Lawrence Jones bulletproof veset

@LawrenceBJones3/Twitter Alex Dalbey

Fox News contributor gets dunked on for wearing tiny bulletproof vest at border

You better believe it's been meme'd.

 

Alex Dalbey

IRL

Posted on Apr 5, 2019   Updated on May 20, 2021, 3:34 pm CDT

While reporting from a town near the Mexican border, Fox News contributor Lawrence Jones wore what appeared to be a tiny bulletproof vest—and the internet can’t stop memeing it.

Jones was in Laredo, Texas, to report on the border for Sean Hannity’s Fox News program, touring the area with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials and interviewing them about their views on crime in the area. During a live portion of Jones’ segment, he wore what looked like a small bulletproof vest with a CBP patch. Jones tweeted a photo of him wearing the vest, and the internet had a field day.

Many journalists, activists, and ordinary people go near the border every day without any need for bulletproof vests. In particular, reporters who have worked in the same area as Jones called b.s. on the need for such gear when reporting on migrants simply trying to seek asylum.

https://twitter.com/4lisaguerrero/status/1113883206976040960

Besides there not being a real need to wear a bulletproof vest at the border, the vest Jones wore just doesn’t appear to be very protective. Its small size leaves a large, vulnerable portion of his torso exposed, and one veteran stated that even when he zoomed in he couldn’t see any protective plating in the “bulletproof vest.” Some argued it looked more like a child’s backpack or a costume than any kind of defensive gear.

Jones claimed CBP told him to put it on, replying to one journalist, “Border patrol made me wear it. Now, who’s the fool?” For some, the idea that CBP intentionally gave him an ill-fitting tactical vest, or even a backpack, made the whole situation even more hilarious.

https://twitter.com/robmacphotog/status/1113898182814183424

https://twitter.com/MrHarrisAWriter/status/1113964126219505664

While Jones may claim that he was wearing the “bulletproof vest” at the behest of CBP officials, some Twitter users felt this picture, taken during the same “live from the border” report, shows that CBP officials didn’t actually require him to wear protective gear.

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H/T BuzzFeed News

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*First Published: Apr 5, 2019, 10:27 am CDT