Trump Calls Portland Unrest 'Pure Insurrection' in Newsmax Interview
The remarks follow a federal judge's October 5 temporary restraining order blocking Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, amid 100+ assaults on ICE agents since July, including arson and blockades costing $5 million in damages.
President Donald Trump described ongoing chaos in Portland, Oregon, as "pure insurrection" during a Monday evening interview on Newsmax's "Greg Kelly Reports," criticizing local Democratic leaders for failing to maintain order and protect citizens amid nightly protests targeting the ICE facility.
"If you take a look at what's been going on in Portland, it's been going on for a long time, and that's insurrection. That's pure insurrection," Trump stated. He accused Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, of denying the violence's severity, likening it to conditions in Chicago under Gov. JB Pritzker. "And then you have a governor get up and say there's absolutely nothing wrong. And you see these places are burning down like in Chicago with Pritzker," Trump said. While affirming his authority to intervene federally, he expressed reluctance: "Well, it is a way to get around it if we don't have to use it. I wouldn't use it."
The remarks follow a federal judge's October 5 temporary restraining order blocking Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, amid 100+ assaults on ICE agents since July, including arson and blockades costing $5 million in damages.
In the broader 25-minute interview, Trump addressed the government shutdown, attributing it to Democrats' demands for $1.5 trillion in add-ons to a clean continuing resolution, including ACA subsidy extensions benefiting non-citizens. He mocked claims of a "Republican healthcare crisis," stating Democrats seek to reinstate "taxpayer-funded medical benefits for illegal immigrants." Trump praised the Department of Government Efficiency's progress in cutting $2 trillion from the budget and highlighted falling crime rates in cities like Memphis due to federal interventions.
He also discussed foreign policy, calling the Gaza peace plan's Phase One a "special day" after Hamas's partial acceptance, and warned of "all hell" if full compliance falters. On domestic issues, Trump reiterated plans for mass deportations, estimating 20 million undocumented individuals, and defended tariffs as tools against China. The interview concluded with optimism on economic growth, projecting 4% GDP expansion by year-end through deregulation.
You can view the whole interview on the Newsmax YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJLM5e0d7h4
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