In response, former President Donald Trump threatened to send in National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. This decision follows a local television news report that misrepresented the size of opposition protests in the city. On Tuesday, he briefed reporters on that eye-opening report. That report highlighted a nonviolent, small scale protest outside of a facility but falsely and dramatically implied that there was massive civil unrest.
Trump painted Portland as a lawless city run amok, describing it as “like living in hell.” He could argue that he was originally misled into believing that the historic, large-scale protests of 2020 had somehow never ended. Misleading footage, falsely dated and attributed, pumped up his conviction. The former president pointed to the federal courthouse in Portland, suggesting that fences had been removed and that the central police headquarters no longer had boarded-up windows.
Trump said, “I watched that last night, I’m very good at this stuff. This has been going on for years,” indicating his belief that the situation in Portland required federal intervention. He compared the protesters to “paid agitators” and pretended that they posed an extraordinary threat to the country. He continued, “These are, these guys are paid professional protestors. He further expressed his intention to take action against them, stating, “If I went to Portland, I would wipe ’em out.”
As Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said in response to Trump’s threats, federal overreach on this issue would not be tolerated. Specifically, he emphasized that this is a safe state and his desire to keep it that way. Rayfield issued a statement that should Trump decide to deploy troops to Oregon, he would sue.
“California showed how effective our approach can be to stop federal overreach. Oregon is a safe place, and we intend to keep it that way. The president may have a lot of power, but he has to stay in his lane – and if he doesn’t, we’ll hold him accountable.” – Dan Rayfield
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson was among those to speak out against Trump’s possible plans. He emphasized that like other mayors across the country, he had not requested federal intervention and did not see it as necessary. Wilson praised the Portland police for their defense of freedom of speech. They’ve been able to successfully address cases of excessive use of violence and property destruction by police during protests.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention.” – Keith Wilson
Specifically, Trump’s comments referred to a baseless conspiracy theory that the anti-fascist protesters of 2020 Trump called “paid terrorists.” This rhetoric serves to further connect him with his own right-wing war on anti-racist protest movements in cities across the country.
Trump’s latest threats come at a particularly dangerous moment. These tensions represent the ongoing struggle between the federal government’s role in local law enforcement and civil rights issues. While he has painted a grim picture of Portland’s current state, local officials maintain that they are equipped to handle protests and uphold community safety.