In a shocking power grab, President Donald Trump said he would send federal troops to Portland, Oregon. This decision follows persistent (and Supreme Court–winning) activism outside the new home of a dilapidated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. After all, the president dehumanized and delegitimized the demonstrators by labeling them as “professional agitators,” as well as “bad people.” He said they are supposedly “paid huge sums of money by billionaires.” Local officials and members of Oregon’s congressional delegation have expressed outrage over this decision. The plaintiffs claim that the military has no justification in deploying troops to quell the size of the protests.
In response, Trump announced on Twitter that he had just authorized the deployment of “Full Force, if necessary” to take care of the unrest occurring in Portland. He argues this chaos has existed since 2020. He painted the picture of a city in total “anarchy,” asking how anyone can possibly survive there.
Local officials, including Oregon’s U.S. senators and representatives, have expressed serious concerns over the president’s actions. They argue that the deployment of troops represents “an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of our most basic American values.” Senator Ron Wyden emphasized the need to address misinformation surrounding the protests, stating, “It’s important to recognize that the president’s argument is a fable – it does not resemble the truth.”
Despite pleas from local leaders to reconsider, Trump has continued to assert that Portland is chaotic and that he intends to restore order. He’s even expressed interest in deploying troops to other Democratic bastions such as Memphis and New Orleans. This leads to the question of whether this is part of a larger plan to stifle dissent on liberal, Democratic turf.
“Portland is, I don’t know how anybody lives there, it’s amazing. But it’s anarchy out there.” – Donald Trump
The president’s statements have come under fire for failing to provide evidence of any large scale disruption or violence. Rep. Maxine Dexter previously denounced Trump’s actions as an attempt to “incite chaos and riots.” She vigorously lays it out that the military presence is not only unwarranted, but undesirable.
“This is an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of our most basic American values. Authoritarians rely on fear to divide us. Portland will not give them that.” – Representative Maxine Dexter
In reaction to Trump’s framing of the protests, Rep. Suzanne Bonamici called out his attempt at framing the protests as violent as dangerous and misleading. She walked us through how Antifa is not a marching body with a manifesto. It’s an idea. She further warned about the dangers of what a misnamed “war on Antifa” would bring. Bonamici called out Trump for turning 1,600 convicted insurrectionists back out into the community. She argued that this decision contradicts his assertions on safety.
“Donald Trump does not care about safety. If he cared about safety he would not have released 1,600 convicted insurrectionists into the streets. He cares about control and authoritarianism.” – Representative Suzanne Bonamici
Federal forces are being deployed, but this is only one piece of a much larger trend in Trump’s response to unrest. This trend is especially noticeable in Democratic-majority cities. Most notably in recent months, he has deployed troops to Los Angeles and Washington D.C. This has further fueled concerns by local leaders that his administration is trying to further politicize law enforcement.
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley wants to know if Trump is planning to kill it. More than anything, he says, the president wants to paint Portland as a lawless nightmare to suit his political narrative. Obama warned against letting Trump’s strategic chaos force us into violent or undemocratic actions.
“The President has sent agents here to create chaos and riots in Portland, to induce a reaction, to induce protests, to induce conflicts. His goal is to make Portland look like what he’s been describing it as.” – Jeff Merkley
At a time when tensions across the country continue to escalate, local leaders are hopeful that Trump’s military intervention is not needed or wanted in Portland. Yet, while they speak about a strong commitment to peaceful protest and safety of community members without federal intervention.
“Portland does not need the military. We do not want them, we do not need them, we do not welcome them to come here under his orders.” – Representative Suzanne Bonamici