Attorney General Pam Bondi made waves on social media with her reaction to Amy Poehler’s skit on Saturday Night Live (SNL). She directly messaged Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after the parody aired.
On Monday, Newsweek attempted to obtain comments from Poehler’s team, but it was after regular hours.
Why It’s Significant
Political comedy on TV, especially on SNL, significantly influences public conversations. The latest episode honed in on Bondi and Noem, poking fun at recent Senate hearings and the prevalent governmental shutdown.
Key Takeaways
In the skit, Poehler and longtime co-star Tina Fey portrayed Bondi and Noem. The show’s opening scene gathered over 4.1 million views and nearly 39,000 likes after Bondi commented on Sunday, asking Noem, @Sec_Noem, should we recreate this picture in Chicago? Loving Amy Poehler!
Poehler’s character comically deflected questions during the sketch related to Bondi’s testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee, quipping, My name is Pam Bondi. I spell it with an ‘i’ because I ain’t gonna answer any of your questions. My time is valuable. The DOJ has many ongoing operations, and we’re moving like Kash Patel’s eyeballs—very quickly in multiple directions at once.
Soon after, Fey’s portrayal of Noem walked onscreen holding an AR-15-style rifle, humorously referencing her recruitment ad for ICE and stating, I’m the rarest kind of person in Washington D.C., a brunette that Donald Trump listens to.
Fey’s character took another jab, saying, Democrats wanting the shutdown over makes me laugh more than the end of Old Yeller. … Dogs don’t just get shot—heroes shoot them. This line alluded to Noem’s biography, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, where she recounted killing her dog, Cricket, deeming him untrainable after he had attacked chickens. The poignant film Old Yeller features a similar scenario.
What People Are Talking About
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, commented to Newsweek: The SNL is spot on—the Democrats’ shutdown must come to an end!
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson recently weighed in as well, indicating to Fox News: To react to this would mean wasting my time watching. Like many Americans who’ve switched off SNL, I have better things to do—like watching paint dry.
Looking Ahead
As the shutdown controversy lingers, SNL episodes might continue to explore these characters in the future. You can catch Saturday Night Live every Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and the following day on Peacock.
Note as of 10/13/25, 12:09 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to incorporate comments from DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
