White House says judge’s ruling blocking troops from Portland is ‘untethered in reality and law’

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday sharply criticized a federal judge for halting the Trump administration’s plan to send National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, calling the ruling “untethered in reality and in the law.”

“The president has the right to call up the National Guard in cases where he deems it appropriate,” Leavitt told reporters during a press briefing, accusing protesters outside a Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility of “inciting violence.”

Trump administration appeals ruling

Karoline Leavitt’s remarks followed US District Judge Karin Immergut’s temporary injunction blocking President Donald Trump’s order to deploy National Guard troops from other states to Portland.

The administration has since filed an appeal, with Leavitt expressing confidence that the president’s powers will be upheld.

“We’re confident in the president’s legal authority to do this, and we’re very confident we will win on the merits of the law,” she said.

White House claims protests turned violent

Karoline Leavitt said protesters at the ICE facility had been “disrespecting law enforcement” and “creating unsafe conditions.”

She added that the White House plans to host “independent journalists” who witnessed the protests firsthand to share their accounts of “violence and chaos.”

Leavitt contrasted the situation in Portland with Washington, DC, where she said National Guard members “continue to be out on the streets because Washington, DC, has invited the National Guard here.”

“The National Guard is still here because the president and the mayor agree that it’s a good thing for the city,” Leavitt said, adding that similar deployments will occur in other cities like Memphis.

Karoline Leavitt says some mayors are refusing to cooperate since 'they don’t like Trump'

Karoline Leavitt acknowledged criticism from mayors who have opposed the Trump administration’s troop deployments, including Memphis Mayor Paul Young.

She praised DC Mayor Muriel Bowser's cooperation as “the right thing to do” and accused other Democratic mayors of letting politics drive their decisions.

“It’s a shame that we see in some cities across the country that their mayors are just simply refusing to cooperate because they don’t like Donald Trump, and that’s what this boils down to,” she said.

Asked about the potential for long-term National Guard deployments if the courts side with the administration, Leavitt downplayed concerns.

“Why should they be concerned about the federal government offering help to make their cities a safer place? President Trump is trying to help,” she said.

She told reporters to understand what is happening at the ground level instead of listening to partisan Democrat officials. "You’re probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything, everything this president does. You should also ask the people who live in Portland. We’ve actually heard from many members of the community who have said that this is complete civil disobedience," she said.

" It’s a mess. It’s been loud. It’s being troubling for neighbors in the community who are just trying to live peacefully. And these people are not there to peacefully protest. They are there to cause mayhem and havoc," Leavitt added.