After Amy Poehler played Attorney General Pam Bondi and Tina Fey portrayed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in an October 11, 2025, Saturday Night Live cold open, the Department of Homeland Security and Bondi responded in different ways. DHS turned part of the sketch into an ICE recruitment video and called it “free advertisement”; Bondi praised Poehler’s performance.
What happened in the SNL cold open
Poehler hosted the October 11, 2025, episode and played Bondi in a cold open framed as a Senate hearing. Fey appeared as Noem, with the sketch satirizing DHS and ICE recruitment messaging. TVLine’s episode recap and Variety’s report described the scene and the performers’ roles.
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The dialogue was a comedic imitation, not a transcript of official remarks or testimony.
How DHS used the sketch
On October 12, DHS posted an edited video that began with part of Fey’s performance before transitioning to ICE recruitment footage. The department’s caption read: “Thanks for the free advertisement @NBCSNL Get Criminals Out. Make History. Save America.” The Daily Beast reported the video and reproduced the caption.
Separately, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Entertainment Weekly: “‘SNL’ is absolutely right — the Democrats’ shutdown does need to end!” Variety reported her statement. It was a separate media comment, not the caption accompanying DHS’s video.
What Pam Bondi said about Amy Poehler
Bondi posted on October 12: “@Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler!” Variety reported the post and said Noem had not responded at the time of publication. That contemporaneous account does not establish whether Noem responded later.
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What the reactions mean
The responses were distinct: DHS repurposed the sketch to promote ICE recruitment and framed it as favorable publicity, while Bondi publicly praised Poehler’s portrayal and addressed Noem. The available October 2025 reports establish those reactions at the time; they do not establish whether the social posts remain available today.
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