Trump says Portland is next city where he's sending troops

President Donald Trump said he’s sending troops to Portland, Oregon, expanding his controversial deployments to more American cities and "authorizing Full Force, if necessary."

Trump made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social site. 

Trump to send troops to Portland

What they're saying:

"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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Since the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Trump has escalated his efforts to confront what he calls the "radical left," which he blames for the country’s problems with political violence.

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."

What we don't know:

The White House has not released any details about when troops would be deployed, how many would be sent, or what they would be tasked with doing. 

The other side:

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley warned Friday night that Trump would try to create chaos. 

"Don’t take the bait," he said.

"There is no national security threat in Portland. Our communities are safe and calm," said Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat.

Portland protests

Local perspective:

Portland was the site of long-running and sometimes violent racial justice protests following George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police in 2020. The Trump administration sent hundreds of agents, including from the U.S. Border Patrol, for the stated purpose of protecting the federal courthouse and other federal property from vandalism.

Recent protests have been far more muted and focused on the area around the ICE building, though some federal agents and demonstrators have been injured and several protesters have been charged with assault. 

The building’s main entrance and ground-floor windows have been boarded up and tagged with graffiti.

Other cities where Trump wants troops 

The backstory:

Trump has floated the idea of sending troops to several cities to combat crime.

Trump previously threatened to send the National Guard into Chicago, New Orleans and Baltimore, but has yet to follow through. His administration has already deployed troops to Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., but Washington is a federal district that gives Trump power to take over the local police force for up to 30 days.

A deployment in Memphis, Tennessee, is expected soon and will include only about 150 troops, far less than were sent to the District of Columbia for Trump’s crackdown on crime, or in Los Angeles in response to immigration protests that turned violent with the troops' arrival. Trump also sent Marines to Los Angeles. 

What's next:

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said Friday night that the city already was seeing a sudden surge in federal agents, describing armored vehicles and agents arriving on the streets.

"We did not ask for them to come," he said. "They are here without clear precedent or purpose."