After months of delays, South Park returned with its Season 27 premiere, diving headfirst into controversy with a biting satire of Donald Trump, corporate power, and America’s ongoing culture war. The episode, centered around the town of South Park being forced to promote pro-Trump messaging, takes direct aim at the former president’s influence and the chilling effect of lawsuits and political intimidation.
The episode opens with the town in chaos after protesting Jesus being brought back into public schools. But this isn’t your typical spiritual revival—Jesus explains he’s only there because of a lawsuit and a settlement with Paramount, the media giant that owns Comedy Central. “You guys saw what happened to CBS? Well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount,” Jesus tells the townspeople. “You really want to end up like Colbert? You guys got to stop being stupid.” The character then warns them about Trump. “He also has the power to sue and take bribes and he can do anything to anyone. It’s the f**king president, dude… South Park is over.”
Faced with threats of endless lawsuits and escalating pressure, the town agrees to settle. In a surreal twist, they begin producing pro-Trump PSAs, caving under the weight of political and legal manipulation. Trump, animated in classic South Park fashion but occasionally shown with a real-life photo of his face, is depicted as an emotionally fragile bully who weaponizes tariffs and lawsuits to crush dissent.
But the most shocking moment arrives when the Trump character is shown in bed with Satan, an unambiguous callback to South Park’s infamous 1999 portrayal of Saddam Hussein and Satan as lovers. “It’s weird that whenever it comes up, you just tell everyone to relax,” Satan says, alluding to the Epstein case. Later, he adds, “You remind me of a guy I used to date.”
Unsurprisingly, the White House didn’t take the satire lightly. Trump spokesperson Taylor Rogers blasted the episode in a statement to CNN, dismissing the show entirely. “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,” the statement read. “President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”
Series co-creator Trey Parker briefly addressed the backlash during an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, where he shared a mock apology: “We’re terribly sorry,” he said—before staring blankly into the crowd, deadpan, letting the silence do all the talking.
