Joking that he was “going to change teams,” a sarcastic Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco endorsed Donald Trump’s presidential campaign by deadpanning: “I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House” in reference to the former president’s legal troubles.
In a video posted on his personal social media last week and shared more than 63,000 times on Instagram, Bianco, a Republican, rebuked Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the legislature’s Democratic majority for, in his view, making it harder for law enforcement to protect the public while coddling criminals and releasing them from prison early.
Later in the message, Bianco, who is mulling a 2026 run for California governor, said: “I’m wondering if I’m having a change of heart and deciding that you know what? Maybe I’ve been wrong and I think I’m going to change teams.”
“ … I think they’re onto something but I don’t think they’re doing enough. I think that we need to go big … I hope that you’re all with me. … I think it’s time that instead of letting (criminals) out of jail and giving them alcohol and drugs and everything else, I think it’s time we put a felon in the White House.”
Pausing and raising his eyebrows, Bianco ends the video by saying: “Trump 2024, baby. Let’s save this country and make America great again.”
Bianco spoke while in uniform. The California Political Reform Act does not address political endorsements made in uniform, according to Jay Wierenga, a spokesperson for the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which enforces campaign finance laws.
Trump, the GOP’s presumed 2024 presidential nominee, last week became the first former U.S. president to become a convicted felon after a New York City jury found him guilty of 34 counts of fraud.
Prosecutors alleged Trump covered up hush money payments concealing an alleged sexual tryst with adult film actress Stormy Daniels in an effort to suppress negative headlines during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The verdict drew outrage from Trump supporters, who accuse President Joe Biden of weaponizing the justice system to go after his political opponent.
The hush money case was prosecuted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, not the U.S. Department of Justice, which has brought charges against Trump stemming from his handling of classified documents and the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Bianco is gaining attention in conservative circles. He appeared with House GOP leaders in Washington, D.C. last month as part of a news conference on Police Week, while Fox News and Los Angeles TV stations reported on his “switching sides” videotaped remarks.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.