Sheriff slams Trump for inventing endorsement: I 'will never support him'

Donald Trump lied during Tuesday’s debate about an endorsement from the sheriff in Portland, Oregon. The actual sheriff of Multnomah County quickly fact-checked him on Twitter.

The comment came as Trump was bragging about having been endorsed by “almost every law enforcement group in the United States.”

“I have Florida, I have Texas, I have Ohio. I have — excuse me, Portland — the sheriff just came out today and said ‘I support President Trump,'” Trump falsely claimed. “I don’t think you have any law enforcement [support],” he taunted Joe Biden.

While there is no such position as Portland sheriff, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese is the sheriff for the entire city. And he has absolutely not endorsed Trump — as he made clear on Twitter after Trump’s false claim.

“In tonight’s presidential debate the President said the ‘Portland Sheriff’ supports him. As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him,” he said.

Shortly after, he again scolded Trump for both his lie and his job performance. “Donald Trump has made my job a hell of a lot harder since he started talking about Portland, but I never thought he’d try to turn my wife against me!” he tweeted.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry for this story.

Trump sent federal troops to the city to attack anti-racism protesters over the summer, further inflaming tensions and spurring violent crashes.

He then blamed the ensuing chaos on Portland’s local officials. “We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action,” he claimed in a July tweet.

Trump’s insistence during the debate that Biden has no law enforcement support is also wrong. Earlier this month, the Biden-Harris campaign released a list of more than 190 current and former law enforcement officials backing them.

Among them was Tom Manger, former chief of police for Montgomery County, Maryland, and former president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association.

“Joe Biden has always stood on the right side of the law and is offering a much needed vision for our Nation,” Manger wrote. “When asked the question, would you feel safe in Joe Biden’s America? The answer is yes.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.