Did 'Veep' predict Kamala Harris' presidential run?

‘Veep’ viewership surged 353% following Biden's endorsement of Kamala Harris.

HBO's political comedy "Veep" has seen a significant increase in viewership following President Joe Biden's announcement that he will not seek re-election and his endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race. The critically acclaimed series, which starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer, concluded its seven-season run in 2019. However, viewership of the first season spiked by 353% on July 22, a day after Biden's announcement, with 2.2 million total minutes watched compared to 486,000 minutes the previous day, according to Luminate’s Streaming Viewership data.

"Veep" producer David Mandel highlighted the surge in viewership on X (formerly Twitter), humorously comparing it to the sales of "Hillbilly Elegy," a memoir by Republican vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance.

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— Armando Iannucci (@Aiannucci) July 21, 2024

The show's storyline, which involves Meyer becoming president after the sitting president resigns, has drawn comparisons to the current political scenario. On X, users pointed out the similarities, with one noting, "Kamala inherits the actual presidency. Then runs." In response, "Veep" creator Armando Iannucci emphasized, "Don't forget we made all that up, though," and added, "Still working on the ending."

In the past, political events have influenced interest in earlier works. For instance, when former President Donald Trump selected Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, Vance's memoir and its film adaptation saw a surge in popularity.