Comedian With MAGA Ties Pushes Back on DHS' Use of His Image: 'Keep Me Out of Your Banger Deportation Videos'

Comedian and podcaster Theo Von, who interviewed Trump last year during the campaign trail, has objected to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's use of his voice in a deportation-themed video posted to social media, saying he did not give permission and does not want to be associated with the campaign.

On Tuesday, DHS shared a 31-second video on X that began with a clip of Von saying, "Heard you got deported, dude — bye." The montage then displayed claims that 2 million immigrants had been deported in the first 250 days of President Donald Trump's second term, including "1,600,000 self-deported" and "400,000 deportations."

It also featured a clip of Trump saying, "They simply stopped coming. They're not coming anymore," before ending with the message "LEAVE NOW" over footage of a plane taking off.

Von reposted the clip, 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." He added, "When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are alot more nuanced than this video allows. Bye!"

Von, 45, is the host of This Past Weekend, the fourth-largest podcast on Spotify in the U.S. with close to five million listeners a month according to The Independent. He has interviewed figures across the political spectrum, but has built a significant following among conservative-leaning audiences and has a history of engagement with figures in the MAGA movement.

Besides the aforementioned Trump interview on his podcast last year, he recently hosted Vice President JD Vance. Von also has two Netflix stand-up specials and is currently working on a feature film with comedian David Spade.

Von's post is not the only DHS social media post garnering controversy. Yesterday comes DHS faced criticism for another viral X post likening immigration raids to catching Pokémon. The video, which featured ICE operations spliced with the franchise's theme song and anime imagery, drew sharp backlash from advocates and legal experts who called it trivializing and "cute authoritarianism."