Merkley tweet to Trump: Get your DHS lackey and uninvited paramilitary actions out of my state

[highplainsdem]

Tweeted a few minutes ago by Jeff Merkley:

Link to tweet

.@realDonaldTrump: Get your DHS lackey and uninvited paramilitary actions out of my state. Our communities are not a stage for your twisted reelection campaign.

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[Raven]

2. Let's see the Senator put his money where his mouth is.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. How, exactly?

[drray23]

4. you are aware i hope that us senators do not control the executive branch in their state?

Other than bringing the issue to the forefront, Senator Merkley can not directly act upon it. The governor of his state might be able to.

[marlakay]

23. She said the same thing and more

But really what can they do legally to get rid of his private army?

[Grins]

25. ARREST THEM!

[liberalgunwilltravel]

28. Governor Brown call up the Nation Guard

This is actually what the Second Amendment was written for. For the maintenance of a free state against a tyrannical federal government.

[Raven]

29. Yes, that would be a start. An injunction? A senate hearing? Anything, but something more

than a tweet.

[not_the_one]

39. The Governor should set up a sting...

When the paramilitary stop to abduct, pull a car in front, one in back, and arrest them.

See if they pull their guns on the state national guards. Videotape it all.

Find out who they are, and who is behind them.

I wouldn't be surprised if Erik Prince's name came up. I believe he is using paid mercenaries to do something similar in other countries.

[stillcool]

7. what does that mean?

I have not investigated the legalities of this federal action. The Senator himself has definitive actions he can take, to over-rule the federal government?

[bucolic_frolic]

13. Do you mean a bribe for unilateral withdrawal?

Are they government, or private security police?

[Lonestarblue]

27. Government.

From what I’ve read, they’re a combination of U.S. Marshals, the Federal Protective Service (never even heard of them), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations, a division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Plus, recently, there has been a force plain clothes officers with no identification and driving rental cars instead of government cars. They have refused to identify the agency they work for. Some member of this groups fired a non-lethal bullet at a protester not being violent or doing anything wrong and put him in the hospital with serious injuries requiring facial reconstruction. He was merely standing and holding a protest sign. The plain clothes group has been just arresting protesters, basically pulling them off the street. The whole group sounds like a bunch of thugs instead of legitimate law enforcement. Both the mayor and governor have said that they are making matters worse.

I’m not sure what legal means the governor has to get rid of them. I wonder if the governor could activate some National Guard units to surround the protesters and protect them from the feds.

[wnylib]

33. I wonder if the unidentified kidnappers

are military Special Forces.

[roamer65]

49. They are a hodge podge of Trumpists from these departments, if you are correct.

[roamer65]

50. The governor has the full authority to use the Oregon State Police and National Guard.

[stopdiggin]

17. searching the post for the meaning

I'm not getting what is being proposed -- (or suggested, or advocated, or imagined).
Or is this just a straight put down of the Senator's comment?
Please enlighten us.

----- -----

[Shrike47]

19. Merkley has been fighting the good fight since Trump's inauguration. He is a great senator.

I don’t know what he can do that he hasn’t done.

[Blecht]

21. Tweets are a start

And I sure do like this one.

I want to see my Senator with his hair on fire on every major network and cable news channel by tonight, too.

[SiliconValley_Dem]

40. i hat does that even mean?

[JI7]

44. What does that even mean ?

[Leghorn21]

5. Damn straight, Senator

[2naSalit]

6. K&R

[mozan]

8. GO Go my sneator

I like him he is the Oregon AOC, new blood and ideas.
Thank-you Jeff.

[mozan]

9. Other action

The gov has also put out the word She is on this just as Portlands mayor.
They can and well act.

[kimbutgar]

10. I bet they are Erik Prince mercenaries

[flibbitygiblets]

11. thanks for bringing this issue to the national forefront Senator Merkley!

[ancianita]

12. Governors have a real problem. How to remove these paramilitaries peacefully.

This sounds like a federal effort to go to war with governors. PMC's should not become military occupiers of Democratic states.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. Call up the National Guard to remove them!

These are thugs and criminals, the worst of the worst attacking Americans and kidnapping them, they should be met with force.

[DBoon]

24. Have local police arrest them the next time they grab someone off the street

That's kidnapping, right?

[bucolic_frolic]

26. I think that's right, reportable like any kidnapping because that's what it is

911, local police, state police, probably even FBI would take a report of kidnapping.

If someone is operating a paramilitary force inside the US of unknown origin that is snatching civilians, even if miscreant, it's a major thing. But then, you know, kids in cages, detentions.

[Fiendish Thingy]

31. National Guard can be federalized under Trump's control

It would have to be state police or some equivalent.

[Polly Hennessey]

15. Nice of Merkley to show his

concern but, in this case, words are just words. What is the Governor doing? Has she said or done anything?

[stopdiggin]

22. think advocating and shining a spotlight

on the issue is about the extent of his real power or options (in practical terms)

State power (either judicial, legislative or executive) over federal -- is really sketchy. Both in theory, and in real life terms.

[Pepsidog]

16. He should get his ass in the streets with the people.

[Shrike47]

20. No, I don't want him hurt by federal secret police.

[McKim]

18. Proud of Our State and Local Governments!

I am so proud of how our state and local government acted quickly. What can they do? Wait and see....... people in the streets may do something about this. I am wishing for a massive non violent sit down or an action that makes fools of these goons.

[wiggs]

30. This outrage needs to be met with more than tweets from Senators. I imagine many

Senators, Reps, Governors, and Mayors would object to this. Maybe organize together for a communication platform, coordinated interviews, legal remedies if appropriate, injunctions? Would CREW and ACLU like to get in on this? Doesn't the constitution prohibit a standing army within the US? ISN'T THIS A GIANT DEAL?

At this point, tweets and expressions of concern must be followed by action. If not, then it's just another tweet among millions.

[onecent]

32. They took a young person riding a bicycle and took him somewhere...thats what it said on MSNBC.

[Larissa]

34. This is just a warm-up

. . . for election day. I know it may sound off the rails, but who could have imagined what we've been experiencing so far? If Trump wants to monkey-wrench the process in order to stay in office past his expiration date, then Election Day is key, IMO.

Plus, Trump has his point man at the USPS to help put the kibosh on absentee ballots a/k/a slower mail delivery.

(I need to be wrong.)

WaPo: Postal Service Changes include Slower Mail Delivery
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/07/14/postal-service-trump-dejoy-delay-mail/

[Duppers]

35. Drive up the traffic on this tweet: let's retweet it.

👍

[Scurrilous]

36. K&R

[Cha]

37. KR & Rt for Sen Merkley! TY hpd!

Link to tweet

[Tommymac]

38. Just Yeah, Get 'Em Sen Merkley n/t

[gldstwmn]

41. Homeland Security needs to be

done away with.

[Captain Zero]

42. Bring the state police in with some stop strips and

Bring some of these vehicles to a dead stop. Arrest them for speeding and reckless driving. Find out who they are. Jail them until their trial.

[burrowowl]

43. Hear! Hear!

[yardwork]

45. Wow.

[love_katz]

46. Huge kick and rec.

Oregon's democratically elected officials have all spoken out about this. Governor Brown, City of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, both of our Senators and a couple of our Representatives have spoken out loud and clear about this. They have told DHS, to keep their troops inside the federal court house, or send them home. They have stated that Oregon did not ask for the assistance of the feds, and that they believe that the presence of the federal troops and use of these unlawful tactics will inflame the tensions and ramp up the protests, which have been decreasing in intensity. The state ACLU is filing multiple law suits, and the federal government has been named in the suits. I am guessing that Twitler wants to start a war to pump up his falling poll numbers. Starting a war is the typical strategy by Repuke candidates in election years. This time, Twitler and his enablers want to start the war on American soil and against American citizens.

[love_katz]

47. Be careful folks. Your city may be next.

If you want to help in this fight, and if you can afford to donate without hurting yourself or family, please consider donating to the ACLU, any Oregon Democratic politician, any Democratic politician in any state, and any charities that raise funds for the legal costs of people caught up in these unlawful kidnappings by goons deployed by Twitler.

[PatrickforO]

48. LOL, yeah Merkley is right. Trump is so far over the line with this one,

we can't even SEE the line anymore.