The acting chief of the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] is not pleased with Donald Trump\u2019s remarks to law enforcement officers, telling them not to be \u201ctoo nice\u201d to suspects. He has expressed his displeasure in an email to DEA agents, calling on agents to show \u201crespect and compassion,\u201d and saying that he felt compelled to speak out because \u201csomething is wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump made his now-infamous remark<\/a>s during a speech on Long Island last week. He said:<\/p>\n \u201cLike when you guys put somebody in the car, and you\u2019re protecting their head, you know, the way you put your hand over their head,” he said, putting his hand above his head for emphasis. \u201cI said, \u2018You can take the hand away, OK?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The remark gave the distinct impressions that Trump was encouraging police brutality. But White House press secretary later told reporters that Trump was only joking. [That is one of Trump\u2019s standard dodges when something inappropriate that he says provokes criticism.]<\/p>\n The DEA\u2019s acting director, Chuck Rosenberg, didn\u2019t laugh. One day after the speech, he sent an email to the entire agency, instructing DEA personnel to disregard the suggestion that suspects should be roughed up.<\/p>\n In the email, Rosenberg said<\/a>:<\/p>\n I write because we have an obligation to speak out when something is wrong\u2026.The President, in remarks delivered yesterday in New York, condoned police misconduct regarding the treatment of individuals placed under arrest by law enforcement..<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Rosenberg then reminded his agents<\/a> of their core values, including accountability, diversity and integrity.:<\/p>\n This is how we conduct ourselves. This is how we treat those whom we encounter in our work: victims, witnesses, subjects and defendants. This is who we are.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Rosenburg is among a growing cohort of government officials who are beginning to speak out<\/a> against Trump\u2019s offensive utterances and destructive policies. Leaders of police departments in several parts of the country have said publicly<\/a> that the president\u2019s words didn\u2019t reflect their views. For example:<\/a><\/p>\n The Suffolk County Police Department issued a statement declaring that the President\u2019s recommendations were at odds with the department\u2019s procedures, as did the N.Y.P.D., the L.A.P.D., and the International Association of Police Chief.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Watch this video montage of his remarks regarding how the police should treat suspects. I don\u2019t see joking here. I see a demagogue, a president, who is off the rails, who wants to appear tough, and who doesn\u2019t really care what he says or what the impact of his words are, and who will try to disavow his id-driven remarks by calling them “just joking” when they are poorly received. It\u2019s not funny, and it\u2019s not normal.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n