Trump Threatens Democrat-Led Cities With Federal Law Enforcement Arrests For Protests

President Trump said on Monday that he plans to deploy more federal law enforcement officers to major cities to crack down on protests against police brutality. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump mentioned cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Baltimore and Oakland, California, and noted that the cities have “liberal Democrat” mayors.

“We’re sending law enforcement,” Trump said. “We can’t let this happen to the cities.”

Trump has stirred controversy recently for his use of these methods, which some have likened to “secret police.” In videos taken at protests in Portland, Oregon, figures in masks, camouflage, and military gear can be seen grabbing protestors and taking them away in unmarked vans. Based on the videos, the officers neither appear to explain why the arrests are being made nor do they read any rights.

“As best as I can tell, this is ... a last-gasp effort by a failed president with sagging polling data, who's trying to look strong for his base,” Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler told NPR on Sunday. “He's actually using the federal police function in support of his candidacy.”

The masks and lack of identification make it difficult to impossible to determine where these forces come from and hold them accountable. Leaders in Oregon and the U.S. Congress have called for Trump to cease using such tactics on protestors.

“They’ve been there three days and they really have done a fantastic job in a very short period of time, no problem,” Trump said. “They grab a lot of people and jail the leaders. These are anarchists.”

Portland protests have drawn national attention recently, not just for the shadowy officers deployed by Trump, but also for the continued use of tear gas on protestors despite restrictions. Speaking to city officials, Portland police claim the presence of “anarchists” committing crimes and threatening the lives of officers has prompted the use of tear gas.