Trump's feud with Portland goes back years
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Thousands of protesters gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square to protest the first inauguration of President Donald J. Trump in 2017. Photo: Alex Milan Tracy/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
President Trump's fixation with Portland isn't new. In fact, it dates back nearly a decade.
The big picture: Portland has long served as a foil for Trump's politics — a progressive, solidly Democratic city that has repeatedly rejected him at the polls and that he has recently cast as "war-ravaged" and like "living in hell," despite clear evidence to the contrary, even with its problems.
Driving the news: An appeals court ruled Monday that Trump can deploy National Guard troops to Portland, overturning a temporary restraining order put in place two weeks ago.
- But it remains unclear when troops could arrive, with the city and state quickly filing a motion to have the ruling reconsidered by the entire 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Flashback: Demonstrations against Trump sparked shortly after his victory on Election Day in 2016, when thousands of Portlanders marched in the streets over the course of several days, resulting in more than 100 arrests.
- In 2018, Trump called former Mayor Ted Wheeler's decision to not allow Portland police officers to assist immigration agents "shameful," and Wheeler declined federal demands for local police to respond to the ICE facility or clear encampments there.
- Near the end of July 2020, Trump ordered federal agents to protect the Mark O. Hatfield courthouse in the midst of Portland's ongoing racial justice protests over the murder of George Floyd. A rapid escalation of law enforcement-protester clashes ensued.
The resulting imagery from those 100-plus nights — streets swallowed in tear gas, toppled statues and boarded-up storefronts — has served as fodder for Trump on the campaign trail and in the Oval Office since.
- "This place is a nightmare," Trump said last month of the Rose City.
Reality check: The Portland of 2020 is not the Portland of today. Violent crime is down year-over-year. Downtown foot traffic is the highest it's been since the pandemic and some business owners are optimistic about improvements to safety and cleanliness.
- Meanwhile, in contrast to protests five years ago, demonstrations at the ICE facility in recent months have been relatively small and subdued.
- Crowds only began to swell in recent weeks after Trump's comments about Portland and corresponding court battles between his administration and the city.
What's next: Whether things stay relatively peaceful now that an appeals court ruling cleared the way for Trump to mobilize troops to protect federal buildings remains to be seen.