> Asked Sunday about the president-elect’s post calling on the government to shoot down the drones, [Homeland Security Secretary] Alejandro Mayorkas said, “We are limited in our authorities.”

> “We have certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security that can do that, and outside our department, but we need those authorities expanded as well,” he added, after he called on Congress to expand the federal government’s authorities — specifically to empower local agencies to counter drone activity with federal supervision.

This looks like a good way to get popular and political support to "expand authorities" in the interest of national security.

Coordinate to launch a 'classified' training or research operation that is sure to get some eyeballs and prompt some conspiracy theories. And refuse to confirm or deny it is a planned/authorized exercise, prompting some form of hysteria.

Then casually remark on record that your authorities are limited.