Jeff Merkley (AP)
Oregon democrat Senator Jeff Merkley delivered a nearly 23-hour marathon speech on the Senate floor from Tuesday into late Wednesday, one of the longest recorded in recent years. He used the speech to criticise US President Donald Trump’s policies, calling him an authoritarian for using the military in Merkley’s hometown of Portland and prosecuting political rivals.“I’ve come to the Senate floor tonight to ring the alarm bells. We’re in the most perilous moment, the biggest threat to our republic since the civil war. President Trump is shredding our constitution,” Merkley said as he began his address. Merkley, 68, spoke from 6.21 pm (local time) on Tuesday until 4.58 pm (local time) on Wednesday, delivering his address. He condemned the administration’s deportation policies, the cancellation of federal programs, what he described as the politicization of the Justice Department, and efforts to deploy the National Guard to US cities, including his hometown of Portland, Oregon.Standing continuously on the Senate floor with placards reading “Authoritarianism is here now!” and “Trump is violating the law,” Merkley paused only to take questions from fellow Democratic senators, who used the opportunity to raise their own concerns about the president’s actions. The Senate Press Gallery reported that the speech was the fourth-longest to be delivered in the Senate since 1900, as cited by CBS News. He also thanked the No Kings protesters who had taken to the streets across US cities the previous weekend in anti-Trump demonstrations.“They were ringing the alarm bells. They were saying that it is absolutely unacceptable to have an authoritarian government,” said Merkley. Portland, represented by Merkley, has long drawn Trump’s ire. Last month, he ordered the Defence Department to arrange for the deployment of National Guard troops to the city, bringing the city back into the spotlight. While a legal challenge continues, a federal appeals court on Monday authorised the federalisation and deployment of Oregon National Guard members to Portland.”President Trump wants us to believe that Portland, Oregon, in my home state, is full of chaos and riots because if he can say to the American people that there are riots, he can say there’s a rebellion,” Merkley added. “And if there’s a rebellion, he can use that to strengthen his authoritarian grip on our nation. Pretend there are riots, or even try to provoke violence, and tighten his authoritarian grip.”The comments come as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over government funding, with the shutdown entering its fourth week on Wednesday.
