Trump's Threat to Democratic Supporters

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 27th (local time), President Trump told Truth Social, his social networking service (SNS), "At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, we ordered Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (Ministry of Defense) to provide military troops to protect war-torn Portland," adding, "The same goes for our ICE facilities." "ICE facilities are surrounded by attacks from Antifa (leftist groups) and other domestic terrorists," he said. "If necessary, we approve the full use of force."

After a shooting at an ICE detention facility in Dallas, Texas, on the 24th left one person dead and two seriously injured, the Trump administration is strengthening security measures on ICE facilities. Citing a clash between protesters and federal agents around an ICE facility near Chicago, Illinois, Justice Minister Pam Bondi said, "We place Justice Department agents at ICE facilities and wherever ICE is under siege." Currently, more than 200 ICE facilities are known to be in operation in the United States.

Among many areas where ICE facilities are located, attention will be paid to why President Trump directly ordered the deployment of military forces in Portland. The Washington Post (WP) said it is an unusual measure to utilize military power against its own people in the United States. "Protesters protesting the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants have been camping outside the ICE building in southwest Portland for months, but the number of people does not exceed 20," the New York Times said. "There were intermittent small-scale clashes between protesters and federal law enforcement agencies, but they were also limited to a few blocks outside the city."
The decision to deploy the military is believed to be intended to further increase the momentum of Trump's recent "war on the left" and crackdown on illegal immigration. President Trump ordered the deployment of military troops to LA, where protests against the crackdown on illegal immigrants spread in June, and deployed the military to Washington, the capital, last month for the purpose of maintaining security. President Trump then approved the deployment of military troops to New Orleans earlier this month and said he would also send troops to Baltimore and Chicago. All of these areas are strongholds of the American progressive movement and absolutely dominant political by the Democratic Party.

Portland is also a progressive city with extreme anti-Trump sentiment, with federal buildings such as ICE being attacked during massive protests over the death of George Floyd in 2020, the first Trump administration. On top of that, it is also known as the center of activities of Antifa, which President Trump designated as a "domestic terrorist group" after the shooting of the Dallas ICE facility.

On President Trump's decision to deploy troops, Oregon Governor Tina Kotech protested, saying, "There is no national security threat in Portland. Our communities are safe and peaceful." Portland Mayor Keith Wilson also strongly protested, saying, "Unless the president intends to commit violence himself, we will not find lawlessness or violence in our city."
Reporter Seo Pil-woong seoseo@segye.com

It’s doubtful whether such actions will actually strengthen support for Trump.
On the contrary, they may provoke strong backlash and reinforce the anti-Trump camp, potentially boosting blind support for the Democratic Party—which currently lacks a standout figure.
However, the Trump camp doesn’t seem astute enough to consider such consequences, so this authoritarian push-through style is likely to continue for the time being.
Until they suffer a major defeat in the midterm elections, the U.S. may remain mired in intense internal conflict and chaos.
It’s important to closely monitor how this will affect the economic situation.
Global politics are truly in a state of turmoil.