The New York Times claims that the federal officers protecting federal buildings in Portland don’t have adequate training. This information supposedly came via an internal memo the Department of Homeland Security sent to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf. So how did the NYT obtain a copy of the memo? They didn’t say, but I smell a leak.

President Trump and Sec. Chad Wolf. The White House/flickr/public domain.

These DHS officers protect federal buildings, not patrol the entire city. That’s their only job. And, according to the NYT, the memo lists such buildings in Portland, and also describes the problems the officers encountered while protecting them.

The federal officers come from BORTAC, which is a Border Patrol version of a SWAT team. They’re also more accustomed to handling drug smugglers than city unrest. Thus, concludes the NYT, they’re not well-equipped to deal with what the paper called “protesters.”

In addition, the memo also reads:

“Moving forward, if this type of response is going to be the norm, specialized training and standardized equipment should be deployed to responding agencies.”

Because of this supposed ‘incompetence,’ claims the NYT, the protesters rioters have been “rejuvenated.”

“The issue is playing out as the aggressive federal campaign to suppress protests in Portland appears to have instead rejuvenated the city’s movement, as protesters gathered by the hundreds late Friday and into Saturday morning — the largest crowd in weeks.”

Rather, it’s Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler who has been a complete failure in handling the protests riots in his city. Thus, undeterred rioters continue their mayhem.

Yet Wheeler still wants the officers to leave Portland.

Moreover, while the federal officers and Portland police worked together to disperse the protesters rioters on Friday night, Wheeler angrily declared on Saturday night that there would be no more cooperation, either:

“Earlier today I directed that staff who are part of federal agency operations are no longer allowed to co-locate with the police bureau’s incident command. While sharing a space helped facilitate clear communication, based on recent actions by federal law enforcement officers I am not comfortable having them in our space.” 

But law professor Jonathan Turley said not so fast. Wheeler and the city of Portland cannot force the federal officers out:

“As a legal matter, Portland cannot force the federal officers out of Portland or prevent arrests for federal offenses. This is the other side of federalism. The federal government has jurisdiction in the protection of federal buildings and the arrest of suspects in federal crimes.”

Meanwhile, Twitter blew up on Saturday with the hashtags #PortlandKidnappings, #TrumpThreatensAmerica, and #TrumpGestapo. Former Obama speechwriter Ben Rhodes chimed in, too, with hysteria over “unmarked militarized federal police force operating in an American city.”

Except the federal officers do wear badges that identify them as Customs and Border Patrol. They don’t wear personal name tags due to recent doxxing incidents.

https://twitter.com/love_heals_all8/status/1284310059636461568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1284310059636461568%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fbrettt-3136%2F2020%2F07%2F18%2Fnow-ben-rhodes-is-getting-the-vapors-over-the-unmarked-militarized-federal-police-force-in-portland-cnn-looks-into-mysterious-detentions%2F

Perhaps if the feckless Wheeler had been more efficient in mopping up his own streets, federal officers wouldn’t need to be there, name tags or not. But for him it’s more important to oppose President Trump than to keep his city safe.

The New York Times blames Trump and his directives for Portland’s violence, too. They also downplay the actions of the rioters, instead preferring to call them “protesters” or “demonstrators.”

“Federal officers at times flooded street corridors with tear gas and shot projectiles from paintball guns, while demonstrators responded by shouting that the officers in fatigues were “terrorists” and chanting: “Whose streets? Our streets.”

“. . . the extraordinary campaign to subdue protesters has led to widespread condemnation of the federal response in Portland and beyond.”

There’s also this little tidbit meant to show how caring the protesters rioters are towards each other. Oh, so sweet! So kind!

“Along with street medics, protesters also have the support of a snack van that offers free Gatorade and instant noodles, and a makeshift kitchen called Riot Ribs that cooks bratwursts and Beyond Meat sausage. Someone on Saturday had set up a stand selling T-shirts promoting racial equity and hand washing.”

And as for the violence? Well, the NYT calls it “unruly responses.”

“Others have engaged in more unruly responses, such as graffiti or throwing objects at officers.”

You know who engages in “unruly responses?” Five-year-olds. Not adults.

I suppose knocking a street preacher unconscious was an “unruly response,” too. Right, New York Times?

Antifa rioters in Portland knock the street preacher unconscious and move him elsewhere after he wouldn’t leave the public demonstration. Video by @FromKalen: pic.twitter.com/bkpCmVryR4

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 18, 2020

So was setting the Portland Police union hall ablaze.

Antifa started fires in the street outside the Portland police union hall before breaking inside and setting it on fire. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/Ksw1uTp2v1

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 19, 2020

But according to the NYT, the biggest problem is that the “Federal Officers Deployed in Portland Didn’t Have Proper Training.” They have this memo to prove it, too.

It’s not that Mayor Ted Wheeler is a liberal pajama boy who hasn’t controlled his city for the past 50 days. No, the fault lies solely with President Trump, of course. He sent in poorly-trained shock troops to terrorize the peaceful protesters of Portland. That’s what the Paper of Record wants you to believe.

Featured image: Jack Ketcham/flickr/cropped/CC BY-SA 2.0.