Defense Secretary Mark Esper has expressed concern within the administration about federal law enforcement officers wearing military-style uniforms while responding to protests.
Esper has not directly raised his concerns with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but he has expressed concerns within the administration, Esper’s spokesman said Tuesday.
“We saw this take place back in June when there were some law enforcement that wear uniforms that make them appear military in appearance,” chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said at a Pentagon briefing Tuesday.
“The secretary has expressed a concern of this within the administration that we want a system where people can tell the difference,” he said. “I’m not aware of any direct conversations with DHS on this particular deployment or their particular operations in Portland over the last week or so.”
Hoffman also stressed “unequivocally” that no Pentagon assets have been or are planning to be deployed to Portland.
The comments come as top Democrats are demanding answers after reports of federal law enforcement officers wearing military-style fatigues apprehending protesters in Portland without identifying themselves. Some protesters have been held for hours without being charged or read their Miranda rights.
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Pentagon: Esper concerned about federal law enforcement officers wearing military garb while responding to protests https://t.co/Glcbks4DKk pic.twitter.com/31WK8diH7N
— The Hill (@thehill) July 21, 2020
Esper is about to be fired. https://t.co/NWF8DMxVbv
— Rob needs sci-fi 🚀 (@daltonator) July 21, 2020
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