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By Brian Hews
Publisher | Follow X
September 28, 2025
President Trump announced Saturday that he’s sending troops into Portland, claiming he must “authorize Full Force, if necessary,” to stop so-called “domestic terrorists.” Yes, Portland — the city where that same morning people were jogging along the Willamette River, pedaling bikes through tree-lined neighborhoods, and sipping coffee at the Tin Shed.
For context, Portland isn’t some war zone. Violent crime is down 17 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with 2024, pedestrian traffic downtown is the busiest since before COVID, and businesses are steadily reopening . Portlanders are so nice (I know, I have several friends who live there) they’ll hand you directions before you even ask, wave at you to cross the street in fron of their car…the only real “domestic terrorism” here is pigeons stealing bagels from brunch tables.
Meanwhile, let’s talk about TACO — Texas, Arizona, Carolina, and Oklahoma — all proudly run by red-state governors and Republican mayors, where violent crime and property crime rates blow Portland’s numbers out of the water. Houston, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Oklahoma City have consistently higher crime spikes than Portland. Yet Trump isn’t threatening to send troops there. Maybe because those are “his” cities, run by his political pals. Funny how federal invasions only seem to target blue-state towns.
But Trump, never one to let facts get in the way of a good panic tweet, described Portland as “war ravaged” and under “siege” from Antifa. He claimed his deployment was necessary to protect ICE facilities, even though the building in question is boarded up, usually quiet, and was recently cited by the city for violating land-use rules.
Let’s hope Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek does more battling Trump than she has for public education, specifically Portland State University. Kotek said she told Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem directly that troops aren’t needed — and more importantly, he doesn’t have the authority. “We can manage our own local public safety needs. There is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security,” she told reporters. Translation: Portland is fine, Don.
Mayor Keith Wilson echoed her: “This is not a military target.” Hard to disagree when the scariest downtown encounter Saturday was a goose hissing at a tourist on a rented scooter.
Portlanders themselves were unimpressed. “Where’s the emergency?” asked 72-year-old Allen Schmertzler, who said he was “disgusted” by Trump’s decision. Residents are clear: the only thing under siege in Portland is the patience of people who just want to enjoy their coffee without being told their city looks like Fallujah.
Trump has floated these threats before — Chicago was supposed to get the National Guard, still waiting on that. Memphis is reportedly next, with an “occupation force” of just 150 troops. That’s barely enough to staff a Chick-fil-A in Texas, let alone conquer a city.
Back in Portland, Kotek urged residents not to “take the bait,” reminding them that any damage or violence only plays into Trump’s narrative. Judging by the calm weekend vibe, the city’s not interested. At worst, someone might graffiti “Go Ducks” across another boarded-up ICE window.
So let’s be clear: Portland isn’t burning, collapsing, or “war ravaged.” It’s recovering, functional, quirky, and full of people who are too busy being decent human beings to star in Trump’s fantasy riot footage. Meanwhile, crime in red-state capitals is worse — but no troops there. Funny how the president’s obsession with “domestic terrorism” only seems to show up where Democrats govern.
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