The political scientist spoke about a new stage in American politics

Andrei Kortunov, the scientific director of the Russian International Affairs Council, noted in a conversation with Izvestia that a new stage had begun in American politics against the background of the deployment of troops to Portland to protect against the Antifa movement.

"The process of political confrontation in the United States is taking on even more drastic and radical forms. It all started with the murder of political activist Kirk, and Trump took advantage of this to increase pressure on his opponents, in particular, the Antifa movement. Portland, as far as I remember, is a fairly calm city.: This is not Chicago, not Los Angeles, but a city that has never had serious criminal events," the expert explained.

According to the political scientist, this is primarily a political action.

"It is aimed, first of all, against left-wing radicals who oppose Trump. Obviously, he sees certain threats to the implementation of his plans in them. Whether the Republican Party's position will be shaken or strengthened after Kirk's murder will depend on a personal factor," the expert believes.

He added that the very fact of the murder is a mobilization and political factor.

"Supporters gathered, the conservative public was stirred up, everyone began to say that this case would be continued, and recordings of his speeches were gaining additional popularity. His wife said that she would continue her husband's work, so for now, rather, we can talk about the strengthening of these conservative and right—wing tendencies," the expert believes.

The analyst is sure that how stable everything will be is an open question.

"Maybe this wave of support will gradually fade away and it will be more difficult for Trump to maintain his position among the youth part of his supporters. There are no answers yet to the question of whether there will be a replacement and, if so, in what form it will appear. But it is clear that in order to launch a counteroffensive, the left also needs to look for new leaders and new slogans. The Democratic Party is still in very bad shape," Kortunov summed up.

On September 27, US President Donald Trump instructed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to provide troops to protect Portland from the Antifa movement. According to the American leader, he allowed full force to be used if necessary.

On September 22, Trump issued an order recognizing the Antifa movement as a terrorist organization. According to him, this organization openly called for the illegal overthrow of power in the United States, the elimination of law enforcement agencies and the dismantling of the legal system.

Read more about the decision of the US president to send troops to the capital of Oregon, Portland, in the Izvestia article:

"A soldier is walking through the city: Trump decided to use troops to fight the protests in Portland"