Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem blasted Comedy Central’s “South Park” for its depiction of her, calling it “lazy” and part of a pattern of making fun of women for “how they look.”
Noem said during her Thursday appearance on Glenn Beck’s podcast that she did not watch the episode, titled “Got a Nut,” saying she was going over “budget numbers and stuff.”
“But you know, I just think it’s — yeah, it never ends. But it’s so lazy to just constantly make fun of women for how they look. Only the liberals and the extremists do that,” the DHS chief said. “If they wanted to criticize my job, go ahead and do that, but clearly they can’t, they just pick something petty like that.”
South Park has repeatedly gone after Trump and his administration since its new season launched. The new season coincided with a billion-dollar deal between the show and Paramount that will keep it on the air, and controversy as CBS announced it was canceling “The Late Show” hosted by Steven Colbert. Skydance and Paramount also just completed a deal in which the former is purchasing the latter.
The sitcom’s latest episode mocked President Trump, Vice President Vance and Noem, along with the immigration operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The episode is focused on a character named Mr. Mackey, who loses his job at an elementary school and eventually joins ICE. At the orientation for his new role, he watched a demonstration video where Noem, depicted with heavy makeup and hair extensions, shoots and kills multiple dogs.
Noem’s cartoon character is also repeatedly shown having a melting face that sometimes slides off her head.
“South Park” was referencing the revelation last year that Noem had shot her dog Cricket, a pet she characterized as “dangerous.” The incident was included in her book.
Noem on “South Park” is portrayed leading an immigration raid on a “Dora the Explorer” live concert, where she again shoots at a dog. Later, another raid takes place in heaven where she instructs ICE agents to “only detain the brown ones.”
The DHS head has been criticized over her appearances at ICE field operations, even from some commentators on the right, including Megyn Kelly. Kelly in April praised Noem for doing a “great job” as DHS secretary, but argued the former South Dakota governor should stop photo-ops while visiting DHS agents and others in the field.
“Why does she have to keep doing this? She’s doing a great job, her actual performance as DHS secretary, in my view, anyway, has been amazing,” Kelly said at the time. “Just stop trying to glamorize the mission and put yourself in the middle of it as you cosplay ICE agent, which you’re not. I can’t stand these photo-ops.”
