President Donald Trump said in a social media post Saturday he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, a city he described as “war ravaged,” to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities he claimed are “under siege” by Antifa and “other domestic terrorists.”
“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. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump wrote.
The White House did not provide additional comment when reached by CNN for clarification on what the president meant by “full force” and which troops would be sent to the city.
State and local leaders, including US Sen. Jeff Merkley, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, US Rep. Maxine Dexter and city council members, urged the community to stay peaceful at a news conference on Friday night, according to CNN affiliate KPTV, after the city saw an increase in activity by federal agents.
“Here is what I do know – the president has sent agents here to create chaos and riots here in Portland, to induce a reaction. To induce protests. To induce conflicts. His goal is to make Portland look as he was describing it as,” Merkley said. “Our job is to say, ‘We are not going to take the bait.’”
Trump’s announcement comes after a shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas, Texas, by a gunman who investigators believe intended to target ICE personnel and property. He killed one detainee and seriously injured two others.
An ICE facility about 2 miles south of downtown Portland has been at the center of almost constant protests throughout the summer. Most of the demonstrations have been peaceful, but some have ended in the deployment of tear gas and resulted in the facility being closed for several days over the summer.
Earlier this month, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Portland wasn’t necessarily on his radar as a city where federal intervention was necessary. But he claimed without evidence that “paid terrorists” are wreaking havoc on the city, which he said his administration would “wipe out.”
“These are paid agitators, and they’re very dangerous for our country. And when we go there, if we go to Portland, we’re going to wipe them out,” Trump said in the Oval Office earlier this month. “They’re going to be gone, and they’re going to be gone. They won’t even stand the fight. They will not stay there.”
Trump earlier this month designated Antifa – the loose factions of black-clad leftists or anarchists who show up at protests opposing the police or government – as a “major terrorist organization.” The White House has emphasized incidents in Portland, home to one of the oldest organizations in the country to carry the Antifa moniker, in its statements about the designation.
Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officials were deployed to downtown Portland in 2020, during Trump’s first term, due to protests after the murder of George Floyd.
“I’m going to look at it now, because I didn’t know that was still going on. This has been going on for years,” Trump said earlier this month.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
