After nearly 70 days of nonstop rioting in the streets, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler finally came up with a reason to stop the mayhem.

And no, it had nothing to do with the businesses that were closed by the anarchists, or the damage to public buildings or the exhausted law enforcement officers trying to keep a lid on the explosive situation.

After his city’s criminals decided to try to burn down a police union headquarters with officers inside, Wheeler appealed to these street punks saying that video footage of anarchy and violence might help re-elect President Donald Trump.

Oh, you think?

From The Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

“You are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder," Mayor Ted Wheeler said in hastily called news conference alongside Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell.

"Don't think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are," he said. "You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign. If you don't want to be part of that, then don't show up.”

If you’ve never heard the term, B-roll film is the secondary video that’s used in ads or films. And you can be sure footage of the vile, foul-mouthed demonstrators, burning Bibles and flags, screaming obscenities at police officers, throwing molotov cocktails and setting fires will feature prominently in GOP ads this fall.

Even without ads, ordinary decent American people have been watching in stunned disbelief at what’s happening in Portland.

And they know which political party is sympathetic to people who hate the police, want to defund law enforcement and see federal buildings as legitimate targets. They know that Democrats have been quick to make excuses and slow to denounce the violence. 

It’s too late to be worried about B-rolls, Mayor Wheeler. You let criminals run wild in your streets for more than three months.

Footage is plentiful.