U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have been portraying Portland, Oregon, as a lawless and chaotic city where Antifa activists are allegedly setting fires to local businesses and intimidating federal immigration officials.
Local residents and elected officials have responded with skepticism, with CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale describing the claims as “detached from reality.”
On Friday, Trump made another statement about the city, saying, “Every time I look at that place it’s burning down, there are fires all over the place.” He also falsely claimed that store owners rebuild using only plywood, not storefronts.
These portrayals contrast sharply with the actual conditions in Portland, where peaceful protests and dance parties have taken place in inflatable animal costumes outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility for several weeks.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem acknowledged the discrepancy earlier in the week. On Thursday, she accused local officials, including the chief of the Portland Police Department and the superintendent of the Oregon State Police, of covering up what she described as widespread lawlessness.
“They are all lying and disingenuous, dishonest people!” Noem stated during a White House Cabinet meeting.
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) responded to Noem’s comments with public ridicule, sharing a video that depicted Portland as a safe and lively city. “Thoughts and prayers to Cosplay Cop Kristi who had to endure the dogs, farmer’s markets, capybaras, and marathon runners of Portland this week,” he wrote on X.
Portland City Council member Angelita Morillo also criticized Noem’s remarks on CNN, calling her accusations baseless. “I never thought that renowned puppy-killer Kristi Noem would be so afraid of protesters wearing frog costumes and chicken costumes, but here we are,” she said. “We’re not hiding anything. The reason she didn’t see anything on the ground is because everything here is under control. People are exercising their right to free speech, as they are allowed to under the Constitution… There is no terrorism happening here. I think that they are just very scared people.”
Portland resident Samuel Cosby shared a video showing the city’s daily life, emphasizing that “there are not ‘fires all over the place.'” He urged the public to stop being misled by what he called “buffoons.”
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