Greg Bovino warns of "consequences" for calling ICE "gestapo"

[xocetaceans]

The source video is here:

https://www.c-span.org/program/news-conference/border-control-commander-greg-bovino-news-conference-on-ice-operations-in-minneapolis/672262

That is a press conference put on by Bovino on Jan 25, 2026. At the press conference, he expresses his lesson on the morality of "choices":

(@2:58 in the video)
Bovino: "...calling law enforcement names like Gestapo or using the term kidnapping. That is a choice that is made. There are actions and consequences that come from those choices. ...."

(@4:01 in the video)
Bovino: "These choices have 'reverbations' [sic: reverberations] throughout society."

So, not only is Bovino seemingly by the actions he has supported a want-to-be Nazi, but he apparently seems to be a few brain cells shy of being an idiot as well.

(@5:10 in the video)
Bovino: ". . . because of those choices made by politicians and those perhaps weaker-minded constituents that chose to follow directions of those politicians. Sad state of affairs. . . . "

(@6:29 in the video)
Bovino: ". . . continues despite yesterday's tragedy that was preventable by folks making better choices--politicians, journalists, and would-be anarchists and rioters."

Bovino seems to continue to smear Good and Pretti by implication. This is hopefully an early preview of Bovino's future "You can't handle the truth!" statement, which will be (again hopefully) before a judge from a witness stand.

The Q & A starts @ 10:43 in the video after ICE's presentation. A leader from ICE also makes a large number of unsubstantiated assertions that may or may not be true. He also presents a set of images apparently of protesters (only seen fully @9:56 in the video) after describing them with the phrase "these are our agitators from yesterday if anybody wants to take a picture of these people". The corner of the image seen @9:56 is seen @9:49 as the camera pans to the speaker's right.

(@16:39 in the video)
Bovino: Two suspects [i.e., Good and Pretti] . . . You're correct. Two suspects have been shot, and suspects that assault, delay, obstruct, or threaten a law enforcement officer's life . . . It goes back to the choices that we just talked about. When individuals make poor choices, poor decisions, come into a law enforcement situation, an active law enforcement situation, conspire to come into that situation, whether that's based on ideology . . . We don't know. That'll be in the investigation that we just talked about . . . that's what we base the split-second decisions on and our law enforcement officers are safe . . . They manage . . . don't . . . uh . . . hold on . . . They manage to come home at the end of shift and you know again I would implore upon any individuals whether they're anarchists, rioters [Bovino smirks], or anyone else that thinks it wise to go into a law enforcement scene to disrupt . . . uh . . . to delay . . . is to don't [sic] do that. Think about . . . [bank robbery example etc.] "

It is instructive to see how Bovino frames this. It seems that his choice of words either indicates that he is not very smart and is mimicking words that he thinks apply to the situation or that he views this as one large-scale conspiracy against law enforcement. Both are bad, but the latter is perhaps worse as he might actually buy into the Trump Administration's lies about the existence of "Antifa" as an 'organization' and its labeling as a 'terrorist organization'. Watching this video is recommended.

Perhaps, he should consider that Gestapo means "secret (nation) state('s) police" and that ICE and CBP are running around without ID in unmarked cars and acting exactly as kidnappers would.

It is only an act of faith by the broad public in whatever remains of the rule of law in the US that allows people to believe that these thugs are not merely politically-directed kidnappers. ICE and CBP resist proving that they are not merely criminals by avoiding transparency and external scrutiny of their actions.

That transparency and scrutiny must be external as the word of ICE, of CBP, and of the Trump Administration is completely worthless: the Trump Administration has openly, blatantly, and repeatedly stated transparent lies regarding the murder of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

If the Trump Administration's current set of obvious lies are not enough to prove the fundamental dishonesty and cruelty of the Trump Administration, consider their lies concerning Abrego Garcia.

A Comprehensive Timeline of the Kilmar Abrego García Case
Everything you need to know about Abrego García, his Nashville prosecution and his myriad court cases

by Mikeie Honda Reiland
January 7, 2026

Kilmar Abrego García — the Maryland man illegally deported to his homeland of El Salvador, brought back to the United States, then charged with human trafficking related to an old Tennessee traffic stop — has become an inkblot test for how you view the Trump administration’s immigration policy. He is a blank slate to whom both sides of the aisle ascribe certain qualities in order to make their points.

But Abrego García isn’t just a symbol or idea. He is a real person in the midst of a labyrinth of a court case that stretches between Nashville and Maryland and across the Gulf to San Salvador. So much has happened that it’s tough to keep up with it all.

For that reason, the Banner has compiled a timeline of all relevant events. This will be updated as Abrego García’s case works its way through the courts.

...

https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/01/07/kilmar-abrego-garcia-trump-administration-tennessee/

He was effectively kidnapped and spirited away to a maximum security prison in El Salvador against judicial orders: recall the obscenity that was Noem's performative video from that prison.

A reminder of that video is here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHrtPr2o311/?hl=en

Clearly, the Trump Administration is still proud of that.