Rep. Peter King says he understands why police turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio in recent days, but he also fears the action could be helping the mayor.
"I wouldn’t have done it," the New York Republican said Tuesday on WABC radio. "But I think they’ve made their points. I understand why they did it, but I don’t want it to be creating sympathy for de Blasio either."
Police turned their backs on de Blasio as he was visiting slain NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu in the hospital on December 20. They did so again at Ramos' funeral on Saturday.
Police union leaders say they feel de Blasio has thrown them under the bus by making comments that they believe have spurred anti-police protesters.
"My father was a cop, I’ve known cops my whole life. I’ve never seen such anger among cops," King said. "You really have not just anger but also a sense of betrayal."