Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Bradley Whitford Slams 'Rational Republicans' As The 'Fakest' Thing About 'The West Wing'

Bradley Whitford Slams 'Rational Republicans' As The 'Fakest' Thing About 'The West Wing'
Erik Voake / Stringer / Getty Images

The West Wing was an American political drama that ran from 1999 to 2006.

The show gave a fictitious look at daily life in the federal government as the administration tackled political issues.


The show was extra fictitious if you were to ask Bradley Whitford, who was a series regular for all seven seasons. Whitford told Buzzfeed on their AM2DM show that the most fake thing about the series was "rational Republicans".

You can see the interview below.

Whitford, who recently won an Emmy for his role as Commander Joseph Lawrence in Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, was a little shy about sharing his opinion.

When asked about how The West Wing would be different if made today he giggles a little before saying:

"The fakest thing about that show was that we had rational Republicans."
"That's a creature that used to exist."

Which considering the current state of politics, isn't the most inaccurate statement in the world.

He goes on to say that the current political climate is so much different from when the show came out, there's no way it could be the same.

"Unfortunately, because somehow we've gotten to this place where if we don't agree politically it's not just that we don't agree politically, it's that the other person is insane."
"I'm guilty of that kind of thinking."

Whitford's comments had a lot of people nodding in agreement.



However, some think he's being a little revisionist. After all, The West Wing was seen as such a liberal fantasy that it used to have the nickname The Left Wing.

It also existed in a world where people thought zippy one liners and rational evidence could shut down a disagreement. It posited the idea that our government officials were very rational, even though it aired while our government was ramping up for the ill-fated Iraq war.

The West Wing was good television, and we could hope for worst fantasies for our leaders. But it's still just as fictional and unrealistic as Game of Thrones.

Basically, there's no reason the show couldn't come back today.

(Aaron Sorkin, if you're reading, I'm a big fan. Please bring it back.)




The interview with AM2DM continued, asking Whitford who his character Josh Lyman would support in the upcoming election.

He believes Josh would be very 'pragmatic' and support Pete Buttigieg in the primary.

"I think Josh would be one of those people that want to strengthen Obamacare, get a public option in."

That doesn't mean it's who he genuinely wants.

Whitford speculates that if not for his pragmaticism...

"I think he'd like Elizabeth Warren a lot."

Which has people wondering what characters would say about the current primaries.



Bradley Whitford may have let his own political views slip in this interview. Earlier this year, he hosted a fundraiser for Buttigieg.

Does this mean he actually supports Warren?

Who can say?

Whitford is producing and starring in the new NBC comedy Perfect Harmony. The musical series is about a choir group of misfits in a small town, and premieres September 26th, 2019.

You can get The West Wing complete series here.

*****

Listen to the first season of George Takei's podcast, 'Oh Myyy Pod!' where we explore the racially charged videos that have taken the internet by storm.

Be sure to subscribe here and never miss an episode.

More from Trending

Screenshot of Stephen Miller discussing Robert De Niro
Fox News

Stephen Miller Claims Robert De Niro Has Only Made 'Flops' For Past 30 Years—And Here Come The Receipts

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller had people rolling their eyes after he lashed out at actor Robert De Niro and claimed the legendary performer—the recipient of two Academy Awards and scores of other prizes over a more than 50-year career—has only made "flops" for the past 30 years.

On Sunday, De Niro, a vocal critic of the Trump administration, called Miller "a Nazi," adding that Miller is "Jewish and he should be ashamed of himself.”

Keep ReadingShow less
A man holding a transparent umbrella on a boardwalk in a city
Person with umbrella overlooks city skyline by water
Photo by John Licas on Unsplash

People Share Purchases Under $20 That Made Their Lives Way Easier

Sometimes, in an effort to improve our lives in some capacity requires us to make a significant dent in our bank account.

Even though it might be yogurt for dinner for a few weeks after, we still feel good about our expensive purchases when we see the difference a high-powered washing machine makes, or feel the cool air from our upgraded air conditioner.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @matterneuroscience's Instagram video
@matterneuroscience/Instagram

Man Goes Viral After 3D-Printing A 6-Pound Phone Case To Combat Screen Addiction

Many Millennials will remember back in the nineties as the last of the "latchkey kids" who were prominently babysat by their televisions, and the commercials that rolled out, made popular on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, promoting kids to go play outside instead of watching TV all day.

Now in 2025, videos on Instagram and TikTok encouraging people to "pause their scroll" and to "put down their phones" are becoming more common and popular, because people are realizing how detrimental our increasing screen time is to our emotional, physical, and psychological health.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from ​@karaandlife's TikTok video
@karaandlife/TikTok

Woman Sparks Heated Debate After Encouraging People To Smile At Walmart Greeters

There's an old saying that goes, "It costs nothing to be kind."

Smiling at a stranger, saying hi back to a young and socialable child, holding a door for someone, and maybe even exchanging a pleasantry or two at the checkout line costs nothing more than a few words passing our lips and showing a little kindness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @talashatara's TikTok video
@talashatara/TikTok

Woman Shocks The Internet By Showing Off Her Husband's Incredible 'Glow-Up'—And Wow

Everyone loves a good success story, and don't even get us started on glow-up videos!

But one trend that's been really popular lately is the "husband glow-up" trend. In these before-and-after trending videos, two videos will be spliced together. The first half of the video features either a photo or video of the person's husband, which then cuts to the second video, showing the husband's glow-up with Sabrina Carpenter's "When Did You Get Hot?" playing in the background.

Keep ReadingShow less