Theo Von Demands DHS Remove Deportation Video

The Department of Homeland Security posted a short, meme-style video on X that begins with comedian and podcaster Theo Von saying, "Heard you got deported, dude — bye!" and then asserts the Trump administration logged roughly 2 million removals in 250 days while cutting to footage of arrests and a Trump soundbite urging migrants to "leave now." Von publicly demanded the clip be taken down and paid — saying he did not approve its use and telling DHS to "send a check" — and argued his views on immigration are more nuanced than the montage suggests. Critics noted the snippet was clipped from a fan-shot joke and said using his likeness without permission raises legal and optics concerns, given Von's history of platforming political figures. DHS and White House spokespeople did not immediately respond as the backlash shifted attention from the administration’s deportation statistics to Von’s objection. Von hosts the popular podcast This Past Weekend, with a large audience across the political spectrum.