How Oregon's attorney general pushed back against Trump
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Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals; Photo: Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General
Portland was thrust into the national spotlight once again this fall when President Trump announced plans to send National Guard troops to the city to respond to ongoing — albeit small — protests outside the local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
- We spoke with Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield about how Portlanders' response helped shaped the moment, what it signaled about confidence in government, and the ongoing court battle.
Zoom in: Troops have yet to arrive after swift legal action by local and state leaders put deployment on hold.
- This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals signaled it may wait to hear the outcome of a similar case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court before hearing the Oregon case. What are the potential outcomes?
- "Irrespective of what happens in the Illinois case or the California case, the facts in Oregon are incredibly favorable to show the president didn't have the justifications to mobilize a military force."
- "One fascinating thing in Oregon that might make all of this moot is that the federal government is not aggressively continuing to go down this path."
It was an anxious time for many Portlanders. What lasting impact did that episode have on public trust in both state and federal institutions?
- "The facts that come out under oath in a court, they just matter more than they ever did before. What I think was humbling about this case is that it didn't matter the rhetoric that was going around on social media. This was about the reality on the ground."
- "I think it was unifying how we protested it nationally just for how silly and dumb it was."
You've mounted multiple suits against the Trump administration this year. How did your office manage those cases simultaneously?
- "I don't want Oregon to just be a state that signs on. We created a federal oversight and accountability team very early on to lead on these issues."
- "We led one of the largest cases on tariffs, which was a direct response to what we heard from consumers, small-business owners, and our state revenue went down. We were then in the Supreme Court arguing that case."
- "If we were going to represent Oregon and its values, we didn't have a choice."