2025-09-24
DHS removes clip featuring comedian Theo Von after he balks at being used in ‘banger' deportation video
Podcaster and comedian Theo Von urged and apparently succeeded in getting the Department of Homeland Security to take down a viral video clip of him saying, “Heard you got deported, dude, bye!” Von, 45, whose “This Past Weekend” podcast is influential within the “manosphere” and popular with young men, shared the DHS video to his more than 1.6 million X followers on Tuesday. The bizarre video includes what appears to be footage of immigration authorities making an arrest, portions of President Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations this week, erroneous deportation statistics and the face-to-camera clip of Von.Von slammed DHS’s use of his snippet on X, writing: “Yooo DHS i didnt approve to be used in this.”“I know you know my address so send a check,” Von added. “And please take this down and please keep me out of your ‘banger’ deportation videos,” he said. “When it comes to immigration my thoughts and heart are a lot more nuanced than this video allows. Bye!”US & WorldUnited NationsSep 23Trump criticizes U.N. for failing to end wars and address immigration concernsTrump AdministrationSep 22What to know about Trump's H-1B visa shake-upCaliforniaSep 20California bans most law enforcement officers from wearing masks during operationsDHS did not immediately return a request for comment. Shortly after an original form of this story was published, DHS took down the video.Von’s rebuke of DHS was seen as a surprise given his friendly history with leading figures in the Trump administration, including the president.Trump appeared on Von’s podcast during the height of the presidential campaign in August 2024, which Trump said was at the encouragement of his youngest son, Barron.In May, the White House brought Von on the president’s first official foreign trip to speak at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, prior to Trump addressing the troops. And in June, Vice President JD Vance appeared on Von’s podcast for nearly an hour and a half.Although immigration is one of a handful credited for Trump’s election, support for the president’s handling of the issue has declined in recent months. The Trump administration has also been criticized for sharing similar bizarre videos, including one generated by AI showing an outlandish vision of Gaza that featured a shirtless Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing. On Monday, the Department of Homeland security posted a video on X showing immigration raids dubbed with the Pokémon television series’ theme song “Gotta Catch ‘Em All.”The Pokémon Company International said in a statement they were aware of the “video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand.”“Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property,” the company said. When asked if they be taking legal action regarding the video, the company said: “We don’t have anything to share at this time.”Sarah Dean and Austin Mullen contributed.
