Portland mayor accuses Donald Trump of stoking racial tensions and 'creating hate' after violence in city

The mayor of Portland has slammed Donald Trump's response to protests amid a fatal shooting in the city, accusing the US President of "creating hate and division" for the past four years.

Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, blasted Mr Trump for "trying to divide" the US "more than any other figure in modern history", calling out his "racist attacks"on black people and his "sexist attitudes" towards women.

The scathing attack came after a man identified as a supporter of a right-wing group was shot and killed in Portland, which has been the site of daily protests since the killing of George Floyd in May.

A large caravan of Mr Trump’s supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed on Saturday night, with the president praising the caravan participants as “GREAT PATRIOTS!”. He also retweeted what appeared to be the dead man’s name along with a message to “Rest in peace”, as well as retweeting those who blamed the city’s Democratic mayor for the death.

Speaking at a televised press conference, Mr Wheeler said: "President Trump, for four years we've had to live with you and your racist attacks on black people. We learned early about your sexist attitudes towards women.

"We've had to endure clips of you mocking a disabled man; we've had to listen to your anti-democratic attacks on journalists; we've read your tweets slamming private citizens to the point of receiving death threats; and we've listened to your attacks on immigrants."

He continued: “Do you seriously wonder, Mr President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It’s you who have created the hate and the division.”

In another swipe, he said: "You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history and now you want me to stop the violence you helped create. What America needs is for you to be stopped so that we can come back together as one America."

Before the press conference, the president had written a string of tweets, criticising Mr Wheeler as a "dummy" and calling him a "fool". He wrote on Twitter: “The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order.

“The Radical Left Democrat Mayors, like the dummy running Portland, or the guy right now in his basement unwilling to lead or even speak out against crime, will never be able to do it!"

He added: "Ted Wheeler, the wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland, who has watched great death and destruction of his City during his tenure, thinks this lawless situation should go on forever. Wrong! Portland will never recover with a fool for a Mayor."

Mr Trump has sought to cast cities as under siege by violence and lawlessness, despite the fact that most of the demonstrations against racial injustice have been largely peaceful.

Democrats have said Mr Trump is rooting for unrest and is trying to stoke further violence for political gain instead of seeking to ratchet down tensions.

With about nine weeks until Election Day, some of his advisers see an aggressive law and order message as the best way for the president to turn voters against his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, and regain the support of suburban voters.

Mr Biden said: “He may think that war in our streets is good for his re-election chances, but that is not presidential leadership — or even basic human compassion,"

The circumstances of Saturday night’s shooting in Portland remain unclear.

Video from the city shows sporadic fighting between groups, with Mr Trump’s supporters firing paintball pellets at opponents and using pepper spray as counter-protesters threw things at the Trump caravan.

The man killed was a member of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group whose members have frequently clashed with protesters in Portland in the past, its founder, Joey Gibson, said on Sunday.

He identified the victim as Aaron ‘Jay’ Danielson and called him a “good friend,” but provided no details. Mr Danielson apparently also went by the name Jay Bishop, according to Patriot Prayer’s Facebook page.

Mr Trump retweeted the victim’s name and wrote: “Rest in peace Jay!”