White House blasts CNN for echoing Portland police chief's false claims instead of reporting from the ground

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt hit back at a CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday over questions about President Trump’s authority to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, calling a recent federal court ruling blocking the move “untethered from reality and the law.”

During the briefing, Collins cited a federal judge’s decision arguing the president lacked legal grounds to deploy Guard units from other states and asked which Portland officials had requested such assistance. Collins referenced statements from the city’s police chief, who said Trump’s description of events did not match conditions on the ground.

Leavitt dismissed the claim, pointing to US Code 12406, which grants the president power to call up the National Guard when deemed necessary. “The President is using his authority as Commander in Chief,” she said. “For more than 100 nights, the ICE facility in Portland has been under siege by anarchists. They have disrespected law enforcement, incited violence, and even rolled out a guillotine in front of a federal building. The President wants to ensure that federal property and personnel are protected.”

Leavitt said that a previous ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the president’s authority to deploy federalized troops in similar circumstances. “We are appealing this decision,” she said. “We are confident in the President’s legal authority and expect to prevail on the merits.”

When pushed on again on whether any local officials requested federal intervention, Leavitt accused Collins of amplifying “partisan Democrat officials” rather than relying on independent reporting.

“I would encourage you to go on the ground and take a look for yourself,” Leavitt added in her statement “Independent journalists have documented the anarchy taking place night after night. It’s on video. You should show it on your network.”

Collins interviewed Porland Police Chief Bob Day last week, and in the interview, Day claimed that the chaos from Antifa near an ICE facility was just contained to one block and that Portland police has been “engaged extensively over the last nine months.” The reporter replied to the White House after Trump’s Rapid Response team posted Leavitt’s comments to X.

Days before the interview, however, The Post Millennial’s Katie Daviscourt was assaulted by an Antifa militant, and despite her helping police officers track the suspect, Portland police did not arrest the suspect and later sent out a public notice to identify the female suspect.

Leavitt added that Portland residents have expressed frustration with ongoing violence, describing the protests as disruptive and unsafe. “Neighbors in the community have said this is not peaceful protest,” she said. “It’s chaos and destruction.”