Out of all of the headline-making moments from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in the White House, Veep showrunner David Mandel thinks two in particular could have passed as material for the comedy series.
When asked which of the president’s flaps felt most like a Veep storyline during THR‘s Comedy Showrunner Roundtable, Mandel admitted that Trump’s comments about the origins of the Civil War and his lashing out at a CBS reporter were his top two picks.
“He basically just went, ‘I’m done’ and then picked up papers — that might as well have been upside down — and [was] like, ‘Now I’m reading, you should leave.’ Come on, man,” Mandel told THR about Trump’s interaction with the reporter, calling it “insane.”
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The Veep showrunner explained that the show benefits from not taking place directly inside the White House anymore, with lead character Selina Meyer (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) having left office.
It’s easier “making fun of things that remind people of what’s going on in the White House, but not doing the same exact shots and stories,” Mandel noted, adding of Trump, “He’s sort of a season behind us. He’s stealing from last season.”
In light of the current political climate, Mandel also shared that viewers seem to be anticipating the show’s return more than ever.
“More people were like ‘I can’t wait for it to be back so we can laugh about this stuff again,'” he said.
More roundtables featuring comedy and drama actresses, actors, showrunners and reality creators will continue through July in print and online. Tune in to new episodes of Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter starting May 25 on Sundance TV, and look for clips at THR.com/topic/roundtables with full episodes on THR.com after broadcast.
