Politics

Portland’s mayor saw it coming: Trump’s troop deployment was months in the making

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has responded to Trump’s orders to send the army into the city.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has responded to Trump's orders to send the army into the city.
Kevin Lamarque
Joe Brennan
Born in Leeds, Joe finished his Spanish degree in 2018 before becoming an English teacher to football (soccer) players and managers, as well as collaborating with various football media outlets in English and Spanish. He joined AS in 2022 and covers both the men’s and women’s game across Europe and beyond.
Update:

Whether you believe it’s a power play, stubborn defiance, bad advice, or something more sinister, Trump is not stopping in his attempt to claim that the US is going through a civil war.

The president has once again instructed the U.S. military to deploy forces to a state that is at peace, with his latest move to the supposedly war-torn city of Portland, Oregon. Trump is now claiming the move is necessary to protect federal immigration enforcement facilities from “domestic terrorists” he associates with the anti-fascist “Antifa” movement.

In his public remarks on social media — where else? — he described the city as “war-ravaged” and asserted that the deployment may invoke “full force, if necessary.”

“The president will not find lawlessness or violence here”

He directed Defense Secretary 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.” He also said, without evidence, that “paid terrorists” are wreaking havoc in Portland.

Shockingly, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson learned of Trump’s order from social media. He immediately spoke out in public, saying that “the number of necessary troops is zero, in Portland and any other American city. The president will not find lawlessness or violence here unless he plans to perpetrate it.”

It is not the first time that Wilson has spoken out against Donald Trump. Writing in a letter to the city council on January 21, just a day after Trump’s second inauguration, he said that the city “must come together to live our city’s shared values of freedom from fear and sanctuary from federal overreach in the days ahead, no matter what our city may face." A wise man.

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Trump’s seemingly nonsensical idea to fill the United States streets with the armed forces and claim a civil war against “Antifa” is being seen by some as a plot to eventually call a civil war and declare a postponement of the 2028 elections. His remarks alongside Ukrainian president Zelenskyy were telling: “So you mean if we happen to be in a war with somebody, no more elections?” he asked, eyes bulging with imagined riches.

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