How much will Trump’s National Guard plan in Portland cost? We have an answer

President Donald Trump has federally activated 200 Oregon National Guard troops for a deployment to Portland, ordering the operation under federal control and sparking a legal showdown with Oregon’s Democratic state government.

The deployment was justified by the administration as necessary to protect federal officers and infrastructure amid what Trump described as an environment of escalating “domestic terrorism” by Antifa and other agitators in Portland. Oregon officials strongly dispute those claims, falsely saying they reflect outdated footage and exaggeration.

How will the National Guard in Portland cost?

In a hearing before the Oregon legislature, a state military official estimated the deployment will cost at least $3.8 million in pay and allowances for guard members. That figure covers the 60-day mission (with buffer days for training and demobilization) but does not include expenses like lodging, meals, and logistical support.

“Two hundred service members for 80 days is roughly $3.8 million. Just in pay and allowances, and then there are other logistics costs, that we are still working through, support agreements, for what those costs look like. Again, this is all federally funded,” Russell Gibson, the Oregon Military Department’s director for government and legislative affairs, explained.

“Pay and allowance depends on their rank and pay grade … their ZIP code and their housing allowance, etc. But we’ve done this estimate before. So when we look at 200 service members, for a total of 80 days, and that 80-day order encompasses a 60-day mission but allows us some time on the front end to get them trained, and because they’ll accrue leave, it’ll require time on the back end for us to do demobilization for them to utilize their leave on the back end,” Gibson added.

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