Robby Roadsteamer Sang Rod Stewart—Then ICE Opened Fire

Summary

Bulwark Takes – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Robby Roadsteamer Sang Rod Stewart—Then ICE Opened Fire
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: The Bulwark
Guest: Robby Roadsteamer

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Overview

This lively episode centers around comedian and satirist Robby Roadsteamer’s recent protest outside an ICE facility in Portland, Oregon, blending performance art, political satire, and direct action. Robby, known for his outlandish characters and musical comedy, recounts his surreal experience: performing a provocative parody of Rod Stewart’s “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” in costume (as a giraffe), only to be met with pepper balls and a brief detention by ICE agents. Through humor and storytelling, the episode explores protest culture, absurdity in American politics, and the role of satire as resistance.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Evolution of Robby Roadsteamer

• Post-prison Press Conference: Robby describes meeting the host during Steve Bannon’s release press conference, where he lampooned Bannon and “infiltrated” by impersonating media staff ([00:50]).
• Comedy Roots: Roadsteamer reveals his background in improv and stand-up, describing his transition to political satire, musical performance, and his experiences as a radio personality and music act ([01:46]).
• Shadowing Vermin Supreme: Robby highlights the influence of satirical activist Vermin Supreme, whom he followed for over a decade, learning about protest culture and blending performance with political demonstration ([03:03]).

2. The Portland Protest – Performance as Protest

• ICE Facility Performance: Robby details his act—singing his own political version of “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” aimed at anti-immigrant sentiments and ICE ([04:03]–[04:15]).
  • Lyrics included: “If you hate brown people and you are a Nazi. Get the fuck out of Portland.” ([04:20])
• Scene Atmosphere: Describes a colorful protest environment with “furries,” performers, costumes, and a party-like spirit, contrasting with the aggression of law enforcement response ([04:48], [06:26]).

3. The ICE Confrontation and Detention

• Pepper Balls Fired: Robby describes being targeted with pepper bullets by ICE agents while in costume, leading to his face burning and eyes puffed ([05:06], [06:38]).
• Detainment: He details being arrested, handcuffed, and brought inside the facility, encountering around 20 agents who oscillate between mocking and recognizing him ([07:45]).
• Charges: Ultimately, he receives only a citation for “failure to comply with the directions of a law enforcement officer” ([11:53]), specifically for allegedly crossing a blue line, which he disputes (“I was clearly in bounds. Both feet in bounds. I was making a football motion.” [12:09]).
• Comic Banter with Agents: Even while detained, Robby remains in character, jokes with the officers, and references previous stunts and songs ([09:32], [10:08]).
• Release and Aftermath: Robby is released after about 20 minutes and returns to the party-like protest, highlighting the absurdity of the heavy-handed law enforcement response ([10:52], [11:46]).

4. Satire and Absurdity as Resistance

• On Fighting Absurdity: Robby and the host reflect on the power of satire and humor in confronting extreme politics, likening modern protest to professional wrestling (“Just treat it like WWE wrestling…get more absurder sometimes.” [14:03], [14:42]).
• Critique of Law Enforcement Priorities: The exchange satirizes the overreaction of ICE agents, juxtaposing the peaceful, absurd protest with the use of force for minor infractions ([13:27], [14:42]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On His Protest Bit:
  “Are we gonna storm Burger King after this?”
  — Robby Roadsteamer on confronting Steve Bannon ([00:50])

• On Protest Performance:
  “If you hate brown people and you are a Nazi. Get the fuck out of Portland.”
  — Robby Roadsteamer, parody lyrics to Rod Stewart ([04:20])

• Describing the ICE Reaction:
  “The ICE Snipers and stuff. Like, oh, there they are with their Super Soakers up there and stuff. Glorified mall cops. They're getting pissed.”
  — Robby Roadsteamer ([05:49])

• On Absurdity:
  “I love the taste of pepper balls in the morning.”
  — Robby Roadsteamer, channeling Apocalypse Now ([06:26])

• On Interacting with Agents:
  “What was the Heath Ledger’s character? Like, well, most of you aren’t from the area either. Am I right? And they were, yeah, actually.”
  — Robby Roadsteamer satirizing the ICE/detention dynamic ([08:22])

• Summarizing the Situation:
  “You have the president … saying that Portland is a hellhole… And then you’re there in a giraffe costume … singing Rod Stewart. And they decided that was so scary they had to shoot pepper balls at you and detain you. It’s a pretty strange state of affairs.”
  — Interviewer ([13:27])

• On Strategy:
  “You can’t fight absurdity with valor … Just treat it like WWE wrestling and get more absurder sometimes.”
  — Robby Roadsteamer ([14:03])

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Important Timestamps

• 00:50: Robby describes Bannon press conference stunt
• 01:46: Transition from comedy roots to political satire
• 03:03: Influence of Vermin Supreme and protest culture
• 04:03–04:20: Portland protest; singing satirical Rod Stewart
• 05:06–06:38: Pepper balls fired; costume antics; “breaking” ICE agents
• 07:45–09:32: Detention process, banter with officers
• 11:53–12:09: Cited for “failure to comply”; Robby disputes crossing line
• 13:27–14:03: Host summarizes the broader absurdity
• 14:03: Robby’s reflection on satire, WWE politics

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Final Thoughts

In this episode, Robby Roadsteamer illustrates how comedy and absurd performance can be both protest and commentary on U.S. politics and law enforcement. The show captures the wild collision of performance art and power, ultimately shining a spotlight on the surreal state of public dissent in America today.

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Host: “It is fucking absurd that in the country, somebody can’t stand outside, sing a Rod Stewart cover, put on a giraffe costume, and not get shot at with pepper balls. … In a free country you should be able to do that.” ([14:42])

Robby Roadsteamer: “Absolutely. All you folks are great out there. God bless and enjoy the rest of your evening, folks.” ([15:13])

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Transcript

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[Interviewer]

Hey, everybody. I am delighted to be here with Robby Roadsteamer. He is a free man. He's a free man. He's been targeted by Ice Boy. I met Robbie. We met at the post prison press conference for Steve Bannon. Post prison press conference. And I was giving Steve the business and out of nowhere, what was your bit?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

It was hilarious because you were grilling him hard right at the beginning and stuff. And I'm thinking in the back of my head, I'm like, oh my God, I'm about to do Steve in right now. He was so exhaust by the time he got done with you. And so it was like I had a red suit on because that's how I was able to infiltrate the press conference. Because I said I was with Tim Pool and I'm like, steve Robbie, road steamer. I just said, I have a question. I mean, when's the next insurrection? Are we gonna storm Burger King after this? And then he was laughing so hard and pointing, he couldn't say, get him. And so he gave me more time and I'm like, doesn't he look great? We were in Danbury together lifting weights and stuff, man. You don't remember me? What's the next insurrection? He looks great. You don't remember me? We were lifting weights and stuff in the weight room. When's the next insurrection?

[Interviewer]

It was good. It was a nice exchange. It was. I think that it was appropriate for the seriousness of the moment of a.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

I was there to just troll them out. I mean, that's, you know, aside from singing like the comedy songs, you know, it's like a large part is like hitting people. Like Marjorie Taylor Greene with songs. Hulk Hogan. Trump is a real fell and thinks the immigrants are E dads. Trump is, you know, I've been doing improv comedy since my single digits to make my mom laugh when my dad was being crazy. And it eventually led to me moving to Boston doing traditional stand up comedy, but more hilariously like doing like a band with the character and getting on CBS Radio Boston 104.1 for four years, the rock of Boston, the Patriots Rock Radio Network. I got on the radio. I toured Warp Tour. Corey Taylor from Slipknot covered me. The song I put a baby in you. Finally, I. I started smoking, and I started blazing and tripping by the age of 30. And I. I wanted to just do something more political or meaningful with the art, so I started hitting political events. I shadowed a really incredible, incredible gentleman named Vermin supreme who runs for president with a boot on his head.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I know about Vermin.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

I just. I shadow and absorb everything. I didn't know what a protest was like. I went to the DNC with him in 2012 in Charlotte. I was getting ready for war. And then all of a sudden, he gets out there. You know, CNN's out there, MSNBC, you know, Vice, and everybody's in his pocket. He's like, how's everybody doing? Vermin Supremes here going up to the police. All the police are smiling like, officer Williams. Officer Perez.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Everybody was getting a free pony. And I was just like, oh, my God. I shadowed him for about 12 years and stuff. And it was like, you know, I do all the tours, but I did them as me. And it would just be like, hi, everybody. My name's Robertillo. I'm here with Vermin. It's like, oh, gonna work at Best Buy and snort Adderall. Hey, hot dogs and applesauce. And like, you know, I became his music minstrel. But all the while, I had this character in the tank from yesteryear. And then two years ago, it was almost like Star Wars. I wasn't in the mood to Patillo anymore.

[Interviewer]

All right, so road steamer emerges. Fast forward to yesterday, and you're outside an ice facility in Portland singing a version of do you think I'm sexy? By Rod Stewart.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Hell, yeah. If you hate brown people and you are a Nazi.

[Interviewer]

If you hate brown people and you're a Nazi, you gotta do it in melody.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

You hate brown people and you are a Nazi. Get the out of Portland. Get the out of port. Like, I'm gonna put up the full version. I've just been going, like, you know, 180 miles an hour. And I edit my own stuff, but it's like, I do the whole thing to them. I'm on the ground like, if you hate brown people and you are a Nazi. Like, the whisper part Rod does at the end.

[Interviewer]

And so then you're doing it. You're with. They're the guys in the costumes, the furries and stuff. People are dancing around the ice Guys are up on the roof. Some of them are laughing at you, some of them are pissed. And then one of them tries to pelt you with a. With a pepper bullet. Let's just look at that really quick.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

The one that Trust blew without Sting.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. All right, what happened there?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

You have the sequence perfect. I mean, it's absolutely like, I get the Portland, you know, there's tents, there's people being fed, there's performance artists in the streets. Like, it's a really fun scene to a certain degree. And yeah, they will show the late night escapades when everything escalates or whatnot. But, I mean, I. I just found, like, so much family and. And so much love there. And so I go out there and you nailed it. I'm doing the Rod Stewart and I'm dancing and stuff, and I do the full version and I'm making fun of them left and right. The ice Snipers and stuff. Like, oh, there they are with their Super Soakers up there and stuff. Glorified mall cops. They're getting pissed. They're. They're getting pissed. There's no question. And you see the video today. They're teeing off on me with the pepper balls. Like you can see on my Instagram whatnot. And Stu, you can see the dust. It looks like Rambo. And it's like the Doors Touch Me is kicking in. It's like, come on, come on, come on. What's the name of that plane? The one that Trump flew with Jeffrey Epstein. And it's so absurd. So when they realized that wasn't working, everybody's coughing around me. You see it in the video. I'm like Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now. I love the taste of pepper balls in the morning.

[Interviewer]

And you got a giraffe on. Is that a giraffe there? Little giraffe.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

I had that. You know what my thinking was, mate? That, you know, I wear the giraffe outfit, you know, because they already had green up there. The Portland frog.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, the frog.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

You know, And I don't want to wear the same dress to the prom to a certain degree. Even though when I got up there, a lot of them disclose, like, you're our big, like, inspiration for this because I've been wearing the onesies for a couple years now at the protests. And, like, half of them were like, we've been waiting for you. And that's why I brought that energy there. I was like, oh, my God, this is like my family. They all were aware of. Of My antics, they couldn't get their message across with the pepper balls. I sat on the sidelines, my face was burning, my eyes were puffy. I had to get saline solution from the camps and I felt like a wrestler. And what I do I consider judo. I'm just reversing the energies of MAGA back onto them and stuff. So I broke them. You could see the guys on the top of the roof. They're very. Just completely frustrated and everything. And they send out the guys and you see the video and stuff and they grab me and. And yeah, they pull me into the detention center. Hello.

[Interviewer]

What are you doing?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Talking.

[Interviewer]

He's just talking. What do you mean by pull you into the detention center? Like, do they. They cuff you?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Yeah, yeah, they use the metal handcuffs. They pull me in. You can see on the video when it extends and stuff that they pull me deep inside the gates, they shut the gates, they bring me into a, I don't know, holding tank. Like, but there's like 20 of them in there and they're all like, they're all messing with me. Like, they're all just there.

[Interviewer]

20 of them being like 20 agents?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Yeah, 20. Various, like 20 agents, officers, people of various army fatigues and normal clothing and stuff and good use of our money.

[Interviewer]

Really. 20. I mean, I'm getting 20 people.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Free time for a lot of people, for a giraffe doing hit songs. But like, they sit me down, they take everything off of me. The amps, which I was grateful for because it was covered with that arsenic pepper spray and stuff, or the shots. And they're messing with me. One of them is articulate while the other ones are making fun of me. Like, you do this for a living. And I'm like, yeah. And you're like, you're not even from the area. You flew in for this. And I'm like, most of you aren't from the area. It turned into like Dark Knight. Like, what was the Heath Ledger's character like? Well, most of you aren't from the area either. Am I right? And they were, yeah, actually. And finally one of their cops came up or DHS agents and was just like, yeah, we're going to get you on trespassing for federal property. Somebody gave me two joints that morning and I had them on me and I was like, ah. And then they pulled out the joints and they're like, we're also going to get you for having marijuana on federal site. And I'm like, you guys pulled me onto a federal site and I'm in character Mind you. So it's like, the whole time I believe in.

[Interviewer]

I believe in Oregon that you're allowed to carry joints on the street. No.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

And that's why I said weed's legal in Oregon. What? What's the matter here? And now it was the federal property that they were trying to get me pinned to for the arrest and whatnot. It's not working on me. It's like I'm being my own paralegal and lawyer and just talking sense. Like, I don't think any of this is gonna hold me, you know, so, what are we doing here? And, you know, basically, after, like, 20 minutes, I'm cracking them up and stuff. I'm like, so what do we. You know, I mean, I have to like, what are we doing? We're gonna get the lime, we're gonna get the hoses, we're gonna go sucking knuckle deep. And some of them start cracking up. Quite a few of them knew me, and they're like, oh, my God, weren't you supposed to be an alligator today or something? And. And so I start, like, talking to them. Yeah, I'm Gary, the Guantanamo gator. I do the YMCA song. Like, Trump was on the Jeffrey Epstein plane. And they're cracking up. They're trying not to show their faces to, like, the head bad cop that day or whatnot. After 20 minutes, this really cool black dude is, like, standing next to me, taking my information. He's like, all right, you've been actually on real good behavior and everything. So I'm just gonna take these cuffs off, and we're gonna lead you out there. And I'm like. And, you know, I'm still in character a little bit and stuff. And I'm like, well, can I go out there and, like, you guys just leave me through the back, bring me to the airport and have everybody think I' like, trapped in there. Like, what the hell's happening to Robbie? Jumper cables on the nuts. Like, what are they doing to him? You know, I'd rather be, like, a martyr. So these people, the frogs and the unicorns and the hippos are inspired out there. It's like a really cosplay Lord of the Rings scene and stuff. And no, they were like, no, we're going to escort you back out. And so I go through the front gates and stuff, and it turns into, like, Fast Times at Ridgemont High. They gave me back the joint. So I went over to this, like, a little train stop with graffiti over there with, like, the Portland frog, the hippo, and the Unicorn, and we start smoking. And you know what the funniest thing is? Is that when that started happening, the protest stopped in front of the gates. There was only, like, one unicorn. And now everybody's listening to music. We're having vegan Mac and cheese, cornbread, Domino's pizza, and it just turns into a party.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. And so what do they charge you with in the end?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

It's like a CVS receipt.

[Interviewer]

It.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

It's a citation, and it's basically failure to comply with the directions of a law and fought enforcement officer.

[Interviewer]

And what was their direction? They wanted you to stop singing. What was their direction?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

No, stop crossing the blue line. Which on video. Because I, you know, I brought my own shooters too, you know, and my camera comes. Were a lot closer. It's like football. I was clearly in bounds. Both feet in bounds. I was making a football motion. And I'm like, you guys got nothing on me. I'm from New England. We have six rings. Don't tell me how to play this game. And then the cons, because a lot of them are either clan members or jocks, just start laughing their asses off. I'm like, I'm making a football motion. When I'm doing that with the amplifier, I'm not going over the line, dude. So, like, what are we doing here, man? And, yeah, no, but they want me to come back to Portland. That's the inconvenience. They thought they could humiliate me by, you know, I'm gonna have to go back to Boston. That's what you know. When they realized I wasn't getting scared because of their federal charges at the end, they're like, well, it's gonna suck to come back to Portland. I'm like, well, it's gonna suck. I come back with my dream team of lawyers because you guys are getting sued for $20 million because those pepper pills are toxic. And I got all the footage and stuff. You guys unlawfully detaining me here is toxic. And, you know, the. I don't know, you guys, you know, pulling using force and all that. So I'll see you in court too, man. You don't humiliate me or the Latino people or anybody like this. It was. I like, character.

[Interviewer]

Just to put it all in context, it's pretty crazy situation. I mean, you have the president, United States, saying that Portland is a hellhole and a hellscape. We need to send in troops and stuff into the city because of all the rioting and the violent protesters. Supposedly violent protesters. And then you're There in a giraffe costume. You're with, like, a hippo and a unicorn and a frog. You're smoking a joint, eating vegan Mac and cheese, singing Rod Stewart. And they decided that was so scary that they had to shoot pepper bullets at you and pepper balls at you and detain you. It's a pretty strange state of affairs. Yeah.

[Robby Roadsteamer]

As Rick James would say, it's a pretty freaky scene in there. Ow. I mean, it was ridiculous. But you can't fight absurdity with valor. That's what they. They want you to become, you know, a debater and get into the mud with them, and they're not trying to win the arguments. They just want you to lose face and get emotional again so they can say their absurd stuff. You know, it's. Yeah, it's basically that when you understand that and you're debating Mag or you're debating these absolute characters, you don't have to be that invested. Just treat it like WWE wrestling in that regard and just get more absurder sometimes.

[Interviewer]

All right, brother. Well, I agree with you on the strategy. I appreciate your bringing the fucking humor. The WWE analysis is exactly right, I do think. And I'm glad you're okay, and I'm glad it was kind of. It was only 20 minutes. You're able to be in character and get those guys to laugh, but. But it is fucking absurd that in the country, somebody can't stand outside, sing a Rod Stewart cover, put on a giraffe costume, and not get shot at by with pepper balls. I mean, it feels like in a free country in America, you should be able to do that. And so, you know, that's where I'm at. Keep in touch with us from the road, all right, brother?

[Robby Roadsteamer]

Oh, absolutely. All you folks are great out there. God bless and enjoy the rest of your evening, folks.

[Interviewer]

Later, homie.