PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The founder of a right-wing group that has repeatedly clashed with left-wing protesters in Portland, Oregon, says the man killed in a shooting there was a supporter and a “good friend.”
Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson said he was there Saturday night when supporters of President Donald Trump clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler blamed each other for the violence. Trump called Wheeler a “fool” on Twitter and said to “Bring in the National Guard!” while Wheeler blamed Trump for creating such a toxic environment.
“It’s you who have created the hate and the division,” the Democratic mayor said of Trump. “You’ve tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history. And now you want me to stop the violence that you helped create.”
AP reports Trump had earlier issued a flurry of tweets and retweets, including several blaming Wheeler for the death and one in which the president appeared to be encouraging his supporters to move into Portland. “GREAT PATRIOTS!” Trump wrote as he shared video of his supporters driving into Portland to confront the protesters.
Police are asking for videos and eyewitness accounts of the shooting. It wasn't clear if it was linked to the rally and counterprotest.
Portland has been gripped by protests for three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump referenced Portland in a speech at the Republican National Convention.
