The New York Times reports:

A fatal shooting during a night of political conflict in Portland, Ore., has yet again escalated tensions in the city and further inflamed the issues of crime, protest and race that President Trump is trying to make a focus of presidential politics.

A man affiliated with a right-wing group was shot and killed on Saturday as a large group of supporters of President Trump traveled in a caravan through downtown Portland, Ore., which has seen nightly protests for three consecutive months.

The pro-Trump rally drew hundreds of trucks full of supporters into the city. At times, Trump supporters and counterprotesters clashed on the streets, with people shooting paintball guns from the beds of pickup trucks and protesters throwing objects back at them.

Coming on the heels of the fatal shooting of two protesters and the wounding of a third in Kenosha, Wis., Tuesday night, the incident was an ominous sign amid an escalation of weaponry and of rhetoric as protests of police violence and presidential politics merge.

Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on Sunday left open the potential to surge federal law enforcement to quell unrest in Portland.

During an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” Mr. Wolf said “all options continue to be on the table” to deploy more federal agents to Portland despite the strong opposition of local leaders who say such tactical teams have only heightened tension in the protests.

Mayor Ted Wheeler said the shooting left his heart heavy, and he denounced violence. But he pointed to the combative and unyielding rhetoric of President Trump as a generator of the nation’s escalating polarization and violence. In a news conference, he called on the president to work with him and others to help de-escalate tensions.

“We need to reset. The president needs to reset. I need to reset. This community needs to reset. And America needs to reset,” the mayor said. “It’s going to take his leadership in the White House. And it’s going to take my leadership here in City Hall.”

But President Trump appeared to respond live on Twitter to the mayor’s remarks, mocking Mr. Wheeler and calling him “wacky” and a “dummy.”

“He would like to blame me and the Federal Government for going in, but he hasn’t seen anything yet,” Mr. Trump wrote. [Continue reading…]