Disgraced Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino launched a bizarre social media charm offensive that almost immediately turned into a disaster.
The 55-year-old’s X account was closed last month after President Donald Trump deported ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, from Minnesota after he was killed by Border Patrol agents. He was reportedly silenced at the time after Department of Homeland Security officials became aware of his public trolling and feuding with lawmakers over the shooting.
This week, however, he finally retrieved his X-Files and began attacking his critics, mocking Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and threatening to bring his agents back to Chicago. But after launching into a Trump-esque weight slam against Pritzker, Bovino was immediately ridiculed by legions of commenters who mocked his own appearance, called him a fascist and urged him to seek treatment.
As Bovino patrols sidewalks across the country, he’s rarely seen surrounded by a phalanx of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. /Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Weirdly, Bovino took the time to respond to every insult hurled at him, albeit not in a particularly harsh way, relying instead on “ha ha”s and cringe-worthy jokes about pie.
Bovino’s attempts to counter Pritzker’s calls for him to lose his job also drew criticism from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump’s deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, both of whom are facing backlash over the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens.
Bovino retweeted the post, saying: “No, Gubner, too busy to lead agents to arrest illegal aliens. Also, Chicago may need another double-digit drop in the violent crime smorgasbord, a compliment to the green machine. Maybe we can have a piece of sugar-free heirloom apple pie together – on me!”
X/Gregory Bovino
Bovino often refers to his team of masked border agents deployed across the U.S. interior as part of the government’s deportation operations as the “Green Machine.”
Bovino’s answer below, confusing to anyone but himself, is, “Carnivore Homes–Heck, yes!!!!!!! Smokehouses are a lost art for ardent homesteaders. So are deep root cellars.”
“I almost had a stroke reading this,” one person responded to Bovino’s original post.
“Are you tall enough to use this app?” asked another X user, referring to his widely reported short stature.
Bovino tried to attack Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, but was quickly attacked himself. / Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Vox Media
“Please slip back into that hole. [you] Sneaked out? ” pleads another.
“Hey Gestapo Greg!! Where have you been???” read another reply, apparently referring to Bovino’s controversial trench coat, which some say resembles clothing worn by Nazis.
Bovino’s trench coat sparked discussion about his fashion sense. / Department of Homeland Security
Bovino became a “MAGA” social media star during his seven months as the face of Trump’s deportation campaign, often surrounded by an army of agents stomping on city sidewalks and yelling at protesters.
However, some commenters wished Bovino well on his return to the internet. One even invited him and the surrounding “kids” to eat some homemade pasta.
Tom Homan succeeds Bovino at Minnesota. / CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, took over operations in Minnesota after Bovino was ousted, amid an increasingly frightening scene of immigration enforcement operations in the state.
The Daily Beast did not immediately receive a response from the Department of Homeland Security.
