WASHINGTON -- Boone County Sheriff Mike Moore and Clark County Sheriff Jason Watson were at the White House on Wednesday, standing behind President Donald Trump as he was presented with a plaque.
They were two of the 44 lawmen on hand for the event, the White House said.
"There's a new Sheriff in town," the award stated. It featured a badge and thanked Trump for supporting sheriffs' efforts to uphold the law.
It was an interesting time to stop by Pennsylvania Avenue.
The New York Times had just published an editorial piece describing the president's leadership style as "impetuous, adversarial, petty and ineffective."
The anonymous author, the paper said, is a "senior official in the Trump administration."
During the photo opportunity, Trump denounced the Times for publishing what he called a "gutless editorial."
The original purpose of the trip to Washington was to lobby for passage of immigration legislation, Moore said.
But the White House invitation arrived and the sheriffs were glad to go.
"It was my first time in the White House and very interesting and kind of an honor to be there," Moore said.
The sheriffs also went to Capitol Hill where they met with lawmakers.
"For years now, we've been asking for Congress to take some action to secure our border. And for years now there's not been a lot done. There's been some done, but the chasm between the two parties has really limited a lot of progress on securing our border," he said.
Moore says whatever proposal is adopted shouldn't be one-size-fits-all.
There's a difference between drug traffickers, people crossing the border in search of work and refugees who are fleeing violence, he noted.
"Although they're all illegal, I think ... a transnational drug organization should be responded to in one way and a mother and two or three children who are seeking safety should probably be treated another way," he added.