Trump wants to cut federal aid to Portland as his anger with protesters grows

By Gram Slattery and Jonathan Allen
October 3, 20258:41 PM EDT • Updated 3 hours ago

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Item 1 of 8 A demonstrator dressed in an inflatable frog costume stands infront of law enforcement officers during a protest outside of the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) headquarters in south Portland, Oregon, U.S., October 3, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Summary
• White House gave no details on what funds being blocked
• Portland mayor says funding cut would hurt city's economy
• White House criticizes arrest of conservative journalist

WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has directed his team to review federal aid to Portland, Oregon, that can be cut as his anger with the city's anti-government and anti-fascism protesters mounts, the White House said on Friday.

"We will not fund states that allow anarchy," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. She gave no details about what funds Trump, a Republican, might try to block. {snip} "This incident is part of a troubling trend for Portland, where left-wing mobs believe they get to decide who can visit and live in their city," Leavitt told reporters. "It is not their city, it is the American people's city."

Police said the journalist Nicholas Sortor was arrested along with two others for fighting at the protest and charged with disorderly conduct. Video showed Sortor arguing with protesters and he said on Friday he had acted in self-defense.

Leavitt said she had spoken with Sortor and that the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights division was examining whether Sortor was a victim of "viewpoint discrimination" by Portland police.

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