Rep. Jerry Nadler said the idea that antifa is behind the violence in Portland, Oregon, is nothing but a “myth.”
Writer-producer Austen Fletcher approached Nadler in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday and said to him, “There’s violence across the whole country, do you disavow the violence from antifa that’s happening in Portland right now?”
“That’s a myth that’s being spread only in Washington, D.C.,” Nadler responded.
“About antifa in Portland?” Fletcher asked.
“Yes,” the New York Democrat replied.
This is the Democratic Party in 2020 https://t.co/5qQfI4BHU6
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) July 27, 2020
Eric Trump, the president’s son, tweeted of the video, “This is the Democratic Party in 2020.”
Others echoed similar sentiments.
Portland is at war every night, but Rep Jerry Nadler says my video coverage of Antifa violence & vandalism is a “myth”@fleccas: “Meanwhile…they’re trying to burn down the courthouse”
100% correct
Antifa is very real, & they are incredibly dangerous pic.twitter.com/NbSnoq9cZl
— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) July 27, 2020
Stick his chubby ass in the middle of the mob, they’d literally trample him to death. Honestly this numbskull would lie about the color of the sky. https://t.co/JU8vYVtQav
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) July 27, 2020
As we see Federal law enforcement come under nightly assault by violent anarchists in Portland, House Democrats dismiss the violence as a “myth”https://t.co/hzXAbgM3G1
— White House Rapid Response (@WHRapidResponse) July 27, 2020
The Trump administration has specifically highlighted the alleged role that the far-left anarchic antifa movement was playing in exacerbating violence, with Attorney General William Barr repeatedly singling the group out by name and President Trump declaring his intent to designate it as a domestic terrorist group.
The 59th consecutive night of protests raged on Sunday as local officials declared a riot in Portland when people attacked fencing around a federal courthouse, according to local authorities.
“The violent conduct of people downtown is creating grave risk of public alarm,” the Portland Police Department posted on its official Twitter account. “Portland Police have declared a riot on SW 3rd Ave. Leave the area to the west.”
At least 26 arrests were made during the riot, and law enforcement officials deployed tear gas to help disperse the crowd.
“Throughout the night some people in this crowd spent their time shaking the fence around the building, throwing rocks, bottles, and assorted debris over the fence, shining lasers through the fence, firing explosive fireworks into the area blocked by the fence, and using power tools to try to cut through the fence,” the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement.
“People climbed over the fence to get close to the federal courthouse. People continued to launch mortar style fireworks at ground level that were exploding near others.”
Portland’s police chief pleaded with the public over the weekend to end the violence that has plagued the city since the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day.
“Across the country, people are committing violence, supposedly in support of Portland,” Police Chief Chuck Lovell said. “If you want to support Portland, then stop the violence, work for peace. Portland police officers and police facilities have been threatened.”
