President Donald Trump is bothered by face masks (and California, though that’s nothing new). He’s been posting on Truth Social quite a bit about protesters wearing them.
I mean REALLY bothered.
Masks are living in his mind rent-free.
But, as you may have noticed from the countless photos and videos flooding the news and social media from ICE raids and protests, a certain group of people LOVES to cover their faces.
Stephanie Keith / Getty Images
People were very quick to point out the hypocrisy of Trump’s detest for masked protesters while emphatically backing law enforcement officers, who often use face coverings to help conceal their identities on camera (and from being “targeted by known and suspected gang members, murders, and rapists,” according to DHS).
This person responded to Trump’s comment that protesters have something to “hide” behind masks, asking, “Why don’t you ask the masked ice agents who are many times also in plain clothes and fail to identify themselves?”
“The protesters can’t wear masks, but the ICE agents can,” someone said. “A fascist says what?”
“Why is it bad for protesters to wear masks but fine for ICE agents when they’re kidnapping people?” this person asked.
Country music star Kacey Musgraves weighed in, too, saying that if protesters aren’t able to wear masks, “ICE shouldn’t be able to either.”
Some people even insinuated that Trump’s order to “arrest the people in face masks” should be applied to the other side, too.
The progressive outlet NowThis Impact also tweeted on the subject, citing how masks can help mitigate the effects of smoke and tear gas.
It’s important to note that there’s a huge difference in why protesters wear masks as opposed to law enforcement. Not only can masking help with the tear gas often deployed by officers at protests, but it’s a safety measure employed by many immunocompromised people to combat COVID and other infections.
Other protesters wear masks to make it more difficult for law enforcement to use any protest photos or videos to identify (and possibly arrest) them in the future.
This conversation was renewed over on Instagram after the politically motivated assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman, the murder of her husband, and the attempted assassination of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman and attempted murder of his wife. The New York Times posted about it on Saturday, reporting that the shootings were carried out by “a person pretending to be a police officer.”
People immediately made the connection to the conversation about masked protesters versus law enforcement. This person called for “Badges and bare faces, NOW.”
And this person feared that masked officers set a dangerous precedent for who can claim they’re law enforcement.
What do you think? Discuss in the comments.
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DJ Kamal Mustafa
I’m DJ Kamal Mustafa, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of EMEA Tribune, a digital news platform that focuses on critical stories from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan. With a deep passion for investigative journalism, I’ve built a reputation for delivering exclusive, thought-provoking reports that highlight the region’s most pressing issues.
I’ve been a journalist for over 10 years, and I’m currently associated with EMEA Tribune, ARY News, Daily Times, Samaa TV, Minute Mirror, and many other media outlets. Throughout my career, I’ve remained committed to uncovering the truth and providing valuable insights that inform and engage the public.
