South Park made its return after a two-year hiatus yesterday (July 23), and used the first episode back to launch a scathing criticism of Donald Trump.
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The episode was titled Sermon on the Mount, and showed the President in bed with the character of Satan, as well as making nods to other recent headlines linking him to the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the lawsuit he filed against Paramount.
Towards the beginning of the episode, Cartman learned that his favourite radio show on NPR, where “liberals bitch and whine about stuff”, had been cancelled by the POTUS. This led to him criticising the prospect of government censorship, saying: “The government can’t cancel the show, I mean, what show are they going to cancel next?”, he also started wearing a t-shirt that read “Woke is dead”.
Later, Trump was seen not in the usual South Park cartoon style, but with an actual photo of his face on an animated body. Characters criticised him for the rising tariffs in Canada – which he told them to “relax” over – and he also covered the walls of the White House with nude portraits of himself.
Also in the episode, the Republican president was shown in bed with Satan, where the character makes crude jabs about his manhood and also quizzed Trump over the rumours that his name appears on the “Epstein list” (as per The Independent).
Towards the end, the episode makes a nod towards the recent cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Jesus pleads with the people of South Park to negotiate a settlement with the president after they protest against him. The terms of this stipulate that citizens have to stop protesting and agree to make “pro-Trump messaging” in their upcoming public service announcements.
One more jab at the president came afterwards, when an AI-generated deep-fake version of Trump was shown wandering naked through the desert. It showed him collapsing, and his penis began talking and said: “‘I’m Donald J. Trump and I endorse this message”. A voiceover then says: “Trump! His penis is teeny-tiny, but his love for us is large.”
Unsurprisingly, the episode has got fans talking, with many praising the outlandish, political nature, and others speculating if the portrayal of Trump will lead to backlash from the government.
“South Park finally went back to its roots, the gloves are off,” one fan wrote on X, while another added: “If you haven’t watched the new #SouthPark …… Fucking watch the new South Park. Maybe their best episode ever.”
“The new #SouthPark is an absolute masterpiece and a shot across the bow to all those companies currently capitulating to Trump,” a third shared, while a fourth added: “Trey [Parker] and Matt [Stone] just gave the biggest ‘f you’ to Trump and I’m here for it.”
“I give it 15 more minutes before Trump is demanding the cancellation of South Park lmfao,” another user quipped. Check out more responses below.
South Park finally went back to its roots, the gloves are off! pic.twitter.com/KSiLFazJx8
— RJ (@FinalQueue) July 24, 2025
The new #SouthPark is an absolute masterpiece and a shot across the bow to all those companies currently capitulating to Trump.
Paramount should be ashamed.
Matt and Trey deserve an award. pic.twitter.com/N3M3vbv0VM
— BM (@BlackMagicSama) July 24, 2025
trey and matt just gave the biggest “f you” to trump and I’m here for it.#SouthPark pic.twitter.com/yUek0HDhqD
— mandi ✨ (@spacegirlmandi) July 24, 2025
I give it 15 more minutes before Trump is demanding the cancellation of South Park lmfao pic.twitter.com/qhGCCsx4b1
— mk (@HEYitsMK) July 24, 2025
Episode was absolutely hilarious. They really going all out taking shots at Trump, we’re so fucking back!! #SouthPark pic.twitter.com/9AGglgw1WQ
— John🌟 Switch 2!! 🔥 (@SuperSonic55555) July 24, 2025
This is the best South Park episode in maybe 15 years man. I am crying.
They fucking NAILED it.
— 🛸Pat (@Pat_Candler) July 24, 2025
I got to come clean. I voted for Trump and I'm still glad I did, but this may have been the best episode of South Park I have ever seen. I have never laughed so hard of a South Park episode before until tonight. I'm glad to say South Park is so back!!! #SouthPark pic.twitter.com/TmxdbklDBf
— James Fierro (@SoftPlatypus23) July 24, 2025
This is how watching modern South Park feels pic.twitter.com/TwKUMWsc2h
— Pam (@drizzlepam) July 24, 2025
The new season comes just days after it was confirmed that the satirical show will no longer be available to stream in the UK, or anywhere outside the US, amid a disagreement between the show and its broadcaster.
This was due to tensions following a merger between studios Paramount (South Park’s broadcaster) and Skydance. It caused the show’s season 27 premiere to be pushed back from July 9 to July 23, and prompted creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone to criticise the merger via the comedy’s official X account.
There were previously reports over a conflict about the show’s streaming rights, with Parker and Stone threatening legal action against Paramount. They accused the company’s incoming president Jeff Shell of interfering in their contract negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix.
As for The Late Show references, the nod comes as it was announced last week that the show would be ending, and CBS emphasised it was “purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night” and “not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount”.
Things then escalated when Trump posted on his Truth Social account: “I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings”.
Colbert then responded, saying: “How dare you, sir? Would an untalented man be able to compose the following satirical witticism?…Go fuck yourself.”
Some believe the decision was motivated by a $16million settlement made by parent company Paramount to Trump over the editing of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes. Just days before the cancellation was announced, Colbert branded the move a “big fat bribe”.