Senate Democrat on Trump sending troops to Portland: ‘Stay the hell out’
- - Senate Democrat on Trump sending troops to Portland: ‘Stay the hell out’
Sarah FortinskySeptember 28, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) told President Trump that troops are not welcome in Portland, Ore., after the president announced on Saturday he is sending reinforcements to protect the city and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities that he said are “under siege.”
The senior senator from Oregon pushed back on that assertion and posted a video of the ICE facility that showed a peaceful environment devoid of rioting.
“Taken just a few minutes ago outside the ICE facility in Portland that Trump claims is under siege,” Wyden said in a post on the social platform X, along with a 1-minute video of the facility.
“My message to Donald Trump is this: we don’t need you here,” he continued.
“Stay the hell out of our city.”
X users in the comments were quick to post videos of less-peaceful scenes that appeared to be taken at the facility, with many noting that protests often take place at night. The Hill was unable to verify the authenticity of the videos.
Demonstrations at the Portland facility have continued throughout the summer but have remained largely peaceful since they peaked in early June, according to local reports. There so far have been no fatalities as a result of the protests, Politico reported, compared to the 2020 summer protests, which saw at least one person die as a result of them.
But Trump on Saturday morning announced Portland would be the next city for the deployment of U.S. troops, saying he was doing so to protect the city from 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,” the president wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump added. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, told The Hill the Defense Department is “ready to mobilize U.S. military personnel in support of [Department of Homeland Security (DHS)] operations in Portland at the President’s direction.”
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in a statement, cited riots at ICE facilities, law enforcement assaults and the deadly shooting at an ICE facility in Dallas as reasoning for Noem’s request.
“We are not going to allow domestic terrorists to attack our law enforcement,” she said.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for additional comment.
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Source: “AOL Politics”
