President Donald Trump said Monday he was considering invoking the Insurrection Act to justify deploying federal troops to Portland, Oregon, after a federal court temporarily blocked his efforts to send National Guard forces into the city.
Trump Compares Portland Unrest To ‘Insurrection‘
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described "Portland is on fire" and compared ongoing protests there to an "insurrection," reported The Hill.
He suggested he might use the 1807 Insurrection Act, a law that allows presidents to deploy the military domestically, if local and state officials continued to resist federal involvement.
"Portland's been on fire for years," Trump said. "If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I'd do that. I mean, I want to make sure people aren't killed."
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's National Guard Orders
His remarks followed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, who granted Oregon officials a restraining order blocking the administration from ordering Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy the state's National Guard troops.
In response, Trump sought to bring in California's Guard forces, a move quickly rejected by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.).
The Justice Department confirmed that 128 arrests had been made in Portland since June amid protests over the administration's immigration policies.
See Also: Trump Has The Longest Shutdown — But Another President Racked Up More Days
Leaders Clash Over Trump's National Guard Deployment Plans
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) defended the deployment of 400 Texas National Guard members, citing their expertise and readiness to protect federal employees.
Governor JB Pritzker (D-Ill.) criticized Trump's decision to order 400 Texas National Guard troops to Illinois, Oregon, and other states, noting he was not consulted.
Newsom highlighted a court victory blocking Trump's attempt to deploy 300 California National Guard members to Portland, calling the order unlawful and emphasizing that the temporary restraining order halted any federalization or relocation of troops.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) also warned that Los Angeles was the "prototype" and "Chicago and Portland are the next testing grounds," criticizing Trump's plan to deploy National Guard troops city by city.
He called it "unconstitutional – and un-American – abuse of our troops."
Last week, Gov.Tina Kotek (D-Ore.) reiterated that Trump's plan to deploy the Oregon National Guard was unnecessary, unlawful, and endangered residents.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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