EXCLUSIVE — During President Donald Trump’s first term in office, he selected Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd to join a spot on an advisory committee for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention — a position which was eliminated when former President Joe Biden took office.
Over the years, Judd has made a name for himself to supporters as “America’s Sheriff” due to his strong stance on crime. With a new Trump term underway, the Florida law enforcement official sat down with Fox News Digital for an exclusive interview, sharing his excitement about another term, local law enforcement’s response to mass deportations, thoughts on whether Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives belong in a sheriff’s office and the president’s recent pardons.
“We are exceptionally excited about our new president,” Sheriff Judd said.
“No president can make every rule that everyone agrees with,” he added. “No president can make every action or take every action that everyone’s going to agree with. But at the end of the day, are you safer? Can you thrive? Can you afford to live? And that’s what Trump’s gonna offer us.”
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One of the actions the sheriff remarked on was immigration. As Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, begins the process of carrying out mass deportation operations, Judd doesn’t believe the roles of local police will change much.
“We run into those that are here illegally and committing crime every day, and we report them to ICE every day,” he said. “The problem is that ICE has not been deporting them. And that’s going to change. There’s a new day and a new sheriff in Washington.”
The executive order Trump signed concerning mass deportations also declared a national emergency to allow the military to be deployed to the border.
Judd elaborated on what he viewed as a mandate for Trump and his thoughts on Florida’s role in the process of deportations.
“But I believe that you’ll see a community and a state and a nation that’s much safer. And with Gov. [Ron] DeSantis, we’re going to set the pace of the way that states need to respond and need to support the federal government and need to respond and support President Trump,” he said.
“Because at the end of the day, President Trump is responding to the mandate given to him by the people of the United States. And here’s what I’ve heard. The people of the United States are tired of being victims. And as a result, we’re going to work really, really hard to protect the people of the United States, and Florida will lead the way,” Judd continued.
Prior to the inauguration, Judd was joined by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other local and state officials during a press conference to discuss actions to combat illegal immigration. During the conference, Judd said a crackdown would help reduce crime.
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Another topic the sheriff discussed was DEI, particularly how it affects police departments. It continues to be a hot-button issue as Trump recently ordered the closure of DEI offices in the federal government and corporations have begun scaling back initiatives.
However, when it comes to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Judd said that had never been a priority.
“DEI has never been an initiative here at the sheriff’s office in Polk County, we’ve never paid any attention to that nonsense. That’s just crazy talk by crazy people. We believe in fairness and equality, in treating everyone professionally and respectfully,” he said.
He went on, giving his opinion on the ongoing debate concerning whether DEI measures should be a priority in sheriffs’ departments across the country.
“It doesn’t need to be in any state or in any sheriff’s office, police agency or government. The bottom line to this is we all need to understand. We’re all God’s people, and we need to respect each other, but we don’t need people’s personal lives rubbed in other people’s faces,” Judd said.
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Sheriff Judd also gave his thoughts on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force in order to protect themselves. Florida has faced several instances of this law being under scrutiny, including the well-known case of Trayvon Martin. The sheriff shared that “Stand Your Ground” laws could be applicable in every state.
The sheriff also scrutinized cities under Democratic leadership.
“Why do the Democrat leaders in California, New York and in the major cities think more of the criminals who are victimizing the good, law-abiding citizens? Why do they think more of them?” Judd asked.
“Why don’t they hold the criminals accountable to make it a safe environment for people to live in these big cities? If you look to see the high crime rate and the danger in the big cities, it’s who you elect to public office that makes the rules.”
“We put bad guys in jail, and that’s not going to change under the Trump administration, because we’ve always done that. But, the Trump administration is going to give the energy for others to stand up against their elected officials in these major cities and go, ‘Hey, stop caring for criminals, rather than caring about honest, law-abiding citizens. Care for them. Put the criminals in jail,’” Judd continued.
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While the sheriff shares his excitement about a new Trump term, he has also been outspoken about his criticism of one of Trump’s first acts as president — the pardoning of anyone convicted for roles in the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
“Now I must tell you, when he pardoned those folks that assaulted, hit, struck, injured law enforcement officers, I had hoped that they were looked at individually, because there’s a great difference in someone who trespassed and walked around in the congressional building, and someone who viciously attacked law enforcement officers,” he said. “So, I wish that he would have taken more time to have looked in more detail before he issued blanket pardons.”
There is local relevance to the pardons, given that several Polk County residents participated in the riot, according to local paper, The Ledger.
“But having said that, Trump has always been a great supporter of law enforcement. So, we’re excited about that. He believes that right is right and wrong is wrong and wrong is never right,” Judd said.
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