In a video shot in downtown Portland, a longtime chief of the Oregon National Guard warned Oregonians about the “assault on our democracy.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel served as adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard, leading its 8,000-plus members from 2015 to 2023.

On Oct. 1, in the wake of President Donald Trump’s move to send 200 National Guard troops to Portland, Stencel joined Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read in a video message aimed at the state—and beyond.

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The video, posted on Read’s campaign social media pages, was stylized with a newscastlike intro.

“Not exactly war-torn,” Read, a Democrat elected in 2024 said, pointing the camera toward him and Maj. Gen. Stencel, a calm downtown

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