Jeff Merkley
Role at the time: U.S. Senator for Oregon
Statement summary
Sen. Jeff Merkley said the administration's account of the Portland shooting used words that echoed those used in Minneapolis, that "we have lost trust in the administration to give us the straight scoop on anything," and that the account may be accurate but there were no videos of what happened at that location.
“Those words, by the way, are just an exact echo of the words that were used in Minneapolis. And we have lost trust in the administration to give us the straight scoop on anything. this story may be absolutely accurate. We don't know. And there are no videos as to what happened at that location.”
KATU News interview with Sen. Jeff Merkley about the January 8, 2026 shooting in Portland, posted on KATU's YouTube channel and aired in its Your Voice, Your Vote program.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Why we used this label
The case asks whether the Border Patrol agent was justified in shooting the two people, and the administration's account is that the driver weaponized his vehicle. In this passage Merkley did not say the shooting was wrong or right. He said the account echoed words used in Minneapolis, that "we have lost trust in the administration to give us the straight scoop on anything," and that the account may be accurate but there were no videos of what happened. He disputes the reliability of the government's description without reaching a conclusion, so we labeled it Challenged the characterization.