Comparisons have inevitably been drawn on both sides of the aisle between Vice President Kamala Harris and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character Selina Meyer from HBO’s hit satirical comedy “Veep” amid Harris’ likely rise to the top of the Democratic ticket in the 2024 election.
However, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is actually “the Selina-est candidate,” according to “Veep” showrunner David Mandel. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, Mandel explained his reasoning behind this assertion.
“Vain, worried about his looks, has a ridiculously better relationship with his body people than his own children, petty, vindictive, worries about his own money, doesn’t believe what he says, says whatever to get elected,” Mandel said, listing traits that he believes align more closely with Trump than Harris.
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Mandel acknowledged that both Harris and the fictional Meyer are women who have served as Vice Presidents and have been elevated to higher political positions. However, he pointed out that the comparisons between Harris and Meyer have sparked two kinds of responses.
“One is from people using ‘Veep’ memes to celebrate Harris’ likely ascendancy,” Mandel noted. “The other is by ‘assholes’ who are using it as a simple way of insulting her.”
Mandel’s comments highlight the complexities and nuances in drawing parallels between real-life politicians and fictional characters, especially when those comparisons are used to either uplift or denigrate individuals in the political arena.
