WATCH: Dem senator who ditched Trump's SOTU caught praising naked bike riders, 'patriots' in frog suits
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who skipped President Donald Trump's State of the Union to attend Democrat counter-programming, hailed a group of frog-clad protesters as "patriots," crediting them for defeating Trump's...
By Fox News · Fox News
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who skipped President Donald Trump's State of the Union to attend Democrat counter-programming, hailed a group of frog-clad protesters as "patriots," crediting them for defeating Trump's anti-crime efforts in Portland, Oregon. "Boy, the frogs are rocking this town," Wyden said on Tuesday night. "I'm with the frogs, and I'm with all of you. Because political change starts at the grassroots." "For weeks, social media was flooded with these wonderful patriots. Videos of unicyclers, naked bike riders, the guy in the chicken suit, and a whole lot of frogs," he continued. BARE-BOTTOMED BIKERS ROLL THROUGH RAIN TO SHOUT AT FEDS IN BLUE CITY'S LATEST ANTI-ICE STUNT "When Donald Trump sent his agents to the streets of Portland, we took on authoritarianism, and we won!" Wyden said. The frogs, part of an organization called the Portland Frog Brigade, use "inflatable animal costumes to practice the proven art of peaceful, creative dissent, exercising our right to free expression in defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law," according to their website. In September, as part of a crackdown on crime, the Trump administration announced it would send National Guard troops to Portland among other urban centers across the country. In Portland, the order sparked social unrest and protests, including backlash from local officials. "Portland is an American city, not a military target," Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a post on social media. "President Trump has directed all necessary troops to Portland, Oregon. The number of necessary troops is zero." Almost immediately, the state launched a legal challenge to the deployment in the case of Oregon v. Trump, arguing that the administration lacked the legal authority to use federal troops to combat local crime. US JUDGE EXTENDS ORDER BLOCKING TRUMP'S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN PORTLAND As that legal battle raged inside the courtroom, the city’s person-based crime — such as homicides, kidnappings, s…