The Oregon Republican Party deleted a social media post that used images from South America in the context of protests in Portland, saying a volunteer created the graphic using stock photos.
The state GOP said the post was promptly removed once the mistake was identified.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of federal agents and National Guard troops to Portland, citing threats from protesters and “lawless mayhem.” Local officials, including Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, have disputed claims of widespread unrest.
The state and city have sought a federal restraining order, arguing that the federal government is exceeding its authority. There have been daily protests outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland as progressives rally against the administration’s hard-line policies.
What To Know
The Oregon Republican Party appeared to share a misleading image on social media to support the deployment of California National Guard troops to Portland.
The post, which appeared on the party’s official social media accounts, depicted a chaotic protest scene—with riot police and demonstrators holding flares. The accompanying caption suggested that Portland was experiencing severe unrest, aligning with President Donald Trump’s claim that the city was “burning to the ground.”
Upon closer examination, the image was found to be a composite of two unrelated photographs from South America. The first photo, showing riot police with shields marked “Policia,” was taken in Ecuador in 2008. The second, depicting a fiery demonstration, was from Brazil in 2017. The images were sourced from Getty Images and Pexels, respectively.
The Guardian first reported the discrepancy. In response, the Oregon GOP wrote on X, “We’re not reporters, just bad memers.”
On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the ICE facility in Portland, observing a small protest outside—far from the large-scale “siege” Trump had described.
On Saturday, a federal judge in Portland halted the president’s attempt to place Oregon’s National Guard under federal control, ruling that his characterization of the largely peaceful city as “burning to the ground” was not supported by evidence.
The following day, Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, broadened the injunction to prevent National Guard troops from any state from being sent to Portland.
What People Are Saying
LaJuana Decker, a spokesperson for the Oregon Republican Party, told Newsweek: “The graphic in question was created by one of our volunteers working quickly to post breaking news about President Trump’s deployment of California National Guard troops to Portland.
“The background to the announcement was created using stock photos from Canva, which—unbeknownst to us—included foreign imagery. No assertion that the images were taken in Portland was made nor intended. The post was promptly removed once the misperception was identified.”
