My Summer Surprise: Contacted by the Trump campaign for standing by my convictions 🇺🇸

Let’s rewind to the start of this past summer. I’d just finished writing a 15-page exit letter, venting every frustration I’d experienced as a lieutenant in the Seattle Police Department. I wasn’t expecting it to go viral, but something about it struck a chord—and caught the attention of the Trump campaign. That call I received would set in motion a journey I hadn’t planned, ultimately leading to my speech being broadcast to the stakeholders at the Republican National Convention (RNC).

In that speech, I poured my heart out about the city I once loved and the law enforcement career I was once proud of but had to leave behind. Here’s how I opened:

“Hello, everyone. My name is Jessica Taylor. For over 23 years, I served as an officer with the Seattle Police Department, a position I held with pride and dedication. But last August, I was forced to submit my resignation, stepping away from a job that had once meant everything to me.”

Seattle wasn’t always the chaotic, crime-riddled mess it is now. When I arrived in 1998, it was a beautiful place to serve and protect. But, over time, things spiraled out of control. I stood there, powerless, watching as politics trumped public safety, and criminals were practically given a red carpet. It was a dark and bitter realization: this was not the department or city I’d signed up for.

“As a Lieutenant, I watched Seattle collapse into a state of lawless anarchy, driven by leaders who prioritized politics over safety, criminals over law-abiding residents, and left-wing ideology over commonsense leadership… Twenty-three years ago, Seattle was governed by the rule of law. Now, it’s governed by the rule of the mob.”

Some people say I’m brave for leaving. But I’ll tell you this—it was a necessity, not bravery. You can’t serve the public when you’re repeatedly forced to turn a blind eye to real threats. My conscience couldn’t take it. And neither could my heart.

Joining forces with the Trump campaign was not something I ever thought I’d do. Let me remind you, I was a lifelong Democrat. I believed in the Democratic Party—fiercely. But slowly, over the years, that belief started eroding. The truth is, when I took off my blinders, it was hard to look back.

“I will never forget President Trump’s inauguration speech: ‘…Today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people…’”

Let’s be real. No administration or politician is flawless. But when I look at the hard numbers and the sheer difference between the Trump and Biden administrations on crime and law enforcement support, I can’t ignore it. As I told the RNC audience, during President Trump’s term, “violent crime dropped over 5 percent, and the murder rate decreased by over 7 percent.”

Numbers don’t lie. But it’s more than just numbers; it’s about values and leadership. I want someone in the White House who isn’t afraid to support our police, protect our communities, and get serious about real problems like addiction, homelessness, and violent crime.

“This election, we must restore law and order and put an end to the wave of violent crime… The stakes for our cities, our police, and every American citizen have never been higher.”

If there’s one takeaway I want people to remember, it’s this: we’re all in this together. We can’t keep ignoring the reality on our streets, and we can’t let our cities and towns become crime-ridden, lawless shells of what they once were. Standing by and watching it happen is not an option.

So, I chose to make a statement. And I’m proud of it. If I can use my story to encourage people to seek real change, then every word in that speech was worth it.

Thank you for sticking with me on this journey. And, as I ended my RNC speech, I’ll end here: God Bless America.

Full Speech

“Hello,  My name is Jessica Taylor. For over 23 years, I served as an officer and rose to the rank of Lt with the Seattle Police Department, a position I held with pride and dedication. But last August, I was forced to submit my resignation, stepping away from a job that had once meant everything to me. I come from a broken home riddled with family violence, and my mother had a life long addiction to alcohol. I know exactly what so many of you have also experienced.

You should know that before 2016, I was a lifelong Democrat. I believed in it with my entire soul. But somewhere, things went haywire, sideways, and commonsense ultimately left the building.

Like most people, I had become so conditioned on what my tv told me to be the truth.  I believed in the system and I believed it was there to protect the American citizens.  I was naive at first, but I quickly started to learn what was happening in our country once I turned off my TV and started to pay attention to what was happening around me in every aspect of my life. The system is soooooooooooo very broken.

When I moved to Seattle in 1998, the city was beautiful, clean, and safe. I felt empowered to do my job and serve my community. But over the years, the department I once loved and the city I was proud to call home have descended into crime, corruption, and chaos.

As a Lieutenant, I watched Seattle collapse into a state of lawless anarchy, driven by leaders who prioritized politics over safety, criminals over law-abiding residents, and left-wing ideology over commonsense leadership. Twenty-three years ago, Seattle was governed by the rule of law. Now, it’s governed by the rule of the mob. I have given my adult life to protecting the citizens of Seattle and upholding and defending the Constitution with every fiber of my being.

The mob would tell you that the flag I am sitting in front of is racist and hateful toward people facing racial inequalities. This is a prime example of the radical ideologies that have taken over this country. This flag honors, recognizes, and supports the law enforcement community. 

The blue line represents the brave men and women who are the first line of defense between law and order and chaos in society.

I am not alone in my experience. In the past five years, Seattle has lost more than 725 officers. Under the current leadership of Joe Biden and Seattle’s city officials, the violent crime rate has soared to a 15-year high. Last year, the city hit the highest number of homicides on record. Today, due to the weakness and corruption within the Seattle Police Department, police staffing is at its lowest level in decades. Tragically, the residents of Seattle are bearing the brunt of this failed leadership. Thousands of residents and businesses are leaving, and our once-great city has become a global laughingstock. Seattle keeps throwing money at us to get officers to get them to stay, but they continue to leave in droves. It was never about the money. Never. Not for me, at least.

As a former police Lieutenant, I know firsthand the importance of strong leadership and a committed police force. This is why we need President Trump in the White House.  President Trump will prioritize hiring more police officers, arresting violent criminals, and protecting every American citizen. President Trump supports law enforcement and empowers them to do their jobs effectively. President Trump is someone who will dismantle gangs and street crime, reclaim our cities from lawlessness, tackle the homelessness crisis, and the sad reality of this drug addiction epidemic. President Trump will also crack down on radical prosecutors and District Attorneys who put politics over people.

This election, we must restore law and order and put an end to the wave of violent crime. The stakes for our cities, our police, and every American citizen have never been higher. It is time to take action, to reclaim our communities, and to ensure a safer future for all.

I think it’s important for those who do not know, to acknowledge President Trump’s Accomplishments in Protecting the American People becasue they are significant:

• During President Trump’s term, violent crime dropped over 5 percent and the murder rate decreased by over 7 percent. To combat a surge of violent crime in cities, President Trump launched Operation Legend, resulting in more than 5,500 arrests.

• President Trump deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to Kenosha to stop violence and deployed federal agents to save a federal courthouse in Portland from rioters. Additionally, President Trump signed an executive order outlining ten-year prison sentences for destroying federal property and monuments.

• The Trump administration’s Department of Justice provided nearly $400 million for new law enforcement hiring. President Trump backed America’s law enforcement officers and earned the endorsement of the 355,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police.

• President Trump signed an executive order to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and their families.

• President Trump established a task force to help combat the tragedy of missing or murdered Native American women and girls.

• President Trump created the first-ever White House position focused solely on combating human trafficking, which is a HUGE problem.

In contrast, Joe Biden’s record on domestic crime is troubling:

• According to the “nonpartisan” Council on Criminal Justice, crime has surged since 2019.
  
  

• Homicides are 18% higher in 2023 than in 2019.
  
  

• The gun assaults were 32% higher in 2023 compared to 2019.
  
  

• The motor vehicle theft rate surged by 105% from 2019 to 2023.
  
  

• The carjackings were 93% higher in 2023 compared to 2019.
  
  

• The aggravated assault rate was 8% higher in 2023 than in 2019.
  
  

• The robbery rate was 1% higher in 2023 compared to 2019.
  
  

• The nonresidential burglary rate was 3% higher in 2023 compared to 2019.

Biden has failed to stand up to the radicals in his own party who have pushed for defunding the police and has surrounded himself with an administration full of defund the police activists.

His Vice President Kamala Harris supports “reimagining” the police, saying putting “more police on the streets” is not the way to make communities safer.

Police departments are struggling to combat both a lack of funds and a lack of respect as they try to do their jobs.

Many Democrats are on record repeatedly calling to defund the police and following through by slashing money from police budgets. PERF - The Police Executive Research Forum found a nationwide decline of 4.8 percent in police numbers compared to three years ago.

Since 2020, several small towns have had to completely disband their police departments due to hiring challenges as well as budget constraints. More and more homicides are going unsolved, with the homicide clearance rate dropping steadily to now just 50 percent.

Chris Swecker, former FBI assistant director, has attributed this drop to both a lack of respect for law enforcement, leading to less cooperation from the community in investigations, and a cutting of police resources. In most cities, homicide rates remain far higher than pre-pandemic levels. Homicides in Chicago are up more than 23 percent compared to 2019.

Murders in New York City are up 23.1 percent from 2019 levels, while felony assault is up 35.4 percent.

According to the Department of Justice, and from personal knowledge, there has been a major trend of crimes going unreported to the police since 2020.

• In September 2023, the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey showed a 44 percent increase in violent crime from 2021 to 2022.

• At the end of 2023, 63 percent of Americans said crime is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the U.S., the highest percentage since Gallup started asking the question. 77 percent of Americans believe there is more crime in the U.S. than a year ago.

• The number of officers shot in the line of duty has hit record highs under the Biden administration. Since Biden was inaugurated, we have lost over 818 federal, state, and local officers in the line of duty,

• 136 in 2023,

• 224 in 2022,

• and 458 in 2021.

• In 2023, over 330 police officers were shot in the line of duty, the highest number the FOP has ever recorded.

The Washingtom Times wrote an article  title“Liberals’ statistics on falling violent crime rates don’t match reality”

31% of the nation's police departments don't report numbers to the FBI.

No police officer will tell you that they volunteered to have Molotov cocktails, fireworks, explosives, rocks, bottles, urine, feces, and other dangerous objects thrown at them. Nor did they volunteer to have threats of rape, murder, and assault on their families hurled at them. I can speak from personal experience. I did not sign up to be stalked, terrorized, and have our home destroyed by a stranger who simply did not like the police. We found ourselves on the other side of LE….. we were now victims. Why did this suspect think he could destroy the home of 2 police officers? Could it be the radical ideologues who have their preloaded talking points to convince the masses?

I’m scared for my fellow officers who remain on the street. I’m scared for our communities and the lack of police resources. I’m scared for our country, for it appears to have a government that has turned on its people.

I will never forget President Trump’s inauguration speech: “Today's ceremony, however, has very special meaning because, today, we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people. For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories. Their triumphs have not been your triumphs and, while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.”

Webster describes democracy as: noun de·moc·ra·cy di-ˈmä-krə-sē

1. government by the people, especially: rule of the majority

2. a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.

Our first responders need help, our military veterans need help, and our homeless need help. It is time to get this right and take back our country, which we have all seen declining before our eyes, into something we will never recognize if we do not take a stand now.

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak today. Thank you for your time and support as we reclaim our beloved country.    

God Bless America.

#LoveMyCountry”