"PORTLAND, Ore. Portland is burning to the ground, President Donald Trump warns, and he has helpfully explained that it is a war-ravaged hellscape where even the mayor and governor are petrified for their lives. Trump purports to be trying to rescue us Oregonians by dispatching National Guard troops to use full force if necessary against the enemy from within. So what explains the gulf between Trump's rhetoric and the reality?"
"Why did a Trump-appointed U.S. District Court judge, Karin Immergut, pause the deployment of troops to Portland and conclude, The president's determination was simply untethered to the facts? Oregon officials have argued, in that court case and publicly, that Trump appeared to have been misled by Fox News. Portland is unbelievable, what's going on, Trump told reporters Sept. 5, recounting scenes of chaos and destruction. That was not on my list, Portland, but when I watched television last night, this has been going on."
"The previous evening, Fox News had aired a segment portraying Portland as out of control and included video from actual riots in 2020 after the George Floyd killing. There have been some clashes this summer, especially in June, but nothing like the rioting of 2020, and more recently the situation has mostly been calm: In late September, protests were small and uneventful, energy was low and people were sitting in lawn chairs, law enforcement reports said."
Federal efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Portland were paused by a U.S. District Court judge who concluded the determination for deployment was untethered to the facts. State officials argued that national cable coverage recycled 2020 riot footage and contributed to an inflated perception of current unrest. Recent protests were largely small and uneventful, with law enforcement noting low energy and people sitting in lawn chairs. Portland faces serious homelessness, addiction, rising office vacancies, and historically higher homicide rates than some large cities, though homicides this year have fallen sharply. Estimated deployment costs reached $10 million.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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