Why Trump Chose Portland...And What He’s Really Preparing You For

Trump’s Portland move is the dress rehearsal for the day he calls it “martial law.”

Why Trump Chose Portland…And What He’s Really Preparing You For

Trump’s Portland move is the dress rehearsal for the day he calls it “martial law.”

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #565: Saturday, September 27th, 2025.

The Escalation Nobody Wants to Admit

Donald Trump just crossed another line. Not a rhetorical line. Not a “he might someday do this” line. An actual, boots-on-the-ground line.

On September 27th, 2025, Trump ordered U.S. military troops into Portland, Oregon, to “protect ICE facilities” from so-called “domestic terrorists.”

He gave his new Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the green light to use “full force, if necessary.”

If you’re reading this thinking, “Haven’t we been here before?”…you’re right.

Federal stormtroopers were sent into Portland back in 2020. But this time…the playbook is different. Trump isn’t just dabbling in strongman cosplay anymore. He’s escalating. Testing. Normalizing.

And if you don’t see the endgame…you’re already behind.

Escalation 101: Dictators Don’t Just Appear Overnight

Let’s strip this down to the basics: dictatorships don’t land on your doorstep like Amazon Prime. They arrive in layers.

Fear is manufactured.

You create or exaggerate a threat…immigrants…Antifa, “radical leftists,” whatever monster fits the week.

The solution is “force.”

You present yourself as the strongman willing to do what weak “elites” won’t.

You normalize deployments.

At first it’s “protection.” Then it’s “order.” Then it’s just “how things are done.”

You redirect the force.

One day the soldiers sent to guard a federal building are the same soldiers sent to watch polling places…silence media…or round up the “disloyal.”

Trump is currently parked at step three…straddling the line into four.

Why Portland, Why Now?

Trump could’ve picked anywhere.

Dallas just had a deadly ICE facility attack. Memphis has been hot with protests. But Portland? Portland is symbolic.

It’s a city that has resisted him before.

A city that made national news in 2020 when Trump’s federal agents…unmarked and unaccountable…beat protesters in the street and shoved citizens into unmarked vans.

By going back there in 2025…Trump is sending two signals at once:

• To his base: “I’m still the tough guy. I’m still willing to crush the cities you hate.”

• To the rest of us: “I can do this anytime, anywhere. And you can’t stop me.”

This isn’t about Portland. It’s about precedent.

The “Full Force” Tell

Every good news related person knows you don’t bury the lead. Trump said he authorized “full force, if necessary.”

Do you grasp the gravity of that? Full force means bullets. Tanks. Tear gas. Soldiers firing at American citizens…on American soil.

This is how you shift the Overton window.

Once that phrase is out of his mouth….the possibility exists. Even if no shots are fired… he’s put it on the table.

And once something’s on the table…history tells us it eventually gets used.

The Endgame: Manufactured Emergency → Martial Law

Trump’s playbook is painfully clear if you’re willing to connect the dots.

Declare a perpetual emergency.

Label Antifa “domestic terrorists.” Tie every act of violence…real or staged…back to them.

Justify military deployments.

Start with ICE facilities. Expand to “critical infrastructure.” Expand again to “maintaining order in Democrat-run cities.”

Blur the line between protest and terrorism.

Once dissent is painted as “terrorism,” the state has a blank check.

Control the 2026 midterms through intimidation.

Soldiers at polling places. “Emergency measures” around mail-in ballots. Suppression disguised as security.

Flip the switch to martial law if needed.

He doesn’t even need to fully suspend the Constitution. Just carve enough holes in it that the people can’t tell the difference.

The endgame isn’t just protecting ICE. It’s protecting Trump. His power. His ability to crush any accountability…from courts…Congress…or the public.

What’s Different This Time (And Why It’s Scarier)

People will say, “We’ve seen this before. 2020. It didn’t work then.”

That’s the lie you’ll tell yourself so you can sleep. But here’s what’s changed:

He’s not improvising anymore.

In 2020, Trump’s federal deployment was chaotic…messy. Now he has loyalists like Hegseth at Defense…Stephen Miller whispering in his ear…and years to refine the script.

He has legal cover.

By designating Antifa as “domestic terrorists,” Trump can point to the Patriot Act and existing counter-terror statutes to justify force. Courts may hesitate to intervene quickly.

The military isn’t resisting.

In 2020…the Pentagon quietly resisted Trump’s calls for martial law. This Pentagon looks different.

The stakes are higher.

Trump faces investigations…lawsuits, and the Epstein files hanging like a sword above his head. That desperation makes escalation not just likely…but inevitable.

The Hopkins Principle: Watch What He Tests

My granddad Hopkins drilled one business lesson into each of his grandkids: always test small before you roll out big.

That’s exactly what Trump is doing.

Sending troops to Portland is the test. He’s watching:

• How the media frames it. Do they treat it like “politics as usual” or sound the alarm?

• How governors react. Do they push back hard, or do they send strongly worded letters and then roll over?

• How the public responds. Outrage? Or numbness?

If the test works…the rollout gets bigger. That’s the marketer’s formula. That’s the authoritarian’s formula. Same damn blueprint.

The Gut Punch: Nobody’s Coming to Save You

Here’s the part nobody likes to admit: there’s no cavalry.

You’re the cavalry.

Every time Trump escalates…the institutions we’ve been trained to trust hesitate. Courts drag their feet. Congress holds hearings that go nowhere. Governors issue statements that sound tough but stop short of action.

Meanwhile…Trump advances. Inch by inch. Deployment by deployment. Test by test.

The longer people wait for someone else to slam the brakes…the more runway he gets.

Escalation is the Strategy

You have to see the pattern for what it is. Trump isn’t trying to restore order. He’s trying to provoke chaos.

Why? Because chaos justifies escalation.

• Protesters react to troops.

• Troops overreact.

• Media shows the chaos.

• Trump says, “See? More proof we need more force.”

It’s a feedback loop. And if you’ve studied history…from Hitler’s Reichstag Fire to Pinochet’s coup in Chile…you know how it ends.

The Real Endgame: Permanence

Dictators don’t play for four-year terms. They play for permanence.

Trump’s real endgame isn’t just surviving legal threats or winning the next election. It’s locking down a system where he never has to face losing again.

That means:

• Weaponizing the military domestically.

• Crushing independent media.

• Rigging the electoral system through “emergency” rules.

• Creating a culture of fear so deep that even resistance feels pointless.

Once permanence is locked in…every other outrage…pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell…burying the Epstein files…dismantling the DOJ…becomes easy.

The Tell-Tale Language Shift

One of the oldest tricks in the book is watching language shifts. When words change… intent changes.

Trump’s language has shifted.

In 2020…he talked about “law and order.” In 2025…he talks about “terrorism” and “full force.”

That shift isn’t cosmetic. It’s legal. Because “law and order” is domestic policing. “Terrorism” is war. And war justifies military force.

What This Means for You

You’re not powerless…but you are on the clock.

This moment…this deployment…isn’t random. It’s a stress test on American democracy.

If the public shrugs…he’ll do it again. Bigger. Bolder. Closer to the election.

If governors cave…he’ll push harder.

If Democrats treat it like just another “Trump being Trump” story…we may not have a system left to fix.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

So here’s the bottom line.

This isn’t about Portland. This isn’t about ICE. This isn’t even about Antifa.

This is about Donald Trump’s long game: creating a state where he…and only he…decides when the military moves…who the enemy is…and how much force is “necessary.”

You don’t get to say, “It can’t happen here.” Because it is happening here.

The question is:

Do you let him test his way into permanence? Or do you draw the line…loud…clear… and immovable…before the test becomes the rollout?

BONUS: “Jack, could the Meeting Hegseth has called…and Trump’s Portland, Oregon, “Full Force,” order be connected?”

Yes…it’s quite plausible…and in fact likely…that the “full force” order in Portland is connected to what Pete Hegseth is doing with his meeting of dozens or hundreds of generals and admirals.

The timing, optics…and power dynamics all suggest coordination (or at least strategic alignment).

Let me walk you through how those threads might tie together…and why that matters.

What We Know: Hegseth’s Quantico Summit

A few recent reports give us a clearer picture of what Hegseth is up to:

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called a secretive…large-scale meeting in Quantico, Virginia…summoning generals and admirals from across the U.S. military to attend.

• The announced topics include grooming standards…leadership conduct…and his vision for a revitalized “warrior ethos.”

• Insiders and analysts see this gathering as more than a pep rally. Some suggest it may involve career consequences(firings, demotions) for officers who do not align with the new direction.

• There’s also a backdrop: Hegseth has pushed sweeping changes in the Pentagon …cutting top-line general offices…restructuring command chains…and asserting unprecedented control over the military hierarchy.

So the meeting isn’t just ceremonial. It’s about re-shaping military culture…loyalty… and structure during a volatile time.

How That Links to Portland “Full Force”

With that in mind, here’s how the pieces likely interlock:

1. Aligning the military to a new doctrine of domestic deployment

By summoning senior officers and pushing a narrative of “warrior ethos” and stricter discipline…Hegseth seems to be laying the groundwork for a military culture more receptive to domestic operations.

The Portland order gives the model: deployment inside U.S. cities…under the banner of “security” or “domestic terrorism.” The meeting is the organizational scaffolding; the Portland order is the visible trial run.

2. Testing obedience…loyalty…and cohesion

When generals are ordered to attend a meeting without full transparency…it’s a test of loyalty.

It signals:

Get in line…or face consequences. Simultaneously…deploying troops in Portland under “full force” is a test of how well the chain-of-command functions under political pressure. Those who resist or balk may be identified in that meeting as problematic.

3. Creating a narrative about internal threats

If the military leadership gets aligned with the idea that threats exist not just overseas…but within, the “full force” doctrine becomes part of a larger military posture.

Hegseth’s meeting gives him a forum to sell that narrative internally…that “homeland defense,” domestic unrest…and so-called “terrorism” in U.S. cities are now legitimate theaters for military power.

4. Reconciling external command with internal dissent

Hegseth’s summit is a way to preempt or suppress internal resistance. If officers push back on domestic uses of the military…the meeting allows Hegseth to publicly pressure them…frame dissent as disloyalty…and reset expectations.

Meanwhile, the Portland deployment is a test case: “You see how it’s done. Don’t challenge it.”

5. Optics and propaganda

Bringing dozens of generals and admirals together…especially with media or video production…is an image move: the military is unified…ready…disciplined. When paired with a high-visibility deployment (Portland), it becomes a show of force not just to the public…but to internal actors: this is how we operate now.

What It Wouldn’t Be: Why This Is Dangerous

If you imagine these as independent moves…you miss the danger.

Some might assume Hegseth’s meeting is only about morale…grooming…or internal reforms.

Others may see the Portland order as purely political theater. But when combined:

• It becomes harder for dissenters to isolate one move and oppose it.

• It allows for escalation under the radar: if generals are already on notice…if the military culture is reset…the next steps (more domestic deployments) come easier.

• It blurs the line: military is no longer just national defense…but internal enforcement.

Trump isn’t improvising anymore. He’s running a blueprint…one step…one test…one “deployment” at a time.

And every inch you give him today will be a mile he takes tomorrow. If you’re waiting for courts…for Congress…for some mythical adult in the room to slam the brakes…you’re already asleep at the wheel.

The wake-up call has come and gone.

Now the question is simple: are you willing to stand up before he locks this system down forever…or are you content to let history carve your name onto the list of those who watched freedom get buried and said nothing?

Reality Is Here…And It’s Ugly. Admitting That Is The First…And Most Critical Step

This isn’t bedtime reading.

This is the kind of spine-freezing reality most people would rather ignore…because it forces you to ask the question: what happens when the president doesn’t just threaten martial law…he builds the scaffolding to make it stick?

Tonight’s deep-dive is going to connect the dots others are too timid to touch…and I promise you this: once you see the picture…you won’t be able to unsee it.

That’s why my paid subscribers get this piece first…because they understand that forewarned is forearmed.

The BIG DRAW Idea for Tonight’s Paid Issue

“The Coup in Disguise: How Trump and Hegseth Are Using Portland and Quantico to Build America’s First Permanent Military State.”

• It frames Portland as the “test case.”

• It ties Hegseth’s general/admiral summit to purges and loyalty plays.

• It shows how these moves aren’t random…they’re linked steps in building a civilian-facing military apparatus designed to lock in Trump’s permanence.

• Paid subscribers get the exclusive breakdown of the timeline…playbook…and “red flag” scenarios to watch…things they won’t see on CNN, MSNBC, or in the Times.

We are watching something very serious unfold.

And…let me hammer this home while you’re still with me: there is never a useful reason to worry. To be concerned? Absolutely. Concern is healthy.

But worry? Worry is a thief. It steals your time…your energy…your peace of mind… and your health.

Worry doesn’t just stall progress…it almost stops you from existing. It’s the exact opposite of doing something useful or constructive. Worry freezes. Worry paralyzes. Worry makes you a spectator in your own life.

Concern, though…ahhh, that’s the engine.

That’s the spark that ignites action. And action, my friend…relentless…purposeful… unstoppable action…is the only thing that can keep this country…democracy and freedom from being crushed.

I’ll be back later with the paid subscriber issue that I described about. It will be a barn-burner.

Until then,

-Jack

P.S. Don’t think this is the “big one”? That’s what people said when he first attacked the press. When he first separated families at the border. When he first claimed an election was stolen.

Every “not the big one” has led us to this.

The deployment of troops to Portland isn’t the finale. It’s the dress rehearsal. And unless the audience gets off their ass and storms the stage…the final act will be a hellscape you won’t recognize.