Portland Central City Remarks on Federal Troops

September 27, 2025 

Good afternoon, thank you for joining me, outside in Portland’s Central City, on this beautiful, sunny day. 

In my conversations directly with President Trump and Secretary Noem, I have been abundantly clear that Portland and the State of Oregon believe in the rule of law and can manage our own local public safety needs. 

There is no insurrection. There is no threat to national security. There is no need for military troops in our major city. Military service members should be dedicated to real emergencies.

This is evident to all of you who are standing outside with me right now, and those of you watching at home. Here in Portland families are shopping at farmers markets across town this morning. Kids are getting ready to head out to the Keller Auditorium to see the Lion King tonight. Workers are arriving for the evening shift at incredible restaurants all across town, preparing the kinds of culinary delights that bring people from all over the world to the Rose City. 

It’s a far cry from the so-called “war-ravaged” fantasy imagined in the President’s latest social media post.

We do face real challenges in Portland, in Oregon and across the country. The cost of living is too high. We need to build more housing that people can afford. We need to improve our schools. 

But President Trump’s inconceivable insistence on stoking division, on instigating conflict, does nothing to address the real concerns our communities are facing. 

We do not need or want federal troops to come into Oregon, stoking fear and creating conflict.  Any federal takeover is a threat to all communities in Oregon, violating our right to govern ourselves, interfering with local law enforcement’s ability to fulfill their duties, and draining taxpayer resources that could be better spent elsewhere.

We all know Oregon is home – not a military target. Deployment would be an abuse of power and a misuse of the military. People across the state and the political spectrum are uniting together to peacefully oppose policies that put our families and neighbors in danger.

At same time I have a clear message to Oregonians: Don’t take the bait. Don’t play into the President’s hand. Raise your voices peacefully, absolutely. But property damage or violence of any kind will get us nowhere and will not be tolerated. If you want to stand in opposition to the actions of this administration, lean into supporting efforts in your community to help people and stay away from fictional problems. 

I believe the President does not have authority to deploy federal troops on state soil. I am coordinating with Attorney General Dan Rayfield on any response necessary and we are prepared to do so. Oregon has not requested federal assistance, nor do we require it.