This morning, I spoke with Oregon’s Attorney General Dan Rayfield amid Trump’s threats of sending the U.S. military into Portland. Between posting AI videos about miracle “MedBeds” and photos of 24 karat gold in the White House, Trump decided to declare on social media that Portland, Oregon, is “war ravaged” and authorized the “full force” of the United States military against U.S. citizens. Let’s be clear: there was no formal order, no plan, no communication to the state. Just another unhinged post from the golf cart dictator.
As AG Rayfield told me, this is Trump in a nutshell: he blurts out absurdities that bear no connection to reality. This is the same man who once mused about turning Alcatraz back into a prison, “finding” the “stolen” gold at Fort Knox, and invading Greenland. Now he’s playing war games with a peaceful American city, all for political points and the illusion of strength. He’s not interested in solving problems. If he were, he’d pick up the phone, speak with local officials, and ask what the reality is in the city. Instead, he tosses out threats on social media like, well, a washed-up reality TV host looking for ratings.
Rayfield underscored what’s really happening in Oregon. They have public safety handled. The Portland Police, the State Police, the district attorney, all working together to maintain order. The governor is in communication with federal officials and has made it clear they don’t need military intervention. In fact, the protests Trump points to as justification for military force are nothing like the “war zone” he’s describing. At most, there have been a handful of peaceful demonstrators outside an ICE facility, with fewer than two dozen people. And if individuals cross the line, Oregon law enforcement arrests them. Accountability exists in Oregon. Trump and his theatrics seek to ramp up tensions and cause more chaos, just as he did in Los Angeles.
To highlight just how detached from reality Trump’s claims are, when he posted his “war ravaged” nonsense, Senator Ron Wyden shared a video of Portlanders at a farmers market—families enjoying music, playing instruments, living their lives. That’s the actual Portland.
During our conversation, AG Rayfield made it clear that Oregon was prepared to sue. And shortly after, that’s exactly what happened. Rayfield filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state of Oregon to push back against Trump’s authoritarian overreach, noting that Trump’s claims of a “war-ravaged” city are pure fiction and that his order violates the Constitution, the Posse Comitatus Act, and Oregon’s sovereignty. You can read the lawsuit here.
Since we spoke, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized 200 members of the Oregon National Guard to perform federal functions for 60 days. Their role is to “protect federal property” amid ongoing or potential protests. Once again, Trump manufactures hysteria online, and suddenly the federal government is deploying Guard members to police a city that isn’t in crisis. For what? For the spectacle. For the headlines. For Trump’s ego.
This is what weakness looks like when it tries to masquerade as power. A strong leader doesn’t declare war on their own citizens to score cheap political points. A strong leader doesn’t bypass governors, attorneys general, and police chiefs to spew fantasies about “full force” invasions. What Trump is doing is dangerous. It’s destabilizing. It’s authoritarian theater dressed up as public safety.
The good news is that governors, attorneys general, and public servants across this country are working together behind the scenes to protect democracy. Oregonians are pushing back. Citizens are documenting the truth. Leaders like Rayfield are standing up in court.
Trump thrives on chaos, confusion, and fear. He wants you to believe America is a burning ruin so he can swoop in as the “strongman” savior. But we know the truth. We see the reality. Portland is not a war zone. America is not “ravaged.” The danger we face isn’t from peaceful protesters or farmers markets. It’s from the man who thinks he can order invasions from the 18th hole.
That’s why I’ll keep bringing you these conversations, why MeidasTouch will keep growing this movement, and why we can never relent. We have to fight lies with truth, authoritarianism with accountability, and fear with solidarity.
Trump wants chaos. Oregon is showing the country what resolve looks like. And thanks to leaders like Dan Rayfield, they’re proving that we won’t be bullied into submission by a wannabe dictator with a golf cart and a smartphone.
