Acting CBP commissioner dismisses Elizabeth Warren's suggestion that Trump won't leave office if Biden wins
Mark Morgan says Sen. Warren's suggestion that President Trump might deploy federal forces to prevent a peaceful transfer of power is 'pure politics.'
Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Mark Morgan blasted Sen. Elizabeth Warren's “ridiculous and outrageous” claim that President Trump might deploy federal forces to prevent a peaceful transfer of power if former Vice President Joe Biden wins the 2020 election.
Morgan made the comment during an appearance on “Fox News @Night” on Wednesday after host Shannon Bream noted that one of the agencies Warren wants a commitment from is the Department of Homeland Security. Warren said she is concerned that federal agents will be used if Trump loses the upcoming election and refuses to leave office.
Warren said she “asked them to commit that they will not let Trump use these forces in the event he loses the election and doesn't want to leave office peacefully.”
“I want to hear that commitment. I want to hear it in their own words and if they won't say it, then I want to hear that silence because at a time like this their silence will shout,” she continued.
Morgan brushed off her comments.
“That's pure politics,” Morgan said in response to Warren’s remarks. “I'm not even going to get into it. That’s not even worthy of a response.”
“It's ridiculous and outrageous,” he continued. “What you're seeing in Portland has nothing to do with those comments.”
Morgan went on to say that federal agents were in “Portland to absolutely address a specific situation that's going on, and that's over 60 days of violence targeted against the federal building and the federal law enforcement officers. That's what that's about.”
“That's just an absurd comment,” Morgan said.
In an interview earlier this month on “Fox News Sunday,” the president declined to commit to accepting the election results in November.
“I have to see. ... No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time, either,” Trump said when pressed during his sit-down interview with host Chris Wallace.
The comment went viral, sparking scores of headlines and stories theorizing what might happen if the president loses November’s general election, but won’t accept the results and concede.
Morgan appeared on “Fox News @Night” one day before federal agents who have clashed with protesters in Portland will begin a “phased withdrawal” from the city's downtown area, according to Oregon's governor. Morgan, however, insisted on Wednesday that federal agents are not leaving Portland until they are confident there is no threat to federal property.
Oregon’s Democratic Gov. Kate Brown tweeted on Wednesday, “After my discussions with VP Pence and others, the federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland.”
“They have acted as an occupying force & brought violence,” she continued. “Starting tomorrow, all Customs and Border Protection & ICE officers will leave downtown Portland.”
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said in a statement that he and Brown have been in contact and reached a joint plan to end "the violent activity in Portland directed at federal properties and law enforcement officers.”
“That plan includes the robust presence of Oregon State Police in downtown Portland,” Wolf said. “State and local law enforcement will begin securing properties and streets, especially those surrounding federal properties, that have been under nightly attack for the past two months. Oregon State Police will coordinate with Federal Protective Service (FPS) officers to ensure all federal facilities remained protected and secure."
Morgan reacted to Brown’s tweet on Wednesday saying, “The secretary has been crystal clear about his conversations and what was agreed upon.”
“Your listeners need to know we're not going anywhere right now,” Morgan said.
“The governor has authorized the state police to come in to work with the federal authorities that are there shoulder by shoulder, side by side, to address the ongoing violence and anarchy going on in the city streets of Portland,” he continued. “That's what we should be doing, that's what we've been doing for a long time, but we're not leaving until we're absolutely sure that the threat against that courthouse and the officers inside is gone.”
“Until then, we're going to remain in Portland,” Morgan said.
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Portland has experienced more than 60 consecutive nights of demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis. Portland police officers clashed with demonstrators before federal agents arrived on July 4 to protect the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, Multnomah County Justice Center, and other government buildings.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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