Further tensions have been added to the internal politics in the US, about two months before the big day, as President Donald Trump exchanged stern messages with Democrats over anti-racism demonstrations in Oregon.
President Trump criticized in dozens of tweets the behavior of Portland (Oregon) Mayor Ted Wheeler and his refusal to call the National Guard, denouncing in general what he considered "the laxity of cities run by Democrats in the face of deviation and violence."
Late on Saturday, a person was shot dead during clashes between anti-racism protesters and supporters of Trump. And local media reported that a "convoy of hundreds of cars" led by Trump supporters, gathered in the center of Portland, where demonstrators of the "Black Lives Matter" movement were gathering, and there was an exchange of insults, the launch of tear gas canisters, while footages also showed Trump supporters spraying "pepper spray" on protesters.
In his tweets, the US President said that Portlanders will not tolerate the lack of security (in the city) anymore. Trump wrote that force is the only way to stop the riots now spreading in the country, which he described as 'Democrats run'.
On the other hand, officials in Portland said they were preparing for an escalation in violence, pointing to calls on social media vowing to avenge the killing of the Saturday victim.
"For those of you who are saying on Twitter this morning that you plan to arrive in Portland to seek revenge, I invite you to stay away," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a news conference. He urged people from different political trends to stick to non-violence.
Wheeler had earlier sent an open letter to Trump denouncing his policy of "pision and demagoguery".
"President Trump, you bring no peace. You bring no respect to our Democracy. You, Mr. President, need to do your job as the leader of this nation and I, Mr. President, will do my job as the mayor of this city," he said.
Downtown Portland has seen protests every night for nearly three months after the death of black citizen George Floyd after a white policeman knelt on his neck.
The protests increased recently when an African American was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
On his part, the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, accused Trump of "encouraging violence."
"He (Trump) may think that tweeting about law and order makes him strong, but his inability to call on his supporters to stop searching for conflict is an indication of his weakness," Biden said in a statement.
"I condemn violence in all its forms by anyone, whether on the left or the right. I challenge Donald Trump to do the same."
On Friday, Trump described the protesters as anarchists, agitators, rioters and thieves.
The Corona virus pandemic added its daily losses to the list of controversial electoral issues, especially after the latest figures showed that the number of infections in the country exceeded six million cases. America also ranks first in the world in the number of deaths, with about 183,000 deaths.
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