PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After former president Donald Trump claimed the city of Portland was "destroyed" during an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists convention on Wednesday, the Portland Metro Chamber is responding to the former president's "laughable" remark.
During the convention, Trump was asked by ABC's Rachel Scott if January 6 Capitol rioters should be pardoned.
In his response, Trump appeared to reference graffiti in Washington D.C. from anti-Netanyahu protests in late July 2024 after the Israeli prime minister's speech to Congress.
“Well, let me bring it back to modern day, like five days ago, we had an attack on the Capitol, a horrible attack on the Capitol. You saw people that were protesting and spraying these incredible monuments…with red spray paint,” Trump responded.
“They viciously attacked our government, they fought with police, they fought with them much more openly than I saw on January 6. What’s going to happen to those people? What’s going to happen to the people in Portland that destroyed that city?” Trump said, seemingly referencing Portland protests in 2020.
On Thursday, Portland Metro Chamber President Andrew Hoan released a statement in reaction to Trump's "destroyed" Portland claim.
“The idea that Portland is ‘destroyed’ is laughable and out of touch with reality. The facts speak volumes about Portland’s progress: Interest in our downtown is up, crime rates are down and the city is leading the way in finding solutions to issues that affect communities across the country. What Trump conveniently ignores is how his heavy-handed deployment of federal forces in 2020 prolonged Portland's unrest while other cities calmed,” Hoan said.
According to Hoan, Portland saw a 16% increase in business openings in 2023. Portland has also seen big names such as Hoka, The Ritz Carlton, SoHo House, and Daimler Truck North America open their doors in the city, Hoan noted.
Hoan is also calling on Portlanders to join in a social media campaign with pictures of the city.
“We welcome everyone to come see the progress for themselves. In fact, we are calling on proud Portlanders to post their best photos of our beautiful city using the hashtag #destroyedportland. I assure you, total destruction never looked so good.”
“Yes, Portland, like most American cities, has challenges, but while Trump clings to his out of touch narratives, Portland will keep moving forward, proving that resilience and innovation have and will always trump division and misinformation," Hoan added.
This is not Trump's first mention of Portland since leaving the White House. He recently referred to Portland as a "burned down Hulk of a city" during an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker in September 2023.
