Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton slammed President Donald Trump Friday for what he termed "encouraging police violence" during his speech to federal and law enforcement personnel from the New York and New Jersey area.
"As if the reprehensible statement by President Donald Trump encouraging police violence wasn't enough he used a slur against Irish regarding 'Paddy Wagons,'" Sharpton posted on Instagram accompanied by a video of a speech he gave at the National Action Network Saturday.
Trump’s speech, made in Long Island, came as he called for a crackdown on MS-13 gang members.
The president said the administration was working well to do so, "but we'd like to get them out a lot faster and when you see ... these thugs being thrown into the back of the paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in, rough, I said, 'Please don't be too nice.'"
"When you guys put somebody in the car and you're protecting their head, like don't hit their head? They just killed somebody, don’t hit their head? I said you can take their hand away," Trump said.
Sharpton said Trump’s comments were "a reckless disregard for the law, and set a tone that is dangerous and biased in this country."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.