Karoline Leavitt's Tense Exchange with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Portland National Guard Deployment

Legal Authority for National Guard Deployment

• ⚖️ A federal judge appointed by the president ruled that deploying the National Guard to Portland was untethered to reality and the law.
• 🏛️ Karoline Leavitt countered that US Code 12406 grants the president authority as commander-in-chief to call up the National Guard when deemed appropriate.
• 🚀 Leavitt cited a Ninth Circuit ruling in a Los Angeles case that upheld the president's authority to deploy troops.

Situation in Portland

• 🚨 Leavitt described the ICE facility in Portland as being under siege by anarchists for over 100 nights, with acts of disrespect towards law enforcement and incitement of violence.
• ⚠️ A guillotine was observed rolled out in front of a federal building, indicating a threat to federal assets.
• 🗣️ Leavitt urged reporters to witness the anarchy firsthand, suggesting that independent journalists have documented the events.

Disagreement on Local Official Support

• ❓ Kaitlan Collins questioned Leavitt's claims, stating that the Portland police chief said the president's claims do not match the ground reality.
• 🗳️ Leavitt suggested Collins might be speaking with partisan Democrat officials and advised her to ask the people who live in Portland.
• 🏘️ Many community members have reportedly expressed that the situation is civil disobedience, causing disruption to peaceful neighbors and creating mayhem.