Governor Kotek pushes back on federal troop deployment in Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) - Oregon Governor Tina Kotek held a press conference in central Portland, following a phone call with President Trump on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the president announced on social media that he planned to deploy federal troops to Portland, saying he was “authorizing Full Force, if necessary.”

Kotek also stated that she believes the president does not have the authority to deploy federal troops on state soil. She emphasized that Oregon has not requested federal assistance and does not intend to.

“In my conversations directly with President Trump and Secretary Nome, I have been abundantly clear with them that Portland and the state of Oregon believe in the rule of law, and we can manage our own local public safety needs,” Kotek said.

She told reporters she made it clear to the president that she would “not be approving any utilization of Oregon National Guard.”