President Trump has gone out of his way to support and embrace the nation’s law enforcement, and now he has picked the nation’s top police union chief to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Trump Thursday formally nominated Chuck Canterbury, the long serving president of the Fraternal Order of Police, to head the sprawling agency.
“The president’s confidence in me is a tremendous honor, and it affords me an extraordinary opportunity to return to active law enforcement service and to finish my career where it began — in working to ensure that our country is a safer and more secure place for all citizens,” said Canterbury, who started as an officer in South Carolina in 1978.
BREAKING NEWS — President @realDonaldTrump has sent the nomination of FOP National President @fopchuck to be the next Director of the @ATFHQ to the U.S. Senate! #FOPstrong pic.twitter.com/1xo69QhAUe
— National FOP (@GLFOP) June 6, 2019
The move is a huge endorsement of the FOP and other law enforcement agencies that have supported the president throughout his administration.
Canterbury stood out because he broke with some other law enforcement groups to back the president’s criminal justice reform package orchestrated by top aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner.
He was already running for reelection to the FOP. But Canterbury said he would end his reelection bid and return contributions.
Canterbury was serving in his eighth term as national president, the second-longest in the FOP’s 104-year history. He would replace Thomas Brandon, who has retired.
He has been on the board for 24 years, during which he saw support ebb and flow for cops, from the Clinton era when the federal government added funding for police to the cold shoulder felt during the Obama era to today’s open invitation at the White House.
