Trump Says He’ll Send Troops to Portland to Handle ‘Domestic Terrorists’

By Jeff Thompson (OPB) and CHRIS MEGERIAN (Associated Press)

Sept. 27, 2025 3:20 p.m.

Rep. Maxine Dexter called the announcement “an egregious abuse of power.”

Luis M. Alvarez / AP

UPDATE — Sept. 27, 2025: Oregon and Portland officials spoke out Saturday morning against Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send troops to Portland, with Mayor Keith Wilson saying “the number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city.”

Original story below:

President Donald Trump said Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities.

He made the announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said in a statement afterward that her office was reaching out to the White House and to the Department of Homeland Security for more information.

“We have been provided no information on the reason or purpose of any military mission,” she said. “There is no national security threat in Portland.”

Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”

Democratic Oregon U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter said on Saturday morning that such a deployment would be an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of American values.

“Trump wants to tell a story about Portland that does not reflect who we are.” Dexter said. “The Portland we love is strong, compassionate, and steadfast in its commitment to protect our neighbors. We did not ask for federal agents, and we do not want them. Let me be clear: the Portland we love will not be divided by federal forces.”

Oregon leaders on Friday night had already held an emergency press conference to address a potential uptick in the presence of federal officers in Portland.

Rep. Dexter, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley were among those who spoke at the event, following reports of multiple sightings of armored cars coming and going from the Portland ICE building on Southwest Macadam Avenue in Portland.

Mayor Wilson opened his remarks by saying there was a “sudden influx” of federal troops.

Officials couldn’t say how many federal agents had suddenly emerged in the city, or what agencies they represented.

Confronting ‘radical left’ after Kirk’s assassination

The reported uptick came after President Donald Trump had repeatedly portrayed the city as out of control, which local officials have disputed.

Since the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the “radical left,” which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.

He deployed the National Guard and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles over the summer and as part of his law enforcement takeover in the District of Columbia.

The ICE facility in Portland has been the target of frequent demonstrations, sometimes leading to violent clashes. Some federal agents have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. When protesters erected a guillotine earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security described it as “unhinged behavior.”

Trump, in comments Thursday in the Oval Office, suggested some kind of operation was in the works.

“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” he said, describing them as “professional agitators and anarchists.”

Earlier in September, Trump had described living in Portland as “like living in hell” and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he has recently threatened to do to combat crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.

“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for — and do not need — federal intervention,” Portland’s mayor, Keith Wilson, said in a statement after Trump’s threat. Wilson said his city had protected freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”

In Tennessee, Memphis has been bracing for an influx of National Guard troops, and on Friday Republican Gov. Bill Lee said they will be part of a surge of resources to fight crime in the city.