Michigan sheriff calls Capitol riot a ‘dereliction of duty’ by Trump in new Biden ad

GENESEE COUNTY, MI – Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is featured in a new commercial for President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.

In the ad, which is set to air in swing states starting Wednesday, June 26, Swanson – one of the most powerful names in Flint-area politics – calls former President Donald Trump’s response to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots a “dereliction of duty.”

The ad, titled “Stopped,” features news footage of Trump urging his supporters to “fight like hell” ahead of the insurrection. before moving to Swanson.

“It should have been stopped,” the sheriff says in the complaint. “This is dereliction of duty.”

“As a sheriff, it is horrifying to watch police officers being attacked. That is not support for this badge and this uniform. I have no desire to work with anyone who divides. That is not who America is. But I will work with anyone who unites. That is why I am with President Joe Biden.”

The ad featuring Swanson is scheduled to air the same day the sheriff is scheduled to appear at a Biden campaign rally in Flint. It is part of a $50 million Democratic ad campaign ahead of the first debate between Trump and Biden in Atlanta on Thursday, June 27.

Swanson, who is running for re-election as sheriff, has indicated he may run for governor in 2026, when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term expires and Michigan Democrats need a new party candidate.

He gained national recognition by helping other counties replicate his Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST) and a prison education program called Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education (IGNITE).

Swanson also pushed for a statewide ballot initiative to create a registry of animal abusers in Michigan and end a current legal process that can leave pets injured by crimes without a home for years.

He made national headlines when he took off his police helmet and joined a march to protest the killing of George Floyd in 2020.