Trump Rails Against Judge Who Blocked Portland National Guard Deployment

Donald Trump has launched a fresh tirade against one of his own judicial appointees, after US District Judge Karin Immergut blocked his administration's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Portland, Oregon.

The US President, who had been largely absent from the public eye in recent days, spoke to reporters on Saturday morning as he prepared to board a helicopter en route to the Navy's 250th anniversary celebration in Virginia.

Raising his voice above the whirring of helicopter blades, Trump expressed open frustration at the judge he himself appointed in 2019. 'I wasn't served well if they put judges like that on,' he said, visibly agitated. 'I wasn't served well by the people that pick judges, I can tell you. Things like that are just too bad.'

The ruling by Immergut came as a blow to the Trump administration's effort to send troops to Portland following renewed protests in the city. Trump, who described Portland as 'burning to the ground', said the decision was 'a disgrace'.

'I Appointed the Judge and She Goes Like That'

Trump appeared to take the ruling personally, suggesting that Immergut had failed him politically. 'I appointed the judge and she goes like that, no. I wasn't served well,' he told reporters. 'Obviously, I don't know the judge, but she made that kind of a decision.'

The 79-year-old Republican leader then painted a grim picture of what he called Portland's "collapse under lawlessness," using language that critics have described as exaggerated and incendiary.

'Portland is burning to the ground. You have agitators, insurrectionists. All you have to do is look at the television, turn on your television, read your newspapers,' Trump declared. 'The governor, the mayor, the politicians have had to fight for their lives, and you have a judge like that — that judge ought to be ashamed of herself.'

White House Officials Echo Trump's Fury

Trump's remarks were soon echoed by senior members of his administration. Stephen Miller, the White House's deputy chief of staff for policy and one of Trump's closest advisers, took to social media to decry the court's ruling.

On X (formerly Twitter), Miller called Immergut's decision 'legal insurrection', claiming that 'deployment of troops is an absolute necessity' against what he described as 'an organized terrorist attack' on Portland.

The former administration had long accused far-left groups, including Antifa, of coordinating violent protests in the city — claims that have been widely disputed by local officials and independent observers.

Judge Immergut Pushes Back Against 'Untethered' Claims

In her ruling, Immergut dismissed the administration's justification for troop deployment as 'untethered to facts.' The judge, who was confirmed to the bench under Trump's own nomination, stated firmly: 'This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law.'

The decision effectively halted the Trump administration's plan to send federal forces into the city — a plan he had publicly authorized days earlier via his Truth Social account.

'At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other domestic terrorists,' Trump wrote on 27 September.

Legal experts said Immergut's ruling underscored the independence of the judiciary, even when judges are appointed by the sitting president. The Department of Justice has not yet indicated whether it will appeal.

A Familiar Pattern of Judicial Friction

Trump's clash with Immergut marks yet another instance of the president turning against judges he once promoted. Over the years, he has publicly criticized several of his own appointees — from Supreme Court justices to district judges — when their rulings failed to align with his political agenda.

Analysts say the Portland dispute reflects a deeper rift between Trump's populist approach to law and order and the judiciary's adherence to constitutional limits.The clash between Trump and Judge Immergut underscores ongoing tensions between the executive and judiciary over the use of federal force in domestic crises.