Trump supporters were quick to boo after hearing a foreign-sounding name—even though it belonged to a cop who died in the line of duty.
President Donald Trump’s ardent loyalists joined him at a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday as he touted the supposed success of his economic policies.
Before the 80-year-old president took the podium, he was introduced by Nevada Gov.Joe Lombardo, who took a moment to honor Las Vegas Metro police officer Austin “Zade” Abdelnabi. The former Marine, 30, died on Tuesday while responding to a report of a person with a gun acting erratically.
“I know Pastor Teis spoke about Officer Abdelnabi,” Lombardo began to say, as members of the audience were heard audibly booing.
Lombardo looked concerned as he heard the jeers.
“No, no. We’re not booing,” he told the crowd, shaking his head. “We’re not booing him. He’s the officer that passed away recently.”
Lombardo proceeded to initiate a moment of silence in honor of the fallen cop.
Abdelnabi was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied criminal justice at Clemson University. His LinkedIn page indicates that he had been with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department since November 2023.
On Tuesday, Abdelnabi was responding to multiple reports of an armed individual acting erratically and waving around a firearm near a local business.
As Abdelnabi got out of his vehicle, the suspect began to “ambush” him, according to Sheriff Kevin McMahill. The fallen officer is survived by his wife, his parents, two brothers, and a sister.
“He gave selflessly to his job,” his mother Amy Harvey told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’ve never heard him raise his voice. I’ve never heard him cuss anybody. He was just a good boy.”
His brother Ryan wrote in a Facebook post that he “believed in protecting others, even when it came at great personal risk. That wasn’t just his profession—it was his character. He lived a life defined by courage, honor, loyalty, and selfless service.”
Trump also began his remarks on Wednesday with a tribute to Abdelnabi.
“I wanna send our love and heartfelt prayers to the family and loved ones of the brave—I hear he was an incredible young man, Las Vegas police officer, Austin Abdelnabi,” he said. “A lot of you knew him, who was shot and killed in the line of duty yesterday afternoon. It was a big deal, a big story, and it should be a big story.”
