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Tom Ridge Rips His Old Agency

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Former Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge “had sharp words for his former agency Tuesday, condemning the Trump administration’s decision to send federal officers into the streets of Portland to quell protests, saying it was ‘counterproductive,’ and that it was not the agency’s mission to act as domestic law enforcement,” the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports.

Said Ridge: “The department was established to protect America from the ever-present threat of global terrorism. It was not established to be the president’s personal militia.”

He added: “Had I been governor, even now, I would welcome the opportunity to work with any federal agency to reduce crime or lawlessness in the cities. But I would tell you, it would be a cold day in hell before I would consent to an uninvited, unilateral intervention into one of my cities.”

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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