Democrats to blame for unrest, Trump says
President blames urban unrest on his Democrat opponents as clashes claim a third life in five days
Donald Trump has attacked his opponents for failing to keep law and order after urban unrest claimed a third life in five days. He accused Democrat mayors of losing control of cities such as Portland, Oregon, where a man was shot dead during clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and supporters of the president. Mr Trump, who is to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two people were killed last week, has been accused by Democrats of agitating the violence.
DONALD TRUMP has lambasted Democrat mayors for failing to keep law and order as he prepares to visit Kenosha, Wisconsin, where two people were killed in riots last week.
The US president launched a Twitter onslaught after urban unrest claimed a third life in five days when a man was shot dead during clashes between Mr Trump’s supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night.
It was the city’s 95th night of disturbances. Mr Trump blamed Ted Wheeler, its Democratic mayor. “The backlash in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching, and incompetent mayor admit he has no idea what he’s doing,” Mr Trump said.
“Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer. The Mayor is a FOOL. Bring in the National Guard.”
In July, Mr Trump sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland, who were accused of exacerbating the unrest by snatching protesters off the streets and spiriting them away in unmarked vans. With urban unrest reported in a host of other cities, including Washington, Mr Trump accused Democratic mayors of losing control, as he reinforced his message that he would be the “law and order” candidate in November’s election.
Mr Wheeler hit back at the president, saying: “Yesterday’s events began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president [at a] rally in Clackamas County and then driving through downtown Portland. They were supported and energised by the president himself.”
The man shot in Portland was wearing a Patriot Prayer baseball cap – a Right-wing group whose members have often turned up to the protests.
He was killed as violence erupted after Trump supporters, some brandishing assault rifles, drove through the city in a convoy of pickup trucks. They were labelled “Great Patriots”, by the president yesterday. The show of force was met with a hostile reaction from BLM protesters.
Trump supporters fired paintballs at demonstrators who hurled eggs and other objects. Elsewhere, a Trump supporter drove a car at BLM protesters.
Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, condemned “unequivocally” violence from the Left and Right in Portland.
“The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable.
Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable,” he said.
Mr Trump is due to survey the damage caused by rioters in Kenosha, days after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who is feared to have been left paralysed. Lara Trump, the daughter-inlaw of the president, said Mr Trump had approached Mr Blake’s family.
Mr Blake’s mother, Julia, disowned the rioters on CNN last week. “To use my child or any child – our tragedy – to react in that manner is just not acceptable, and it’s not helping Jacob,” she said.
Clashes between demonstrators and vigilante groups saw two people, believed to be supporters of Black Lives Matter, shot dead in Kenosha on Tuesday. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, faces charges of first-degree intentional homicide, reckless homicide and two counts of first-degree reckless endangerment.
Events of the past week have solidified the battle lines between the parties in the election, with Mr Trump seeking to paint Mr Biden as weak on law and order. Leading Democrats accused Mr Trump of encouraging violence.
“The president is only motivated by what is in it for him,” said Adam Schiff, a California congressman and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. “He sees this violence and his ability to agitate more as useful to this campaign. What it does to the country, the loss of life, he doesn’t care.”
‘The people of Portland won’t put up with no safety any longer. The Mayor is a FOOL’