How Angry Is Donald Trump at Portland This Week? We Updated the Presidential Rage-O-Meter.

"They want every city in America to resemble Portland, in a form."

Drummers and a trumpet player hold a jam session, accompanying radio music outside of Riot Ribs on July 25. (Alex Wittwer)
By Aaron Mesh

Since President Donald Trump deployed federal police to Portland, he can talk of little else. Perhaps that's because he sees the images of civil unrest in our streets as a winning issue for his reelection campaign. It could signal his eagerness to "send in the National Guard," as he's previously threatened. Maybe he just really likes saying "Portland." Whatever the reason, at most of his press briefings—from Aug. 11 through 17, they were predominantly held in the White House—he discusses our city.

How fixated is he? We decided to conduct a regular review of his official remarks, as compiled by the White House Press Office, to ascertain how angry the president is with Portland this week.

Portland Presidential Rageometer

How many times did the president say the word "Portland" in official remarks last week? 9

What was his harshest appraisal? "What you're seeing in Portland and Seattle, New York, Chicago is really the Democrat road map for America," he said on Aug. 11. "They want every city in America to resemble Portland, in a form. They want to pass federal legislation gutting and hamstringing every police department in America. They want to get rid of your Second Amendment. They want to end cash bail, close prisons, defund police departments—or at least largely defund."

How hot does his anger burn? Smoldering. Not as hot as a drummer dancing on a burning picnic table.

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