Trump Deportation Forces Told To ‘Dress For The Cameras’ — Wear ‘Raid Jackets’ To ‘Generate Media Attention’ Say CNN Sources
President Donald Trump’s immigration officials have been instructed to “dress for the cameras” according to sources who told CNN that every participant must wear “raid jackets” to maximize media attention on the mass deportation effort.
Trump officials began the promised “mass deportations” last week starting with ostentatious deportation flights using military aircraft, and according to CNN correspondent Josh Campbell, they’re under orders to take maximum advantage of media coverage as a nationwide blitz begins.
From Campbell:
Multiple federal agents assisting US immigration officials with raids directed by the Trump administration have been told to ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case they are filmed by members of the media, sources familiar with the operations tell CNN.
While it is a common safety practice for agents conducting arrests to wear insignias clearly identifying themselves as law enforcement, even agents on the perimeter of operations conducted across the nation have been specifically instructed by their leadership to wear raid jackets to generate possible media attention, sources said.
On Sunday, federal agencies released numerous photos on social media of agents in tactical gear conducting purported immigration arrests.
Teams across the country have been given various quotas for the number of so-called “high-profile” immigration raids they should conduct each month, one source said.
On Monday’s edition of CNN This Morning, anchor Kasie Hunt was first to reveal Campbell’s reporting, telling Spectrum News correspondent Kevin Frey that
KASIE HUNT: There’s reporting here at CNN this morning is that many of these officials conducting these raids have been told to basically dress for the cameras. Right? So here’s the reporting.
“Multiple federal agents assisting U.S. immigration officials with raids directed by the Trump administration have been told to ensure their clothing clearly depicts their respective agency in case they’re filmed by members of the media.”
“Sources tell CNN while it’s common safety practice for agents conducting arrests to wear insignia, clearly identifying themselves as law enforcement, even agents on the perimeter of operations conducted across the nation have been specifically instructed by their leadership to wear raid jackets to generate possible media attention, sources said.”.
So how do you understand how this is different from what had previously been going on under the Biden administration?
KEVIN FREY: I mean, perhaps the clear cut case as to or the earliest example of kind of the playing to the camera aspect of all of this is when they utilized those military planes to try to send some of these migrants back to South America rather than just a regular civilian passenger sort of airline that are typically used.
And so, if anything, it fits into this larger dynamic that that Trump is certainly central to, which is straight out of central casting, looking for members of his cabinet that look good on TV, playing to the camera when it comes to his own experiences in reality television.
The man knows how to operate. He knows how to operate within this media ecosystem. Playing to the New York Post sort of headlines. And this is kind of the latest example of that.
Watch above via CNN This Morning.
