In its latest installment titled "Got A Nut," South Park skewered Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and took potshots at Vice President J.D. Vance with its signature wit and daring humor.
The episode unfolds with school counselor Mr. Mackay losing his job after President Donald Trump slashes the Department of Education's budget, prompting him to enroll with ICE—a decision met with ironic pride by a masked ICE recruiter who declares, "I'm proud to work for ICE." As part of his induction, Mackay watches an orientation video featuring Noem, who recounts, "A few years ago, I had to euthanize my puppy by shooting it in the face, because sometimes, doing what's crucial entails making difficult choices." (Noem had publicly admitted to putting down her 14-month-old aggressive dog.)
This grim anecdote segues into a bizarre recurring joke where Noem shoots several other innocent puppies in the face throughout the episode. Mackay and his ICE team then descend upon a live performance of Dora the Explorer to apprehend individuals in the audience, with Noem shouting, "Remember, only detain the brown ones! If it's brown, it goes down!" Another running gag revolves around Noem's face repeatedly melting, only to be hastily repaired by a beautician support squad.
Mackay's burgeoning success as an ICE agent earns him an invitation to meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago, portrayed as a parody of Fantasy Island, with Trump donning the role of Mr. O'Roarke, and J.D. Vance as a tiny, obsequious Tattoo. Mackay comes to realize the exorbitant price of his success—a threesome with Trump and Satan—is too steep a cost to bear. Just when Krypto the Superdog from Superman swoops in to seemingly rescue the day, Noem shoots him dead too.
The episode also lampoons right-wing podcasts, with fourth-grader Clyde transforming into a supplement pitchman hawking "own the libs"-style "master-debater" products.
Earlier this week, Homeland Security shared an image from South Park's preview depicting an ICE raid, along with a recruitment site link for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The official South Park X account struck back with sarcasm, tweeting, "Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofdicks."
This rejoinder alludes to the White House's official statement issued in response to the show's scathing 27th season premiere last month, which claimed: "Just like the creators of South Park, the Left lacks authentic or original content, which explains their dwindling popularity. This show has been irrelevant for over 20 years, clinging to uninspired ideas in a desperate bid for attention."
Following up on the show's blockbuster return last month, this episode garnered nearly six million cross-platform viewers, marking the largest audience share for the animated comedy in 25 years. It also generated more social media buzz than any other episode in the show's history.
