Trump said the sheriff in Portland endorsed him. That's not true, and the sheriff himself fact-checked the president on it.
- President Donald Trump claimed during Tuesday's debate that the "Portland sheriff" endorsed him, which is not true.
- The sheriff himself fact-checked Trump in a tweet: "As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him."
- Reese also tweeted that Trump talking about Portland has made his job "a hell of a lot harder."
The sheriff who serves Portland, Oregon, called out President Donald Trump for saying during Tuesday's debate that he had the sheriff's support.
Mike Reese, who was previously the Portland Police Chief before taking over as sheriff, said that he did not and will not endorse Trump.
"In tonight's presidential debate the President said the 'Portland Sheriff' supports him," Reese said. "As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him."
During the debate, Trump boasted about military and police groups he said support him.
"Law enforcement, almost every law enforcement group in the United States. I have Florida. I have Texas. I have Ohio," he said. "Excuse me, Portland. The Portland sheriff just came out today and said 'I support President Trump."
Reese, though, insists that's not true.
The sheriff said Trump has only complicated his job since he started talking about the Pacific Northwest city.
"Donald Trump has made my job a hell of a lot harder since he started talking about Portland, but I never thought he'd try to turn my wife against me!" Reese said.
Portland has experienced months of unrest since the killing of George Floyd in May.
In addition to anti-racism protests, some which have devolved into riots, counterprotests from right-wing or pro-Trump groups have also been held in the city. Conflicts between the opposing groups have, at times, become violent.
In August, Aaron Danielson, reportedly a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, was killed while taking part in a counterprotest
Michael Forest Reinoehl, who was under investigation for shooting Danielson, was killed by an officer in Lacey,Washington, when a federal fugitive task force, composed of members of the FBI and US Marshals Service, moved to arrest him.
During the debate on Tuesday, Trump said that if local and state leaders cooperated, he could end the protests and related violence.
Moderator Chris Wallace then asked Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, whether he had reached out to the Democratic leaders of Washington and pressed them to allow the National Guard in to deal with the unrest.
"They can in fact take care of it if he'd just stay out of the way," Biden said of Trump.
- Read more:
- Kyle Rittenhouse — the teen charged with first-degree homicide over the shooting of 3 people at Kenosha protests — was obsessed with Blue Lives Matter and appeared 'on edge' before shots rang out
- Kenosha police chief says 3 people wouldn't have been shot during protests if they weren't illegally out past curfew
- Chaos will continue in Kenosha until the cop who shot Jacob Blake is fired or arrested, local Black Lives Matter activists worry