The sheriff of one of California’s largest agencies said this week that he loves arresting and putting criminals in jail—and that a second presidential term for convicted felon Donald Trump will somehow enable him to do that better.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who oversees an area with a population greater than 16 U.S. states, said in a video statement this week that “it’s time we put a felon in the White House.”
The comments were a clear nod to Trump’s felony conviction in New York City, which could potentially land him in prison, though experts say it is unlikely he will be thrown behind bars for just the hush-money payments.
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Bianco said his Trump endorsement means he is “switching teams,” though it’s been clear for years that he is at the very least a moderate who leans right.
The sheriff has long criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and Bianco once again slammed the California leader in the same breath he threw his support behind Trump.
“This love affair that our governor and our state legislature have with criminals is based on the belief that criminals are not responsible for their own actions, that they are a victim of society,” he said before adding in a sarcastic tone, “It’s cops’ fault, it might be my fault.”
He went on to accuse Newsom of “slashing” law enforcement budgets, though his county’s budget shows that the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has received an extra $270 million this year compared to 2019, when Bianco was sworn in.
A familiar face on Fox News, Bianco has indicated he plans to challenge Newsom as a Republican and run his campaign on law, order, and stricter punishment for criminals—a bold strategy in California, which hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1994. The state also has not elected a Republican to the Senate since that year.
Regardless, Bianco appears intent on making a name for himself, even if that means contradicting himself on Trump and crime.
“Trump 2024, baby,” Bianco said. “Let’s save this country and make America great again.”
