In a recent gathering at the White House, Donald Trump convened a group of far-right influencers and labeled protesters opposing his government as “terrorists.” Without concrete evidence, he accused protesters in Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, of engaging in violent demonstrations to justify his intentions to intervene in Democratic-run states.
During the meeting, Trump made baseless claims of election rigging, criticized critical news coverage, and alleged a surge in left-wing violence, insinuating that anti-Trump protesters were paid instigators. He threatened retaliatory measures against those funding protest operations, particularly targeting individuals opposing his immigration policies.
Trump also took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to demand the imprisonment of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for obstructing his deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago. Despite legal challenges, National Guard troops from Texas have been stationed near Chicago as part of Trump’s forceful actions.
Furthermore, the President convened a discussion with right-wing online personalities to address the topic of “Antifa,” a term describing anti-fascist protesters against extremism. Misinformation circulated during the meeting, including false claims about arrests related to Antifa’s founders, despite the group having no identifiable founders.
Mentioning the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to override Democratic state governors, Trump faced legal obstacles in deploying National Guard troops into Oregon. Contrary to his assertions, there is no widespread unrest in Portland, debunking claims of federal immigration authorities being targeted or the city being controlled by left-wing extremists.
Critics have condemned Trump’s proposed use of military force against peaceful protests, denouncing it as an extreme measure. Despite ongoing controversies, the Mirror has introduced a US Politics WhatsApp community to provide the latest news updates and exclusive content to interested readers.