Trump: ‘No choice’ but to send National Guard to Portland

President Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to send National Guard troops to Portland, Ore., saying he had “no choice” but to deploy troops over the protests of local officials.

“The Governor of Oregon must be living in a ‘Dream World,’” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Portland is a NEVER-ENDING DISASTER. Many people have been badly hurt, and even killed. It is run like a Third World Country.”

“We’re only going in because, as American Patriots, WE HAVE NO CHOICE. LAW AND ORDER MUST PREVAIL IN OUR CITIES, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE!” he continued.

The Defense Department authorized 200 members of Oregon’s National Guard to be deployed to Portland, days after Trump said he would send troops to protect the city and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.

The deployment has been met with some resistance from residents and officials. The state of Oregon and the city of Portland sued the administration Sunday, looking to block the deployment of troops to the city.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) has been outspoken against the deployment. At a press conference over the weekend, she called the deployment “an abuse of power and a disservice to our communities and our service members.” 

Kotek also marched with residents in downtown Portland on Sunday, saying in a post on the social platform X that “we don’t need military intervention here.”

Protests in Portland over ICE activity have spurred a number of arrests this year, with 26 people facing federal charges near the city’s ICE facility since June, including one accused of throwing an incendiary device. 

While some protesters have been charged with assaulting officers, The Oregonian reports that other demonstrators have claimed they were met with outsize force from law enforcement. No fatalities have been reported from the protests in 2025.