The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken down a deportation promotional video after comedian Theo Von said the agency used footage of him without his permission.
Theo Von on Wednesday publicly objected to the Department of Homeland Security featuring him in a video the agency captioned “Bye.” The video began with a viral clip of Von saying, “heard you got deported dude, bye,” followed by a montage of illegal aliens being taken into custody and DHS statistics, including two million deportations “in 250 days,” “1.6 million self-deportations,” and “400,000 deportations.” The montage concluded with President Donald Trump saying, “they simply stopped coming. They’re not coming anymore. We’re getting a lot of credit but they’re not coming anymore,” before cutting to an airplane taking off with the words “Leave now” on the screen.
Von responded by quote-tweeting the DHS post, writing:
Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this. I know you know my address so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos. When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are alot more nuanced than this video allows. Bye!
The video was taken down shortly after his post.
The Louisiana-born comedian and podcaster has become an increasingly visible figure in political and cultural discussions through his platform This Past Weekend. He has previously been at the center of debates around online speech, after YouTube blacklisted a 2023 episode with Roseanne Barr over alleged “hate speech” during a sarcastic discussion about censorship and the 2020 election. That podcast later resurfaced on Twitter.
The comedian’s platform has evolved into a space where pop culture and politics converge. In 2024, his interview with Donald Trump was praised by fans as one of the “most genuine” conversations the president had given, with many viewers commenting on Von’s casual and down-to-earth style that included addressing Trump as “homie” and “dude.” Later that year, Von hosted Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), who told him the U.S. would eventually need a “military response at the southern border” to combat drug cartels. Vance’s appearance helped counter Democratic efforts to label him “weird,” as Von’s audience responded by calling the senator “normal” and “down to earth.”
Von’s exchanges with Trump often moved beyond lighthearted banter into substantive policy discussions. He faulted the U.S. healthcare system as “horribly rigged” against Americans, pointing to hospitals and insurers hiding their prices from patients, and credited Trump with issuing an executive order requiring providers to publish prices for services to increase competition and transparency. In April 2025, Von backed Trump’s tariff plan, saying after touring American cities that “if we don’t try this, then I think it’s a wrap,” pointing to boarded-up downtowns and empty manufacturing hubs.
Von has signaled he would welcome guests across the political spectrum, at one point saying Vice President Kamala Harris was invited to appear after Trump remarked that she avoids interviews. That openness was evident again this summer, when he described Israel’s strikes on Gaza during its fight against Hamas as “a genocide that’s happening while we’re alive here,” a remark actor Joaquin Phoenix celebrated as “courageous.” Phoenix told Von he was motivated to appear on his podcast because of those comments, though Von admitted he felt “scared” speaking out on geopolitical issues.
As Breitbart News has reported, Trump’s appearances on long-form podcasts with figures such as Von, Andrew Schulz, the Nelk Boys, and Joe Rogan have played a key role in shaping his outreach strategy to younger male voters. Campaign adviser Alex Bruesewitz has credited podcasting as central to Trump’s electoral success, noting that traditional media has increasingly lost influence to comedians who blend entertainment, commentary, and interviews with major political figures.
