President Donald Trump has spent the past few weeks criticizing the civil unrest in cities like Seattle and Portland and this week he declared that if federal law enforcement officials had not gone to Portland, Oregon, the city would have been “burned and beaten to the ground.”
In a string of Wednesday tweets, Trump wrote, “If the Federal Government and its brilliant Law Enforcement (Homeland) didn’t go into Portland one week ago, there would be no Portland.”
He continued, “It would be burned and beaten to the ground. If the Mayor and Governor do not stop the Crime and Violence from the Anarchists and Agitators immediately, the Federal Government will go in and do the job that local law enforcement was supposed to do!”
…do not stop the Crime and Violence from the Anarchists and Agitators immediately, the Federal Government will go in and do the job that local law enforcement was supposed to do!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
Trump has tweeted frequently about Portland and accused the media of misrepresenting the situation there. In a late July tweet, he charged that the media “wants the American public to believe that these are just some wonderful protesters, not radical left ANARCHISTS!”
The Lamestream Media, including @FoxNews, which has really checked out, is refusing to show what is REALLY going on in Portland, Seattle, and other places. They want the American public to believe that these are just some wonderful protesters, not radical left ANARCHISTS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020
Trump also sees Portland as a flashpoint for his election. He has said that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden “will destroy our country as we know it,” comparing Biden’s America to Portland where he said politicians “are just fine with 50 days of anarchy.”
The Radical Left Democrats, who totally control Biden, will destroy our Country as we know it. Unimaginably bad things would happen to America. Look at Portland, where the pols are just fine with 50 days of anarchy. We sent in help. Look at New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. NO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 19, 2020
The president has said that his administration is sending federal law enforcement agents to a number of cities, including Chicago in an attempt to “drive down violent crime.” The administration has since announced that it is sending additional federal law enforcement officials to Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee.
The Black Lives Matter protests in Portland have turned violent and over the past week, a “Wall of Moms” joined in the protest in order to protect others and they are now suing the Trump administration after they say federal agents fired rubber bullets at them and tear-gassed them.
