Portland shooting sparks political blame game

A man belonging to the far-right group Patriot Prayer was fatally shot Saturday after a caravan of 600 vehicles filled with supporters of President Donald Trump drove through Portland, Ore., and clashed with Black Lives Matters protesters. It is unclear if the shooting is directly linked to the skirmishes as authorities investigate. Joey Gibson, the founder of Patriot Prayer, identified the victim as Aaron “Jay” Danielson. Portland has had nearly 100 consecutive nights of protests since the death of George Floyd in Minnesota in late May sparked a nationwide response against racial injustice.

How are leaders responding? In a series of tweets on Sunday, the president praised the supporters of the caravan and said the “dummy running Portland” has failed to deliver law and order in the state. Portland Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler in return blamed Trump for inciting hate and division, calling instead for collaboration. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also waded into the matter, saying Trump’s response lacked presidential leadership and basic human compassion.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s analysis of the Portland protests.