Kristi Noem Responds to South Park After Controversial “Got a Nut” Episode Mocking Her Looks and ICE Policies
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has responded to Comedy Central’s hit animated series South Park after its 27th season episode portrayed her as a “puppy-shooting” ICE villain with a melting face.
The episode, titled “Got a Nut”, depicted Noem — nicknamed “ICE Barbie” by critics — leading a team of beauticians who constantly reattach her face, while orchestrating aggressive ICE raids. The satire escalated when the character shoots multiple puppies, including Krypto the Superdog, as part of a recurring gag referencing Noem’s real-life admission that she killed her own dog for aggressive behavior.
On Glenn Beck’s podcast, Noem condemned the portrayal, saying:
“It’s so lazy to make fun of women for how they look… If they want to criticize my job, go ahead, but clearly they can’t. They just picked something petty like that.”
Noem also criticized media narratives around ICE operations, claiming her department spends significant time refuting false stories about raids. She called some allegations — such as ICE “kidnapping” people in unmarked trucks — “dangerous.”
See More ...
In the episode, school counselor Mr. Mackay joins ICE after losing his job due to budget cuts from President Trump. He watches a recruitment video from Noem declaring: “Sometimes doing what’s important means doing what’s hard”, before the satirical puppy-shooting scenes. The plot culminates in Mackay’s ICE squad raiding a Dora the Explorer live show, with Noem shouting: “Remember only detain the brown ones! If it’s brown, it goes down!”
The controversy spilled onto social media when the Department of Homeland Security posted an image from the episode promoting ICE recruitment. South Park’s official X account replied: “Wait, so we ARE relevant? #eatabagofdicks”, referencing the White House’s earlier statement dismissing the show as irrelevant.
Ironically, South Park’s 27th season premiere drew nearly 6 million cross-platform viewers, marking the largest audience share in 25 years and the most social media engagement for any episode in the show’s history.
