The family of a police officer who died following the January 6 Capitol riots has blasted former President Donald Trump for attending another officer’s wake in New York this week.
New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller, 31, was killed in the line of duty on Monday, March 25, after being shot during a traffic stop in Queens. The family of Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who died after suffering two strokes following a confrontation with rioters during the insurrection in 2021, has accused Trump of using the visit to boost his presidential campaign.
Trump attended Diller’s wake on Thursday in Massapequa, Long Island, while his political opponent President Joe Biden was in New York at a pre-planned campaign fundraiser event hosted by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Newsweek has contacted Trump’s campaign by email for comment outside normal working hours.
According to a report by The Associated Press, while attending the event Trump said Diller’s death is “such a sad, sad event, such a horrible thing.” He continued: “The police are the greatest people we have. There’s nothing and there’s nobody like them. And this should never happen.”
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In an interview with the New York Daily News, Brian’s father Charles Sicknick said: “He makes sure he gets his face out there. The guy’s a criminal. He’s the reason my son is dead— because of the riot at the Capitol. He’s a publicity hound. Trump does whatever will get him votes and helps Donald Trump. There’s nothing good about this man.”
Brian’s brother Kenneth Sicknick said: “The fact that he states he’s law and order but he sent a mob that ultimately ended up killing my brother. He has such a lack of self-awareness of what he does. He’s using that officer’s death as a campaign platform.”
During his visit, Trump met with Diller’s family, including his wife and one-year-old son, according to The Associated Press. Speaking to reporters outside the event, he said: “We have to get back to law and order. We have to do a lot of things differently. This is not working. This is happening too often.” The former president then returned to his motorcade.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung confirmed Trump’s visit and used the opportunity to take aim at the Democrats. “President Trump will be honoring the legacy of Officer Diller and paying respects to his family, friends, and the NYPD. Meanwhile, the Three Stooges—Biden, Obama, and Clinton — will be at a glitzy fundraiser in the city with their elitist, out-of-touch celebrity benefactors,” he wrote.
Following the wake, Trump posted a photo of himself with other attendees on Truth Social, writing: “It was my great honor to be with each and every one of you yesterday.”
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