President Donald Trump was greeted with applause at the Nassau County Police Academy on Long Island Friday as he touted his administration’s crime record and reminded the crowd of an executive order he signed in his first days back in office directing prosecutors to pursue the death penalty against anyone convicted of killing a police officer. Trump’s remarks, delivered at the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence, were captured in official White House video of the event.
Trump: “Anyone Convicted of Killing a Police Officer Should Face the Death Penalty”
“Shortly after taking office, I signed a historic executive order directing that anyone convicted of killing a police officer should face the death penalty,” Trump said to cheers from the crowd of uniformed officers and supporters. He went on to cite a decline in on-duty officer deaths, saying, “last year, deaths of law enforcement officers in the line of duty fell to an 80-year low. That means people aren’t playing games anymore. It’s an 80-year low. Still too many, but it’s an 80-year low.”
Executive Order Signed on Inauguration Day 2025
The order Trump referenced, “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” was signed Jan. 20, 2025, according to its official text posted on the White House website. The order directs the attorney general to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use” and specifically instructs prosecutors to seek capital charges “regardless of other factors” in cases involving the murder of a law-enforcement officer or a capital crime committed by someone in the country illegally. It also directs the Justice Department to encourage state prosecutors to pursue state capital charges in similar cases and to review the cases of individuals whose federal death sentences had previously been commuted.
Officer Deaths Fell to Levels Not Seen Since 1943
Trump’s “80-year low” claim traces to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s 2025 Year-End Officer Fatalities Report, according to the nonprofit’s official report. The report found 111 federal, state, county, municipal and territorial officers died in the line of duty in 2025, a 25% decrease from 148 deaths in 2024 and the lowest total since 94 officers died in 1943. Firearms were the leading cause of death, at 44, down 15% from the prior year, while traffic-related deaths fell 23% to 34.
FBI Reported Largest Violent Crime Decline in Nearly 90 Years
Trump’s broader remarks on crime drew from the FBI’s 2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation statistics, released the same week. According to the FBI’s own press release, violent crime fell an estimated 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, the largest year-over-year decline since the bureau began its estimates in 1936. Murder and non-negligent manslaughter fell 18.1%, robbery fell 18.5%, aggravated assault fell 7.2% and rape fell 7.6%. The report put the 2025 murder rate at 4.1 per 100,000 people, tying the lowest rate on record, matching 1955 and 1956.
FBI Director Credits Agency’s Internal Changes
“The 2025 crime data in this report shows the single largest decrease in violent crime and murder since 1937 — as well as huge decreases across the board in terms of aggravated assault, rape, and robbery,” FBI Director Kash Patel said when the preliminary figures were first released in May, according to the bureau’s press release. “Over the last 14 months, we made major transformations at the FBI, and these results show those changes are working.”
Data Is Voluntary and Reflects Only Reported Crimes
The FBI figures are based on data voluntarily submitted by more than 17,000 law enforcement agencies covering about 96% of the U.S. population, according to the bureau’s release. Participation in the FBI’s crime data collection program is not mandatory for local agencies, and the statistics reflect only crimes reported to police rather than a full accounting of criminal activity.
Justice Department Has Expanded Execution Protocols Since Order Signed
Since Trump signed the executive order, the Justice Department under Attorneys General Pam Bondi and later Todd Blanche has taken steps to implement its directives, including lifting prior moratoriums on federal executions and, in 2026, expanding execution method protocols to include options such as firing squads alongside lethal injection.
Trump Used Appearance to Endorse Blakeman for Governor
Trump used the event to formally back Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s campaign for New York governor against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, telling the crowd, “that’s why we have to get Bruce into office.” Trump credited Blakeman’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, saying Nassau County had removed more than 2,000 “migrant criminals” through coordination with federal law enforcement.
Trump Criticized “Radical Left” and “Communists” in Sweeping Remarks
Trump devoted a portion of his remarks to attacking Democrats, saying “the radical left, the Marxists, the communists” were waging “war on police” and seeking to turn American cities into “a 3rd world country” defined by “crime and filth.” He argued that visible urban decline typically preceded rising crime rates in cities he did not name specifically during the cited remarks.
Hochul Campaign Pushes Back on Trump-Blakeman Alliance
Hochul’s office responded to Trump’s appearance with a statement arguing the event underscored an alignment between Trump and Blakeman on immigration enforcement. A spokesperson for Hochul’s campaign separately said the governor “has invested billions in public safety to protect New Yorkers,” and criticized Blakeman for bringing what the campaign described as “unaccountable ICE agents” to Nassau County.
Trump’s Visit Marked Second New York Appearance Backing Blakeman This Year
Friday’s event was Trump’s second visit to New York this year in support of Blakeman, following a May appearance in the Hudson Valley where Trump said Blakeman would curb crime he described as “out of control.” Nassau County, home to two Democratic-held U.S. House seats that Republicans see as competitive this fall, has become a focal point in the state’s closely watched governor’s race.