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Oregon Democrats walk out as Trump says ‘America is back’ in joint address

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Oregon Democrats walk out as Trump says ‘America is back’ in joint address


President Donald Trump on Tuesday addressed Congress in his first primetime speech of his second term, saying “America is back” while touting his administration’s efforts, even as Democrats became so incensed that some walked out the door.

Trump sought to portray a nation in the midst of a dramatic comeback, saying illegal immigration is dropping as his administration fights back against a “woke” agenda from Democrats.

“The American dream is surging bigger and better than ever before,” Trump said.

Meanwhile, multiple members of Oregon’s congressional delegation were among those who walked out as the party pushed back against the president, his cabinet and Elon Musk, the billionaire leader of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting effort called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

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Like many states across the country, Oregon has seen packed town halls and large protests in the wake of Trump’s first month in office. The upheaval has come in response to a variety of Trump’s policies, from immigration to foreign policy to shrinking the federal workforce.

Here are some highlights from Trump’s joint address.

Trump touts tariffs

On Tuesday, Trump imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. The countries collectively import billions of dollars of goods to Oregon, including furniture from China and fertilizer from Canada Many economists have warned that the nation is nearing a trade war that could rock the state’s economy.

In his speech, Trump said the aggressive use of tariffs will enrich America and curb illegal border crossings. But on Tuesday, stocks tumbled on Wall Street and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the tariffs “very dumb” while promising a 25% retaliatory tariff.

Trump promised during his speech that he will push back, saying: “Whatever they tax us, we will tax them.”

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During Trump’s address, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, said on the social media platform X: “Candidate Trump promised to lower prices, but President Trump’s reckless blanket tariffs will RAISE prices even higher for families in Oregon and across the country. This is Trumpflation at work!”

Oregon Democrats walk out

Some Democrats turned their backs on the president during his speech, held up signs criticizing the administration and eventually walked out of the chamber.

Among them were U.S. Reps. Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter, both from Oregon. Salinas tweeted Tuesday night that she decided to leave “rather than listen to more false promises from a wannabe dictator.”

Oregon House Democratic members Andrea Salinas and Maxine Dexter walk out as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP

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“Tonight, President Trump spewed more lies and continued to ignore the reality that his policies are hurting working families – not helping them,” said Salinas, who was just elected to her second term in November.

Oregon Democrats have voiced concerns about a variety of ways the administration’s policies are impacting the state.

So far, wildfire research has been paused, and funds for local transportation and housing projects are in limbo. Meanwhile, mass firings have hit regional employers such as the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bonneville Power Administration.

U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Happy Valley Democrat, stayed in the Capitol chamber on Tuesday, said spokesman Koray Rosati.

He said Bynum “stayed to hold Trump accountable to people like her guest Liz Crandall,” a former Forest Service employee from Bend. Crandall was one of at least 16 Deschutes National Forest staffers fired in recent weeks amid cost cutting efforts by DOGE.

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“I think the message is getting through that people are pretty irritated and frustrated by these terminations and these losses in their community,” Bynum said in a call with reporters earlier Tuesday.

Bynum added: “We in Oregon absolutely need every wildfire fighting resource that we can possibly get. This is not small peanuts for us. This is life or death.”

Lori Chavez-DeRemer appears in front row

Bynum’s longtime political opponent had a front row seat on Tuesday.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an Oregon Republican who lost her congressional reelection bid to Bynum in November, was sitting in the front row during Trump’s address, beside other members of the president’s cabinet.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, nominated for labor secretary, was sitting in the front row (far left) during Trump’s address, beside other members of the president’s cabinet.

President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, nominated for labor secretary, was sitting in the front row (far left) during Trump’s address, beside other members of the president’s cabinet.

Mandel Ngan / AP

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Trump nominated Chavez-DeRemer for the job of labor secretary in November. A Senate committee voted last week to advance her to a full Senate vote, but she has not yet been confirmed.

Chavez-DeRemer has portrayed herself as a political moderate, noting that she has support from both large business groups and unions. While her support of union-friendly policies drew pushback from some Republicans, three Democrats on the committee who weighed her nomination approved her.

On Tuesday, Chavez-DeRemer — who endorsed Trump in the November election — sat next to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist who ran for president and was recently confirmed to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Wyden skips address

Rather than attend Trump’s joint address to Congress, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden held a virtual town hall. More than 4,000 people attended the virtual meeting, which Wyden co-hosted with People’s Town Hall, a community organization. He answered several questions that were submitted from thousands of constituents across Oregon.

Wyden, the state’s senior senator, told the virtual audience Tuesday that he decided to host the town hall as an alternative to Trump’s address.

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“It just seems to be that our version of alternative programming is going to give Oregonians the chance to lay out the true state of the union,” Wyden said at the town hall. “We’re a union that’s worried about the cost of groceries, gas and electric bills and Donald Trump and Elon Musk don’t seem to know much about those issues.”

Wyden answered questions from residents concerned about a number of issues including potentially losing Medicaid, which many in Oregon receive through the Oregon Health Plan, as Musk and DOGE continue to search for places to slash federal spending.

Wyden said he would continue to push back against Trump and DOGE on any potential cuts to Medicaid.



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The Cost of the Crackdown: How Trump’s immigration enforcement affects Oregon

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The Cost of the Crackdown: How Trump’s immigration enforcement affects Oregon


President Donald Trump campaigned on carrying out what he called the largest deportation operation in American history.

After taking office, his administration quickly ramped up immigration enforcement. Border czar Tom Homan also pledged to focus on so-called sanctuary cities, including Portland. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, more than 675,000 people were deported in 2025, while the agency says more than 2 million people “self-deported.”

READ ALSO | Supreme Court hands Trump immigration wins, but birthright citizenship might be different

In Oregon, state data shows state and local agencies experienced a 265% increase in immigration-related requests from federal authorities last year.

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So what does that mean for Oregon’s economy?

The state’s chief economist says the effects are beginning to emerge.

Carl Riccadonna, Oregon’s state economist, said immigration enforcement actions are influencing consumer spending and activity across several key industries, though the state cannot yet quantify the overall impact.

“What we’re seeing in terms of immigration action is playing out in either consumption patterns, which we’ve seen in some communities, or in industrial or sectoral activity,” Riccadonna said. “This does then have implications for how we are reading the overall macroeconomy and putting together that revenue forecast.”

Portland police officers walk outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

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Riccadonna said the effects extend beyond agriculture, an industry that has historically relied on immigrant labor.

“We have certainly, in sector-by-sector analysis, we’re hearing evidence of impacts from immigration in consumption numbers, so retail, groceries, those sorts of things,” Riccadonna said. “There are also significant impacts in the retail sector and leisure and hospitality, restaurants and construction, important legacy industries of Oregon like timber, forestry … and manufacturing has a very large footprint as well.”

While the state is seeing those trends, Riccadonna said economists cannot yet calculate exactly how much immigration enforcement has affected Oregon’s economy.

“We haven’t done an exercise to say, well, this is what the forecast would have been otherwise. We don’t produce counterfactuals … but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from the cherry harvest this past summer and stresses elsewhere throughout those specific sectors,” he said.

National data offers additional context.

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According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the recent immigration surge — which the report says mostly comprises immigrants who were not lawful permanent residents, were not eligible to apply for lawful permanent residency based on their current status, and were not admitted on a temporary basis under the Immigration and Nationality Act — generated approximately $10 billion in state and local tax revenue in 2023. During that same period, governments spent nearly $19 billion on services such as schools, shelters and border security.

A damaged car is seen as law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

A damaged car is seen as law enforcement officials work the scene following reports that federal immigration officers shot and wounded people in Portland, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

The Congressional Budget Office also projects the immigration surge that began in 2023 will increase the U.S. labor force by approximately 5.8 million people by 2034 and boost the nation’s economic output by nearly $9 trillion over the next decade.

Riccadonna said Oregon expects to gain a clearer picture of the economic effects as more tax and revenue data becomes available.

This story is part of KATU’s “The Cost of the Crackdown” special, which examines how increased immigration enforcement is affecting Oregon, from businesses and workers to the state’s broader economy.

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Oregon National Guard tests drone to remotely deliver explosive during training

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Oregon National Guard tests drone to remotely deliver explosive during training


Oregon Army National Guard soldiers tested a new method of clearing battlefield obstacles during annual training this week by using a heavy-lift drone to remotely deliver and detonate a live explosive charge.

The proof-of-concept demonstration took place June 22 and was led by soldiers with Bravo Company, 741st Brigade Engineer Battalion, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

The exercise focused on using an unmanned aircraft to carry a live Bangalore torpedo — an explosive device designed to clear wire obstacles — allowing engineers to breach barriers while remaining farther from potential enemy threats.

Army engineers are responsible for creating safe routes for friendly forces by clearing obstacles such as concertina wire and minefields. Traditionally, placing explosive charges requires soldiers to move close to enemy positions, increasing their exposure to danger.

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During the demonstration, a heavy-lift drone carried the explosive charge to a wire obstacle before remotely detonating it, successfully creating a lane through the barrier.

The project was the result of several months of planning by the battalion’s drone working group under the direction of battalion commander Lt. Col. Eric Zimmerman. The unit partnered with Ashland-based Lorica Technologies, which provided the heavy-lift drone used during the demonstration.

Lt. Col. Zimmerman said recent conflicts have highlighted the importance of adapting new technologies for the battlefield.

“Watching what’s happening in Ukraine and seeing how innovative they’ve been inspires you to get better and think bigger,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said.

The team conducted multiple tests before the live demonstration, beginning with inert training devices before progressing to live explosives. Officials said the final test successfully delivered and detonated a two-section Bangalore torpedo.

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Lt. Col. Zimmerman credited the project’s success to collaboration between battalion leadership and the soldiers responsible for carrying out the mission.

“I’m really proud,” Lt. Col. Zimmerman said. “The Soldiers of Bravo Company took an idea from the battalion staff and applied their expertise to make that idea functional and effective.”

Military officials said the demonstration highlights how the Oregon Army National Guard is incorporating emerging unmanned aircraft technology into engineer operations. Lessons learned from the project are expected to help shape future training and the Army’s continued integration of drones into combat engineering missions.

The Oregon Army National Guard is made up of citizen-soldiers who serve part time while maintaining civilian careers, attending school or raising families. In addition to federal deployments, Guard members respond to state emergencies such as wildfires, floods and winter storms when activated by the governor.



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Oregon Lottery Pick 4 results for June 25

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 25, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 25 drawing

1PM: 9-9-6-3

4PM: 5-1-5-7

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7PM: 7-4-0-5

10PM: 9-1-2-4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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