The Guardian reports:

A greatcoat worn by the senior US border patrol official Gregory Bovino, who has spearheaded aggressive immigration operations across the country, has raised eyebrows in German media with some commentators saying it resembled a fascist aesthetic.

Bovino has been an increasingly recognisable figure during the raids in Minneapolis for the brass-buttoned, calf-length olive green coat, which is unlike the fatigues and body armor worn by many of the federal agents.

Along with his close-shorn haircut, the media organization Der Spiegel suggested in a video feature that Bovino’s look recalled that of a Nazi officer.

Arno Frank, a writer at Der Spiegel, said in a separate article that what he described as the “authoritarian intervention” in the US was still establishing its “distinctive aesthetic”.

“No wonder, then, that figures like Bovino are resorting to tried-and-tested models,” he said. While the other federal agents seem to wear “whatever they have to hand”, he argued that Bovino “stands out from this thuggish mob, just as an elegant SS officer stands out from the rowdy SA mob. The dashing undercut is also spot on; all that’s missing for the perfect cosplay is a monocle.”

Another German media outlet, Süddeutsche Zeitung, made similar comments. “Other countries also had these coats, but Bovino’s outfits complete the Nazi look: a closely cropped haircut, as if he had taken a photo of [assassinated SA leader] Ernst Röhm to the barber,” it said.

Topping off the ensemble was “a black shirt with badges on the collar tips; and perhaps the most extravagant accessory: a Sam Browne belt held in place by a leather strap slung diagonally across the shoulder, an accessory of historical officer uniforms, but now mainly used in the BDSM scene”. [Continue reading…]