On Monday, August 31, Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf delivered a strongly worded letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, warning him that, if the unrelenting wave of rioting, violence and civil unrest in his city does not end soon, the federal government “will have no choice but to protect our American citizens.”
Wolf said that he wrote the letter on behalf of President Donald Trump, in response to a letter that Wheeler himself sent to the president on Friday, where the mayor once again declined the president's offer to bring in federal law enforcement officers to finally put an end to the violence in the city.
“Stay away, please,” wrote Wheeler at the conclusion of his letter. The mayor also accused Trump of adding fuel to the fire when he first sent in federal law enforcement officers back in July to protect federal property which was being besieged on a nightly basis by Antifa and Black Lives Matter rioters.
Trump, upon reading this hostile letter, asked the acting secretary to respond, which he did by publishing his own open letter. Wolf started out the letter by explaining that, although Wheeler tries to say that there is no place for “looting, arson or vandalism” in Portland, he has failed to back that up with any action. This inaction, not the arrival of federal officers, Wolf argues, is what caused the situation in Portland to get much worse.
“Due to a lack of action throughout the summer, Portland and its law-abiding residents continue to suffer from large-scale looting, arson and vandalism – even killing,” wrote Wolf in his open letter.
“Businesses remain shuttered and Portlanders are held hostage by the daily violence that has gripped the city with no end in sight. This is precisely why President Trump has – and continues to – offer federal law enforcement assistance to Portland.”
Rioting has been allowed to continue since withdrawal of federal officers
Wolf also pointed out that, since July 31, the Portland Police Bureau has made 25 arrests, and PPB officers have declared 23 riots and unlawful assemblies. This made Wolf accuse Wheeler of standing by passively with the belief that the rioting and the massive violence will one day “burn itself out.”
Wolf also points out that reality is on his side. When Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, requested the intervention of federal law enforcement officers, the violence and looting in Kenosha ended soon after.
Wolf is now urging Wheeler to not ignore the evidence and to prioritize the safety of Portlanders by requesting the return of federal law enforcement officers. He warned that, if the worst happens, Trump will have no choice but to send in federal forces.
As local Democrats like Mayor Wheeler continue letting Black Lives Matter and Antifa roam their cities' streets and cause as much chaos as they like, national Democrats like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have been busy preparing to declare members of the Republican Party to be “enemies of the state.” If this declaration goes unchallenged, then Democrats will have free rein to imprison GOP members and strip them of their offices.
Portlanders calling for Wheeler to resign following deadly shooting
While Wheeler draws the ire of federal officials and Portland's conservative residents, he is getting no love from the left. In response to the murder in Portland's downtown neighborhood, several “civil rights and community organizations” in the city are now calling for Wheeler to resign. (Related: Portland police begin investigation on Michael Reinoehl, main suspect in shooting of Patriot Prayer member.)
These groups published an open letter on Sunday, August 30. It was signed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oregon, the Oregon Justice Resource Center, Next Up Action Fund, Portland's Resistance, Pop Mob, and the Portland chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life last night and we offer our sympathies to the families of the victim… What took place last night was inevitable given Mayor Wheeler's repeated failures,” said the groups. “He has not protected or supported Portlanders. We do not have confidence in his ability to course-correct. He must resign.”
The organizations gave several arguments for why Wheeler should resign. Echoing Wolf, the most important argument pointed out by the groups is that Wheeler has not provided any meaningful solution to curb the racially-motivated tensions in the city and to put a definitive stop to the violence.
Portland-based journalists have shown that, in the unlikely event that Wheeler does resign, Portland will have no mayor – not even an acting mayor – until the next election. The governance of the city will be left to the City Council, the chief of police and other public officials.
Mayor Wheeler, and other local and state Democrats like him, are giving Antifa and the Black Lives Matter domestic terrorist movement free rein to loot, murder and destroy their way through their cities. Learn about the latest criminal incidents in cities like Portland, Seattle and Kenosha by reading the articles at Rioting.news.
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