How Tall Is Border Patrol Officer Greg Bovino? Pics & Video Hint At How Tiny He Really Is

Kristi Noem was at the center of some big controversies even before she became Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. But now we have her department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in places like Minneapolis that have led to multiple deaths at the hands of ICE agents, which has embroiled Noem in even more drama. At the center of many of the ICE actions was former Border Patrol commander at large Greg Bovino. He is known for aggressively pursuing Trump's anti-immigration platform, and his below-average stature has drawn speculation that he might have a Napoleon complex, which does have a basis in science. A 2023 study found that there is an increase in "narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism" in men who are insecure about their height. Bovino certainly exhibits those traits and, while we don't have his medical records, we know that he probably tops out at around 5'4" – several inches below the average height for men in the U.S. (Napoleon, incidentally, was around 5'6", a bit taller than the average French man of his day.)

Scott Olson/Getty

We have a good idea of Bovino's height thanks to his many public appearances with ICE and people who have been gathering the evidence to confirm Bovino's diminutive height. One person made an Instagram post that used a photo of Bovino standing next to an ATM to measure his height. They determined 5'4" after an "inch and a half taken off for boot soles and hair gel." Bovino does like to spike his short hair straight up — perhaps to appear taller? Commenters approved the initiative to figure out his height. One said, "a level of petty that I love and appreciate so, so much."

This isn't the only account of Greg Bovino's height. There's a video of Rachel Cohen, a lawyer from Chicago, that went viral when she confronted Greg Bovino outside of a gas station. She said that there was a four-inch height difference between them; she then asked if he wanted to get closer to really show people. And we can't believe it, but he gave a little jump as he walked behind her. Like he wanted to seem a little taller. Oh Greg.

Like Cohen noted in her video, we have nothing against short men. But when you combine Bovino's height, the fact that he seems insecure about it, and his actions with ICE, it's no surprise that social media has come after him. Some have theorized that he surrounds himself with equally short people whenever he can, so he doesn't seem as small. One person on X thought it was funny to see Bovino standing behind what looked like an "extra-large podium" at a briefing in January. Someone else replied, "That is the actual size of a podium, Bovino is just that small!"

Bovino noticed the comment about podium size, and he snapped back with an anti-immigration party line. It seems like he was triggered by the comment about him seeming small; otherwise, why would he have bothered to say anything? Bovino has since been removed from the position of "commander at large" in Minnesota. He's gone back home to El Centro, California. There are rumors that his boss, Kristi Noem, could also be on the way out of the Trump administration. Time will tell.