On Saturday, President Donald Trump authorized the use of military force to quell the never-ending drama in Portland, and late Sunday, Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth made good on that and ordered 200 National Guard troops to the West Coast city.
Portland, of course, has been the site of many Antifa riots, the recent violent actions against ICE facilities, and—don’t forget—numerous Black Lives Matter outbursts during the 2020 George Floyd riots. They vandalized the federal Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse and were accused of arson, destruction, and attacks on federal officers.
The Trump administration said they’re not going to put up with that kind of activity any longer:
Hegseth sent the forces in for 60 days:
For weeks, President Trump has called out Portland, specifically cited protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Macadam Ave. For weeks, Trump has hinted that he may send additional federal law enforcement or troops to the city. Many state and local officials have disputed that framing, saying that the president is relying on an outdated view of the city and may be referencing videos from the protests in 2020.
Not surprisingly, the Democrats who have overseen the perpetual anarchy in Portland are showing no interest in stopping it, and immediately moved to block Trump’s action:
Gov. Tina Kotek, Attorney General Dan Rayfield, and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson held a news conference Sunday where they squawked about Trump trying to “score political points” and overstepping his political authority. They would have a leg to stand on, perhaps, if they’d done anything in their power in the last five years to restore law and order to the Rose City.
“The problem is that the president is using social media to inform his views,” Rayfield said. “Instead of working with elected leaders across this country, the president is either purposefully ignoring the reality on the ground in Portland to score political points or at best is recklessly relying upon social media gossip.”
Throughout the weekend, Oregon officials had hoped to persuade Trump and other cabinet officials from moving forward with a plan he announced on social media Saturday morning to send troops to Portland – “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” – though the president did not specify what he meant.
As we reported, Trump declared Antifa to be a "major" terrorist organization Wednesday, which could significantly change how the federal government deals with them (read: a lot more harshly).
It’s unclear as of this writing what happens next: will a judge slap a temporary restraining order on Hegseth’s plans? Are the troops already getting ready to deploy at this moment? RedState will keep you updated on the never-ending story of the drama in Portland.