Portland, Ore. – Oregon’s Governor says she will not authorize the use of her National Guard in Portland, despite a request from the Trump Administration. She says she had to initiate a conversation with the President after he posted to social media that he would send troops to the state’s largest city.
Governor Tina Kotek says she talked to President Trump Saturday morning, telling him she disagrees with his assertion the city is “war ravaged” and federal intervention is needed. “And I also said to him, ‘we have to be careful not to respond to outdated media coverage or misinformation that’s out there’.” Some have speculated his administration is using footage from 2020 to justify the deployment of troops. Mayor Keith Wilson said, “I’ve been so deeply disappointed to see the footage from a half decade ago recycled and then recycled again.” Wilson, Kotek and other elected and civic leaders spoke to reporters Saturday afternoon from Tom McCall Waterfront Park. “This is not a military target,” Wilson said, “If President Trump came to Portland today, what he would find is people riding their bikes, playing sports, enjoying the sunshine, buying groceries or produce from a farmers market.”
Wilson also noted no one from the Trump Administration reached out to his office before or after authorizing troops, “President Trump has directed ‘all necessary troops’ to Portland, Oregon. The number of ‘necessary troops’ is zero.”
Officials clarified statements made Friday night about an increased federal presence in the city, saying armored vehicles had been seen near the South Waterfront ICE facility, and more federal law enforcement were in town. However, no military troops had actually yet been deployed, despite the President’s authorization.
Other politicians joined the call for the President to back down from his threat. Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) issued a statement saying in part, “President Trump’s threat to deploy the military in Portland is an attempt to incite people and distract from the real challenges that face this nation.” I went on to call on Oregonians to remain peaceful, “In the face of this threat of unwanted and unneeded federal aggression.”
City Councilor Candace Avalos said in a statement, “The Trump administration is deeply unpopular with Americans and they’re desperate to turn our city into propaganda that they can use to justify their authoritarian agenda.” President & CEO of the Urban League of Portland Nkenge Harmon added, “Portland is not a war zone. It is our home. It is safe, united, beautiful, and resilient. I know our community will rise to the occasion and not fall for this political theater.”
U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum sent a letter to the President, along with the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense saying, “By bypassing consultation with Congress, the administration has further eroded public trust and is risking inflaming tensions on the ground. Oregonians deserve transparency and assurance that the use of military force—of which you have authorized ‘full force’—within our state is consistent with constitutional principles and public safety, not political gamesmanship.” U.S. Rep Andrea Salinas noted, “Federal courts already ruled it was illegal when Trump sent troops to California. It was illegal then, and it still is now.”
Oregon’s House Republican Leader Rep. Christine Drazan (R-Canby) issued the following statement:
The ICE facility in Portland has been subject to months of dangerously chaotic protests that have put residents and federal agents in harm’s way. The governor’s assertion that there is no national security threat and the mayor’s assertion that everything is fine is tone-deaf. It’s shameful that state and local leaders have allowed violent mobs and domestic terrorists to assault federal law enforcement, destroy property, and interfere with those seeking immigration services from obtaining assistance and case management. We need order, we need to restore safety, and Oregon’s local leaders have failed to provide it.
