Trump tells Hegseth to send troops to Portland to protect ICE facilities using ‘full force’

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailGet our free Inside Washington emailPresident Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has directed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect federal immigration facilities from “domestic terrorists,” authorizing the use of “full force if necessary.”“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. I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”Trump’s post follows concerns raised Friday night by Portland Mayor Keith Wilson about an increased federal presence at the ICE facility, suggesting Trump may be acting on his earlier threats to use federal force against protests in the city.“I want to be clear about the situation we face. We now have a sudden influx of federal agents in our city,” Wilson said at a news conference, surrounded by city, county, and federal officials, as well as faith leaders. “We did not ask for them to come. They are here without precedent or purpose.”Wilson said the increase of federal agents in the city is just a “big show.”“And after a big show, we know what happens, everyone goes home,” he said.More to come…



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