United States President-elect Donald Trump met Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke at Trump Tower on Monday. There are reports that Clarke, an avid supporter of Trump, may be appointed as the secretary of the department of homeland security.
Reports also state that Trump held a meeting with a former security adviser for George W. Bush's administration and plans to schedule a meeting with Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee for the top position in his administration.
Clarke had heavily supported Trump during his presidential campaign this year. He is also known for his extreme views on policing. Here are five things you need to know about him:
1. He is a registered member of the Democratic Party
Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke has been registered and elected as a member of the Democratic Party in the heavily Democratic country. However, Clarke is frequently critical of the local Democrats and his political views align with the conservative Republican Party. He also has a backing of the National Rifle Association and speaks at many Republican functions.
2. He has proposed to send 1 million people to Guantanamo Bay
Clarke has proposed that around one million people from the United States should be sent to the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison for using "jihadi rhetoric" online. While talking on his radio show, The People's Sherrif on The Blaze network, Clarke had said, "I suggest that our commander in chief ought to utilize Article I, Section 9 and take all of these individuals that are suspected, these ones on the internet spewing jihadi rhetoric . . . to scoop them up, charge them with treason and, under habeas corpus, detain them indefinitely at Gitmo."
He also added that according to his estimates, around a million jihadi sympathisers in America needed to be put in jails.
3. He does not believe police brutality in America is an issue
He believes that America is not struggling with police brutality and the issue was ended in the 1960s, even though there have been rising number of registered cases of police brutalities in the United States.
"There is no police brutality in America. We ended that back in the '60s. You look at the data and the research, and there's a new Harvard study out that shows that there is no racism in the hearts of police officers. They go about their daily duty, if you will, to keep communities safe," Clarke had said on Fox News.
4. He believes the movement Black Lives Matter is a lie
Clarke has referred to the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States as a "Black Lies Matter" movement. The movement originated in the African-American community to raise voice against the brutalities and systemic racism against black people in America. However, Clarke believes that the movement promotes discord and alienation among Americans.
"You see, Black Lives Matter is proving itself to seek only one end — and that is discord, alienation among Americans, rise in hate, and destruction of community bonds. Black Lives Matter has no more to do with black issues than Students for a Democratic Society had to do with Democracy," Clark had written in an article blaming the Black Lives Matter movement for murder of Dallas police officers.
5. Clarke's double standards: Backtracked on violent protest stance after Trump's win
Clarke had favoured violent riots after Trump claimed that the voting in the US elections was rigged during his presidential campaign. He had written on Twitter, "It's incredible that our institutions of gov, WH, Congress, DOJ, and big media are corrupt & all we do is bitch. Pitchforks and torches time."
However, after Trump's win, Clarke backtracked on his support for such protests and said that in wake of people protesting against Trump's presidency, a state of emergency should be declared and the National Guard should be called.
