The Trump administration plans to send federal forces to violence-torn cities across the nation to help quell riots and surging crime, regardless of whether Democrat mayors and governors welcome Washington’s involvement.
“I’m going to do something, that I can tell you,” President Donald Trump said Monday in the Oval Office. “We’re not going to let New York and Chicago, and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these – Oakland is a mess – we’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.”
The move comes as US House Democrats demand inspectors general investigate whether the administration abused its emergency powers, deploying “a secret police force, not to investigate crimes, but to intimidate individuals it views as political adversaries.” Portland’s Mayor has demanded that federal forces leave the city, while Oregon Governor Kate Brown said Trump is playing “political theater.” Democrat lawmakers from the state accused federal agencies of “horrific” tactics, including using paramilitary forces to snatch peaceful protesters off the street. Senator Ron Wyden called federal officers “an occupying army.”
Trump noted that federal forces stepped in only after weeks of rioting by violent anarchists. The US Department of Homeland Security said anarchists have repeatedly damaged federal property and attacked officers with hammers, slingshots and other weapons.
Oregon’s Democrat leaders don’t want help from the feds because they’re afraid of the violent anarchists plaguing Portland, the president said. “I really believe they’re actually maybe even physically afraid of these people, because what they’re doing is incredible.”
By sending federal law enforcement agents to other cities, Trump wants to address not only violent protests, but also rising crime. He said police in New York have been restricted from cracking down on crime after a recent jump in gun violence. Chicago suffered another violent weekend, with 63 people shot, including 12 fatally.
“This is worse than Afghanistan, by far,” Trump said. “This is worse than anything anyone has ever seen, all run by the same liberal Democrats.”
For those such as the Oregon governor who are suggesting that the crackdown is about election-year politics, Trump provided some ammunition: “If (Joe) Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell, and we’re not going to let it go to hell.”
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