The standoff between the Trump administration and the creators of “South Park” intensified after the show used adult cartoon imagery to bolster its recruitment efforts on Tuesday.
The latest season of the show takes aim at President Trump, even using provocative hashtags that directed followers to “eat a bag of d—s.”
“Wait, we’re relevant,” Shaw posted on Social Platform X, as noted in the Department of Homeland Security’s statement.
The DHS plans to showcase screenshots of trailers for upcoming episodes, featuring six U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in black vehicles, aimed at encouraging prospective applicants to join their ranks, complete with a link to the agency’s job page.
“America is being invaded by criminals and predators. We need you to put them out,” reads the career page.
The department issued a statement indicating that the show’s latest posts aided the administration’s endeavor to recruit more ICE agents.
“We appreciate South Park for focusing attention on the recruitment of ICE law enforcement. We seek patriotic Americans to help get rid of killers, gang members, pedophiles, and other violent offenders from our country,” a DHS spokesperson told the Daily Beast.
This back-and-forth comes just two weeks after “South Park” mocked Trump during its 27th season premiere, where the president was depicted in bed with the devil. The White House pushed back against the episode, arguing it was not relevant after over 20 years.
Moreover, the show’s creators have criticized the proposed merger between Skydance and Paramount Global, referring to it as a “S—Show.” These comments surfaced just before the Trump administration greenlit the $8 billion deal.
That agreement drew scrutiny after CBS, owned by Paramount, settled a $16 million lawsuit with Trump involving a “60 Minutes” interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris, which was followed by the network’s decision to settle the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” sunset.
The next episode of the sitcom, set to air on Comedy Central on Wednesday night, will feature an animation of a woman resembling DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, portrayed holding a firearm and wearing an “ICE” vest.
“‘Get nuts’: When Mackay loses his job, he desperately tries to find a new way to make a living,” Shaw shared in a preview of the episode Tuesday morning.
