Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has brushed aside one of Donald Trump’s former border officials with a blunt dismissal. The remark follows public criticism of the administration’s immigration strategy by Greg Bovino, the ousted Border Patrol commander-at-large.
Markwayne Mullin makes bizarre comment about Donald Trump ally
Markwayne Mullin was attending an event honoring officers who responded to a 2025 shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility when a reporter attempted to ask about Bovino. Before the question was finished, Mullin cut in. “I never met the guy. No, he’s irrelevant to me. I don’t know who he is. What else, guys?” Mullin said.
Footage from the event leaves the exact nature of the reporter’s question unclear, but the secretary’s tone signalled he had no interest in engaging with his critic. Greg Bovino responded on X, with a clip from Breaking Bad, “When you’re ready to fulfil @POTUS’ promise of mass deportations, let’s talk @SecMullinDHS.”
Since Donald Trump removed him from his post earlier this year as part of a shake-up of immigration operations, Bovino had kept a relatively low profile. That changed over the weekend when he posted a video of himself being interviewed at the far-right Remigration Summit in Porto, Portugal.
In the accompanying text, Bovino criticized White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. “Trump’s team says immigration is his top issue according to the polls. Voters trust him on the border more than anyone. So why is @SusieWiles47 pushing to dial it back and water down mass deportations?” he wrote. “You don’t win by running away from your strongest issue. Mass deportations are the solution to perpetual victory!”
Bovino also used the interview to mock Mullin’s background before entering politics. “Mullin’s a great guy, great plumber, no doubt about that; he could probably fix a leaky faucet,” Bovino said. “But a hundred million illegal aliens is not a leaky faucet.”
All in all, while Mullin appears determined to sideline such voices, Bovino’s public challenge suggests the debate over immigration enforcement is far from settled within Trump’s circle.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
