Portland, OR - Former President Donald Trump authorized federal law enforcement to use “full force” against protestors in Portland, Oregon, in July 2020, deploying federal agents to the city amid ongoing demonstrations sparked by the police killing of George Floyd.Trump directed government agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations” performed by ”Antifa,” according to an executive order issued at the time.
The move came as Trump ordered a crackdown on left-wing groups in response to the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s colleague, despite the motives of the suspect, Tyler Robinson, not yet being clear.
Critics argued Trump’s executive order lacked a legal basis and could infringe on citizens’ First amendment rights to protest and dissent. The U.S. has no domestic terror law on the books,and the order’s broad language raised concerns it could target a wide range of protest movements.
Patrick G. Eddington, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, wrote that Trump’s executive order was “idiotic on multiple levels,” adding, ”The notion that an idea can be designated an organization is one. The fact that there’s no constitutional provision or statute granting any president the power to designate a domestic civil society organization a ‘domestic terrorist organization’ is another.”
The deployment of federal agents to Portland,often without identifying markings,led to escalating tensions and further protests. The lack of a clear definition and structure for “Antifa” also fueled uncertainty about how the order would be implemented.
– Additional reporting by Rebecca Schneid
