Although the federal law enforcement officers who have been targeting George Floyd protesters in Portland, Oregon, are not acting on behalf of the U.S. Army, they have been wearing military camouflage. And Defense Secretary Mark Esper, according to Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman, is expressing concern about his dress and believes that the American public should be able to distinguish between military troops and police officers.
The Military.com website reports that on Tuesday, July 21, Hoffman told reporters: “We want a system where people can tell the difference. I can say unequivocally that no Defense Department assets have been deployed, waiting to be deployed to, or looking to deploy to Portland. “
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Oregon Governor Kate Brown are among Democrats who have been highly critical of President Donald Trump’s use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, where Federal law enforcement officers have been driving unmarked vehicles and attacking protesters. Wyden described them as “Trump’s secret police,” and Brown told PBS that “Trump’s troops” were “throwing gasoline on the fire” in the largest city in Oregon.
Hoffman told reporters: “There are some law enforcement officers (who) wear uniforms that make them appear military, and the secretary has expressed concern about this within the (Trump) Administration.”
Esper, according to Hoffman, “has expressed concern that, in some cases, law enforcement officials who adequately perform law enforcement tasks are misunderstood by military personnel, who would not adequately perform those (tasks).”
