-
The secret lives of Ukraine's deep-strike drone team
-
Myanmar mourns as post-coup conflict death toll hits 100,000
-
NATO project tests perennial grass to clean Ukraine's war-hit soil
-
Vietnam unveils 'baby bonus' after scrapping two-child policy
-
Duffy returns for New Zealand against West Indies
-
Majestic Olise raises France to another level at World Cup
-
Mbappe dazzles as France march on at World Cup; Norway, Mexico advance
-
Mexico see off Ecuador to break 40-year World Cup curse
-
US govt lifts restrictions on powerful AI models, Anthropic says
-
'My dream is broken': Japan visa rules push out foreign residents
-
Trump earned over $1 bn from crypto ventures in 2025
-
Indian sailors fear returning to Gulf after Middle East war
-
The Afghan women farmers keeping their village alive
-
Fear and anger brew inside Meta amid AI frenzy
-
Asian stocks fluctuate as traders eye crucial US jobs data
-
After 250 years, the 'American dream' is tarnished but alive
-
Madison Square Garden: from Nazis to Knicks, and now... Taylor's wedding?
-
'I'm going to stay calm': 48 hours under the rubble in Venezuela
-
'Love it': Wimbledon's military stewards tradition turns 80
-
Breakaway Catholic sect defies Vatican again by ordaining bishops
-
Venezuela quake survivors cherish kindness of strangers
-
Mexico v Ecuador World Cup game delayed by one hour: FIFA
-
US deports first migrant to Pacific nation Palau
-
Talks in Qatar after US-Iran deal: What we know
-
Potter admits Sweden couldn't live with France in World Cup defeat
-
Tuchel refuses to dampen England World Cup expectations
-
US coach dismisses European jinx ahead of Bosnia clash
-
Mbappe hails unity as France rally around Deschamps at World Cup
-
World Bank to phase out lending to China by 2031
-
Mbappe fires France into World Cup last 16, Norway advance
-
Mbappe scores twice as France breeze past Sweden into World Cup last 16
-
Belgium fully fit ahead of Senegal tie at World Cup, says Garcia
-
No corn dogs? Trump's 'Great American State Fair' threatens to be a flop
-
Tepid outlook weighs on Nike despite tariff refund boost
-
Haaland hailed as 'greatest' after more World Cup heroics
-
DR Congo have 'nothing to lose' in England World Cup clash
-
Koeman steps down as Netherlands coach after World Cup exit
-
Valiant Serena beaten on Wimbledon return, Swiatek survives scare
-
Nasdaq ends best quarter in 6 years as yen extends drop against dollar
-
Serena beaten at Wimbledon in first singles match in four years
-
Zverev says Wimbledon hopes 'about me' despite open draw
-
Dutch football chiefs condemn online racism after World Cup exit
-
Lionel Scaloni: Argentina's mastermind marks 100 games in charge
-
Police hunt for Monaco bomber after Ukraine-born tycoon wounded
-
Mourinho's Real Madrid host Real Sociedad in La Liga opener
-
CIA boss compares cutting-edge AI to nuclear weapons
-
Football brings joy to Venezuelan kids displaced by quakes
-
'Any team can beat you', warns Ruiz as Spain seek end to World Cup woe
-
Haaland fires Norway into last 16 as France, Mexico look to advance
-
Venezuela quake survivors seek food, shelter as toll rises to nearly 2,000
White House lashes out at 'South Park' Trump parody
The White House on Thursday lashed out at the creators of "South Park" after the bawdy satire skewered Donald Trump in an episode featuring an AI-generated version of the US president crawling naked through a desert.
In a no-holds-barred season premiere, the animated Trump character is also seen begging Satan for sex, only to be rebuffed -- in part because his penis is too small.
The White House was not amused.
"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," spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.
"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 adult animated series, which frequently touches on hot-button issues in American life, is now in its 27th season and remains one of the world's most valuable TV shows.
The season premiere begins with the foul-mouthed Cartman appalled that NPR has been taken off the air by the president, while Randy, a parent, is disturbed by the presence of Jesus in public elementary school.
Complaints to the fictional White House receive only a threat from Trump to sue the mountain town of South Park for billions of dollars.
Meanwhile, animated Trump is threatening to bomb Canada "like I did Iraq."
"I thought you just bombed Iran," the Canadian prime minister replies.
"Iran, Iraq, what the hell's the difference?" replies Trump.
The episode, which sees the fictional Trump ride rough-shod over many aspects of American life, ends after the town of South Park makes a financial deal with the president that includes an agreement to make public service announcements.
The AI generated short that follows -- ostensibly one of those announcements -- shows an overweight Trump staggering through a desert as a narrator casts him as a latter-day Jesus.
The short ends with a naked Trump as the narrator says: "Trump. His penis is teeny-tiny, but his love for us is large."
- Merger -
The episode aired days after creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone reportedly penned a $1.5 billion streaming deal with Paramount that gives the company global rights.
The deal comes at a sensitive time for Paramount, which is trying to secure government approval for a multi-billion-dollar merger with entertainment company Skydance.
The CBS parent caused a furor this month when it agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit Trump had brought over an interview the storied "60 Minutes" current affairs program aired with Kamala Harris ahead of last November's election.
The payment was criticized by Democrats as little more than a bribe to help smooth the merger, with Paramount initially dismissing Trump's lawsuit as meritless.
Last week CBS sparked fury after it cancelled "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" whose host is a pointed critic of the president.
The network insisted it was a financial decision, but opponents have painted the move as the latest example of American institutions bowing to Trump.
T.Germann--VB