On Monday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that while officials in some cities have requested federal law enforcement to help tamp down violence, Portland, Oregon has not.
“What we’ve seen in Portland, however, is a mayor who is unwilling to admit that he lost control of his city,” McEnany said in an interview with “Outnumbered Overtime.”
"We have dozens, if not hundreds of federal troops descending upon our city. And what they're doing is, they are sharply escalating the situation," Portland Mayor Wheeler says, adding that "we haven't asked them here. In fact, we want them to leave." https://t.co/EfZrzsAloz
— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 19, 2020
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McEnany blasts Portland mayor for not seeking federal help
“A mayor who is saying, I don’t need the help of federal law enforcement, while you have these rioters trying to burn down a courthouse, set a police building on fire, hurl pigs feet, attack officers and threaten police officers and citizens alike,” McEnany added.
Portland’s city commissioner has urged Mayor Ted Wheeler to give up his authority over the police department, accusing him “putting our community in danger.”
Fox News reported, “In a series of statements and Twitter messages, City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty accused the Portland Police Bureau – which Wheeler oversees – of collaborating with the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in what she described as an ‘aggressive clampdown of peaceful protest.’
Portland mayor on CNN: "What I want to do is raise awareness nationally. This could happen in your city. And what we're seeing is a blatant abuse of police tactics by the federal government, by a Trump admin that's falling in the polls. This is a direct threat to our democracy."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 19, 2020
Chicago’s mayor and McEnany also exchanged verbal fire
“In one post, Hardesty refers to federal officers as ’45’s goon squad’ – an apparent reference to President Trump, the nation’s 45th president,” Fox News noted.
Hardesty’s comments came in the wake of Oregon’s largest city suffering its second month of nightly violence over the weekend since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25th.
McEnany has ran into similar pushback from Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot.
“While you‘re focused on words, America is outraged by the violence perpetuated in your city,” the White House press secretary tweeted. “One person is taking action to stop violence in our streets: President @realDonaldTrump.”
“He’s offered your city help,” she added. “It’s a dereliction of duty not to take it.”
While you‘re focused on words, America is outraged by the violence perpetuated in your city.
One person is taking action to stop violence in our streets: President @realDonaldTrump.
He’s offered your city help. It’s a dereliction of duty not to take it.https://t.co/OFBwDKveax https://t.co/QLhQnQn2eW
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) July 17, 2020
McEnany says some cities have been cooperative
McEnany said Kansas City has applied the “cooperative model” when working in tandem with federal authorities.
“The DOJ announced Operation Legend,” McEnany said. “That was named after Legend Tallipharoah, a 4-year-old boy who lost his life. He was shot while sleeping…”
“The governor there was cooperative and said, ‘I need the help of federal authorities,’ and we’ve been ther.,” she added. “The DOJ has been there to help and assist. ATF and the FBI and other entities.”
‘That’s the cooperative model,” she finished.