South Park has fired back at the Trump administration after the Department of Homeland Security used the show to promote Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recruitment, weeks after the White House had labeled the series “not relevant.”
On Tuesday, DHS posted a screengrab from the current season of the satirical animation series depicting ICE agents in patrol cars, with a link to its career site, promoting a $50,000 signing bonus and other benefits.
In response, South Park reposted the DHS message on its official X account, writing, “Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofd***s.”
South Park was referring to a White House statement from July where spokesperson Taylor Rogers said: “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House, via email outside of office hours, for comment.
Why It Matters
South Park, now in its 27th season, is renowned for satirizing American politics and culture. The White House’s recent and pointed dismissal of the show as irrelevant, following an episode which parodied Trump, contrasts sharply with a federal agency now using South Park imagery for recruitment.
The exchange highlights how pop culture and political institutions intersect in today’s media environment, with governmental efforts to harness pop references for outreach, and comedy shows wielding influence in political discourse.
What To Know
The latest South Park season has repeatedly targeted President Donald Trump and his administration, including a premiere in which Trump appears in compromising scenes with Satan and satirical references to immigration policy.
It was this episode that White House spokesperson Rogers responded to last month, when she told Variety: “Just like the creators of ‘South Park,’ the Left has no authentic or original content, which is why their popularity continues to hit record lows.
“This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention.”
The DHS said in response to South Park’s quip: “We want to thank South Park for drawing attention to ICE law enforcement recruitment.”
“We are calling on patriotic Americans to help us remove murderers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent criminals from our country,” it said in a statement to Newsweek.
DHS/X
The episode, about Trump suing certain people who had spoken out against him, portrayed Trump trying to have sex with Satan, which triggered backlash.
Despite this, it drew nearly 6 million viewers within three days, making it South Park’s most-watched opener since 1999.
The clash between South Park and the Trump administration comes at a time of major corporate upheaval behind the scenes of the show.
In July, the Trump administration approved an $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media, which puts Paramount’s TV operations, including South Park, under new leadership.
As part of the deal, CBS executive George Cheeks, who previously oversaw the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, has been tapped to oversee South Park and other Comedy Central programming.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers previously said, after the South Park episode: “President Donald Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history—and no fourth-rate show can derail President Donald Trump’s hot streak.”
The DHS told Newsweek: “Benefits available to new ICE recruits include an up to $50,000 signing bonus, student loan forgiveness, and retirement benefits. Apply today.”
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk told Fox News Digital at the time: “I think it’s kind of funny and it kind of goes to show the cultural impact and the resonance that our movement has been able to achieve. So I look at this as a badge of honor.”
South Park co-creator Trey Parker responded to the backlash to the episode during a panel discussion at Comic-Con International in San Diego with a deadpan “We’re terribly sorry,” before pausing for effect.
What Happens Next
The latest South Park episode, titled Got a Nut, airs on Comedy Central on Wednesday and streams on Paramount the following day.
Meanwhile, the DHS continues to use cultural touchpoints to reach potential recruits as immigration remains a focal point of the Trump administration. As the White House, South Park, and DHS remain at the center of the public conversation, the show’s creators appear set to continue their commentary on political and institutional power plays in American society.
Whether the White House responds again may depend on whether it views the show as a threat—or a recruiting tool.
Update: 8/4/25, 8:45 a.m ET: This article was updated with a full statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
