In yet another jaw-dropping twist that perfectly encapsulates the left’s ability to cry “insurrection” when it suits them—and then coddle actual street chaos when it doesn’t—a Trump-appointed judge has sided with Portland’s political leaders over the president who actually tried to restore order. That’s right: U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by President Donald J. Trump himself, issued a temporary restraining order blocking the administration from deploying the National Guard to help contain the unrest in Portland, Oregon.
This is the same Portland that Trump bluntly called a “war-ravaged” city—because if you watched even a minute of footage during the peak of the riots, that’s exactly what it looked like. But apparently, the federal judiciary is more concerned with hypothetical constitutional nuances than with keeping citizens safe in their own streets.
“Portland was burning to the ground,” Trump told reporters Sunday as he headed to Norfolk, Virginia, to mark the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary. “It’s insurrectionists all over the place. It’s antifa. And yet the politicians who are petrified — look, politicians are afraid for their lives. It’s the only reason they’re saying there’s nothing happening… they pretend like there’s nothing happening.”
Trump’s frustration wasn’t just aimed at Portland’s left-wing leaders but also at the very judge he appointed. “I wasn’t served well if they put judges like that on,” Trump said. “I wasn’t served well by the people that pick judges, I can tell you. Things like that, it’s too bad.”
He continued by expressing disbelief that a judge he nominated would issue such a ruling, even misgendering Immergut in the process—a point the media obsessed over, of course, rather than focusing on the real issue: rampant lawlessness being treated like a civil picnic.
“I appointed the judge and he [sic] goes like that,” Trump said. “Obviously, if he made that decision—Portland is burning to the ground. You have agitators, instigators… turn on your television, read your newspapers. It’s burning to the ground. The governor, the mayor, the politicians, they’re petrified for their lives. And that judge, he [sic] ought to be ashamed of himself.”
Judge Immergut’s ruling stated that the Trump administration likely exceeded its constitutional authority by attempting to federalize the California National Guard without state consent—citing 10 U.S.C. §12406 and the Tenth Amendment as the basis. She sided with Oregon and the city of Portland, saying they were likely to succeed in their legal claim and that “the President exceeded his constitutional authority.”
Her reasoning? Apparently, the mayhem wasn’t quite bad enough to justify calling in federal help. “The images are inexcusable,” Immergut admitted, “but they are nowhere near the type of incidents that cannot be handled by regular law enforcement forces.” This, of course, will come as news to anyone who watched the nightly Molotov cocktail parades and federal buildings being torched.
The restraining order—which halts deployment of not just California’s National Guard, but any troops from other states or D.C.—is set to expire on October 18. The Department of Justice isn’t letting this go without a fight and has already indicated that it will appeal the decision.
Immergut further grilled DOJ attorney Eric Hamilton, questioning why federal lawyers continued to move forward with deployment plans. “How could bringing in federalized National Guard from California not be in direct contravention of the TRO that I issued yesterday?” she asked, adding, “You’re an officer of the court. Aren’t defendants circumventing my order?”
Despite Hamilton denying any intent to undermine the court’s authority, Immergut remained unconvinced, rejecting both the DOJ’s request for a stay and an administrative delay. “I’m handling this on an emergency basis with limited briefing,” she declared. “No new information has been provided about any new issues in Portland.”
Let’s translate that: yes, the city is in chaos, but no, it’s not chaotic enough for the federal government to step in—because somehow, the rights of local politicians to let their cities burn outweigh the rights of citizens to live in safety.
Naturally, California Governor Gavin Newsom couldn’t resist the urge to spike the football on social media. Taking to X, he declared:
“BREAKING: We just won in court — again. A federal judge BLOCKED Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to DEPLOY 300 OF OUR NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO PORTLAND… Trump’s abuse of power won’t stand.”
Abuse of power? Interesting take from a governor who didn’t seem too bothered when violent mobs shut down businesses, attacked police, and created autonomous zones. But the moment a president tries to enforce law and order? That’s tyranny!
This entire fiasco is yet another glaring example of how the American left—and increasingly, elements of the judiciary—treat actual public safety as secondary to political optics. Portland residents can fend for themselves, apparently, as long as the federal government stays out of blue-state business. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, Trump is left shaking his head—and so are millions of Americans wondering when law and order became optional.
