The Department of Homeland Security addressed the recent Saturday Night Live sketch parodying Attorney General Pam Bondi’s congressional hearing, which featured Amy Poehler reprising her role as Bondi. The parody aired this week and included a portrayal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem by Tina Fey, highlighting current political tensions surrounding the ongoing government shutdown.
Details of the SNL Sketch Featuring Amy Poehler and Tina Fey
In the cold open, Amy Poehler’s Bondi greeted the audience with a dismissive attitude toward the congressional questioning, saying,
“What’s up nerds? My name is Pam Bondi. I spell it with an ‘I’ ’cause ‘I ain’t gonna answer any of your questions.’ My time is valuable.”
This set the tone for the sketch, as Poehler’s version of Bondi avoided answering inquiries from Senators Richard Blumenthal (played by Mikey Day), Sheldon Whitehouse (Jeremy Culhane), and John Kennedy (Andrew Dismukes), while delivering roast-style remarks and relying on a cheat sheet for responses.
The sketch transitioned to Tina Fey as Noem, who introduced herself with a confident flair:
“That’s right, it’s me Kristi Noem. I spell my name with an ‘I’ because that’s how I thought it was spelled. And I’m the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C. — a brunette that Donald Trump listens to. I’m here to tell you that this Democrat government shutdown needs to end now.”
DHS Official Endorses the Sketch’s Criticism of the Shutdown
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin provided support for the parody’s central message in a statement, affirming,
SNL is absolutely right — the Democrats’ shutdown does need to end!
The sketch aired shortly after Bondi’s actual five-hour congressional hearing, where she was criticized for sidestepping numerous questions and engaging in personal attacks against senators, often referencing the government shutdown throughout.
Political Jabs and Heated Exchanges in the Parody
The comedic senators argued that Democrats were strongly motivated to end the shutdown. Mikey Day’s character insisted,
Image of: Amy Poehler
“[Democrats] are even more eager to end this shutdown than our Republican colleagues.”
However, Fey’s Noem dismissed this claim with humor, stating,
“That makes me laugh more than the end of Old Yeller.”
This remark references the 1957 movie where a boy must shoot his beloved dog after it is bitten by a rabid wolf. Fey’s Noem then added,
“Dogs don’t just get shot. Heroes shoot them.”
This comment alluded to Noem’s personal history as a dog owner, specifically her 2024 admission that she shot and killed a puppy she deemed untrainable two decades earlier.
Portrayal of ICE and the Closing Moments of the Sketch
The sketch concluded with Tina Fey’s Noem defending the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, reenacting a parody of their recruitment video. The duo humorously delivered lines such as,
“Do you need a job now? (Yeah!) Are you a big, tough guy? (Yeah!) Tough enough for the army or police? (No!) But do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station? (Daily.) Do you like to use zip ties, because people in your life don’t trust you with keys? (You know it!) Then buckle up and slap on some Oakleys, big boy. Welcome to ICE,”
reflecting a satirical critique of the agency’s image and recruitment tactics.
Significance and Potential Impact of the Parody
The Amy Poehler SNL parody brings attention to the contentious political climate surrounding the government shutdown and the ongoing scrutiny of officials like Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem. By blending humor with pointed satire, the sketch underscores public frustration with governmental impasses and the personalities involved, potentially influencing public perception as the shutdown debate continues. The Department of Homeland Security’s unexpected endorsement of the sketch’s call to end the shutdown signals a rare alignment between satire and official sentiment.
I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons…
