A hodgepodge of US government forces has occupied Portland since the weekend of July 4 after DHS officials claimed they received information about “planned attacks” on federal facilities there.
The city’s protests, which erupted after the murder of George Floyd in May by Minneapolis police, have now continued for more than 50 consecutive days.
But state and local Democratic leaders reported that the newly installed federal presence only intensified the riots in Portland. Those elected officials have demanded that Trump remove officers from the city.
The White House has ignored his pleas as he threatens to send federal officials to Democrat-ruled cities like Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia as well.
Trump announced plans on Wednesday to increase police units to Chicago and Albuquerque as part of an operation that will send hundreds of officers from various federal agencies to both cities “to help reduce violent crime.”
The latest example of domestic intervention comes when Trump’s re-election campaign appears to be in jeopardy because of his response to the coronavirus pandemic and America’s calculations on race issues.
After going wrong in public polls, Trump has increasingly focused on projecting a “law and order” message, while focusing on cultural hot spots, including ongoing protests, the Confederate flag, and memorials to figures controversial history.
