FBI Director Kash Patel issued a direct warning to anyone who attacks law enforcement, vowing Saturday that those who "touch a cop" will be tracked down and arrested amid growing concerns over violence against officers.

The comments came while Patel was speaking on SiriusXM Patriot's "Breitbart News Saturday," discussing violence against federal officers.

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"You have to back the blue," Patel said. "I say the following to as many officers and Americans that I get in front of: If you touch a cop, we're going to put you down. And that's what we're doing."

He said the FBI is "going to back our partners," noting that any criminal who assaults or impedes law enforcement is "going to face the full force of law enforcement."

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"We're not saying that you can't go out there and peacefully protest," Patel said. "We are simply saying, ... you cannot interfere with [an officer in their] lawful execution of [their] lawful duty.

Since the start of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown, the Department of Homeland Security has reported violence against federal agents spiked to a record high.

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The director added police around the country are "so empowered by the fact that we are backing the blue, that they know they have that backing."

"They also know that if they are physically harmed, they're just not going to have some perp get away with it," he said. "We're going to go find them and we're going to arrest them."

Patel's stance on the issue has remained consistent throughout his time serving in the administration; In June, he posted a similar statement on social media.

"Hit a cop, you’re going to jail… doesn’t matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you," Patel wrote in a June 7 X post. "If the local police force won’t back our men and women on the thin blue line, we @FBI will."

The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

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As New Jersey wrestles with a record‑high state budget and a structural deficit, Gov. Mikie Sherrill faces stiff resistance to most proposed spending cuts — with one notable exception.

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A majority of voters say Rutgers University’s football program should get a big funding cut.

A new poll from Fairleigh Dickinson University found broad voter support for reducing state aid to Rutgers football, even as residents remain divided over cutting K-12 school aid, higher education funding and property‑tax relief programs.

The poll found 67% of voters said they support cutting state money for the Rutgers football team. Just 31% opposed a cut.

The sentiment crosses party lines, with 64% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans backing a reduction in football funding at the state university.

Rutgers officials declined to comment.

The poll results follow reporting by NJ.com showing the Rutgers athletics program received an estimated $40 million in state funding over the past several years under former Gov. Phil Murphy. By comparison, the program received about $100,000 over eight years during the administration of former Gov. Chris Christie.

Despite that increase in public support, Rutgers athletics reported a $78 million shortfall for fiscal year 2025, part of a broader $516 million cumulative deficit, NJ.com previously reported.

“Regardless how we slice this thing, it’s got to get better,” Rutgers Athletic Director Keli Zinn said earlier this year of the program’s finances.

The football team finished with a 5-7 record overall last season, going 2-7 in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights missed out on a chance for a bowl bid in a 40-36 loss to Penn State in December.

State support for the football team comes in addition to student fees, conference revenue and other university budget allocations used to fund athletics.

Since joining the Big Ten in 2014, the Rutgers program has posted three winning seasons, compiling a combined record of 52-93.

“At a time when belts are tightening everywhere, it’s hard to justify tax dollars being spent to support a college football team,” said Dan Cassino, executive director of the FDU Poll. “But voters might be happier about the subsidies if they were winning more games.”

The poll was conducted from March 20-28 with 805 registered New Jersey voters. The margin of error was plus-or-minus 3.4 percentage points.

NJ.com staff writers Keith Sargeant and Brian Fonseca contributed to this report.

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