Florida's largest police union unanimously endorses President Trump in emergency vote: 'We're being used like a punching bag, and we're tired of it'

As cries grow from the left to defund police departments across the county, police are looking for elected officials who have their backs. Just this week, the largest police union in the state of Florida conducted an emergency vote to make clear where they stood in the upcoming presidential election by endorsing President Donald Trump.

The 30,000-member Florida Police Benevolent Association's decision was announced Friday in an op-ed written by union President John Kazanjian in the Florida Sun Sentinel.

Kazanjian, told "Fox & Friends" on Friday that his organization voted unanimously to back the president over presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

According to Kazanjian, the move to back Trump began with his call for "an emergency meeting via conference" with "all the chapter and charter presidents and the board of directors together."

He explained to Fox News that he told meeting attendees that it was time for the union to take a stand for cops across the country and endorse President Trump.

"We're getting beat up. We're being used like a punching bag, and we're tired of it," he said.

Urging the board to back the president, Kazanjian said he spelled out to the leadership that "President Donald Trump has been there for us. He supported us."

According to the union president, he almost immediately got a motion and second to endorse the president and "believe it or not, we got a unanimous vote."

In his op-ed, Kazanjian made the case for endorsing Trump even more clear, noting the importance of choosing the "kind of society" we want to live in and lamenting the erosion of support for those charged with keeping Americans safe:

This upcoming election for president isn't simply about electing a Democrat or a Republican, it's about a fundamental choice about the kind of society we choose to live in and the future we desire for our families for generations to come. Every man, woman, and child in America has a fundamental right to live in communities that are safe and where men and women in law enforcement are respected for the personal sacrifices they make each and every day to keep the public safe. But sadly, you don't have to look too far to see how quickly public safety all across this country has eroded because of the increasing attacks on the men and women in blue.

Kazanjian went on to decry the move by national leaders who "want to defund the police" and are "stripping us of our civil rights."

As far as the union is concerned, it's clear that "[w]e need a president who will not allow the vast majority of our dedicated police officers to be demonized based upon the heinous acts committed by a few bad apples."

According to Kazanjian and his group, the answer "could not be clearer": re-elect Donald Trump.

In order to maintain our fundamental right to live in a society that is both free and safe, Americans need to elect the one candidate for president who is committed to making our country safe and secure. For the 30,000 men and women in the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the choice for us could not be clearer. President Donald J. Trump has never once wavered from his support of law enforcement officers, especially as we are faced with these unprecedented challenges. President Trump's commitment to preserving law and order in America is our country's last great hope to live in the kind of society where our communities thrive and our families prosper.

The Florida PBA has not made an endorsement for President of the United States in eight years. But with the existential threats to the safety of our members, the future of our families, and the security of our communities, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. And neither can our fellow Americans. Let's keep America safe, re-elect President Donald J. Trump.

Kazanjian reminded Fox News that the union has more beef than just its 30,000 members.

"Don't forget about our friends and families, retirees," he said. "I believe the last cycle, we also put the president on top and guess what? We're going to come out in force this time to put the president on top."

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