Bulwark Takes – “SNL Just Made Kristi Noem’s Week Even Worse”

Date: October 12, 2025
Host: Jack Cottrell (The Bulwark)
Featured Voice: Joe Rogan
Topic: SNL’s satirical takedown of Kristi Noem, the right-wing’s ICE recruitment drive, and broader reflections on political inevitability and public accountability

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a sharp, sardonic breakdown of the latest political spectacles, focused primarily on SNL’s lampooning of Kristi Noem during one of her worst press weeks. Jack Cottrell ties the viral sketch to wider issues: ICE’s aggressive, culturally charged recruitment strategies, and the ever-pressing need to resist the narrative of right-wing political inevitability under figures like Trump and his allies. The episode interweaves satire, outrage, and a reckoning with the mainstream reaction to Trump-era policies, capped with a memorable call-in segment from Joe Rogan.

Key Discussion Points

1. SNL’s Mockery of Kristi Noem (00:30–03:27)

• Theme: Use of satire to strip Trumpworld figures of inevitability and aura of power.
• SNL’s sketch targets Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi, poking fun at their roles within Trump’s orbit and recent gaffes.
• The impersonator’s lines exaggerate Noem’s tough persona and lampoon ICE's recruitment pitch.
• Cottrell argues that ridicule is essential:

  “These people need to be mocked. They need to be made fun of. And we need to break the idea of inevitability...” (00:35, Jack Cottrell)

Memorable Exchange:

• Kristi Noem (Impersonator): “Dogs don't just get shot. Heroes shoot them.” (02:32)
• Cottrell: “We laugh because if we didn't, we'd cry. It's spot on.” (03:27)

2. Critique of ICE Recruitment Tactics and Trump’s “Private Army” (03:28–08:44)

• The episode transitions to the chilling realities behind the joke: ICE’s recruitment is deliberately targeting individuals drawn to violence and far-right extremism.
• Cottrell describes recruitment materials using phrases like “defend your culture, secure the golden age”—coded language aligning with white nationalist tropes.
• Outlines how federal incentives ($50K signing bonus, $60K loan repayment) are funneled to attract specific recruits, including ex-Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.
• Raises alarms about militarization:

  “I don't want to say civil war, but what do you call it when a Republican state is sending people who lean right to a Democratic city to cause chaos?” (04:27, Jack Cottrell)

• Suggests the right’s strategy is to provoke confrontation, then justify crackdowns with claims of restoring order.

3. The Joe Rogan Segment – Border Policy and the Human Cost (08:44–10:13)

• Joe Rogan joins in, expressing horror at ICE’s actions against long-term, non-violent residents:

  “When people [have] been here for 20 years, like, come on. ... Find them a pathway to citizenship.” (09:06, Joe Rogan)

• Rogan balances the need for border security with core humanitarian concerns, driving home how cruel public deportations are alienating and counterproductive.
• Cottrell acknowledges the impact of Rogan’s wide audience but expresses skepticism regarding these “come to Jesus” moments:

  “It's difficult to reconcile with these people who are having their come to Jesus moment when it doesn't really seem like it sticks in any real way.” (10:13, Jack Cottrell)

4. Accountability, “Inevitability,” and Progressive Response (10:13–End)

• Cottrell circles back to his thesis: We must resist the sense that Trump/Noem-style politics are inevitable or unassailable.
• He laments that it takes viral images of brutality for leaders (and media personalities like Rogan) to reconsider their stances, underscoring the need for preemptive leadership over reactive outrage.
• Ends with a call to vigilance and action, inviting listeners to stay tuned for future, ongoing coverage.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Jack Cottrell:

  "Donald Trump is fundamentally weak. He is losing every single day in court. And Kristi Noem can't even get anywhere to go to the bathroom when she's in Chicago. So let's not pretend like she rules with an iron fist." (00:31)

• Kristi Noem (Impersonator):

  “I'm the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C. — a brunette that Donald Trump listens to.” (01:54)

• Jack Cottrell:

  “It's a good strategy in response to this protest to show, no, what is happening in Portland that's so scary? Like people are drinking matcha and everyone has bangs. That's the big deal?” (03:38)

• Jack Cottrell:

  “These ICE raids ... need to be mocked as idiotic as they are, as useless as they are and how much money that they waste.” (05:09)

• Jack Cottrell:

  “The private army that Donald Trump is building... This is about politicizing the military as much as possible and normalizing the idea... of troops in the streets.” (07:07)

• Joe Rogan:

  “Everybody who has a heart sees that and go, that can't be right. That can't be the only way to do this.” (09:00)

• Jack Cottrell:

  “It's difficult for me to laud ... the person whose mind has changed. ... You shouldn't need these images, which of course should disturb you, to know what's happening is wrong. And maybe you should have been paying attention the whole time, Joe.” (10:13–10:35)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• 00:30–03:27: SNL/Noem sketch recreation & analysis
• 03:28–08:44: ICE recruitment practices, Trump’s “private army,” cultural implications
• 08:44–10:13: Joe Rogan call-in; discussion on border policy and public empathy
• 10:13–End: Reflections on accountability, resistance to political fatalism, episode sign-off

Tone & Style

• Irreverent, sharp critique—combining biting humor with real outrage.
• Mixes satirical parody (via SNL re-enactment) with earnest political analysis.
• Jack Cottrell’s delivery is direct, punchy, and unapologetic.

Summary for New Listeners

This installment of Bulwark Takes uses SNL’s lampooning of Kristi Noem as a launching pad to dissect how the Trump-era right manipulates both optics and institutions: ICE’s intentionally provocative recruitment, the perils of militarized immigration enforcement, and the importance of never ceding rhetorical or moral ground. By blending comedy with import, and broadening the lens to public figures’ shifting stances (Rogan), Jack Cottrell makes a case for ongoing, active resistance—through both laughter and accountability.