Donald Trump unleashes Twitter storm after Portland protest death

Posts from a right-wing journalist that claimed to have "exclusive" knowledge of the Portland incident were also retweeted by the president

Donald Trump
Portland has been the site of protests, often violent, for months, following the killing of a Black man, George Floyd, by police in Minnesota in late May.
Ros Krasny | Bloomberg
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 31 2020 | 12:38 AM IST
President Donald Trump unleashed a tweetstorm about Portland, Oregon, early Sunday, hours after a man was killed there during clashes between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter demonstrators.

The president retweeted a post using a profanity to describe Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, suggesting only to "Tone down the language," and others in which the original tweeters accused Wheeler, a Democrat, of "war crimes" and of having blood on his hands.

Posts from a right-wing journalist that claimed to have "exclusive" knowledge of the Portland incident were also retweeted by the president.

Portland has been the site of protests, often violent, for months, following the killing of a Black man, George Floyd, by police in Minnesota in late May.

Another string of posts from Trump late Saturday night included one in which he shared a message from the conservative broadcaster One America News (OAN) that called ongoing protests against racism in the U.S. an attempted coup and aimed to "take down the president."
Trump has ramped up the "law and order" rhetoric following the Republican National Convention, and as demonstrations in support racial justice continue across the country, including in Washington.

He addressed a Twitter message Sunday at Muriel Bowser, mayor of Washington, saying Bowser should "Clean up D.C. or the Federal Government will do it for you. Enough!!!"

A White House spokesman said late Saturday that Trump will travel to Kenosha on Tuesday, days after the Wisconsin city was rocked by protests after police were filmed shooting a Black man, Jacob Blake, in the back multiple times at close range.

Since then, two people involved in a protest over Blake's shooting were killed and a third seriously wounded. A 17-year-old Trump supporter from Illinois, Kyle Rittenhouse, has been charged with two counts of homicide.

Trump hasn't directly addressed the Rittenhouse incident. Talking to reporters in Texas on Saturday, Trump, he said the matter was "under investigation right now and they'll be reporting back to me over the next 24 hours."

One subscription. Two world-class reads.

Already subscribed? Log in

Subscribe to read the full story →
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

Topics :Donald TrumpTwitterUnited States

Next Story