Portland in a State of War - at Least in Trump’s Imagination

The worst riots in Portland - conditions that left us stunned. Ten minutes of video material full of cruelty: people dancing at street festivals, tourists with cameras, families eating ice cream.

And yet Donald Trump declared the city a "war-ravaged zone." He announced that only a military deployment could avert the catastrophe. So now soldiers are being sent, not to secure disaster areas or calm real crisis zones, but to save Portland from latte macchiato drinkers, booksellers, and street artists. Tanks are supposed to roll where skateboards glide, uniforms patrol where joggers run along the river.

And yet Donald Trump declared the city a "war-ravaged zone." He announced that only a military deployment could avert the catastrophe. So now soldiers are being sent, not to secure disaster areas or calm real crisis zones, but to save Portland from latte macchiato drinkers, booksellers, and street artists. Tanks are supposed to roll where skateboards glide, uniforms patrol where joggers run along the river.

The truth is that Portland is not a war zone, but a city that deals with its conflicts like any other metropolis - with political debates, protests, discussions. But Trump needs the image of the burning city to support his own narrative: a country in chaos that only he can save. In this way, imagination becomes a weapon - and a living city becomes a battlefield in the headlines.