A federal judge in Oregon has issued a permanent ban on the deployment of national guard troops to Portland, halting Donald Trump's plan to use federalized troops to combat protesters. The ruling marks the fourth such decision against the administration's efforts to militarise the response to demonstrations in the city.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek welcomed the decision, stating: "This ruling validates the facts on the ground. Oregon does not want or need military intervention, and President Trump's attempts to federalize the guard is a gross abuse of power." She noted that Oregon National Guard members have been away from their jobs and families for 38 days, and renewed her call for all troops to be sent home.
The development comes as the US government shutdown continues, with President Trump having left Washington for his Florida resort. Before departing, he posted a demand for senators to remain in the capital to work on ending the shutdown. Republicans rejected a proposal from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer that would have reauthorised funding in exchange for a one-year extension of tax credits for Affordable Care Act health plans.
In a separate legal matter, the US Supreme Court granted the Trump administration's emergency request to block a lower court order that would have required full funding of nutrition benefits for 42 million low-income Americans. The administration had sought the stay, arguing the order imposed undue financial burden.
Meanwhile, Trump continued to push false claims about grocery prices, asserting that a Walmart Thanksgiving basket was 25% cheaper than last year. However, fact-checkers noted that this year's basket contains 15 products, six fewer than the 21 items in the 2024 basket, and includes a greater proportion of store-brand items.
