Exclusive: Ex-Capitol Police officer calls Trump "biggest threat" to democracy
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Harry Dunn testifies during the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack in July 2021. Photo: Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images
Police officers who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection will hit the campaign trail this week for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Why it matters: Their show of support for Harris is meant to underscore the contrast between the Democratic ticket and that of former President Trump, who is a convicted felon and was criminally charged for his role in Jan. 6.
- "The bottom line is, I'm out there to stop Donald Trump. I think he's the biggest threat to our democracy," former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn told Axios in an exclusive interview Thursday.
Driving the news: Dunn and Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel "Danny" Hodges will join the trail in Michigan on Friday, the Harris campaign said.
- The officers will make stops in Grand Rapids, Flint and Detroit, where they will meet with elected officials, community leaders and others.
- They will "underscore how a second Trump term would be an even greater danger to our democracy and our constitution than the first" and highlight how Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, support law enforcement, the campaign said.
- Additional travel for the officers to North Carolina and Georgia is being planned in the "near future," the campaign added. Former Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell is also expected to join the campaign trail at some point.
Between the lines: Dunn ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for a Maryland Congressional seat earlier this year.
- He had campaigned for President Biden before he left the 2024 race, but Dunn said Thursday that "the energy has been through the roof" for the new Harris-Walz ticket.
- Dunn considers Harris to be a friend. The two have known each other since she served in the Senate, he said.
What he's saying: Dunn told Axios he hopes to challenge those who cast doubt on police officers' harrowing experiences on Jan. 6, as well as Trump's role in the riot.
- Dunn noted that Trump has repeatedly vowed to pardon Jan. 6 rioters and "is celebrating the individuals who attacked us."
- Trump has also previewed the danger of his second term by vowing to be a "dictator" on day one, he added.
- "As long as he's continuing to do that ... I'll be out there on the campaign trail pushing back," he said.
The big picture: More than 1,400 defendants have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, the Justice Department said in May.
- More than 500 defendants have been charged with "assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers" during the riot.
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