President Donald Trump on Saturday authorized sending federal troops to protect “War ravaged Portland.”
It was the latest in a string of comments from the president about threatening federal intervention and inaccurately characterizing what is happening in the city.
“At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
It’s not immediately clear if or when troops would arrive in Portland, or which branch of the military might be involved.
“We haven’t had an official request at this time,” said Lt. Col. Stephen Bomar, a spokesperson for the Oregon National Guard. “Any request that would come would be coordinated through the governor’s office.”
Feds in Portland
“Trump is launching an authoritarian takeover of Portland in the hopes of provoking conflict in my hometown. I urge Oregonians to reject Trump’s attempt to incite violence in what we know is a vibrant and peaceful city. I will do everything in my power to protect the people in our state,” Sen. Ron Wyden told The Oregonian/OregonLive in a statement Saturday morning.
The president appears to be referring to the ongoing protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland. Those protests peaked in June, but have involved no more than several dozen people in recent weeks.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for details on Trump’s announcement, such as a timeline for the deployment or what troops would be involved. He previously threatened to send the National Guard into Chicago without following through. A deployment in Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to include only about 150 troops, far less than were sent to the District of Columbia for Trump’s crackdown or in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests.
Portland mayor Keith Wilson and other Oregon leaders gathered Friday to sound the alarm about the apparent increased federal presence at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility south of downtown Portland.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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