Minneapolis Police Union President Says Mayor Is Trying To 'Bully' and 'Antagonize' Trump
President Donald Trump is the victim of bullying on the part of the mayor of Minneapolis, according to the head of the city’s police union.
Trump is planning a rally Thursday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The city has demanded that the Trump campaign pay a $530,000 security fee for the use of the venue.
“It’s disparate treatment,” Lt. Bob Kroll, president of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis, told Fox News. “They have not charged nearly that much for other events.”
Speaking Tuesday on “Fox & Friends,” Kroll said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, is trying to “antagonize” and “bully” Trump.
Brad Parscale, Trump’s campaign manager, has accused Frey of abusing his power over the fee.
“The radical leftist mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, is abusing the power of his office and attempt to extort President Trump’s re-election campaign by conjuring a phony and outlandish bill for security in an effort to block a scheduled Keep America Great rally,” a campaign release said.
This is an outrageous abuse of power by a liberal mayor trying to deny the rights of his own city’s residents just because he hates the President!
Press Release: https://t.co/7eBwgqQuIp pic.twitter.com/4jGWATdDD7
— Brad Parscale (@parscale) October 8, 2019
The controversy over the fee comes as Frey and Police Chief Medaria Arradondo are implementing a policy that bans off-duty police officers from wearing uniforms at political events.
“I don’t want the Minneapolis Police Department to be politicized at all,” said Arradondo, who said constituents complained about seeing uniformed officers seeming to endorse various politicians by wearing uniforms at events.
The police union struck back, creating red “Cops for Trump” shirts for the officers to wear at the rally.
“In compliance with policy, we don’t want any issue. So, we just thought you know what we’ll turn the place into a sea of red with the shirts we designed. And, they’re available and we can’t keep them on the shelves. They’ve been selling out as fast as they come in!” Kroll said.
The battle is also being fought out on Twitter, where Trump fired off his opinion of Frey and his policy Tuesday morning.
“Someone please tell the Radical Left Mayor of Minneapolis that he can’t price out Free Speech. Probably illegal! I stand strongly & proudly with the great Police Officers and Law Enforcement of Minneapolis and the Great State of Minnesota! See you Thursday Night!” Trump tweeted.
Someone please tell the Radical Left Mayor of Minneapolis that he can’t price out Free Speech. Probably illegal! I stand strongly & proudly with the great Police Officers and Law Enforcement of Minneapolis and the Great State of Minnesota! See you Thursday Night!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2019
Thank you to Lt. Bob Kroll of the great Minneapolis Police Department for your kind words on @foxandfriends. The Police are fighting the Radical Left Mayor, and his ridiculous Uniform Ban. Actually, I LOVE the Cops for Trump shirts. Want to bring some home. I am with you 100%!!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2019
“The lightweight mayor is hurting the great police and other wonderful supporters. 72,000 ticket requests already. Dump Frey and Omar! Make America Great Again!” Trump tweeted, referencing Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is from Minnesota.
The lightweight mayor is hurting the great police and other wonderful supporters. 72,000 ticket requests already. Dump Frey and Omar! Make America Great Again! https://t.co/ibTqvSbsbn
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2019
Frey responded with his own dismissive tweet.
“Yawn… Welcome to Minneapolis where we pay our bills, we govern with integrity, and we love all of our neighbors,” Frey tweeted.
Yawn… Welcome to Minneapolis where we pay our bills, we govern with integrity, and we love all of our neighbors. https://t.co/v1cXvoD9uR
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) October 8, 2019
Trump’s campaign has said the issue may be headed for court and has vowed to sue AEG, the company that manages Target Center.
“We are well aware of Mayor Frey’s vocal partisan opposition to President Trump and calls to disrupt the rally,” read a letter from Trump law firm Jones Day to AEG, Fox News reported. “This last-minute squeeze seems to be nothing but a pretextual political effort with serious First Amendment ramifications.”
The Minneapolis figure would dwarf the $76,138 spent for an October 2018 Trump rally in nearby Rochester, Minnesota.
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