NYPD commissioner: Trump 'scares the hell out of me, to be quite frank'

New York Police Department Commissioner Bill Bratton said he's very troubled by Donald Trump's candidacy.

In a series of interviews on Wednesday, the commissioner, who announced he would step down in September, asserted that the Republican presidential nominee's seeming lack of knowledge of in-depth policy issues and tendency to lash out at people who criticize him makes him "unfit" to serve as president.

"Mr. Trump scares me, scares the hell out of me, to be quite frank," Bratton said on CBS on Tuesday. "I just don't get it in terms of the support for him."

Bratton specifically criticized Trump's comments about veterans and veterans' families, saying Trump's acceptance of a purple heart at a campaign rally on Monday demonstrated his lack of respect for the military.

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"As a Vietnam veteran, I'm amazed by veterans groups are so charmed by him. The purple heart medal incident — it was appalling," Bratton said. "Amazing. No recognition of the significance of that medal. No sensitivity there."

Speaking to MSNBC in a separate interview, Bratton also questioned Trump's attempt to frame himself as the "law-and-order candidate," questioning whether the real-estate magnate had the restraint necessary to serve as president.

"I think I know a little about law and order and policing. I wouldn't trust that he'd be able to do much about that, to be quite frank with you," Bratton said. "I wonder if he's actually ever taken a punch in his life, an actual physical punch. It's nice to talk tough, but I'd have some serious concerns about his abilities in that area."

Though he's largely remained quiet on Trump's candidacy throughout the election, Bratton rejected Trump's offer to speak to NYPD officers after several police officers were shot in Dallas earlier this year.

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