Snapshot: Monsters in Our Midst

They are not just indifferent to a deadly shooting, they revel in it. But their terror is triggering a rising tide of anger and resistance.

Greg Bovino and a collection of his masked thugs in the streets of Minneapolis. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

One of the images that continues to haunt me is the federal agent clapping in the split second after the execution of Alex Pretti at point-blank range. What kind of monster watches a man murdered with at least 10 bullets, then applauds? Not a shake of the head, not a moment of gravity about the taking of a human life, but clapping.

This is monstrous, a profoundly horrific example of Donald Trump’s paramilitary death squad that is populated with broken men. To respond to an act like this by clapping is all we need to know that these are sadistic people who are not just indifferent to killing, but revel in it.

People like this do not belong on our streets. They should not be permitted to carry deadly weapons. They should not be masked or wearing military-style uniforms. They should not be able to hide without proper badges identifying who they are. They must be held accountable for their crimes.

But monsters such as the clapping agent (still unnamed and uncharged) who committed the murder of Alex Pretti are supported by another monster. That’s Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander, who frequently dresses like a Nazi-coded supervillain and went on CNN yesterday to declare these agents “victims.” This is the monster who did not take the agent who used deadly force off the street, but simply relocated him and his masked buddies for “their safety.”

Forget standard police practice, when officers involved in a deadly shooting are put on administrative leave for some days or weeks while the initial facts of the case are investigated. Such officers typically interact with a psychiatrist to assess their emotional and mental health.

But not Bovino’s killing squad. They’ve simply been reassigned and put back on the streets. “All agents that were involved in that scene are working not in Minneapolis, but in other locations,” he arrogantly noted during a news conference yesterday. “That’s for their safety.”

As for the safety of the American public, particularly those who courageously protest against these lawless agents of the federal government, Bovino obviously could not care less.

I’ve shared here some of the monstrous lies from Trump and his sociopathic Homeland Security chief, Kristi Noem, in the aftermath of Alex Pretti’s heartbreaking murder. But I think it’s also important to read the words of Stephen Miller, the deeply broken and depraved Trump advisor who gets plenty of the credit for this fascist operation of ICE and Border Patrol thugs.

“A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” he posted on X Saturday.

The multiple lies he’s telling in this statement—and the virulent hatred being spewed toward an innocent American citizen who was executed in broad daylight—are beyond disgusting. But I take some solace in the blunt response by the Democratic Party: “You’re a fucking liar with blood on your hands.”

Yes—paraphrasing Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker—the only language that a bully understands is a punch in the face. And that’s the kind of language required to counterpunch a monster like Miller. I cannot wait until this man is held criminally accountable for his role in this murderous regime. My thoughts drift to Nuremberg and the hanging of Nazi leaders.

In the meantime, we can take strength and direction from the good and brave people of Minneapolis, who continue to protest against the nightmare that has descended upon them. And we should take notice of what feels to me like a real shift in the public consciousness.

Yesterday, the National Basketball Players Association put out this statement:

Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent.

Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice.

The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.

There is a rising tide of anger and resistance—and that tide can be more powerful than the forces of evil holding our beloved country hostage. But it must be sustained.

The growing opposition to this murderous regime must include rejecting the funding of the Department of Homeland Security, which is scheduled for a Senate vote later this week. As Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said on CNN yesterday, Congress cannot fund a department "that is murdering American citizens, that is traumatizing little boys and girls across the country in violation of the law."

The message from all of us must be clear: Enough is enough.

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