In a move that had the White House lawn looking more like an art gallery of mischief, the administration decided to put up an unexpected display of poster board masterpieces. These weren’t the usual inspirational quotes or serene landscapes, though. Instead, they featured mugshots and details of crimes committed by so-called “criminal aliens.” With every network, from local news to cable giants like MSNBC, setting up camp at the strategically placed Pebble Beach position, these bold displays stood as inevitable backdrops to their live broadcasts.

Walking across the White House grounds, one couldn’t miss the assortment of signs detailing the offenses of those who entered the country illegally, amplifying a narrative that the administration evidently wanted to highlight. The humor in this, if one has the penchant for high-stakes political pranks, is that these images also found their way onto every major network, inadvertently transforming standard news updates into impromptu crime reports.

As journalists rushed to report on whatever pressing issue was at hand, the ghostly images of mugshots behind them told a story of their own. It felt a bit like photo-bombing, but with a far more serious undertone. Republicans watching at home likely relished the irony, seeing reporters unintentionally aiding in the spread of a message they may not have intended to convey.

And while the viewers might have thought they were tuning in to hear about the latest in legislative procedures or diplomatic updates, they were instead confronted with an additional, unfiltered message about immigration control. Predictably, this didn’t sit too well with some broadcasters who found themselves in a sticky editorial situation. For those who might’ve hoped to ignore these narratives, the signs were an unignorable reminder.

For now, coffee has some salt to go along with it for certain news anchors.