Speaking with a group of sheriffs, Donald Trump revealed that he sees everything outside Manhattan as just an extended version of Hazard County, where Sheriff Roscoe knows everyone.
Trump: "You know the illegals, you know their nicknames. You know the bad ones and the good ones. Call Sec. Kelly and report the bad ones."
In Trump’s mind, sheriffs were apparently sitting on knowledge of criminal undocumented immigrants, just waiting on his permission to point a finger.
But Trump’s major message to law enforcement this morning was that lawyers and judges need to be brought to heel.
Trump: “This is for the security of the country, which … again, you’re the chiefs, you’re the sheriffs, you understand this … And I listened to lawyers on both sides last night, and they were talking about things that had just nothing to do with it.
I listened to a panel of judges, I’ll comment on that. I won’t comment on the statements made by … certainly one judge … but, I have to be honest that if these judges wanted to, in my opinion, help the court, in terms of respect for the court, they’d do what they should be doing. I mean, it’s so sad …
Trump also informed the sheriffs that his order was “beautifully written” and that “A bad high school student would understand this.”
The lawyers were just talking about … law. The judges just ruling on … law. But legal vs. illegal is not important. What’s important: Doing as Trump says.
That’s a terrific message to give to the people charged with enforcement.
Trump also talked about his intention to build the wall.
Trump: “They say oh, oh, Trump was only kidding. I don’t kid.”
Good to know, considering that yesterday in meetings with a sheriff Trump offered to destroy a state legislator on a whim.
“Who's the state senator?” Trump asked. “Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career,” he joked, to laughter from the law enforcement officials in the room.
Take him at his word. He doesn’t kid. Not about the legislator, and not about his disdain for the law.