President Donald Trump told reporters Sunday that “Portland is burning to the ground,” owing to “paid insurrectionists” and antifa.

The president’s comments outside the White House contrasted sharply with scenes unfolding simultaneously outside the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility and ignored decisions by the federal government to promote and, in fact, create images of disorder around the ICE building.

At protests on Saturday, it was federal law enforcement agents who escalated tensions in South Portland, according to Portland residents, reporters on the ground and videos on social media.

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the ICE facility on Saturday afternoon to protest immigration enforcement and Trump’s planned deployment of Oregon National Guard troo

See Full Page