Trump law enforcement officials brush off pleas to butt out of Portland

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/20/ken-cuccinelli-federal-law-enforcement-portland-372570

President Donald Trump’s top law enforcement officials on Monday defended the descent of militarized government forces upon Portland, Ore., rejecting pleas from local and state leaders to pull back the fusion of federal officers.

In an interview on CNN, acting deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli claimed the department deployed federal law enforcement personnel to Portland over the July 4 weekend after having received “locally generated” intelligence regarding “planned attacks” on federal facilities.

 

The remarks from the three senior administration officials, none of whom were confirmed by the Senate to serve in their current roles, come amid national scrutiny of protesters’ treatment at the hands of DHS forces in Portland.

One viral video of the protests depicts a Navy veteran, who is standing still, being beaten with a baton and tear-gassed by a group of masked officers.

Another piece of footage from Portland widely circulated online shows two men wearing camouflage loading a protester into an unmarked van while refusing to identify themselves to onlookers.

Asked about criticisms of officers’ conduct Monday, Wolf placed blame on “local leaders” in Portland whom he said “have fostered this environment that allows these individuals to … do these very violent acts, destructive acts night after night after night.”