EXCLUSIVE: The majority of county sheriffs in battleground state Pennsylvania endorsed former President Trump on Thursday, saying they are "confident in his leadership and ability to safeguard our country."
Fox News Digital obtained a letter signed by 49 of the 67 county sheriffs in the state, who said Trump is the best candidate to support law enforcement and secure the border.
"As elected law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we consistently hear two messages from our constituents and neighbors: that they want safe communities for their families and children, and that they oppose radical defund-the-police agendas by career politicians," they wrote.
"That is why we are proudly standing with President Donald J. Trump and wholeheartedly endorse his candidacy for President of the United States."
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The county sheriffs said that "even before" Trump was a candidate for office, he "stood shoulder-to-shoulder with police and law enforcement."
"He is the only candidate who has supported and continues to support law and order, law enforcement, and our duty to serve our communities and keep them safe," they wrote. "This is most evident with our Southern Border."
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The county sheriffs pointed to the unprecedented flow of illegal immigrants through the U.S. southern border under the Biden-Harris administration and stressed that "immigration is not only a border-state issue."
The county sheriffs pointed to the Trump administration, where they said the U.S. had "a secure border and proper enforcement of our immigration laws."
"World leaders respected President Trump, and border crossings fell," they wrote. "Without his strong leadership, our border has been swung open – open to thousands of border crossers each day and unimaginable quantities of lethal drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamine that are pouring right into Pennsylvania communities, bringing crime and devastation to countless families."
The county sheriffs said Trump "understands that we cannot have a functioning country without borders."
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"He understands the destruction that an open border has brought to our country, our commonwealth, and our communities," they continued. "He understands the critical role that law enforcement plays in maintaining safety, stability, law and order. And that’s why we are confident in his leadership and his ability to safeguard our country."
They added: "We know that President Trump backs the blue, and we are proud to back him as the 47th President of the United States of America."
The counties represented by the sheriffs endorsing Trump include Adams, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Montour, Northumerland, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland and York.
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According to the Fox News Power Rankings as of Thursday, the race in Pennsylvania between Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is a toss-up.
In September, the Harris-Walz campaign touted the endorsements of 101 law enforcement officials of varying ranks in states across the country.
