The National Sheriffs Association Reveals Fealty to Trump, Not the Law

In the run-up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the CEO of the National Sheriffs Association (NSA) Jonathan Thompson — not a sheriff — claimed that news stories about “mass deportation” were a symptom of left-wing hysteria. In an interview with Wired in December of 2024, he said, “It’s synthetic hyperventilation…It’s all designed to scare people, and it won’t happen like that, period.”
Yet, a month later with Trump poised to move into the White House, Thompson sang a different tune. Describing the Biden administration as a time when sheriffs across the country were exiled to the sidelines, he said, “It’s literally like going from a dark, cold storage room with air on full blast to a room that’s wide open with opportunities and that’s welcoming.” He added that at least some of the sheriffs in his organization had already been meeting with Trump’s transition team.
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Other sheriffs echoed Thompson’s view. Sheriff Mike Chapman of Loudon County, VA echoed the sentiment, saying, “The law enforcement community could not be happier with the results of this election.” Sheriff Kieran Donahue in Idaho told a reporter that “most [sheriffs] are on board, even eager, to support an immigration crackdown.”
It seems clear that sheriffs across the country foresee themselves as having more political power during the Trump administration. As I described in my book, during his first term, Trump met with sheriffs around two dozen times on issues from fentanyl to immigration to the state of criminal justice reform. They served as the background to many Trump photo ops and endorsed his third presidential campaign.
In addition, sheriffs are poised to assist Trump in his most illegal and inhumane promises, including “mass deportation,” silencing dissent, and permitting law enforcement to use their discretion without limits.
Perhaps one of the NSA’s biggest tells is the organization’s approval of many of Trump’s most controversial nominees, which indicate just how much the sheriffs want to please Trump and the amount of political power they expect to wield. The group of lawmen proclaimed their support for Pam Bondi for U.S. attorney general, a Trump loyalist who has not only stated her intent to help Trump pursue politically-motivated prosecutions but has also continued to deny the 2020 election results. (Bondi has not yet been confirmed.)
The sheriffs also wrote in support of Tulsi Gabbard as the director of national intelligence, citing her “demonstrated commitment to bridging national intelligence and local law enforcement priorities positions her to make a significant impact.” Gabbard, whose nomination is opposed by the editors of the conservative National Review, has unusually cozy relationships with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.
Perhaps no endorsement is more concerning than the NSA’s support for Kash Patel as FBI director, whom the group described as “reflect[ing] the credentials, skills, temperament, commitment, and experience for this critical position.” The letter goes on to explain how the NSA believes Patel will ensure the county officials have access to power:
Mr. Patel promised NSA – if confirmed – his unwavering dedication to working hand in glove with local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement at the rank and file and leadership levels. His commitment to the reciprocity of access-to-advise is essential to combating the most serious security and policing challenges ahead.
Patel is a political actor uniquely adept at courting Trump’s favor. He sells a variety of merchandise including a “$250 steel wall art of an orange Punisher skull with Trump-style hair.” The Punisher skull is popular with many law enforcement officers.
In his 2023 book Government Gangsters: The Deep State, the Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy, Patel describes a “corrupt cabal” inside the federal government always trying to dethrone Trump during his first term. Most concerning of all, Patel appears inclined to enact Trump’s plan of “retribution” against the media and other political figures who have criticized Trump. By emphasizing that the rot in the FBI comes from top officials, Patel has expressed support for field agents, calling them “cops.”
The one thing the largest sheriffs’ organization has remained silent on — Trump’s mass pardons and commutations for those involved in Jan. 6. My email to the organization went unanswered. (One sheriff in Florida did speak out against Trump’s clemency for those who were convicted of violent crimes.) At least one still-serving sheriff was present on Jan. 6, although he has maintained that he did not enter the capitol building.
Like many police organizations, the National Sheriffs Association and its members appear poised to take advantage of Trump’s promises to make the federal government supportive of harsh anti-immigration law enforcement. Already, the flurry of executive orders has indicated that Trump is prepared to do so despite questions of cost and capacity. By currying favor with the new administration, the NSA is showing that it is a political organization willing to ignore the violation of democratic and legal norms and not at all interested in the public welfare.
Jessica Pishko is an independent journalist and lawyer who focuses on how the criminal justice system and law enforcement intersects with political power.
As a Democracy Docket contributor, Jessica writes about the criminalization of elections and how sheriffs in particular have become a growing threat to democracy.