This past weekend in Portland, Oregon, looked like any other vibrant fall weekend in a thriving American city. Locals browsed through a lively street fair filled with food stalls and music, families enjoyed a free classical concert, a beloved science fiction bookstore reopened, and more than a hundred artists showcased their work across multiple venues. Farmers’ markets brimmed with fresh apples and pears, and city residents soaked up a typical, rainy autumn day.
And yet, according to Donald Trump and his allies, this same city is “burning to the ground.”
The reality could not be further from the truth. Portland is not the war zone that Trump and his media enablers depict—it’s a city being deliberately vilified to create fear, division, and justification for authoritarian control.
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The Manufactured Myth of a “City Under Siege”
Over the past year, Trump, Stephen Miller, and their loyal supporters have painted Portland as an anarchic wasteland teeming with so-called “antifa terrorists.” This narrative has been amplified relentlessly by Fox News and right-wing online channels that profit from outrage.
A recent Washington Post article made the situation plain: “Much of the footage from Portland doesn’t originate from traditional TV networks but from a phalanx of activist-journalists, on both the right and the left, filming on their phones. Despite the protests largely being confined to one city block, it has resulted in a cascade of videos that has bolstered the conservative depiction of Portland as a city under siege.”
That “one city block” is the ICE facility in South Portland, where most demonstrations occur. The location, wedged between Interstate 5 and the Willamette River, is isolated and rarely visited by most residents. Yet this tiny patch of land has become the focal point of a national propaganda campaign used to justify sending in federal forces.
The Truth on the Ground
Anyone who’s actually walked through downtown Portland knows that the “chaos” exists mainly on cable news screens, not in the streets. A casual stroll past Pioneer Place, Chapman Square, and the legendary Powell’s Books reveals a city that’s calm, quirky, and creative—hardly a hotbed of urban warfare.
Visitors encounter local musicians strumming guitars, young couples chatting over coffee, and small political gatherings typical of any engaged community. The occasional protest—like a small pro-Palestinian rally at Chapman Square—feels more like an expression of free speech than an outbreak of lawlessness.
The notion that Portland is in flames is pure fiction, a narrative crafted for political theater.
The Data Doesn’t Lie
If Portland were truly collapsing, its crime statistics would show it. Instead, homicides have fallen by more than half in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024—from 35 to 17 cases. For a city of 635,000 people, that gives Portland a homicide rate of 10.75 per 100,000, ranking it 69th nationally—lower than Chattanooga, Tennessee, or Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and roughly on par with Oklahoma City.
That doesn’t exactly match the dystopian image of a city “burning down to the ground.”
Why Portland Became the Right Wing’s Favorite Scapegoat
To Trump and his ideological allies, Portland isn’t just a city—it’s a symbol of everything they despise. It represents progressivism, diversity, and nonconformity. It’s a place that celebrates art, queerness, independent thought, and resistance to authority.
It’s also the perfect stage for Trump’s politics of fear. By portraying Portland as a lawless liberal haven, he can rally his base around the fantasy that America needs “law and order”—a phrase that often serves as code for increased state control, expanded police powers, and the suppression of dissent.
The irony is that Trump’s false claims about Portland have caused more real tension and conflict than any local protest ever did. His administration’s decision to send federal agents into the city in previous years only inflamed unrest, turning small gatherings into flashpoints.
Fear as a Political Weapon
Trump’s broader goal isn’t to protect cities—it’s to control them through fear. As the article suggests, his rhetoric attempts to create two distinct types of fear:
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Fear of the State among liberals, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color—those who may now worry about government retaliation simply for existing or speaking out.
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Fear of the Other among his own supporters—convincing them that liberal cities, immigrants, and minorities threaten their safety and way of life.
By cultivating both, Trump and his inner circle hope to divide the nation so deeply that authoritarian measures start to look “necessary.”
Portland’s Spirit of Resistance
Even as it’s vilified, Portland continues to embody the defiant, creative energy that has long defined it. Over the weekend, residents held Gaza food drives, art exhibitions, and even an “emergency Naked Bike Ride” to protest the potential deployment of the National Guard.
It’s this spirit—playful, rebellious, and inclusive—that truly unnerves the authoritarian right. A city that embraces freedom, individuality, and protest poses a direct threat to leaders who thrive on conformity and control.
The Real Danger: Authoritarian Drift
When Trump calls Portland “war-ravaged,” he’s not just lying; he’s testing how far he can push his narrative before Americans stop questioning it. His exaggerated claims serve a deeper purpose: to normalize federal intervention, paramilitary policing, and the erosion of local autonomy.
The U.S. is far from a police state, but the path he’s carving—through disinformation, fearmongering, and the politicization of law enforcement—points unmistakably in that direction.
As the author notes, “When I think of police states, I think of places like North Korea and Turkmenistan. We’re a long way from those. But Trump’s impulses and instincts are all running in that direction.”
That’s why Portland matters. The lies told about it are not just attacks on a single city—they’re a rehearsal for a national campaign of control.
A Final Word
Portland, with its murals, food carts, bookstores, and stubbornly independent people, is not burning—it’s enduring. Its streets remain filled not with terrorists but with artists, families, and activists who still believe in the promise of American democracy.
Trump’s vision of Portland as a smoldering ruin is nothing more than a cynical attempt to rewrite reality and weaponize fear. And as long as cities like Portland continue to resist—with humor, creativity, and courage—those lies will never become truth.
