The husband of the only female New York City police officer who died on 9/11 slammed politicians who are against the police.

Saturday marked the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The husband of NYPD officer Moira Smith, who gave her life on 9/11 in service to others, wants people to remember the sacrifice his wife and others made 20 years ago.

James Smith, 60, blasted politicians that are anti-police in an interview with the US Sun. Smith was certain that the very politicians who call for defunding the police would be photographed “with their arms around heroes and trying to bask in the reflected glory of what my wife and other officers did.” Smith went on to add, “By September 12, they’ll be back to defunding the police. I’ve no intention of being anywhere near it.”

Instead, Smith reportedly spent the day with his 21-year-old daughter Patricia. Patricia was only 2 years old when her mother died upon the South Tower collapsing. Moira had just finished helping the shocked and bloodied Wall Street worker, Edward Nicholls, and was assisting a woman suffering from an Asthma attack when the building came tumbling down. 

James Smith wants people to remember the sacrifice that his wife and 59 other NYPD and Port Authority officers made 20 years ago. As of late law enforcement has faced a cultural and political assault across the nation. “When this country needed their police officers, we were the first ones there,” Smith said. 

“We made a promise to never forget and we’ve clearly forgotten with the way police officers are treated today in this country, both by the public and the politicians,” he explained. “It’s disgusting. It didn’t take long to forget.”

“We were the first ones to run into the buildings to save people” he continued.  “Moira lost her life to make sure that other people got a chance to go home to their families, even though she didn’t get home to hers.”

Smith points out that anti-police politicians have “forgot the lessons of 9/11: there are people willing to give their lives to help you. It’s a sad state of affairs.”