'Like Adding Gasoline': Oregon Officials Blast Trump Response To Portland Protests
Demonstrations continued in Portland, Ore., Saturday night over police brutality and racism. State and local officials criticized Trump's use of federal agents to try to quell the protests.
Oregon officials are lashing out at President Trump for sending federal agents into Portland amid the ongoing protests against police brutality and racism. Both the governor and Portland's mayor told NPR the administration's actions are nothing more than political theater meant to appeal to Trump's political base in an effort to win reelection.
"As best as I can tell, this is an effort — a last gasp effort — by a failed president with sagging polling data, who's trying to look strong for his base," Mayor Ted Wheeler told NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro on Sunday. "He's actually using the federal police function in support of his candidacy."
For more than 50 nights, hundreds had been pulling some protesters into unmarked vans.
