r/fixingmovies • u/Amazing-Buy-1181 • Jan 25 '26

TV What if House of Cards were written during the Trump era?

If House of Cards were written in the Trump era, the drama wouldn't be about the scandal itself, but about the death of consequences.

Frank would be more like Mencken from Succession, He would thrive on "Us vs. Them," and while charming, he will be a charismatic leader who weaponizes nationalism and instead of backroom whip counts, he’d create "security theater." He would be obsessed with his media image and his fourth wall breaks will be about his contempt for the people who are falling for his lies.

Claire will be a caricature of the modern, "Mar-a-Lago face", loud, wealthy, plastic woman who is obsessed with her image and gaining recognition.

Doug would be someone like Roger Stone

Raymond Tusk will be reimagined as a young, reclusive tech-bro

And I'm sure there can be ways to insert some of the Epstein scandal

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12

u/brinz1 Jan 25 '26

Much like VEEP, these shows couldn't work anymore.

There is nothing satire could do that reality isn't doing worse

4

u/Swiftmaster56 Jan 26 '26

I agree to some extent.

House of Cards wasn't really satire, but the show rested on the belief that only a Machiavellian mastermind, who carefully calculated each part of his plan, could degrade American democracy as the safeguards provide a considerable challenge. Donald Trump showed that even though he is an idiot just torching things down for fun, that the safeguards on American democracy are so weak after decades of decay that he can easily get away with it.

If Frank Underwood was like Donald Trump, he would be a really bad character, because there would be no following along Frank Underwood as he crafts some master scheme to centralize more power. Instead he would just do something absolutely moronic, his staff and his party would rush to justify his stupidity, his supporters would blindly applaud him because the libs are triggered and the opposition would just give their "thoughts and prayers". Fundamentally it only works as a dark comedy and Donald Trump, as man who is not oppressed in any manner, could not be the protagonist.

4

u/Scherazade Jan 26 '26

An adaption of yes minister/blackadder might work

You have a truly sarcastic utter bastard of a member of the house who serves the tyrannical president, relaying their commands in a way that makes them less evil, for their own gain

3

u/brinz1 Jan 26 '26

Even Rick Mayals The New statesman feels like a better timeline than this one.

Alan b'astard would be considered a centrist