President Donald Trump has ordered 300 California National Guard troops into Portland, Oregon, despite a federal judge's ruling that blocked his earlier attempt to secure the city, which has been roiled by Democrat activists.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called it a "breathtaking abuse of the law and power" and vowed to sue.
"In response to a federal court order that blocked his attempt to federalize the Oregon National Guard, President Trump is deploying 300 California National Guard personnel into Oregon," Newsom wrote in a statement Sunday. "They are on their way there now. This is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power.
"The Trump administration is unapologetically attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words — ignoring court orders and treating judges, even those appointed by the President himself, as political opponents.
"This isn't about public safety, it's about power. The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens. We will take this fight to court, but the public cannot stay silent in the face of such reckless and authoritarian conduct by the president of the United States."
But Trump pushed back, accusing his opponents of obstructing his constitutional authority as president.
"Portland was burning to the ground," Trump told reporters Sunday. "It's insurrectionists all over the place. It's antifa. And yet the politicians who are petrified — look, politicians are afraid for their lives. It's the only reason they're saying there's nothing happening. And you've seen it.
"The place is burning down and they pretend like there's nothing happening."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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