Earlier this week, New York City police officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed during a traffic stop in broad daylight.
The 31 year old, who leaves behind a wife and one-year-old son, was fatally shot below his bulletproof vest after approaching an illegally parked car in Queens. The suspect is a career criminal with nearly two dozen prior arrests, but the White House is blaming Diller’s death on “gun violence.”
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by the hosts of The Fifth Column – Kmele Foster, Michael Moynihan, and Matt Welch – to discuss the tragedy and the political ramifications of the growing crime problem in major cities.
What Happened
On Monday, Diller and his partner approached suspect Guy Rivera after he and another man were stopped for illegally parking at a bus stop in Queens. The three-year veteran of the NYPD ordered the men out of the car, but Rivera reportedly refused.
Rivera – who has 21 prior arrests, including nine felonies – then allegedly fired his gun at Diller, striking him in the torso beneath his bulletproof vest. The officer returned fire on the suspect before being rushed to the hospital where he later died.
Addressing the tragedy in the White House briefing room on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the shooting death “another painful reminder of the toll of gun violence.”
The Juxtaposition
While President Joe Biden is in Manhattan on Thursday for a glitzy $25 million fundraiser with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton where photos with the trio are going for $100,000 a pop, it does not appear as though he has any plans to visit with the fallen officer’s family who reside on Long Island.
Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden had spoken to NYC Mayor Eric Adams about the murder but said she didn’t have any “private communications to share” when asked if the commander in chief had gotten in touch with Diller’s loved ones.
Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, attended Diller’s wake on Thursday afternoon in suburban Massapequa. He had previously posted on Truth Social that his “heartfelt prayers go out to the family” of the fallen. “To Officer Diller’s family, and all of the other brave men and women of law enforcement who put your lives on the line every day, we love you, we appreciate you, and we will always stand with you!” he wrote.
The juxtaposition, Megyn said, is striking. “The current president will hobnob with the elites, while the former president will be on Long Island to attend the wake of the first NYPD cop killed in the line of duty since 2022,” she explained. “It’s a terrible look for Joe Biden.”
Biden’s schedule suggests he has several hours between when he lands in New York and when he arrives at Radio City Music Hall for the campaign event that could have been used to attend Diller’s visitation, but Foster said the 81 year old is likely not up for the task. “I mean, I feel a little bad for Karine Jean-Pierre there because she has a president who probably doesn’t have the stamina… He’s resting up all day to go to that [evening] event,” he said. “Their hands are perhaps somewhat tied, but, that said, it is a really, really bad look.”
Soft on Crimes Dems
In addition to Officer Diller’s death on Monday, four people have died in the NYC subway system this week alone. Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul recently deployed the National Guard to help ease fears about rising crime, but public safety in urban areas will almost certainly be on voters’ minds come November.
That is why Megyn said the president should have made the trip to Long Island. “Why wouldn’t Joe Biden go to this,” she asked. “I’m sorry, but this cop’s picture is going to be used in [Trump’s] campaign for the next seven months if [Biden] completely blows this off because the Democrats have been criticized for being too soft on crime.”
Despite statistics that claim crime is down, Megyn said those numbers don’t often tell the whole story and the public feels differently. “People are angry about the crime situation even though it’s kind of like the economy,” she concluded. “We’re being told, ‘Oh, it’s better. It’s better. It’s better.’ Well, tell it to the family of this officer.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with The Fifth Column by tuning in to episode 752 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.