‘Just plain wrong’: Fox News analyst attacks Trump’s ‘unconstitutional’ use of federal troops in Portland

Thousands of protesters are on the streets as camouflaged officers arrest and beat people without clear authority

Fox News judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano has condemned the Trump administration for sending federal troops into Portland to stop protests unfolding there, saying their actions are both unconstitutional and “just plain wrong”.

It comes amid growing anger at the sight of camouflage-clad troops arresting people on Portland’s streets without explanation – even as city leaders demand that they leave.

“The federal government cannot put troops or military personnel or police on the streets without the invitation of the governor or the legislature of the state,” said Mr Napolitano in a Fox News interview. “That’s not only federal law, that’s in the Constitution.

“What happened in Portland over the weekend, was not only unlawful and unconstitutional, it was just plain wrong,” said Mr Napolitano. “Sending armed, untrained police into the streets wearing fatigues without the knowledge or consent of the local police actually caused more violence.”

On the same night Mr Napolitano gave his assessment, Portland – which has been roiled by more than seven weeks of demonstrations – saw one of its biggest peaceful crowds yet assembling to resist the federal crackdown.

While Portland mayor Ted Wheeler has complained that he did not invite help from the federal government and said its troops had in fact escalated the situation, acting secretary of homeland security Chad Wolf said in an interview on Monday that he was more than prepared to crack down on “anarchists and extremists” unilaterally.

“I don’t need invitations by the state, state mayors or state governors to do our job,” he told Fox and Friends. “We’re going to do that, whether they like us there or not.

“We want to work with them, and we have great working relationships with the vast majority of local law enforcement. However, there are some communities that, again, want to breed this environment that allows this lawlessness.”

Mr Napolitano’s view was quite different. “You have a lot of peaceful demonstrators. The complaint filed by the attorney general of Oregon against the Department of Homeland Security recounts horror stories of peaceful people being kidnapped, held blindfolded, handcuffed, and incommunicado for just two hours and then let go.

“There is no reason to disturb those people,” he went on. “The people they should stop are the ones with the baseball bats.”