Trump accuses 'socialists' in Democratic Party of trying to 'defund the police' while pushing tough on crime agenda

Will police officers flock to president after Joe Biden endorsed some law enforcement reforms?

Donald Trump debuted a new 2020 campaign message on Thursday, accusing "socialists" in the Democratic Party of trying to strip funding from police departments and pulling Joe Biden far to the left.

The president, who now trails the former vice president in key battleground states and is in a dead heat in some long-red states, appeared eager to grab the support of law enforcement groups who have expressed concern that Mr Biden earlier this week embraced police reform after George Floyd's killing while in police custody.

"The Radical Left Democrats new theme is 'Defund the Police'. Remember that when you don't want Crime, especially against you and your family. This is where Sleepy Joe is being dragged by the socialists," the president tweeted. "I am the complete opposite, more money for Law Enforcement! #LAWANDORDER".

That came two days after the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee vowed, if elected, to establish during his first 100 days "a national police oversight commission."

"I've long believed we need real community policing. And we need each and every police department in the country to undertake a comprehensive review of their hiring, their training, and their de-escalation practices," Mr Biden said in a speech that slammed Mr Trump for his brash Monday night tactics against protesters in Washington, DC.

"And the federal government should give them the tools and resources they need to implement reforms," Mr Biden added. "Most cops meet the highest standards of their profession. All the more reason that bad cops should be dealt with severely and swiftly. We all need to take a hard look at the culture that allows for these senseless tragedies to keep happening."

The former vice president and longtime Delaware senator has long boasted about his support of police organisations and unions. But that might be fraying after his Tuesday speech, and law enforcement personnel might be one of the few voting blocs Mr Trump could use to expand his conservative base.

"Clearly, he's made a lot of changes the way candidates do during the primary process, but he kept moving left and fell off the deep end," said Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations, the umbrella organisation for Police Benevolent Association chapters, according to Politico.

"For Joe Biden, police are shaking their heads because he used to be a stand-up guy who backed law enforcement," Mr Johnson said. "But it seems in his old age, for whatever reason, he's writing a sad final chapter when it comes to supporting law enforcement."