US President Donald Trump said he will send troops to Portland, “authorizing Full Force, if necessary” to handle “domestic terrorists” as he expands his deployments to more American cities.
Trump made his announcement on social media, writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.” Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.
In a press conference on Saturday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, rejected the need for troops and said she spoke with Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our major city,” Kotek said.
“I’m going to continue communicating that to the president, and I hope he will be open to reconsidering the deployment.”
