US President Donald Trump said today that he will send troops to Portland, Oregon, to deal with "domestic terrorists", expanding the controversial deployment of troops to American cities, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
Trump wrote on social media that he had ordered the Defense Department to "provide all necessary troops to protect war-torn Portland".
"I am also authorizing the use of full force, if necessary," Trump said.
Trump said the decision was necessary to protect US Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities, which he described as "under siege by "Antifa" attacks and other domestic terrorists".
After the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the Republican president has increased efforts to deal with the "radical left", which he blames for the country's problems with political violence, the AP points out.
Earlier in September, Trump described the situation in Portland as "living in hell" and said he was considering sending in federal troops, as he recently threatened to do, to fight crime in other cities, including Chicago and Baltimore.
Over the summer, he deployed National Guard units to Los Angeles as part of a takeover of law enforcement in the District of Columbia.
Tennessee's largest city, Memphis, is preparing for the arrival of National Guard troops, and Republican Gov. Bill Lee said yesterday that they would be part of an increase in crime-fighting resources in the city.