Kamala Harris' bid for presidency increases viewership of HBO satire "Veep"

People online have been drawing comparisons to Selina Meyer and Kamala Harris political journey to the White House

By Nardos Haile

Staff Writer

Published July 24, 2024 12:47PM (EDT)

Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at HBO's "Veep" FYC Event at the Saban Media Center on May 25, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. (Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty Images)
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at HBO's "Veep" FYC Event at the Saban Media Center on May 25, 2017 in North Hollywood, California. (Amanda Edwards/WireImage/Getty Images)

Move over Selina Meyer, Kamala Harris is the new female vice president turned presidential hopeful.

Following President Joe Biden's drop out of the 2024 election, Harris is expected to be the Democratic nominee. Coincidentally, the same fictional scenario played out in "Veep," the 2012 HBO satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Since Harris' declaration to run for president, it has been reported that viewership to the first season of "Veep" on Max was up 353% on Monday, according to Luminate, a site that calculates streaming viewership data. 

Luminate reports that "Veep" had 2.2 million total minutes watched on July 22, increasing from 486,000 total minutes the day before.

Many of the show's clips have gone viral as well, with one clip of Selina learning that the president wouldn't seek re-election, making a clear pathway for the fictional vice president to run for president.

While fans have quickly pointed out the similarities between Selina and Harris, "Veep" creator Armando Iannucci said on X, "Don’t forget we made all that up, though."

Last year, Harris shared more about her experience meeting Louis-Dreyfus on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The Vice President said, "There are bits of it that are actually quite accurate."


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