He is going to honor a fallen hero.
Former President Donald Trump is anticipated to pay his respects at the wake of slain New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday afternoon, as conveyed by NYPD spokesperson Tarik Shepard to NBC News.
The wake for Diller is slated for Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Massapequa, Long Island. Diller tragically lost his life on Monday in Far Rockaway, Queens, when he and his partner approached a vehicle unlawfully parked at a bus stop. According to Police Commissioner Edward Caban, the suspect within the vehicle fired at Diller, striking him below his bullet-proof vest, as reported by the Associated Press.
In response to inquiries, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed that Trump is touched by the invitation to stand alongside Diller’s family and colleagues during this period of grieving over his senseless and tragic demise.
Trump’s prospective attendance at Diller’s wake coincides with his ongoing assertions regarding crime rates in New York. These assertions, which lack substantiation, are often made in conjunction with criticisms aimed at state prosecutors who have filed charges against him, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. James initiated a civil fraud case against Trump, while Bragg brought forth charges of falsifying business records in his hush money case.
The former president has also repetitively made unverified claims regarding undocumented migrants assaulting police officers and contributing to escalating crime rates in New York City.
During a rally in Michigan last month, Trump remarked, “You know, in New York, what’s happening with crime is it’s through the roof, and it’s called ‘migrant.’ They beat up police officers. You’ve seen that they go in, they stab people, hurt people, shoot people. It’s a whole new form, and they have gangs now that are making our gangs look like small potatoes.”
