What kind of genius mayor attends a riot & assumes he can calm everyone down?
Portland's Ted Wheeler, of course.
No shocker here: if you don't want to get wet, don't get in the pool.
Before everyone feels sorry for this guy let's not ignore the fact that Ted Wheeler got tear gassed while standing with rioters who were setting the courthouse on fire.
A riot was declared in Portland just after midnight Thursday morning after Mayor Ted Wheeler’s tense visit with protesters-- where he was booed, told to resign, given a list of demands and tear-gassed by federal agents.
His visit ended with his security detail engaging in a struggle with protesters late Wednesday night as they worked to get the mayor to safety, a report said.
Earlier, he moved with protesters to the fence outside of the federal courthouse where he stood at the front and was tear-gassed along with the crowd, according to New York Times correspondent Mike Baker.
Wheeler called the tear-gassing an "egregious overreaction," telling Baker he didn't see anything in the crowd that warranted the reaction by federal officers.
"This is not a de-escalation strategy," he said. "This is flat-out urban warfare and it's being brought on this country by the president and it's got to stop now."
PORTLAND, OR - JULY 22: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler reacts after being exposed to tear gas fired by federal officers while attending a protest against police brutality and racial injustice in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 22, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. State and city elected officials have called for the federal officers to leave Portland as clashes between protesters and federal police continue to escalate. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)