Trump and aides now call anti-ICE protests in cities like Portland an “insurrection.”

Question

"President Donald Trump and his top aides are using the word 'insurrection' more frequently to describe anti-ICE protests in places like Portland," writes Zachary B. Wolf. https://cnn.it/4pWYmzr

Answer 1

My findings show that yes Donald Trump is using the word "insurrection", a violent uprising against an a government, to describe the anti-ICE protests in Portland. Trump claims he would consider invoking the insurrection act, which hasn't been used since the 1992 Los Angeles riots. 

My primary sources used are "What is the Insurrection Act?" by Zachary B Wolf from CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/politics/insurrection-act-trump-portland-chicagoexplainerDate=20251007&Profile=CNN&utm_content=1759807484&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky, which describes the Insurrection Act as a "law that allows the deployment of troops in to the US in certain limited situations". Trump states he is not afraid of sending US troops into Portland and will do it if needed. I also used "Trump floats invoking the Insurrection Act" by Zoe Richards from NBC news (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-floats-invoking-insurrection-act-rcna236030) which dives into the topic of Trump speaking on federalizing troops in democratic-run cities. It also tells us that an Oregon federal judge blocked the Trump administration deploying the California National Guard. Some possible biases from my sources could be the fact that CNN has had some criticism from more conservative media for having "a perceived left wing bias" but also has been criticized for support of conservative opinions. NBC news has also been known for primarily broadcasting liberal leaning political commentary.

Both sources reveal that yes trump has been using the word insurrection to describe the protests taking place in Portland. A direct quote from trump states "If you take a look at what's been going on in Portland, it's been going on for a long time, and that insurrection. I mean thats pure insurrection". This quote clearly highlights the way Trump thinks about these protests and clearly calls them insurrection. On the other hand he mentions that while the Insurrection is there for a reason he actually believes it is not necessary yet. He says if people were being killed and courts were holding us up or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I'd do that". So yes Trump has been using insurrection to describe what has been taking place in Portland but doesn't deem it necessary to invoke the Insurrection Act. 

  

 

Comments

This is a fantastic answer. You have clearly laid out the facts from reputable news sources like CNN and NBC. In addition to providing this information, you have also shared the names of the specific authors, Zachary B. Wolf and Zoe Richards. Wolf is a graduate of UC Berkley, a senior writer for CNN Politics, and lead of the What Matters newsletter also at CNN. Richards is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and works at CNN as a political reporter. Both authors cited in this article represent reputable sources and have well established platforms in the journalism community.
Although reputable sources, it is always important to make sure the authors are legitimate and to check the biases of the news sources themselves. In this case, both NBC and CNN have a left leaning bias.
I completed some further digging to offer more context on the situation and found this from KGW News, a local branch of NBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkrdf6Fw7qI

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This is a great response. Your fact check is strong and you clearly identify your claim, while also backing it up with reliable sources, and even acknowledge potential bias in those sources. I agree with your conclusion that Trump has used the word “insurrection” to describe the protests in Portland, and your use of the direct quote effectively proves that point. One thing you do well is explaining the connection between Trump’s language and the Insurrection Act itself, including the historical context (last used in 1992). This helps clarify why the word choice is significant and how it ties into possible government action. If you wanted to strengthen it even more, you could add a little bit more analysis on why Trump’s use of the term matters. For example, how framing protests as an “insurrection” could justify a stronger federal response. Overall, your fact check is well sourced, balanced, and clear. It effectively shows that the claim is accurate based on Trump’s own words and media reporting.

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This is an excellent response. Your fact-checking is thorough, clearly presenting your claim and supporting it with reputable news outlets such as CNN and NBC while also acknowledging potential biases within those sources. You also do a great job explaining the link between Trump’s language and the Insurrection Act, including its historical context which helps clarify the significance of the word choice and its implications for possible government action. While these are trustworthy sources, it’s always important to verify the legitimacy of the authors and be aware of potential biases within the news outlets themselves. In this case, both NBC and CNN are known to have a left-leaning bias.

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I appreciate the concise, to the point answer. You make a good observation about trump using the politically charged word “insurrection” yet making taking no action regarding the Insurrection Act as it is not necessary. I would be interested to understand more about the implications of his word usage.

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This Fact check is very well written. I really like how many sources you used and how you formatted them. I like how detailed you made you'r fact check, I can tell you really took pride in this fact check.

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I really like how in detail you went with the facts. As someone who doesn't pay much attention to the news or what is happening in the political side of the world I feel like I am really able to understand your point because you described everything so well. My only thing is I am curious why you chose CNN as your top resource a lot of the time I have heard some websites can lead to a certain side so I am just curious how you made sure nothing was bias in any sense.

Answer 2

Trump and his supporters have begun to refer to protests in major cities, such as Portland, insurrections. This action is motivated by Trump’s desire to invoke the Insurrection Act. 

The Insurrection Act, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, would allow the president, Donald Trump, to deploy U.S. Military to locations within the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence. 

According to multiple sources, such as The New York Times, Trump as shown agitation towards democratic government officials showing pushback against the deployment of ICE officials into democratic states. According to the The New York Times, Trump has sued Denver and Colorado over their immigration policies that oppose Trump’s personal agenda regarding immigration. NBC News states that when the President believes protests, rebellion, or assemblages prevent the enforcement of the federal law, he can call the use of militia of any state or the use of armed forces to suppress said rebellion. 

Between all sources, President Trump uses the Insurrection Act as a threat to democratic states that don’t obey his agenda, therefore persuading him to be less conservative with the word “insurrection.” Although there is controversy as to whether he is rightfully describing anti-ICE protests as insurrections- disregarding the meaning of the word, it is true that is the word he is using to describe these cities. 

Comments

I found this to be an excellent fact check. The thorough research and valid news sources show the effort put into this answer. NBC and The New York Times were great sources that show the validity of the statement. I really like how you stated fact and also inputted your own gatherings from what you read. I like how you took a closer look at the word "insurrection" used.

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This is a good fact check. The links and all information presented are really good sources to answer this claim. NBC and The New York Times are always able and reliable sources to basically put this claim as something that people can trust. I really like how you summarized in your own way, and not just putting exactly what the source says.

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This was a great fact check. Your work was straightforward and easy to understand and read. The evidence and quotes showed your in-depth research. The links also made it easy to look more into the topic. I enjoyed how you did not only copy and paste the quotes, but added some thoughts of your own.

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I believe this to be a great fact check because it uses trustworthy and unbiased news sources. It makes your argument easy to understand, which also made me more interested in the topic. It made me feel as if I had been thoroughly investigated, just like you!

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This is a really good fact check, the use of multiple credible sources like The New York Times and NBC News strengthens it. Good job clearly explaining what the Insurrection Act is and why it matters in this context. Maybe add direct quotes or specific dates from sources to make the claims even stronger.

Answer 3

After reviewing multiple online sources, I've found this statement to be true, Trump has used the word 'insurrection' a number of times while referring to Portland and the anti-ICE protests taking place there. He's mentioned putting the insurrection act into effect even though it might not seem necessary to do so.  
My primary sources for this statement are  New York Times Live Updates: "The president said he would consider using the Insurrection Act to bypass attempts to block National Guard deployments in Chicago and Portland, Ore. The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, called the mobilization “an unconstitutional invasion.” 

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/06/us/national-guard-trump-oregon-chicago

I also looked into CNN's 'What is the insurrection act?' by Zachary B. Wolf which talks about what the insurrection act entails and has the following quote from Donald Trump: " “We have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” Trump said Monday. “If I had to enact it, I’d do that. If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up, or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure I do that.”  The law allows the deployment of troops in the US in certain limited situations. First passed in 1792, it was last tweaked in 1871. "

https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/06/politics/insurrection-act-trump-portland-chicago-explainer
CNN is known to be more left leaning when it comes to political topics so that could leave room for bias in reporting on Trump and the things he's doing. NYT has also been said to have similar left leaning tendencies in covering political media. 
The quotes my sources used come directly from Donald Trump, which supports the idea that he has been talking about these things and leaves out the question of it being rumored talk. 
The fact I've mainly seen coverage on this topic by left leaning news sources than right could open some speculation on whether this is a serious issue or not, but what I can gather from my own research is that though he's used the word insurrection to describe the integrity of Portland, it would be unnecessary to invoke that act. Two quotes from Portland governer, Tina Kotek: "I will just say, on Sunday yesterday, we had hundreds of people, thousands of folks in downtown Portland running the Portland Marathon. This is not a war zone. We don't have a challenge here in terms of managing lawful demonstrations outside the ICE building. And I believe that they are looking back at information from 2020 and assuming this is the same. Look, lawful demonstrations happen in the city of Portland outside of this facility. It is being managed. What I'm seeing and what we're seeing and what the mayor is seeing on the ground is an escalation from the agents who are protecting the building, trying to antagonize those protesters who are there."

"And what President Trump is trying to do is an abuse of power. And it is a threat to our democracy. Governors should be in command of their National Guards, our citizens soldiers who sign up to stand up in an emergency to deal with real problems."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/oregon-governor-calls-trumps-actions-an-abuse-of-power-and-threat-to-our-democracy

Comments

You did a good job pulling together multiple direct quotes from Trump, which makes your fact check feel grounded it’s hard to argue with his own words. I also appreciate that you acknowledged potential bias in the outlets you used (CNN and NYT), because it shows you’re thinking critically about media framing. One thing I’d add, though, is that while Trump did talk about the Insurrection Act, his use of the word ‘insurrection’ to describe Portland itself is slightly different. Some of the coverage blends his legal threat (using the Act) with his rhetorical labeling (calling Portland ‘insurrectionist’). That nuance might matter, because critics could argue he was talking about a legal mechanism, not necessarily characterizing the protests in the same way every time. It might strengthen your fact check to include a conservative or neutral source, even if they’re just quoting the same remarks  so you can show it’s not only left-leaning outlets reporting this. That would make your conclusion harder to dismiss as partisan.

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You did a good job going into detail and using multiple sources for Trump calling the protests an 'insurrection.' And mentioning how CNN and NYT have more left-leaning biases and going out to find another source was a even more informative way of finding evidence that may not be so politically bias. But, he also uses the term 'insurrection' to even describe Portland and say that it has been on fire for years. Maybe finding a source that could even be more right-leaning or neutral compared to the CNN and NYT might make your claim stronger.

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You did a very nice job with this factcheck! Your choice to not only utilize multiple sources but to also explain that there may be room for biases due to the left-leaning nature of those sources was done very well. I also appreciate how you specified that the quotes themselves came directly from Trump.

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This post is well-written, and well thought-through. I like the sources that you used. They seem to be reliable and unbiased. I can tell you put actual thought and effort into this. Job well done!

Answer 4

During an interview on Fox News, President Trump Stated, "Portland’s been on fire for years — and not so much saving it. … I really think that’s really criminal insurrection." https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-hed-consider-invoking-insurrection-act-courts-governors-seek-block-his-crime-crackdown?utm_source=chatgpt.com

PolitiFact quotes him more directly saying, “Portland is burning to the ground, it’s insurrectionists all over the place.”

So yes, it appears Trump has been using the word "insurrection" or "insurrectionist" to describe the currently unfolding events in Portland. This comes after a Judge has blocked trumps order to send the national guard to Portland in response to Ice Protests. It remains to be seen if his use of the word "Insurrection" is just blowing smoke, or an unprecedented escalation towards authoritarianism.

Comments

I agree with your statement and how your source does go into detail about Trump using the word 'insurrection' and how he says that "If we don't have to use it, I wouldn't use it," as he has not sent out any form of troop to Portland. Your source also mentions how there hasn't been any recent protests against ICE which I think is really key to note as some National Guards have already arrived in Portland.

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Your use of reliable sources and actual quotes from Fox News and PolitiFact to bolster your argument was excellent. Your explanation makes it evident how Trump's choice of the word "insurrection" mirrors how he framed the protests in Portland and prompts serious inquiries about his motivations. You also successfully relate the broader ramifications of his words to the political background, such as the judge preventing his order. Your response exhibits excellent critical thinking and is generally well-researched.

Answer 5

My findings do show that yes, Trump is using the word "insurrection" to describe the anti-ICE protests taking place in Portland, Oregon. 

My source that I found was from Koin 6; https://www.koin.com/news/portland/trump-threatens-to-invoke-insurrection-act-in-portland-says-city-has-been-on-fire-for-years/ , in the article it also goes by saying that he is calling the protests in Portland an 'insurrection' but he also mentions about Portland is a 'criminal insurrection' and 'has been on fire for years.' This saying, he also mentioned how it is not yet necessary to send out federal troops to Portland as no one has been killed. “So far, it hasn’t been necessary. But we have an Insurrection Act for a reason,” Trump said. “If I had to enact it, I’d do that. If people were being killed, and courts were holding us up or governors or mayors were holding us up, sure, I’d do that. I mean, I want to make sure people aren’t killed. We have to make sure our cities are safe."

This going, he also says how 'unsafe' Portland is and how he wants to 'make it safe.' But on Saturday, the federal judge in Oregon has temporarily blocked the administration from sending out federal troops. 

This said, yes, he is using the word 'insurrection' to describe the anti-ICE protests in Portland, Oregon, but he has yet to send down troops to deal with said 'insurrection.'

Comments

I think this does a good job of finding the flaws in his logic. The sources are good for a quote, that is questioned the video is hard to argue because you can physically see what he is saying.  You checked the facts and supported your claim with good evidence. Maybe another source added would make it more substantial. Nice Job!

Answer 6

According to what I have found, this does appear to be true. Trump has used the word "insurrection" to describe what is happening in Portland, as well as confirming he would be willing to use the Insurrection Act if deemed necessary. The source of this claim is from CNN, a reputable source. To back this up, I also found a video of Trump at the Oval Office stating "I'd do it if necessary. So far it hasn't been necessary, but we have the insurrection act for a reason. If I had to enact that, I'd do it". This video was posted on Youtube by KGW 8 news, a well known and reputable source. KGW video . To dive further, I found another article from NBC news that quotes Trump saying the same thing and additionally,  "If you take a look at what’s been going on in Portland, it’s been going on for a long time, and that’s insurrection. I mean, that’s pure insurrection.", which is a direct quote confirming the question. There are many other sources online quoting the same words, validating this claim. These quotes were taken from videos of Trump in the Oval Office discussing this topic, proving them to be reputable. On top of this, KGW and NBC are both very well known and trusted news sources. However, NBC is sometimes known for having a slightly left leaning bias, where KGW is generally known to be reliable for unbiased news. To summarize, yes, Trump has used the word insurrection to describe what is happening in Portland, but has not yet deemed it necessary to invoke the insurrection act yet. 

Comments

I found your fact check very thorough and well cited. I think you did a good job explaining the bias in your sources. I will say that it is important to think about dates and contexts for these claims. Because ICE is addressed in the claim, it would be helpful to also know how this in the news plays a role within this claim. Did Trump specifically mention anything about ICE?

Answer 7

My findings show that Trump is saying insurrection when it comes to the topic of Portland. I would say that this post is true. The one downside to the source that you used was that the picture they used can. be misinterpreted. If someone doesn't know that, the cover picture is 1992, they may think something else is going on. Using this source: NBC. I found that Trump is being seen to say to use the word "insurrection" more. I can verify that this post is true. The word insurrection means "A violent uprising against an authority or government." The potential bias that some sources may have is if they are slightly Republican or Democratic biased. This can have multiple outcomes and truths/lies.The evidence I found that specifically supports the claim I am fact checking is quotes from the NBC website I listed above, and it states "White House officials have held increasingly serious discussions in recent days about President Donald Trump’s invoking the Insurrection Act" This evidence supports this fact check because it is another source that is supporting this claim.

Answer 8

Yes, this claim that Donald Trump called the anti-ICE protests an insurrection is true, and there are many sources that do back up this claim. Firstly, the source where you got this information is a respectable news website which has a goal of reporting the truth. As well, I visited the profile of the writer of this claim, Zachary B. Wolf, and from his CNN profile, it says he is “a senior writer for CNN politics”, and write the “What Matters” newsletter for CNN. From just the information I’ve gathered through the source you got this quote from, it seems this is a respected news website with a highly educated, experienced writer. Although, we do need more sources to backup this claim before we can say it’s correct just because it comes from a respectable website. 

Trump has sent in troops to Portland, Oregon, to protect the “war-ravaged” city, as well as sending in many ICE facilities. Trumps heightened concern for the city of Portland has become very prevalent in media. NBC News says “President Donald Trump and his administration have ramped up a specific rhetorical attack on their perceived opponents, casting Democrats and others as fomenting “insurrection.”, backing up the claim that Trump has deemed these protests as an insurrection. As well, NBC also backs up the claim that its not just Trump saying Portland is an insurrection, but his close team as well is saying the same thing, “Trump and one of his top lieutenants, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, have used the word to describe a handful of groups and events in recent weeks — court rulings against the administration, protesters in Portland, Oregon”. 

Another reliable source that supported this claim was Koin 6 news. They wrote an article about Trump calling Portland an insurrection, “President Donald Trump said Portland is “almost an insurrection” during a Friday press conference.”. They have a direct quote from the presidents statement about Portland which will make our claim even stronger, “Every time I look at that place, the place is burning down. There’s fires all over the place,” Trump said. “And then I hear how wonderful it is. It’s not wonderful. It’s a disaster. That’s almost an insurrection, that place.”

Both of the sources I provided are reliable news sources, which support our claim. As well, the original source which was provided, from CNN News, is a very reliable source, which I was able to further backup.

So yes, the claim that Trump said that Portland is an “insurrection”, is correct and can be proven through multiple sources.