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Trump reportedly sends 300 National Guard members to Portland from California — and Democrats are seething
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Trump reportedly sends 300 National Guard members to Portland from California — and Democrats are seething

Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed that his state would sue over the 'reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States.'

President Donald Trump early Sunday sent 300 federalized National Guard troops from California to Portland, Oregon, the New York Times reported, citing Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power," Newsom told the Times. "The commander in chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States.”

'These violent riots are not about free speech. This is the rule of law vs. anarchy. We will win.

The Trump administration's reported move to mobilize California National Guard members in Portland comes after a federal judge on Saturday blocked Trump's attempt to mobilize 200 Oregon National Guard members in Portland, the Times said.

Democrat Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told the Associated Press that 101 California National Guard members arrived in her state by plane Saturday night.

“This action appears ... intentional to circumvent yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge,” Kotek said Sunday, according to the AP. “There is no need for military intervention in Oregon. There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national security. Oregon is our home, not a military target.”

Blaze Media's National Correspondent Julio Rosas posted the following video from the ground in Portland Saturday night, showing federal agents using tear gas to push a left-wing mob away from an ICE facility.

RELATED: VIDEO: Federal agents clash with mob of Antifa-fueled, anti-ICE protesters in Portland

Meanwhile, a Kotek spokesperson said Sunday he could not verify the National Guard members' current location and directed questions to the Defense Department, the AP said, adding that the California National Guard also referred questions to the Defense Department. The outlet also reported that a department spokesperson declined to comment, and that the White House offered no immediate comment. The Defense Department is now called the Department of War.

As Blaze News previously reported, federal agents on Saturday clashed with a mob of Antifa-fueled, anti-ICE protesters in Portland, leading to numerous arrests.

Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a Fox News interview Sunday morning described the attacks on ICE agents as "unprecedented."

"Gangs, cartel members, and known terrorist organizations have placed bounties on the heads of several of our law enforcement officers," Noem wrote on X. "These violent riots are not about free speech. This is the rule of law vs. anarchy. We will win."

In addition to the chaos and violence in Portland, it's been similar scene in Broadview, Illinois — a Chicago suburb — where leftist militants have been attacking ICE agents. The tensions only heightened there Saturday.

Fox News' Bill Melugin on Sunday said he confirmed with several law enforcement sources that "Chicago police officers were instructed by their Chief of Patrol to NOT respond to Border Patrol agents['] call for help yesterday after they were reportedly surrounded by a large crowd of protesters following a ramming incident & shooting of an armed woman."

The armed woman — a U.S. citizen and member of a mob that surrounded and "boxed in" federal agents' vehicles outside the Broadview detention facility — was identified as Marimar Martinez and was named in a Customs and Border Protection intelligence bulletin, DHS wrote in a statement, Fox News said. Martinez also allegedly doxxed agents and posted online, "Hey to all my gang let’s f--- those motherf------ up, don’t let them take anyone," the cable news network added.

Fox News also noted that DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said no law enforcement officers were seriously injured during the incident, and that "the woman involved drove herself to the hospital to get care for wounds." The driver of another vehicle — whom DHS identified as Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz — allegedly was involved in the ramming and was apprehended, the cable news network also said.

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Cooper Williamson

Cooper Williamson

Cooper Williamson is a research assistant at Blaze Media and the profiles editor for Frontier magazine. He is a 2025 Publius Fellow with the Claremont Institute.
@Coawi2001 →