Portland's mayor has been criticised after reportedly making a disparaging remark about Abraham Lincoln in connection with plans to restore a statue of the former US president that was pulled down during the 2020 unrest following George Floyd's death. Critics have accused the mayor of trivialising or demeaning Lincoln even as the city moves to reinstate his likeness, reigniting debate over how Portland handles monuments damaged during the riots and how officials publicly discuss the historical figures involved.

The Lincoln statue was one of several toppled by protesters in Portland during the wave of demonstrations that swept the US in 2020, and its planned restoration has become a flashpoint for renewed political and cultural argument in the city. The specifics of the mayor's remarks, and the full details of the restoration plan, were not fully available in the source material, but the controversy reflects ongoing tensions in Portland over monument removal, public memory and the legacy of the 2020 protests.