‘South Park’ Creators Reveal Why They’re Taking Aim At Donald Trump

After years of steering clear of Donald Trump, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are finally tackling the former, and current, U.S. president head-on. While "South Park" has never shied away from controversy, the show’s creators had long resisted directly parodying Trump, instead using the character Mr. Garrison as a symbolic stand-in throughout the mid-2010s. But as Trump’s influence, and the public’s obsession with him, grew, Parker and Stone decided the cultural moment demanded something bolder. According to Nielsen data, their gamble paid off. Comedy Central’s "South Park" viewership has reportedly doubled compared to 2023, proving that political satire still draws an audience when done their way.

In a new interview with The New York Times, the comedic masterminds behind the long-running Comedy Central hit explained why they decided to pivot their satire toward Trump after avoiding him for nearly a decade. “It’s not that we got all political,” Parker said. “It’s that politics became pop culture.”

For Stone, the shift wasn’t just creative, but it was instinctual. “There was a bit of a taboo in needling the president,” he said, referring to ongoing speculation that Trump had used his political power to retaliate against entertainment figures like Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.

“Trey and I are attracted to that like flies to honey,” Stone continued. “Oh, that’s where the taboo is? Over there? OK, then we’re over there.” The duo, who recently inked a new deal with Paramount, said the renewed creative freedom gave them room to “show our independence somehow.”

What started as a one-off gag quickly turned into one of "South Park"’s most talked-about story arcs. Parker revealed that Trump was only supposed to appear in a single episode, but the reaction from fans and the writers’ own curiosity led them to expand it into a serialized storyline spanning multiple seasons.

The first episode to feature Trump, titled “Sermon on the ’Mount,” aired on July 23, 2025, and immediately made waves for its over-the-top depiction of the president in bed with Satan. The episode didn’t stop there, skewering Trump’s legal troubles, his cabinet, and even Paramount’s own legal settlement with him.

Since then, Trump has continued to play a central role throughout Season 27 and into the newly launched Season 28, cementing "South Park"’s latest creative era as one of its most controversial and commercially successful yet.

Not everyone is laughing at "South Park"’s latest political pivot, least of all the White House. Following the show’s season premiere, a White House spokesperson slammed the long-running Comedy Central series in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,” the spokesperson said, dismissing the satirical storyline as “fourth-rate.”

“President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history, and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak,” the statement continued.

Despite the fiery response, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone insist their approach isn’t partisan, but it’s comedic. “We’re just very down-the-middle guys,” Parker explained. “Any extremists of any kind, we make fun of. We did it for years with the woke thing. That was hilarious to us. And this is hilarious to us.”

While Parker and Stone have never shied away from controversy, even they drew a line following a real-world tragedy. After conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated earlier this year, "South Park" quietly pulled the recent episode that parodied the political figure.

The episode mocked everything from Kirk’s delivery to his physical mannerisms, including a now-viral scene showing Cartman ranting about abortion while sitting on a toilet, before storming a college rally, Bible in hand, as a self-declared “master debater.” But after Kirk’s assassination earlier this year, the show’s creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, quietly made the decision to step back from the storyline.

After nearly 30 years on the air, "South Park" has proven once again that no subject is too sacred. By turning its sharp satire toward Trump, the show has not only revived ratings but also reminded fans that its creators remain the kings of animated irreverence.

For Parker and Stone, the formula hasn’t changed much. Only the culture around them has.