does have a protocol in place to contact law enforcement if individuals are disruptive and unruly and violating Florida statutes related to voting, including the 150-foot no-solicitation zone near the entrance of polling places,” Baker wrote in an emailed statement.

Additional information was not provided.

MINNEAPOLIS

In this May 29, 2020, photo, a check-cashing business burns during protests in Minneapolis. Protests continued following the death of George Floyd, who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Minneapolis is also no stranger to civil unrest, which rocked the city in the wake of the alleged police-related death of local resident, George Floyd. Floyd, a Black man, died at the end of May after a White police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, despite his shouts that he couldn’t breathe. Days of protests and destruction in the city followed.

Minneapolis Police Department’s public information officer, John Elder, said in an email to Fox News the department continues to “plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

“We are aware of current and future possible flashpoints that present challenges on both a local and national level,” Elder said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, local, regionally, and federally in order to properly respond to situations as they unfold.  Additionally, we are keeping lines of communication open with the communities we serve and working with everyone we can to ensure 1st Amendment rights are preserved and providing a safe environment for all.”

Elder could not provide any more specific details regarding the department’s plans.

CHICAGO

Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference earlier this month that the police department and several other city agencies have scheduled several tabletop exercises in the lead-up to Election Day to ensure officials were prepared for whatever might happen.

The department, he said, was “making sure that we are in our neighborhoods in a very strong posture to make sure our, not only our First Amendment, but that our assets, that our critical infrastructure, that our retail corridors are all protected from any wrongdoers.”

Just months ago, caravans of looters descended upon Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, where they looted and destroyed property just hours after allegedly false information about a police-involved shooting spread. The looters coordinated their efforts through social media, Brown said at the time.

The police department has now prepared for similar instances, as well as any other election-related crimes, by assigning specific groups to oversee protests and protect “critical infrastructure,” Brown said at last week’s election-related press conference.

CPD has also extended certain officers’ shifts and canceled the days off for those members who have been assigned to the specific teams, he said.

Brown noted that he believed there was a “coordinated effort” during summer protests “to embed agitators” within the otherwise peaceful demonstrations. He’s planning, he said, in case that’s also a feature of election-related protests.

“So from those lessons learned from over the summer, we are planning for that to be a feature of peaceful protests: a slight embedment of people who have no intention of protesting but every intention of committing crime,” Brown said. “So, instead of being caught off-guard we are planning for that to happen and we have operations in place to ensure that they don’t destroy property, that they don’t cause any further violence and that they’re held accountable.”

PHILADELPHIA

The post Election 2020: Police in cities nationwide bracing for potential unrest in days before, after Nov. 3 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

To chants of “USA,” Trump took the stage after brief remarks by Vice President Mike Pence and first lady Melania Trump and recalled his unlikely rise to power.

“We stared down the unholy alliance of lobbyists and donors and special interests who made a living bleeding our country dry,” Trump said. “The swamp is fighting back so viciously and violently. For the last two and a half years, we have been under siege.”

And after polling the boisterous crowd, Trump appeared to settle on a new campaign slogan: “Keep America Great.”

He went on to tout the economy and the planned Space Force, celebrate the “obliteration” of ISIS, and declare that “Republicans believe that every life is a sacred gift from God” amid a newly energized national pro-life movement.

Just over four years ago, Trump descended through the pink marble and brass atrium of Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for president, the first step on a journey few analysts believed would take him all the way to the White House.

This time, thousands of Trump supporters arrived more than 40 hours in advance to secure a spot in the Amway Center, despite sweltering heat. Some had been camped in chairs for several nights.

Trump told attendees he had begun not only a “great political campaign but a great movement” committed to the idea that a government must “care for its own citizens first.”

He called his election that year as a “defining moment in American history” — and then directed the crowd to “ask them, right there,” referring to the media assembled in the back, which many in the crowd jeered.

In one of the most dramatic moments of the rally, Trump charged that Democrats want a “do-over” of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report — and then, his voice approaching a shout, Trump blasted Democrats’ apparent lack of interest in misconduct within their party.

Supporters of President Trump waiting in line hours before the arena doors opened Tuesday in Orlando. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

“Our patriotic movement has been under assault from the very first day,” Trump said. He specifically called out the “phony” dossier used by the FBI to secure a secret surveillance warrant to surveil one of his former aides, Carter Page.

After Trump noted that the dossier was funded by the Hillary Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee (DNC), the crowd again broke into a chant, this time cheering, “Lock her up.”

“If you want to know how the system is rigged, just look at how they came at us for three years with everything they had, versus the free pass they gave to Hillary and her aides after they set up an illegal server, destroyed evidence, deleted and acid-washed 33,000 emails, exposed classified information, and turned the State Department into a pay-for-play cash machine,” Trump said, his voice rising with the crowd’s.

“Lock her up,” the crowd responded again.

DOJ REACHED DEAL WITH CLINTON LAWYERS TO KEEP CLINTON FOUNDATION EMAILS FROM FBI

“33,000 emails deleted, think of it!” Trump said. “You know, there was a lot of corruption on the other side. But, you know, they get a subpoena from the United States Congress, and they decide they’re not gonna give it, so, Lindsey Graham, they delete and they acid wash — which is very expensive, nobody does it — those emails, never to be seen again!

“But we may find them again somewhere deep in the State Department,” Trump mused. “Can you imagine if I got a subpoena? Think of this — if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it’s the electric chair for Trump.”

STATE DEPT INVESTIGATION FINDS ‘MULTIPLE’ SECURITY VIOLATIONS UNDER CLINTON LEADERSHIP, AS PROBE CONTINUES

For the most part, the rally focused on Trump’s policy successes, on a range of matters including criminal justice reform and the economy.

“Our country is soaring to incredible new heights,” Trump asserted, to loud applause. “Our economy is the envy of the world, perhaps the greatest economy we’ve had in the history of our country, and as long as you keep this team in place — we have a tremendous way to go — our future has never, ever looked brighter or sharper.”

Trump continued: “The fact is, the American Dream is back. It’s bigger, and better, and stronger than ever before.”

The president emphasized his success in appointing federal judges, and lamented Democrats’ treatment of now-Justice Brett Kavanuagh, telling the crowd, “They didnt just try to win, they tried to destroy him with false and malicious accusations” in the name of “political dominance and control.”

Trump called Kavanaugh a “great gentleman” who is “highly respected” throughout the judiciary, and said Democrats also targeted his family. Kavanuagh, speaking to Fox News last year, said his wife had received numerous death threats.

“Just imagine what this angry left-wing mob would do if they were in charge of this country,” Trump said.

“We just finished [confirming judge] number 107, already approved, sitting on the bench — how about that?” Trump then asked. “By the time we’re finished with the rest, we will have record percentages [of judges appointed] — our percentage will be a record, except for one person. One person has a higher percentage … George Washington.”

At one point, outgoing Press Secretary Sarah Sanders took the stage, bringing the crowd to its feet.

“We want people to come into our country based on merit,” Trump said, after praising Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials as underappreciated heroes securing the border.

He went on to condemn “crazy” Bernie Sanders, and vowed again that America would “never” become a socialist country.

The festive and lively environment was evident both outside and inside the arena. Caps and shirts and mugs and ponchos were being hawked in corners far and wide in Orlando, with slogans ranging from “God, Guns and Trump” to “Trump’s Deplorables” to “Working to Defeat Liberals since 1854.”

“Think of this — if I deleted one email, like a love note to Melania, it’s the electric chair for Trump.”

— President Trump

“Bikers For Trump” volunteer security members managed traffic in and out of the rally areas as jubilant Trump devotees partied to a band while in line, occasionally breaking into “USA, USA” chants.

Others wandered the blocks around the venue urging people to sign a petition to “prevent voter fraud.”

“Only U.S. citizens should be able to vote,” explained Donny, a Jacksonville native. “That’s what we want in Florida.”

Joe Biden, the frontrunner among Democrats in both polling and fundraising, sought to blunt the momentum from the Tuesday launch shortly before Trump took the stage.

ON THE GROUND BEFORE TRUMP’S BIG RALLY, A CARNIVAL-LIKE ATMOSPHERE

“Donald Trump is launching his campaign for re-election tonight and the American people face a choice — we can make Trump an aberration or let him fundamentally and forever alter the character of this nation,” Biden Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield said in a statement.

Hats and other merchandise were flying off the racks Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, ahead of Trump’s rally. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

“Our country cannot afford four more years of Trump diminishing America’s role on the world stage, cutting access to health care, ignoring the climate emergency that is an unprecedented threat to our national security, tearing children from their parents at the border, giving enormous new tax breaks to big corporations and the wealthy at the expense of working families, and dividing our country by embracing toxic bigotry and racism that’s antithetical to who we are,” Bedingfield added.

Sanders, meanwhile, hosted an “Ask Me Anything” open forum on Reddit on Tuesday. The self-described democratic socialist condemned what he called Trump’s “rejection of science,” and lamented the “incredible attacks against working families that have taken place under unfettered capitalism.”

Sanders, in a video response to Trump’s address later in the day, issued a series of personal insults. He called Trump a “racist” and “sexist,” among other attacks.

“The working class of this country has been decimated for decades by a coordinated attack from corporate America,” Sanders told one Reddit user. “Bad trade deals have allowed corporations to ship millions of jobs abroad, companies have bitterly resisted unionization and the minimum wage has not been raised for almost 10 years.”

Not all of the participants in Sanders’ Reddit event gave him a warm welcome, however, with some pointing out Sanders’ recent, dramatic rise to wealth.

“People like you have destroyed the working class by taking more of their taxes to fund a corporate-run utopia that never can exist,” one user replied. “Wealth is decided by the rarity of your skill set, not how hard you work, Mr. 3 mansions and an Audi R8.”

Trump is ahead of his Democrat rivals in key battleground states and “voters overall” support re-electing him, a Republican National Committee (RNC) memo obtained by Fox News claimed.  The memo came amid reports of the president struggling in polls putting him up against potential 2020 opponents, including Biden. A Fox News poll showed similar numbers.

But, according to the RNC, its own massive data operation told a different story. According to the committee’s numbers, Trump has a higher approval than disapproval rating in the battleground states of Ohio and Pennsylvania while a majority of Florida voters (53 percent) supported re-electing him.

Trump has an unprecedented $40.8 million in cash-on-hand, as of the start of the second quarter of fundraising on April 1. While that would be a massive war chest on its own, the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and their joint fundraising committees had a combined $82 million cash-on-hand going into the second quarter.

Fox News’ Mike Emanuel, Hollie McKay, Sam Dorman, Paul Steinhauser, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-launches-2020-re-election-campaign-orlando-arena

The post Trump launches re-election bid before jam-packed arena, vows to ‘Keep America Great’ first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.