Fact vs Fiction
In this world of social media, AI and sound bites, it can be difficult to discern truth from fiction. Posts and pictures – real or not – spread like wildfire and the more they gain traction, the more they are believed. This page will be updated periodically with examples of some of the current “Alternative Facts” being touted as truths.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Trump claims that Portland is “bombed-out” and that Portlanders want a federal presence in the city. He also claims that the city is on fire and is plagued with fights and violence.
Truth
The Portland Fire Department states that the narrative that Portland is on fire is untrue, and that while the number of fires has increased since last year, building fires themselves are down 33%. There have been no bombs dropped or exploded in Portland since 2008.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Donald Trump and Director of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claim that federal officers in Portland are being violently attacked by “Antifa thugs.” Noem also claims that Governor Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson are complicit in covering up acts of terrorism by “Antifa” in Portland.
Truth
Portland protests peaked in June, when protesters broke the window of the downtown ICE building with a stop sign. 75 arrests of protesters have been made over the last four months, with 45 arrests in June. There have been 22 arrests since Trump announced he was deploying federal troops to the city. Recent protests have been noticeably less violent and active in recent weeks, though police officials report that federal agents have been instigating incidents with protesters.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Conservative influencer Nick Sortor, on the buildings across the street from the facility: “You talk to the neighbors that live in the apartments next door to the ICE facility. They are veterans with PTSD that live there and they hear all night long screaming, fireworks being lit off by these rioters, children crying because they can’t sleep at night and they are scared of all the noise outside and they can’t leave.”
Truth
Even when there haven’t been arrests, the protests have been disruptive to neighbors. One resident filed a lawsuit asking that the city be compelled to enforce noise ordinances around the area, but a judge ruled in August that Portland police are not required to do so. Several neighbors have expressed concern with the actions of the federal troops at the facility, including violence against protesters and the use of tear gas. Not all neighbors are supportive of the protests, however, and have spoken against the “antifa” presence in the area.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Trump has claimed that retailers have left Portland, and the city doesn’t have stores anymore. The president also asserts that Washington, D.C. was “almost as bad” as Portland until he deployed troops to the city in August.
Truth
Portland has faced business loss due to multiple factors, including crime, poor performance, and possibly the impact of Portland’s corporate activity tax on large businesses. Plywood over business windows has been common since 2020. The closure of retailers in downtown Portland has been common, but this is due to the prevalence of shoplifting, not violent crime. It’s important to mention that while large businesses have suffered, small businesses continue to move downtown in their absence.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Katie Daviscourt, writer for the conservative Post Millennial website, claims that she was hit in the face by a protester in Portland, and calls Portland’s protests a “sustained attack on the United States…supported by Democratic elected officials.” She also claims that the Portland Police Department has abandoned the area around the downtown ICE facility and ceded it to a “terrorist group” of protesters.
Truth
The Portland Police Bureau maintained a regular presence at the ICE facility in June, but pulled back this summer. They continue to stand back from the regular group of protesters, the number of which ranges between 12 and 150. There have been 75 arrests since the summer, 30 of which were made by federal officers.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
Right-wing podcaster Brandi Kruse on the idea that Antifa is a concept and not a real group that calls itself “Antifa”: “Some of them literally do,” Kruse said. “They call themselves ‘Rose City Antifa.’”
Truth
In 2020, Trump’s FBI Director Chris Wray stated that Antifa is an ideology, not an organization. It is true that Rose City Antifa is an organization formed in 2007 to shut down a neo-Nazi event called Hammerfest. The group did not comment on whether they were involved in recent protests or still active at all. On its website, Rose City Antifa says it participates in “direct action,” “education” and “solidarity.” The last post on the site was from March 2025. In July, Kristi Noem accused several groups, including Rose City Antifa, of trying to dox ICE officers.
Last Updated Nov. 25th, 2025
Fiction
According to Trump, while Governor Kotek was walking around Portland on television saying Portland didn’t need federal troops, there were “explosions in the background.”
Truth
Kotek has posted videos to social media that show scenes from Portland. She also has held news conferences in Portland in recent weeks to say that the city does not need or want federal troops. No explosions happened in any of these videos.
Last Updated Sept. 4th, 2025
Fiction
Illegal aliens are the leading cause of violent crimes in America.
Truth
According to the US Census Bureau and FBI, in 2023 there were 1,218,467 violent crimes (Assault, Domestic Violence, Robbery, Homicide, Sexual Offense) committed in the United States. Out of the 1.2 million violent crimes, 2,431 were committed by undocumented immigrants. That is .19% of the total. In other words, less than half of 1% of violent crimes were committed by undocumented immigrants.
Last Updated Sept. 4th, 2025
Fiction
Trump’s Truth Social Post on July 26, 2025 declared, “Democrats paid Beyonce $11 million for an endorsement.
Truth
Federal Election Commission disclosures show that on Nov. 19, 2024, then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign paid Beyoncé’s production company $165,000 for "campaign event production." There are no other Harris campaign payments to Beyoncé, her production company and her publicist.
Last Updated Sept. 4th, 2025
Fiction
Trump’s Truth Social Post on May 8, 2024 stated, “The Digital Equity Act is a handout “based on race” and “illegal”.
Truth
The 2021 bill extended broadband access in all states and was created to benefit low-income households, people 60 and older, veterans, people with disabilities, people in rural areas and many others.
Last Updated Sept. 4th, 2025
Fiction
Trump stated in an April 29, 2025 interview, “If people come into our country illegally, there’s a different standard” for due process.
Truth
The U.S. Constitution, legal experts and decades of court decisions agree: Immigrants in the U.S., regardless of how they entered the U.S., legally or illegally, have due process rights. The due process immigrants are afforded varies depending on how long a person has been in the U.S. and their legal status. Legal experts say there are no exceptions to due process for immigrants.