October 5, 2025

Interactive Transcript

spk_0 October 5, 2025. On Friday, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported a conversation on the

spk_0 messaging app signal between one of Stephen Miller's top deputies, Anthony Salisbury,

spk_0 and a senior adviser to Secretary of Defense Pete Higgseth, Patrick Weaver. Stephen Miller

spk_0 is the deputy White House chief of staff and is widely identified as the figure directing

spk_0 the administration's attacks on immigrants and diversity initiatives. Salisbury was in Minnesota

spk_0 to attend a funeral. His signal chat was clearly visible to bystanders, one of whom provided

spk_0 images of it to the Minnesota Star Tribune. The two men were discussing a plan to deploy the 82nd

spk_0 airborne division of the U.S. Army to Portland, Oregon. Since World War I, the elite 82nd airborne

spk_0 has specialized in parachute assaults into hostile areas. But President Donald J. Trump had

spk_0 apparently not signed off on the plan. Weaver told Salisbury that Defense Secretary Higgseth

spk_0 wanted Trump to give him a clear order to send troops into Portland. Between you and I,

spk_0 I think Pete just wants the top cover from the boss if anything goes sideways with the troops there.

spk_0 Weaver wrote,

spk_0 As Adam Gabbitt of the Guardian reported, Weaver said Higgseth preferred to send in the National Guard,

spk_0 owing to potential backlash over using the famous 82nd. 82nd is like our top tier quick reaction

spk_0 force for a broad Weaver wrote, so it will cause a lot of headlines, probably why he wants Trump to

spk_0 tell him to do it. This conversation raises the question of how involved Trump is in the

spk_0 decisions his administration is making about the use of the military. On September 29th, Hugo

spk_0 Lowell of the Guardian reported that Miller has taken the lead in the administration strikes on

spk_0 boats in the Caribbean. Vessel's the administration claims are Venezuelan drug boats, although it is

spk_0 offered no evidence either to lawmakers or to the public for that claim. A White House spokesperson

spk_0 said in a statement that Trump directed the strikes and that he oversees all foreign policy.

spk_0 The statement said,

spk_0 the entire administration is working together to execute the president's directive with clear success.

spk_0 But that raises echoes of the conversation on March 15th, 2025, also on signal,

spk_0 in which Higgseth and Vice President J.D. Vance included editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg of the

spk_0 Atlantic in a discussion about whether to strike the Houthis in Yemen. Miller ended the

spk_0 March discussion simply by invoking Trump. As I heard it, he wrote, the president was clear, green

spk_0 light, and the attack was on. As Dan Froome can spelled out last week in press watch, Trump has

spk_0 been focused on the misguided idea that Portland, Oregon is a war zone ever since he apparently

spk_0 watched a September 4 Fox News Channel special report that passed off footage from the violence of 2020

spk_0 as happening now. About 20 people protest every night outside an ice facility, but while the

spk_0 protesters are insulting, they have been ice fishing with doughnuts on fishing poles. The protests

spk_0 have been peaceful with very few arrests. On September 25th, Trump asserted that nobody's ever seen

spk_0 anything like it every night and this has gone on for years, they just burned the place down.

spk_0 These are professional agitators, these are bad people and they're paid a lot of money by rich

spk_0 people. He claimed Portland was plagued by anarchists and crazy people who were trying to burn

spk_0 down buildings, including federal buildings. Two days later on Saturday, September 27th, Trump's

spk_0 social media account posted, at the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Nome,

spk_0 I am directing Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to provide all necessary troops to protect war

spk_0 ravaged Portland and any of our ice facilities under siege from attack by Antifa and other

spk_0 domestic terrorists. I am also authorizing full force if necessary. Thank you for your attention

spk_0 to this matter. Oregon Governor Tina Koteck told Trump his impression of Portland was wrong.

spk_0 On Sunday morning, Trump told NBC White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor,

spk_0 I spoke to the governor, she was very nice, but I said, well wait a minute, am I watching

spk_0 things on television that are different from what's happening? My people tell me different,

spk_0 they are literally attacking and they are fires all over the place, it looks like terrible.

spk_0 The same day, Hegseth federalized 200 National Guard personnel from Oregon to protect US

spk_0 immigration and customs enforcement and other US government personnel who are performing federal

spk_0 functions. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and the City Attorney of Portland immediately

spk_0 sued to stop the mobilization, saying it is unlawful, infringes on Oregon State sovereignty and

spk_0 police powers and would violate the Pasi-Kamitatus Act, which forbids federal troops from being

spk_0 used for law enforcement. On October 1st, Trump's social media account posted that in Portland,

spk_0 conditions continue to deteriorate into lawless mayhem. We will never allow mobs to take over our

spk_0 streets, burn our cities or destroy America. The National Guard is now in place and has been

spk_0 dedicated to restoring law and order and ending the chaos, death and destruction.

spk_0 On Friday, US District Judge Karen J. Immergut, a Trump appointee, heard arguments in the case.

spk_0 As Alicia Victoria Lozano of NBC News reported, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Eric Hamilton

spk_0 said that the administration had called out troops to defend against cruel radicals who have

spk_0 laid siege to the ICE facility in Portland and who this past summer threw rocks at law enforcement

spk_0 officers. Lawyers for Portland pointed out that local police had handled the situation and that

spk_0 the order for deployment had come several months later. Senior Deputy City Attorney Carolyn

spk_0 Tercot told the judge, we ultimately have a perception versus reality problem. The perception is

spk_0 that it's World War III out here. The reality is that this is a beautiful city with a sophisticated

spk_0 resource that can handle the situation. Judge Immergut said she would rule by Saturday, but before

spk_0 she ruled, Higgseth activated the 200 National Guard troops. Shortly after, Immergut handed down her

spk_0 decision blocking the deployment. She declared the president's determination that law enforcement could

spk_0 not execute the laws of the United States was simply untethered to the facts. This is a nation of

spk_0 constitutional law, not martial law, Immergut wrote. The administration has made a range of arguments

spk_0 that if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power to the detriment of

spk_0 this nation. Miller called her decision legal insurrection. He posted, this is an organized,

spk_0 terrorist attack on the federal government and its officers and the deployment of troops is an

spk_0 absolute necessity to defend our personnel, our laws, our government, public order, and the

spk_0 republic itself. Troy Brinelson and Alex Zelinski of Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that after

spk_0 Immergut's ruling, federal officers showed force. They pushed protesters hundreds of yards down

spk_0 city streets and fired tear gas, flashbang grenades, and pepper balls without any clear signs of

spk_0 provocation. Brinelson and Zelinski noted that the troops were flanked by videographers,

spk_0 toting professional equipment and wearing high visibility vests. They filmed from behind the lines

spk_0 of officers capturing the show of force. At least two drones swept over the scenes.

spk_0 At 756 on Saturday morning, Homeland Security Secretary Nome posted a video that appeared to show

spk_0 the federal raid on a Chicago apartment building on September 30. The video used that raid to show a

spk_0 fantasy military style invasion that misrepresented the actual event in which federal agents arrived

spk_0 with a black hawk helicopter and large vehicles and dragged the unarmed residents out of their beds.

spk_0 Agents took all but one of the residents outside in zip ties before trashing the apartments.

spk_0 Their targets included US citizens and children, some of whom were separated from their parents,

spk_0 and all of whom were terrified. Over the video, Nome commented, Chicago, we're here for you.

spk_0 Later on Saturday morning, Border Patrol agents wounded a woman on Chicago's southwest side.

spk_0 DHS immediately claimed agents had fired defensive shots after being rammed by 10 cars,

spk_0 but no reporter has been able to confirm that story. Later, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

spk_0 posted that Hegsith had called him. This morning, the Trump administration's Department of War

spk_0 gave me an ultimatum. Call up your troops or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American

spk_0 to demand a governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will, he wrote.

spk_0 Pritzker added that the administration planned to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard.

spk_0 They will pull hardworking Americans out of their regular jobs and away from their families,

spk_0 all to participate in a manufactured performance, not a serious effort to protect public safety.

spk_0 For Donald Trump, this has never been about safety. This is about control.

spk_0 On Saturday afternoon, a spokesperson for the White House said Trump has authorized the deployment

spk_0 of 300 Illinois National Guard members. Later, Pritzker said he had been informed that members of

spk_0 the Texas National Guard would be deployed to Illinois. On Saturday afternoon, Miller posted,

spk_0 the issue before us now is very simple and clear. There is a large and growing movement of left

spk_0 wing terrorism in this country. It is well organized and funded, and it is shielded by far left

spk_0 Democrat judges, prosecutors, and attorneys general. The only remedy is to use legitimate

spk_0 state power to dismantle terrorism and terror networks. Blocked from deploying Oregon National

spk_0 Guard troops in Portland, the administration on Sunday deployed 300 California National Guard

spk_0 troops to Portland instead. California Governor Gavin Newsom broke the news, adding,

spk_0 this is a breathtaking abuse of the law and power. The Trump administration is unapologetically

spk_0 attacking the rule of law itself and putting into action their dangerous words, ignoring court

spk_0 orders and treating judges, even though is appointed by the president himself as political opponents.

spk_0 Governor Kotec confirmed that troops had arrived. This action appears intentional to circumvent

spk_0 yesterday's ruling by a federal judge, she said. The facts haven't changed. There is no need for

spk_0 military intervention in Oregon. There is no insurrection in Portland. No threat to national

spk_0 security. Oregon is our home, not a military target. Oregonians exercising their freedom of

spk_0 speech against unlawful actions by the Trump administration should do so peacefully.

spk_0 Both California and Oregon asked Judge Immergott to stop the Trump administration from taking

spk_0 this end run around her initial ruling. Tonight, Judge Immergott held an emergency hearing on the

spk_0 administration's deployment of National Guard troops from California to Oregon. She forbade the

spk_0 deployment of any federalized National Guard troops from any state to Oregon for 14 days.

spk_0 After staying out of the public eye since his performance last Tuesday in front of the nation's

spk_0 top military leaders and the press conference later that day, Trump spoke to sailors in Norfolk

spk_0 Virginia today. The president arrived an hour late and delivered a meandering political address

spk_0 much like the one he gave on Tuesday.

spk_0 Letters from an American was written and read by Heather Cox Richardson.

spk_0 It was produced at Soundscape Productions, Dead and Massachusets, recorded with music composed by Michael

spk_0 Moss.

October 5, 2025

Interactive Transcript

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