‘Everybody Hates Trump’: Reality TV Made for America

Maybe all these years of reality TV, despite seeming pointlessly vapid prepared us for what we’re seeing in politics today.

The best reality TV for our money today is the series of town halls in which constituents of various Republican legislators are blowing up in fury at Trump administration policies that have resulted in job loss, economic upheaval, and social uncertainty – all things Donald Trump promised would be taken care of on day one.

Now all this is before his idiotic attack on Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28, and before he implemented a really stupid trade war with Mexico and Canada on March 4. Those would be different shows, but the one I’m talking about here is becoming everyone’s favorite.

So welcome to another season of Everybody Hates Trump. This stuff beats Real Housewives shows by a mile and goes leaps and bounds over American Idol.

God’s Plan

This first episode, actually my favorite, is one that took place in Belton, Mo., on Feb. 24 in which Missouri Rep. Mark Alford stood in front of an irate crowd of his constituents furious about government cuts. He tried to convince the folks, many of whom were fired federal workers, that the cuts were necessary to curb billions in waste and fraud. Since Missouri is the “Show Me” state, they demanded that he “show us.”

Alford, a former television anchor, said that cuts were inevitable, and defended Elon Musk and the DOGE pseudo-government agency, which has claimed that it has saved the American taxpayer $55 billion, although that turned out to be a flat-out lie. But no matter, knowing that he could run to religion as all incompetent politicians do, Alford told them, “God has a plan and purpose for your life,” probably knowing he made himself look worse.

Perhaps, Congressman, it’s just a concept of a plan. 

(Shout out to Kansas City activist Daniel Scharpenburg, who was in Belton that day and posted the entire video to Facebook.)

At least Alford had the spine to stay and listen to everyone pile up on him and even thanked them for participating in the Democratic process, no matter how pissed they were at him. That’s better than the guy in this next episode, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall who scolded the people there to hear from him, but at some point decided to listen to one on the topic of care for veterans.

Gotta Split

But that may have been worse than the scolding because instead of responding, he just said “gotta split” and “God bless America,” then cut and run, which is the opposite of what veterans who served this country did in combat – and they were facing bullets and artillery. Maybe he really did have other appointments, but given that he’ll possibly be running for re-election again in 2026, was that really smart? People’s memories are short, but not that short.

Here’s a really interesting episode. I’m not even sure what Rep. Keith Self said to piss everyone off at his March 1 town hall in Wylie, Tex. Probably “good evening.” Whatever it was, about 300 people erupted into chants of “vote you out” that drowned the legislator’s microphone. His response to questions about DOGE, Ukraine, and Medicaid lit the fuse, according to Newsweek.

The Collin County GOP posted some nonsense on Twitter (or X, or whatever) about people shouting Self down and trying to silence him. I’d post it here, but I’m not trying to promote anything on that site here, baby. Anyway, seeing that the district has been a solidly strong Republican voting lock for more than 50 years, it’s unlikely that people didn’t want answers from him. But the answers they got weren’t satisfactory so they let him have it. Thoughts and prayers.

Thanks, You've Been Great...

Meanwhile, in our final episode (until later), Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick was left looking like a comedian who bombed terribly during a town hall in Roswell on Feb. 21 as he faced the jeers of a constituency that changed up in his face.

You see, he had represented Georgia’s 6th Congressional District (now repped by Lucy McBath in the suburbs west of Atlanta up until this year. It had been a solidly Republican and wealthy area. But due to redistricting, he wound up running to represent the much more diverse and Democrat-friendly 7th Congressional District, which begins in Atlanta’s northern suburbs and extends many miles north.

McCormick, probably now wishes he had kept that ritzy-titzy district that he had because now, people have no problem reading his ass. Check out these clips in which constituents run down the resume of his prior term. Now that's great comedy. At least he has on casual shoes to make him comfortable standing in his own crap.

That one woman bringing up Trump and noting that he thinks he is king, calling him a “megalomaniac” looked like it floored McCormick, because he knew she was right. He also probably knew just a few months ago, he’d be walking on Cloud Nine with a Trump win. Imagine what he’ll know tomorrow. Anyway, it’s a good idea to check out the whole town hall if you have time.

Gaslight, Flashlight

House Speaker Mike Johnson, for all of the backlash Republicans are getting had the nerve to blindly go on CNN and baselessly claim Democratic operatives were the ones at the town halls causing trouble, suggesting that actual constituents have no problem with Trump’s policies. I'm sure those who have lost jobs or had benefits cut thanks to DOGE don't mind at all.

Either he thinks you’re stupid, or he’s hoping you’re blind. But there are those who know you’re not. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is one of them. He stood in front of the U.S. Capitol and pretty much outlined how Johnson is talking all that jazz.