Beginning on April 18, 2025, a screenshot of a supposed Fox News broadcast featuring U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi went viral on social media platforms like X and Facebook. The news chyron in the screenshot suggested that Bondi announced on air that anyone in the U.S. criticizing the federal government by saying "f*** Trump" would be sent to El Salvador for 15 years.
(X user @JessicaUSAF)
Snopes readers wrote in and searched the website checking if the post was real. It was not — the post's watermark tied it to comedian and satirist James Schlarmann. Snopes reached out to Schlarmann for comment, and he confirmed that he created the post.
Comparing the supposed chyron to other Fox News broadcasts revealed that the font was different, a good clue the post wasn't real. The original, un-manipulated image came from an April 16, 2025, appearance Pam Bondi made on Hannity.
Even more important, however, was the "@jamboschlarmbo" watermark in the lower right corner of the image. Searching for that username revealed it to be the moniker of Schlarmann. His Facebook page's about section simply reads "Satirist. Comedian." The page poked fun at prominent members of President Donald Trump's administration, including Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, and frequently featured similarly edited news chyrons.
The post was in reference to Trump's harsh immigration policies, involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining thousands of immigrants across the country regardless of their legal status or criminal record. In March 2025, the administration sent three planeloads of immigrants in ICE custody to the Terrorism Containment Center, or CECOT, mega-prison in El Salvador, without trials.
According to a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio obtained by The Associated Press, some individuals had been detained for their speech — particularly students who previously spoke out in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza, which is currently occupied by the Israeli military. The U.S. government supports Israel in the conflict, and the students have argued their anti-government speech is protected by the First Amendment.
This is not the first satirical post from Schlarmann Snopes has checked. We previously found that a separate Pam Bondi quote also originated from him and was satirical in nature.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.