President Donald Trump is escalating his war against protesters he calls “domestic terrorists” — ordering U.S. military troops into Portland, Oregon, and authorizing the use of “full force” if necessary.
In a post on Truth Social Saturday morning, Trump wrote: “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote. “I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”
This marks one of Trump’s most aggressive moves yet in his effort to clamp down on protests and political unrest across U.S. cities. The announcement came without warning, no clear timeline, no specifics on troop numbers, and no immediate comment from the White House or Pentagon.
Portland, once again, is the bullseye.
The city’s ICE facility has long been a flashpoint between protesters and federal agents, with frequent demonstrations, violent clashes, and escalating tension. Earlier this month, a guillotine was erected outside the building — a stunt the Department of Homeland Security quickly condemned as “unhinged behavior.”
The President’s latest move follows the assassination of far-right commentator Charlie Kirk — a killing that has only hardened Trump’s stance and rhetoric. Since then, Trump has not only deployed the National Guard in Los Angeles but also brought active-duty Marines into the equation in what he’s framing as a national crackdown on the “radical left.”
“We’re going to get out there and we’re going to do a pretty big number on those people in Portland,” Trump told reporters Thursday in the Oval Office, referring to protesters as “professional agitators and anarchists.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has rattled the saber. He previously threatened to send the National Guard into Chicago — a promise that never materialized. In Memphis, a smaller deployment is underway, reportedly involving around 150 troops, much fewer than the number used during his D.C. show-of-force in 2020.
Portland’s leadership is pushing back.
“Like other mayors across the country, I have not asked for – and do not need – federal intervention,” said Portland Mayor Keith Wilson in a statement responding to the announcement. He emphasized that the city has worked to protect freedom of expression while “addressing occasional violence and property destruction.”
Trump, however, continues to frame Portland as a city in collapse — a narrative that plays well with his base but is fiercely rejected by local leaders and many residents.
Earlier this month, Trump said living in Portland was “like living in hell.”
His decision to greenlight military force on American soil — without invitation, and potentially against the wishes of local officials — raises serious constitutional and ethical questions. The Insurrection Act has not been invoked, and it remains unclear whether the military deployment would be done through the National Guard, active-duty forces, or a mix of both.
The Department of Defense has yet to weigh in, and whether this will become another empty threat or a major escalation remains to be seen. But the President’s message was clear: Portland is now a battlefield, and he’s willing to bring war tactics to American streets.
Whether that’s leadership or provocation — that’s a question the country will have to answer, and quickly.
