Following reporting in the Tulsa World that Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) falsely claimed on Wednesday that demonstrators in Portland, Ore., were "killing" people, a spokesperson for the senator said they were not familiar with his thinking or what he may have meant.
"I wasn’t at the event, so I am not sure if he was referring to Seattle in that instance, or the fact that the violence in Portland is being done without regard for life," said spokesperson Leacy Burke in an email.
It was unclear what Seattle incident Burke was suggesting Inhofe may be referring to, and follow-ups went unanswered.
The World reports that Inhofe also called some of the Portland demonstrators "terrorists" at the Wednesday meeting with Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado and deputies in Tulsa.
While incidents of violence committed both by and upon law enforcement have been reported, there have been no reported fatalities associated with the demonstrations in Portland, which have been ongoing since the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, Minn., in May.
Inhofe has defended the federal response to the events in Portland, even as reports and videos have emerged of officers committing acts of violence against peaceful demonstrators and street medics, and of protestors being grabbed and placed in unmarked vehicles.
"For over 60 days, violent demonstrators have laid siege on Portland," the Oklahoma senator said in a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month. "That's not an exaggeration. They have specifically and deliberately attacked a federal courthouse, attempting to destroy it. Let's be clear: These are not peaceful protestors."
NPR reported earlier this month that violence dissipated after federal officers were removed from the city.
