In a sketch that blended political satire with humor, Jeff Bridges revived his most iconic character to return to national television with a message of peace—and a sharp critique of United States immigration enforcement.
On “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday night, the Academy Award-winning actor was encouraged by the host to get into character as “The Dude” from the Coen Brothers’ cult classic, The Big Lebowski. Donning the character’s signature cardigan and with a White Russian beverage in hand, Bridges slipped easily into the role of the laid-back, peace-loving slacker.
His message was a general appeal for a reduction in the political climate of the time. “Hey, world! Yeah, the Dude here,” Bridges began, speaking directly to the camera. “Can we all just calm the f*** down? I mean, come on, I’m saying all the wars, the violence, the cancelling. We’re at like, what, a nine? We should be at zero. Or zero and a half at most, right?
Then, looking into his creamy beverage, he gave the punchline that quickly went viral: “ICE! Let’s get ICE out of our streets and into our drinks.” The studio audience cheered on the clever double meaning, which demanded the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by substituting it with the ice in a beverage.
Concluding the bit with another famous line from the film—”This aggression will not stand up, man”—Bridges called for all individuals to “abide together.” As he sought backing from Kimmel, the host clinked glasses with him, agreeing, “That’s a pretty great opinion.”
A Comedy Bit in a Wider Political Context
The humorous exchange is as ICE is surrounded by controversy and criticism for its tactics. The agency has been at the center of numerous political firestorms, including over its enforcement of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Just last week in Illinois, for instance, ICE agents were reported to have used pepper balls and tear gas on protesters and conducted overnight raids that separated families. Bridges’ joke, made as it was in character, directly feeds into a real and contentious national debate about the agency’s mission and methods.
Bridges Joins a Growing Chorus of Celebrity Critics
Jeff Bridges is far from the A-list celebrity to publicly call out ICE. The agency has been a punching bag for activist-artists, most recently adding international music phenom Bad Bunny to its roster.
The Puerto Rican superstar, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, recently outraged some conservative circles with the announcement that he’ll be heading the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show. The outrage is based on Bad Bunny’s previous statements about limiting his U.S. tour dates due to his fear of ICE arrests. After the Super Bowl announcement, he tweeted sarcastically that he would “probably do just one date in the United States,” a clear jab at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
In a direct response to this political nervousness about these cultural extravaganzas, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed ICE’s presence at the 2026 game, stating, “I think people should not be coming to the Super Bowl unless they’re law-abiding Americans who love this country.”
By boiling down “The Dude’s” relaxed philosophy into an effective political soundbite, Jeff Bridges demonstrated that a well-placed pop culture reference can instantaneously boil down a prickly debate, and that the most effective protest can sometimes be lodged in a cardigan and with drink in hand.
