Independent reporter Cam Higby was attacked Friday at Union Station in Washington, D.C., while wearing a MAGA hat.
Video footage shows a black man lunging at Higby and knocking him out of his stadium chair.
Higby responded by spraying mace in the attacker’s face. The assailant stumbled, bent over, and struggled to breathe.
It’s unclear if police were called or if any arrests were made.
The incident comes amid broader tensions over protest enforcement and alleged political targeting in Portland, Oregon.
Attorney General Pam Bondi opened a federal investigation into the Portland Police Bureau following the arrest of conservative journalist Nick Sortor outside an ICE facility in Portland.
Sortor was charged with second-degree disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, after police claimed he interfered during ongoing protests. Sortor maintains he was assaulted by left-wing agitators, and his camera was destroyed before his arrest.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, flagged possible “viewpoint discrimination” in the Portland arrests, per the Conservative Brief.
Dhillon’s letter cited both Sortor’s arrest and a separate violent attack on journalist Katie Daviscourt earlier in the week.
Daviscourt was reporting outside the ICE facility when a woman struck her in the face with a flagpole, causing a black eye, concussion, and eye hemorrhage. Although officers identified the attacker at the scene, no arrests were made.
Dhillon’s letter contrasts the treatment of Sortor with the lack of action against those who assaulted Daviscourt, suggesting Portland police may have selectively enforced laws against conservative journalists.
The letter also raised concerns that the city might have used zoning and other local powers to interfere with federal immigration enforcement at the ICE facility.
The Justice Department has requested body camera footage, unredacted reports, internal reviews, and administrative documents related to both incidents. Portland police have until October 10 to comply.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day responded, emphasizing that the department operates under federal oversight stemming from a 2012 settlement over excessive force. Day defended his officers’ actions, stating that enforcement around protests is designed in partnership with the Department of Justice. He denied that political considerations factor into policing decisions.
These events highlight the risks faced by conservative journalists covering protests and federal enforcement in liberal cities. Higby’s attack in D.C. and Sortor’s arrest in Portland underscore potential double standards in law enforcement responses to left-wing agitators versus conservative reporters.
The DOJ’s investigation will determine whether federal intervention is needed to ensure viewpoint neutrality and protect journalists from targeted assaults.
