Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Rejects Federal Help as Rioters Continue to Burn Buildings

(L) Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler in Portland, Oregon, on July 22, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images); President Donald Trump at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Aug. 27, 2020. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

The mayor of Portland denied an offer from President Donald Trump to provide federal assistance to Oregon’s largest city as nightly protests that are often declared riots continue.

Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, wrote a letter (pdf) to the president on Friday after he was asked several times throughout the week to accept federal help as the city enters its 94th night of protests.