Trump tells police officers at Suffolk County not to be too nice when arresting suspects

Speaking to law enforcement officers at Suffolk Community College in Brentwood, New York, President Trump encourages police to use rough physical force against suspects: "When you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just seen them thrown in, rough. I said, 'Please don't be too nice.' Trump directs the remarks toward MS-13 gang enforcement but does not limit them to any category of suspect. He also praises acting ICE Director Thomas Homan, saying: "Tom's guys, rough guys, they're rough, I don't want to say it because they'll say that's not politically correct, you're not allowed to have rough people doing this kind of work." The Suffolk County Police Department responds on Twitter: "The SCPD has strict rules & procedures relating to the handling of prisoners. Violations of those rules are treated extremely seriously." The NYPD calls the remarks "irresponsible." The White House later claims Trump was "making a joke." The White House Archives preserve the official transcript. The speech is directed at a predominantly immigrant-targeting law enforcement effort, conflating MS-13 gang members with immigrants broadly.