Homeland Security Secretary Noem Criticizes South Park Mocking Appearance

Kristi Noem, the United States Secretary of Homeland Security, criticized the latest South Park episode for its portrayal of her as a Botox-obsessed dog killer, calling the satire "lazy" and "petty" and accusing liberals and extremists of targeting women based on their appearance rather than their job performance. The episode depicted Noem as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shoots dogs, referencing her own admission of shooting her aggressive dog, and featured her face melting and detaching in a grotesque exaggeration. Noem expressed her disapproval during an appearance on The Glenn Beck Program, saying she did not watch the episode due to work commitments but condemned the show's focus on her looks rather than her policies. The episode also satirized Vice President JD Vance and former President Donald Trump, with Vance reacting humorously to his portrayal. South Park's season 27 has drawn backlash from the Trump administration, which dismissed the show as irrelevant and resorting to uninspired ideas for attention. Noem's defense drew attention to a perceived double standard, given Trump's own history of body-shaming women, though neither Noem nor Beck addressed this context directly.