Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, called terrorism a “war of narratives” during his media rounds recently.

Detective Brian O’Donnell of New York would probably disagree.

Who knows how many lives the cops saved — at great risk to their own.

He received 70 stitches after being hacked in the face by Akram Joudeh last Thursday. Joudeh is a Palestinian with a Jordanian passport who had been likely living out of his car and has prior arrests involving knives — though no convictions.

Akram Joudeh went after O’Donnell — who was off-duty — and another cop with an 11-inch meat cleaver after they approached him at Penn Station last Thursday during rush hour, multiple outlets reported.

Joudeh had been running through the crowd brandishing the meat cleaver, and O’Donnell tackled him after he had climbed on top of the grille of a police car. Cops ended up shooting Joudeh six times after he ignored repeated calls to drop his weapon.

Related: 70 Stitches for a Good Cop

Who knows how many lives those officers saved — at great risk to their own.

O’Donnell’s left hand and wrist were heavily bandaged from injuries suffered during his heroic takedown, according to multiple reports.

Detective O’Donnell received a salute from fellow officers as he left the hospital Friday — a gigantic stitched cut running down the left side of his face. They and families everywhere understand the risk he was willing to take to protect innocent strangers.

“He will probably be scarred for life,” a source told the New York Post of the injuries to his face.

“Big cities like New York tend to get the most attention when it comes to countering terrorism, but our regional partners like Linden Officers Padilla and Hammer are truly the heroes here,” said one New York City police officer.

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“War of words”? Hardly. A willful blindness to the threats that face America now is more like it.

In New Jersey, Monday, two police officers were shot in a gun battle with suspected terrorist Ahmed Khan Rahemi, who served up two days of terror after pipe bombs went off in both Manhattan and Seaside Park, New Jersey.

One exploded pipe bomb injured 29 people in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood Saturday, and another unexploded pressure cooker bomb was found just blocks away. A pipe bomb also detonated in Seaside Park just before the start of a charity race.

On Sunday, five explosive devices were also discovered in a trash can at an Elizabeth, New Jersey, train station.

A chaotic shoot-out ensued Monday morning after a Linden, New Jersey, bar owner notified police that he thought the suspect they were seeking in connection with the multiple pipe bombs was sleeping in the doorway of his bar.

Related: NYC Mayor Says Islamic Terror ‘Vanishingly’ Rare

Two responding officers, Angel Padilla and Peter Hammer, were hurt — one shot in the hand, one in his bulletproof vest.

“The fact that Rahami was taken down by Linden, New Jersey’s finest is a testament to just how involved we all are in the dangers of combating terrorism and violence,” New York City police Officer Paul Grattan told LifeZette. “Big cities like New York tend to get the most attention when it comes to countering terrorism, but our regional partners like Linden Officers Padilla and Hammer are truly the heroes here. They are just as much on the front lines as any big city cops are. Their quick thinking and diligent work led to a swift apprehension in this case.”

Saturday was a busy day for terrorists — and thus the police, who are tasked night and day with public safety. Also on Saturday, a man who police say called out “Allah,” according to Fox News, wounded nine people in a stabbing rampage at a Minnesota mall. He was shot to death by off-duty police Officer Jason Falconer, who stepped up and protected innocent shoppers in the crowded mall.

“Clearly he is a hero,” St. Cloud Mayor David Kleis told MPRnews.org. “Officer Falconer was there at the right time and the right place.”

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the mall attack.

Police continue to do their jobs, day after day, hour after hour, for fellow Americans who live under their protection — even those who would wreak danger and death and havoc and horror on our citizens and our communities.

“War of narratives”? We are facing terrorism — and our police, our brave men and women in blue who live and work among us, are usually the last line of defense for innocent Americans.