Television
Veep Creator Armando Iannucci Saw It Coming
How the British satirist really feels about all those Kamala Harris comparisons.
Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by Brandon Bell/Getty Images, Stephen Jaffe/AFP via Getty Images, and HBO.
J.D. Vance may have his own biopic, but Kamala Harris has Veep. The HBO comedy about the U.S.’s first (fictional) female vice president has always been‐ a point of reference for the first real-life woman to hold the office, even if Harris has never displayed her fictional forerunner’s gift for‐ elaborate profanity. But the comparisons have reached a fever pitch in the past week, as Harris was catapulted into the role of president after Joe Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor.
In Veep, fictional U.S. Senator Selina Meyer, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, runs for president but loses the nomination and settles for becoming vice president. But when her boss resigns in the show’s second season, Meyer moves into the Oval Office.
The similarities between Harris and Meyer have been noted by many, including David Mandel, a producer of Veep who was quoted in The Hollywood Reporter saying that former President Trump is more like Selina Meyer than any other character he has encountered. Mandel said that even Selina supported a woman’s right to choose and had a moral compass of some kind.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Meyer in Veep, also commented on the comparisons, saying that Harris told her that the show was accurate in its portrayal of life in Washington, D.C., and its impact on people.
Despite these similarities, Armando Iannucci, the creator of Veep has stated that he does not believe his show is predicting real-life events. In a post on social media site X, he wrote,’Don’t forget we made all that up though.” He also responded to another user who said Iannucci was continuing to predict political reality by saying,‘Still working on the ending.”
In an emailed statement to The Hill, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that Mandel is “ another elitist, out-of-touch Hollywood liberal who thinks he’s better than everyone else but in reality, he’s a sad little man yearning for relevancy and attention because his parents never gave him any.”
Despite the comparisons, it is clear that Kamala Harris is not Selina Meyer from Veep. While both women are strong and accomplished, they have different backgrounds, styles, and approaches to politics. Harris has a long history of public service and advocacy, while Meyer is known for her sharp wit and cutthroat political tactics. Additionally, Harris has consistently demonstrated a commitment to policy issues such as healthcare reform and criminal justice reform, while Meyer is more focused on personal power and political maneuvering.
Overall, while the comparisons between Kamala Harris and Selina Meyer from Veep are interesting to consider, it is important not to conflate the two women or assume that Harris will behave or govern in the same way as her fictional counterpart. The real-life version of events is far more complex and multifaceted than any television show could capture.
In: Kamala Harris Joe Biden HBO show Veep Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer donald Trump republican convention in Milwaukee 2024, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Armando Iannucci, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, HBO, Kamala Harris
