Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf criticized the Portland mayor and his “completely irresponsible” comment that members of his department and other federal agents are “escalating the situation” in the city.
“The facts don’t lie and the facts are that these violent anarchists and extremists were violent long before DHS increased federal assets in Portland,” Wolf told “Fox & Friends” on Monday, the morning after the 53rd consecutive night. of protests in Oregon largest city.
Over the weekend, protesters broke into the Portland Police Association building and set it on fire as protests for George Floyd’s death escalated for another night, according to Portland Police.
President Trump denounced the violent protests in Portland, and the Trump administration recruited federal agents, including the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, to protect federal property.
The riots had frustrated Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, and other local officials who had said a small group of violent activists was drowning out the message from peaceful protesters. Wheeler also said that the presence of the federal police in Portland was exacerbating the situation.
Wheeler said Friday: “Keep your troops in their own buildings, or have them leave our city.”
“The words and actions of President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security have shown that this is an attack on our democracy,” added Wheeler.
Speaking about CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Wheeler doubled down on his remarks.
“The president has a complete misunderstanding of cause and effect,” Wheeler said. “What is happening here is that we have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending on our city and what they are doing is that they are intensifying the situation.” Your presence here is actually leading to more violence and more vandalism. ”
“We haven’t asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave, “he added, calling for the intervention, which he says is” a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government “and the Trump administration,” a direct threat to our democracy. “
Wheeler went on to say, “We are all telling the Trump administration to stop the rhetoric, get these people out of our city, they are not helping us, they are hurting us.”
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In response, Wolf said, “I think this is a completely irresponsible comment.”
“What we know is, before July 4, where we saw an escalation of violence in Portland, before that time there was ongoing violence and DHS had very few officers in the city,” he explained.
“At the end of the day we are going to protect the court and we are going to protect our law enforcement officers there,” he continued,
Wolf noted that there have been “more than 50 nights of violent activity against federal facilities and federal law enforcement officers,” adding that “it must stop.”
“DHS is not going to back down from our responsibilities,” he continued. “We are not climbing, we are protecting … federal facilities.”
He noted that “it is our job” to protect federal property.
“It is what Congress told us to do over and over, so we will do it,” Wolf said. “We are going to investigate and hold those responsible. We will arrest them and hold those who are doing this destruction accountable. ”
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported last week that some officers had been driving in unidentified vans and snatching protesters from the streets, not near federal properties, without identifying themselves.
Tensions also escalated after a Marshal Service officer fired a less deadly round at the head of a protester earlier this month, seriously injuring him.
In response to criticism, Wolf said that “local leaders in Portland have fostered this environment that allows” people “to attack the court” and carry out “violent” and “destructive” acts “night after night after night.”
“They congregate around midnight and leave until 4:00 to 4:30 am every night [for] more than 50 nights, while Portland leaders do nothing about it, “Wolf said.
He emphasized that DHS officials and other federal agents are protecting federal property and, as they encounter criminals, “we are going to investigate and arrest them, and we have the authority to do so.”
“We are not trying to scale, we are trying to hold those people accountable,” he explained. “What we are not going to do is allow them to attack a courthouse and then just cross the street onto the city property and say you can’t touch me. This is not how this works.
Wolf noted that “almost all of our activity has taken place in one, two or three blocks around that court and will continue to do so.”
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“There are other parts of the city and other parts of Portland that are having destructive acts. DHS is nowhere near that, ”said Wolf. “We are focused on protecting federal facilities, that is our mission and we will continue to do so.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
