What Oregon’s political leaders are saying to Trump’s plan to send troops to Portland
Oregon political leaders dashed off statements Saturday responding to President Donald Trump
authorizing federal troops to protect “War ravaged Portland.”
No specifics have been announced by the White House or local leaders on if or when troops would arrive in Portland, or which branch of the military might be involved.
A spokesman for the Oregon National Guard told The Oregonian/OregonLive there has not yet been an official request or coordination through Gov. Tina Kotek office.
The president’s hyperbolic comments do not reflect the reality in Portland. The president appears to be referring to the
ongoing protests outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in South Portland. Those protests peaked in June, but have involved no more than several dozen people in recent weeks.
Oregon’s lone Republican U.S. Rep.Cliff Bentz has not responded to requests for comment.
Here are responses from Oregon’s political leaders as of Saturday morning:
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson
“President Trump has directed ‘all necessary Troops’ to Portland, Oregon,” Wilson said in a statement. “The number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city.
“Our nation has a long memory for acts of oppression, and the president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it,” Wilson continued. “Imagine if the federal government sent hundreds of engineers, or teachers, or outreach workers to Portland, instead of a short, expensive, and fruitless show of force.”
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon
“Trump is launching an authoritarian takeover of Portland in the hopes of provoking conflict in my hometown,” Wyden said.
“I urge Oregonians to reject Trump’s attempt to incite violence in what we know is a vibrant and peaceful city. I will do everything in my power to protect the people in our state.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon
In a
video, Merkley said, “Trump is sending troops to Portland with a goal of ‘doing a number on the city.’ And we know what this means. He wants to stoke fear and chaos and trigger violent interactions and rights to justify expanded authoritarian control. Let’s not take the bait. Portland is peaceful and strong, and we will take care of each other.”
U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Oregon
Trump’s decision to send troops to Portland “is an egregious abuse of power and a betrayal of our most basic American values,” Dexter said in a statement.
“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,” added Dexter, who represents much of Portland. “Do not take the bait. Stay safe, stay peaceful, and stay together.”
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon
“Donald Trump is lying. I was at the ICE facility two days ago and saw a few peaceful protesters, not a ‘siege.’
“I am in Portland almost every day and in no way is it ‘War ravaged.’ We do not want or need federal troops in Portland,” Bonamici, who represents much of the west metro area, said in statement. “The Trump administration is using lies and delusions to try to justify turning the military against US citizens. It’s illegal, dangerous, and outrageous.
“I urge everyone here in Oregon to stay calm and peaceful,” Bonamici continued. “The administration is trying to provoke us to justify their actions. Do not take the bait. Let’s show them what Portland is and stands for; a vibrant community full of people who care about each other and our city and are working to make Portland a great place to live and work.”
U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Oregon
“It’s Rep. Bynum here and I’m here to tell you that the President of the United States sought fit to put his tiny little fingers in the phone and declare war on my city,” Bynum, whose district stretches from the Portland area to Bend, said in a video.
“Now, ladies and gentlemen, it’s not the first time a president has unleashed the full power of this country onto its own people. We’ve seen this before in the Civil Rights Movement. We’ve seen this in Manifest Destiny. We’ve seen this before, but we haven’t seen this level of cowardly behavior.
“Mr. President, I am here to tell you, number one, before you send one troop to Portland: Give us our money back for our roads. Give us our money back for our election systems. Give us our money that we were promised for our water. Give us our money that we were promised. All you can do is send troops, all you can send is mothers’ babies, all you can send is goons, but you can’t run us our money? You’re a coward.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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