San Francisco has had enough of Harris
If you value articles like this, sign up for our daily email newsletter and support us with a donation.
Editor's note:
Election Day is Nov. 5. Be ready for the ballot box by registering to vote.
For information on registration deadlines in your state or territory, click here.
To register to vote online, or update your registration, click here.
The San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) has declined to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, a decision stemming from her record as District Attorney (DA) of San Francisco, her support for "defund the police" policies, and her affiliation with anti-law enforcement movements like Black Lives Matter (BLM).
This comes on the back of several high-profile refusals of endorsement by major US newspapers such as the The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and, along with its 200-plus affiliates, USA Today – all showing a dramatic shift among elites away from Harris.
However, the failure to receive an endorsement from the police union in the city where Harris began her political career as DA from 2004-2011, is a different matter. The SFPOA's choice illustrates a longstanding friction between law enforcement and Harris, whose career is marked by what many critics view as a "soft-on-crime" approach and anti-police rhetoric that prioritize criminals over public safety.
CRIMINAL NEGLECT: A LEGACY OF ENABLING LAWLESSNESS
Kamala Harris' tenure as San Francisco District Attorney (2004–2011) is where her anti-police stance first took shape. One of the most contentious moments came in 2004, when Harris refused to pursue the death penalty for David Hill, a gang member who murdered San Francisco Police Officer Isaac Espinoza. Her rebuff sparked outrage within law enforcement and even led Democratic US Senator Dianne Feinstein, a San Francisco native, to publicly condemn Harris' decision.
Harris' office continued on this toxic trajectory by prioritizing so-called "restorative" programs. She pitched these programs as a means of reducing recidivism, but many within the police union saw it as providing criminals a free pass under the guise of rehabilitation. In her pursuit of "justice reform," Harris seemed willing to put San Franciscans at risk by elevating criminals' rights above public safety.
THE ANTI-POLICE AGENDA
Harris' anti-police sentiments became clearer in her later career. At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, Harris expressed solidarity with the movement, which, while ostensibly against police brutality, has been criticized for promoting outright hostility toward law enforcement.
Harris' vocal support of BLM, whose machinations sparked riots in cities across the United States, further strained her relations with law enforcement. Critics argue that her backing of the Marxist group emboldened anti-police sentiments, making it clear that she was more interested in aligning with the Left's radical narratives than protecting American cities from soaring crime.
In 2020, at the peak of anti-police activism, Harris supported the controversial "defund the police" initiative. This approach, which called for redirecting law enforcement funding to other social services, led to a $120 million cut from the San Francisco police and sheriff's budgets. Progressives celebrated the move, but it left San Francisco residents – and police – vulnerable.
Since then, crime rates have skyrocketed, and law enforcement morale has plummeted; and all the while, Kamala and her allies have praised the starving of law enforcement budgets as a step toward "justice." Harris' endorsement of such measures illustrates her focus on appeasing a radical political base rather than addressing the realities of public safety.
POLICE PUSH BACK
Voters are rightly troubled by Harris' public backing of BLM – a movement that Republicans and members of law enforcement argue is less about "justice" and more about creating a hostile environment for police and protecting criminals.
Black Lives Matter has become notorious for supporting criminals, celebrating felons as martyrs while overlooking their violent histories. Harris' association with such a group signifies to many her tacit approval of these sentiments. By championing a movement that often vilifies officers and aligns itself with criminal actions, Harris has shown that her priorities are out of sync with public safety needs.
The SFPOA's refusal to endorse Harris reflects broader disapproval within the law enforcement community, where many feel she has consistently demonstrated a lack of respect for their work. Her approach, in their view, represents an ideologically-driven agenda that undermines officers, protects criminals, and puts the public at risk.
A HARRIS PRESIDENCY = A HARROWING FUTURE
Kamala Harris' career illustrates the consequences of prioritizing ideology over the practical realities of public safety. From her time as San Francisco DA to her current role in Washington, Harris' record reveals a politician more interested in pandering to radical elements than standing up for law and order. The SFPOA's refusal to endorse her reflects this disconnect, as law enforcement professionals, and many in the public at large, reject the criminal-centered approach of the radical Left.
The SFPOA's decision to withhold endorsement is a resounding statement: Kamala Harris' approach to crime and policing is out of step with the needs of the nation. A Harris presidency would undoubtedly continue to hamstring law enforcement and put the American people at increasingly greater risk.
Writer, editor and producer Stephen Wynne has spent the past seven years covering, from a Catholic perspective, the latest developments in the Church, the nation and the world. Prior to his work in journalism, he spent eight years co-authoring “Repairing the Breach,” a book examining the war of worldviews between Christianity and Darwinism. A Show-Me State native, he holds a BA in Creative Writing from Pepperdine University and an Executive MBA from the Bloch School of Business at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Please join us in praying and fighting for Souls and Liberty; as well as, consider making a donation to support our work.
