'WE ARE NOT ABLAZE,' Portland fire department says after Trump falsely claims 'entire city' is on fire - CNNPolitics
Newsflash - Portland Is Not Ablaze. Trump Lies!
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Washington (CNN)Portland's fire department has a message for President Donald Trump: the whole city is not on fire.
At a Monday news conference, Trump claimed that protests in Portland have been so damaging that "the entire city is ablaze all the time." Facts First: This is not even close to true. "WE ARE NOT ABLAZE IN PORTLAND," Lt. Rich Chatman, a spokesman for Portland Fire & Rescue, said in a text message to CNN on Monday night. "There is a very isolated pocket of demonstrations that have involved fire, none of which has been substantial enough to need more than 1 fire engine." There have been protests in Portland every night since late May, when they broke out following the death of George Floyd in the custody of Minneapolis police. Some of them have featured vandalism and violence. Read More These problems have largely been confined to a small area in the immediate vicinity of a federal courthouse. Most Portland residents have continued to go about their lives in peace even as some conservative media outlets have depicted large swaths of the city as under siege. Chatman said there have been fires set "just about every night" of the protests. He said most of the fires, though, have involved contents "inside dumpsters or trash cans and away from any structures." He said there have also been "a handful of incidents that involve direct attempts at starting a building fire," which he said have been worrisome, but he added, "I would like to emphasize again: this is a small group of demonstrators." Regardless, Trump's claim about the "entire city" was wildly inaccurate. CNN law enforcement correspondent Josh Campbell, a former FBI supervisory special agent who is reporting on the ground in Portland, tweeted that it is a "100% flat out lie." On Monday, Campbell said he went to Starbucks, shopped at a mall, ate at a food truck and watched a bike tour roll down the street past his downtown hotel. Portland residents responded to Campbell's tweet about Trump's claim with photos showing tranquil scenes in the city. As Trump tries to convince voters that Democratic opponent Joe Biden is a radical, he has made a concerted effort to depict cities led by Democratic mayors as dangerous. In a Monday letter, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf issued a stern warning to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, saying that the federal government "will have no choice but to protect our American citizens" if unrest continues. Wolf painted a dire picture of lawlessness in the city, saying, "Businesses remain shuttered and Portlanders are held hostage by the daily violence that has gripped the city with no end in sight." Trump made another false claim about Portland and fire in a Fox News interview that aired Monday night. Without elaboration, he told host Laura Ingraham that "Portland's been burning for many years -- for decades, it's been burning." Chatman called this "ridiculous."
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Do not believe Trump's hype. Portland is doing fine...
sure. it's all lollipops and rainbows there, and people are just protesting peacefully.
Must be why the mean old po-po is arresting them.
The liberal left are absolutely unwilling to admit or concede that Trump was just possibly speaking a bit rhetorically.
Sorry Doc..... Trump doesn't know the meaning of the rhetorical nor does he use the approach.
Take him unvarnished at what he says..... you know.... suckers and losers for example.
You're welcome to your opinion as I am to mine.
"Trump falsely claims...………………" Those three words are a constant. As is 'hoax'.
Trump's only saviors' are the forty something per cent that 'don't know and don't know that they don't know. And that is a strange foundation to build on.
It's hyperbole. He's exaggerating to make a point. The point is that things are out of control. The facts in the story demonstrate this:
That's not normal, and neither is local government turning a blind eye to it or trying to downplay it. Such a reaction stands in stark contrast to what most people consider a stable and sane city life. These same leaders tried to blame the federal government for the chaos, which was ongoing before those officers arrived and the chaos continues after they have left. It's a tragic comedy of gaslighting.
It's ridiculous to imagine that Trump genuinely believes - or is trying to convince anyone - that the entire city is on fire. "Fact checking" a thing like this is dumb. This is a great example of why so much so-called "fact checking" is bogus.
It's hyperbole. He's exaggerating to make a point.
Lol give me a fucking break. My 6 year old (birthday was 2 days ago) "exaggerates" and engages in "hyperbole", and when she is talking about rainbows and dinosaurs that is fine. But when she makes shit up about cleaning her room, or picking up her toys, you know what we as good parents call it? Lying.
The point is that you are trying to give the POTUS passes like he is 3 years old. It is truly fucking sad to watch. My own father did it and I told him to hid face that he no longer had anything to say to me as a man.
And Trump is offering you 4 more years of it.
Lol is it? Have you heard the garbled bullshit that drips out of his mentally retarded mouth?
So you think what is going on in Portland is totally fine? Good government? Civilized? There's not a fire every night?
So your response would be to send in the black clothed, unmarked, gestapo troops to start kidnapping people off the streets?
This is America, like it or not, protesting is a fundamental right of this country.
While it is true that some people twist that right to try and justify illegal actions, the proper response is NOT TO take away everyone else's rights to protest. To do so in un-American at its core.
What a rich fantasy life you exhibit to come in here and just make shit up about what I would do. Geez!
Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
Federal Officers Use Unmarked Vehicles To Grab People In Portland, DHS Confirms
Oh my God that is SOOOOO smart. And so original! I get it! Denial. The Nile. Egypt. FUCK that's funny! Have you shared that joke with anyone else? Cuz DAMN. That. Is. Clever!
Hey guess what? Since I wan't talking to anyone about the gestapo (you might want to check the history books to find out what that really was) or unmarked vehicles (who gives a shit?), your apparently super urgent (like you might pee your pants) need to talk about this subject doesn't concern me. This fantasy you have concocted has absolutely zip zero nada bupkis to do with anything I was talking about, so see ya!
here’s an open letter to the mayor from a local leader detailing the ongoing problems causing businesses to flee Portland.
I have attached an article from a recent Business Journal relating to Standard Insurance, the largest private business in downtown Portland, moving their employees to their Hillsboro campus for safety reasons. A larger number of businesses are moving out of or locating outside of the Central City. These companies include, Daimler Chrysler (subleasing 100k SF), Air B&B, Banana Republic, Microsoft (80k SF, plus permanently closing their retail store), Saucebox, etc. Google, who leased 90k SF in the Macy’s building has stopped construction of their improvements. The list goes on and on. If you know a retail or office broker, give them a call and ask them how many clients they have are trying to leave. The number is like nothing I have seen in 42 years of doing business in downtown.
Their departure has absolutely nothing to do with Black Life’s Matter movement (which has been a positive) but does have most everything to do with the lawlessness you are endorsing downtown. You are doing an excellent of enabling people who don’t know or care about George Floyd to ransack our city at the expense of the people you are trying to help. Think how many jobs have been lost by people of color in our city, not through protest, but from vandalism. I would make the case that your actions have hurt those you have intended to help.
I would encourage each of you to walk around downtown Portland in the morning. Name the time and I will give you a tour. You aren’t sweeping the streets, needles are all over the place, garbage cans are broken and left open, glass from car windows that have been broken out is all over the streets, parks are strewn with litter (their fountains turned off) weeds are taller than the plants in the planter boxes, graffiti is on sculptures, etc. You are willfully neglecting your duties as elected officials to keep our city safe and clean.
What outreach have you had to small business and retailers to tell them that you have their backs and are going to help them. Your actions, or lack thereof, have been to the contrary. You have shown them you don’t care and as a result a huge number of innocent and hardworking people have been victimized with some being placed on the street.
I suggest all of you walk downtown and when you see a shop or business that is open and not boarded up, stop in and talk to the owner or worker. Hear what they have to say. Ask what you can do for them. Let them know you care. As importantly, get going on cleaning things up. Get the streets swept, double down on sidewalk washing and cleaning, replace the burnt-out newspaper boxes, paint the light standards, get the parks in order, etc.
Most importantly, show some pride. Own the situation and make it better. If you lead, others will follow. They just want to know you care and are doing something about it. Let them know we will get through this together and this is how the city is going to lead.
Thanks for your consideration of my comments. Let me know how I can partner in your efforts.
Greg
shootings have skyrocketed, the police can’t respond to 911 calls because they are overwhelmed dealing with rioters....