A federal officer in Portland, Oregon, on July 23 2020. Picture: GETTY IMAGES/AFP/NATHAN HOWARDPresident Donald Trump’s plan to deploy federal law-enforcement officers in cities gripped by protests has so far been a thoroughgoing failure. That isn’t stopping the administration from doubling down.
The mayor and governor have demanded that the officers leave, both the states’ senators have condemned the operation, the attorney-general has filed a lawsuit, and prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation. The president should withdraw these units before any more harm is done. It’s also a distraction from what department should be doing. The agency has a vital role in containing the Covid-19 pandemic. Its response so far has often been chaotic and incompetent. It failed for months to co-ordinate federal relief efforts or acquire adequate protective supplies. Asked in a hearing about how many respirators and face shields the country needed, Wolf could not even venture a guess.