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WASHINGTON President Donald Trump received applause on Friday when he endorsed police brutality while delivering a speech to law enforcement officers on Long Island, New York.

The president suggested that officers should hit suspects heads on the doors of their police cars.

When you see these towns and when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon, you just see them thrown in, rough, and I said, Please dont be too nice, Trump said.

Like when you guys put somebody in the car and youre protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over, like, dont hit their head and theyve just killed somebody, dont hit their head, I said, You can take the hand away, OK? he added.

His remarks received significant applause.

Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

Trump also made the dubious claim that laws were horrendously stacked against police officers and said he wants to change those laws.

For years and years, [laws have]been made to protect the criminal, Trump said. Totally protect the criminal, not the officers. You do something wrong, youre in more jeopardy than they are. These laws are stacked against you. Were changing those laws.

In his speech, Trump also said that police officers in many parts of the country couldnt do their jobs because they had a pathetic mayor or a mayor who doesnt know whats going on. Those comments also received a lengthy applause.

Its sad, its sad. You look at whats happening, and its sad, Trump said. Were going to support you like youve never been supported before.

Trump also spoke about violence in Chicago, which was a consistent theme of his speeches throughout the campaign and is a topic he has continued to reference during his presidency. Trump recalled speaking to an impressive and rough cookie police officer from Chicago, and said the officer had told him he could straighten out the citys violence problem in a couple of days if he was given the authority.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Trump may not be getting along these days, but the two are on the same page when it comes to policing. Sessions has had the Justice Department pull back from pattern or practice investigations that look into widespread constitutional abuses in police departments.

Zeke Johnson, senior director of programs at Amnesty International USA, said Trumps inflammatory and hateful speech will only escalate tensions between police and communities, putting both officers and civilians at risk.

Police cannot treat every community like an invading army, and encouraging violence by police is irresponsible and reprehensible, he said.

Vanita Gupta, who headed the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division under former President Barack Obama, said Trumps remarks were unconscionable and undermined the positive efforts of local law enforcement to build up community trust.

The president of the United States, standing before an audience of law enforcement officials, actively encouraged police violence, Gupta said. We call on the president to immediately and unequivocally condemn police brutality. We can all respect our law enforcement officers without sanctioning unjust and illegal behavior.

Robert Driscoll, a former Justice Department Civil Rights Division official under the President George W. Bush administration, was also critical.

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Donald Trump Endorses Police Brutality In Speech To Cops - HuffPost