
Advertise on podcast: Fake Presidents
Rating
4.8from
This podcast has
76 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Buchman and OrenExplicit
Yes
Date created
2020/10/02
Latest episode
2026/09/29
Average duration
53 min.
Release period
44 days
Description
Remember when you could talk about politics without it being hazardous to your health? We think we've found a loophole. Each episode, Ben and Eric take a deep dive into a fictional American president from film or TV, to see just how much fiction there really is. It's a podcast sorta about politics and kinda about pop culture, hosted by two former politicos turned TV writer/producers who'd much rather talk about real movies and fake politics than fake movies and real politics.
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Boys II Man (THE BOYS and FOR ALL MANKIND, their fifth seasons)
2026/09/29
Ben watched the final season of Amazon Prime's THE BOYS. Eric watched the most recent season of Apple TV's FOR ALL MANKIND. Both are their fifth seasons. Both feature fake presidents. But do the similaries end there? (Yes, yes they do.)
The FAM talk begins at 03:18
The Boys talk begins at 25:51
Find us on all the socials at Fake_Presidents or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com.
Species Victims Unit (SPECIES II, 1998)
2026/04/30
Richard Belzer -- comedian, author, legendary TV cop, famed conspiracy theorist -- plays the POTUS in this very R-rated sequel to 1995's very R-rated sci-fi frightener SPECIES. After playing Det. Munch on various Law & Orders, Homicide, The Wire, the X-files, multiple comedies, and a few other shows you've never heard of, how does Belzer's fake president fit into the "Munchiverse"? Could he secretly be... President Munch?!?
We report. You decide.
Fake Presidents at the Oscars
2026/03/11
How well do movies with fake presidents do at the Academy Awards? Let's find out...
First Crypto Kid (FIRST KID, 1996)
2026/02/01
1996's FIRST KID stars Sinbad as a secret service agent assigned to protect a bratty kid. The movie features one actor who is currently VERY searchable in the Epstein files, and another actor who is currently under arrest in the State of New Mexico. But that's not why we picked it. In fact, we picked it before we knew just how timely this movie would wind up being this very month.
Oh, and it was directed David Mickey Evans, creator of THE SANDLOT, which is one of Ben's favorite movies.
Got a suggestion for a future movie? Find us on Instagram, Bluesky, or Threads or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com.
The Golden Circle Of Life (KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, 2017)
2025/12/31
What does 2017's KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (aka Kingsman 2) have to do with New Year's Eve, the holiday season, or even anything in the month of December? NOTHING! But our original choice wasn't streaming on any services this month, so we decided to finally circle around back to one of our fav fake presidential actors, the legendary Bruce Greenwood, last seen (by us) as the potus in NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS (aka National Treasure 2).
This time out Bruce is the unnamed "President of the United States" in an R-rated, edgy, action comedy from a true British Knight, director and co-writer Matthew Vaughn, surrounded by a impressive cast including Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Emily Mortimer, and introducing the one and only Sir Elton John, in maybe his most outlandish performance ever in front of a camera.
00:00 Intro
04:30 Background
09:11 The Plot
15:53 Meet The President
26:06 Dissecting the POTUS
34:18 What does this movie say about 2017?
39:04 Legacy and Approval Ratings
43:36 Closing
45:27 Post-Credits Bit (Ben got something BIG in the mail)
Find us on most social media sites @Fake_President (Instagram, Bluesky, Threads) or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo and suggest our next subject!
Thanksgiving Potluck (HOUSE OF DYNAMITE, PLUR1BUS, MONSTERS VS. ALIENS)
2025/11/27
Eric watched a movie Ben didn't watch. Ben watched one Eric didn't watch. And together they watched a TV series that they both thought had a fake president in it, but didn't. Or did it?
In this Thanksiving potluck of an episode where each host is bringing something to feast on, we've got Stephen Colbert as "The President" in Dreamworks' 2009 animated movie MONSTERS VS. ALIENS. We've got another round of Idris Elba, this time as "The President" in Kathryn Bigelow's new Netflix original HOUSE OF DYNAMITE. And we also talk a little about what Apple TV's new Vince Gilligan sci-fi series PLURIBUS may or may not have to say about presidential politics.
Find us on most social networks at Fake_Presidents or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com.
00:00 Intro
02:23 Monsters Vs. Aliens
20:00 Pluribus
28:42 House of Dynamite
45:00 Closing
45:57 Post-Credits Bit
Abolish Ice (WAR OF THE WORLDS, 2025)
2025/08/30
Ice Cube and his two adult-ish children are Earth's last line of defense in the latest incarnation of H.G. Wells seminal, sci-fi classic WAR OF THE WORLDS. Eva Longoria, Clark Gregg, and Andrea Savage are in it, too, as is voice artist hall-of-famer Jim Meskimon as the "POTUS."
It's a "movie" that is:
- 60% Reaction shots of Ice Cube, staring at a screen
- 39% Reycled stock footage where the makers had to blur the faces of people who wouldn't want to be in this movie
- 1% anything resembling an actual movie
Find us on Instagram, BlueSky, Threads, etc. at Fake_Presidents to suggest a BETTER MOVIE FOR US TO COVER. OR ANY MOVIE REALLY. Thank you. Maybe something from the 80s? We haven't done an 80s flick in a while.
Acting President (HEADS OF STATE, 2025)
2025/07/23
John Cena is an actor-turned-U.S. President and Idris Elba is a soldier-turned-U.K. Prime Minister in HEADS OF STATE, a brand new Amazon Prime action-buddy-comedy that at times feels straight from the 90s. But are the movie's politics straight from the 90s, too? And what connection might this movie have to Chris Rock's 2003 comedy HEAD OF STATE?
Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Jack Quaid, Carla Gugino, Paddy Considine, Sarah Niles, and Stephen Root round out the cast of ringers.
Find us on all the socials (BlueSky, Instagram, Threads, etc.) at Fake_Presidents or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo -- and select our next fake potus to cover!
ImPOTUSible (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING, 2025)
2025/06/23
The world is on the brink of an AI-fueled global thermonuclear apocalpyse and only one superspy* can save it... and only one U.S. President can help him save it.
Angela Bassett is that President in MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING.
How did she get elected? Will she get a second term? What's her approval ratings? That's our mission to figure out...
(*Ethan Hunt is technically a spy, right? I mean that's why they do the whole mask thing?)
Find us on Threads, BlueSky, and Instagram, or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com if you want to join the convo... and suggest more fake presidents for us to cover!
Department of Homelander Security (G20, 2025)
2025/05/23
What happens when crypto-minded terrorists led by Antony Starr (THE BOYS) take over a summit of world leaders in South Africa? It's up to Viola Davis as the U.S. President to take him down in Amazon Prime's G20.
Clark Gregg (THE AVENGERS) is the homebound Vice President, Ramón Rodriquez (WILL TRENT) is the President's favorite secret service agent, Elizabeth Marvel (HOMELAND) is the brave-ish treasury secretery, Sabrina Impacciatore (WHITE LOTUS) is the head of the IMF (NOT the Impossible Missions Force), and did we mention that Anthony Anderson (KANGAROO JACK) is the first gentleman?
G20 is available to stream RIGHT NOW on Amazon Prime Video.
Find us on all the social medias at Fake_President or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to send us your questions, comments, and requests!
Only Murders In The White House (THE RESIDENCE, 2025)
2025/04/23
It's Wes Anderson meets PADDINGTON meets CLUE, all set in the White House. Well, not the ENTIRE White House. Just... THE RESIDENCE! This hit Netflix series from Shondaland presents an offbeat murder mystery wrapped up in some truly excellent production design. The series goes into details of how the White House works that have never been seen on screen before. But what about the Fake President? Did they give us enough detail there? Let's put our detective caps on and find out...
Note: We actually manage to talk spoiler-free about the series for the majority of this episode. Unless, of course, you consider it a spoiler to find out that this is the first [REDACTED] American president we've covered on this podcast.
Find us on Instagram, Threads, or Bluesky at Fake_Presidents, or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the conversation!
Follow the De Niro (ZERO DAY, 2025)
2025/03/21
In Netflix's 6-part series ZERO DAY, Robert De Niro plays a former U.S President with cognitive issues (who chose not to run for reelection), and Angela Bassett is a current U.S. President with a great wardrobe. Together they must figure out who perpetrated the greatest, deadliest hack in U.S. history! Well, actually, it's mostly just De Niro doing the figuring and the outing.
Joan Allen, Jesse Plemons, and Connie Britton round out De Niro's inner circle, while Lizzy Caplan and Matthew Modine are members of congress "just asking questions" about De Niro's investigative operation.
But the biggest, most pressing question of all... Why does Ben feel the need to do his Randy Newman impression in this episode?!
Find us on BlueSky, Threads, or Instagram -- or email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com -- to join the convo!
This is POTUS (PARADISE, 2025)
2025/03/13
In Hulu's newest TV series PARADISE, James Marsden is a murdered U.S. president, and Sterling K. Brown is the Secret Service agent at the center of the investigation. Oh, and (SPOILER ALERT) the whole series takes place in [REDACTED] because [REDACTED] and the truth is that [REDACTED] also [REDACTED] and everyone is [REDACTED].
From Dan Fogelman, who also wrote THIS IS US and CARS.
Find us at Fake_Presidents on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, or email us fakepresidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo!
Red Hulk Gives You Wiiings (CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, 2025)
2025/02/17
Happy Presidents Day! To mark the occasion, we rushed out opening weekend to check out the return of Harrison Ford to the White House. Well, technically, in AIR FORCE ONE, Ford never made it to the White House, but this time, in Marvel's CAPTAIN AMERICA: BRAVE NEW WORLD, Indy gets scenes in the Oval, in the Rose Garden, in the Residence, in a battleship, and he even gets some more action aboard Air Force One (well, some Peloton action, that is).
Oh yeah, and Anthony Mackie is the Captain America with wings trying to keep President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross from losing his cool.
Spoilers don't get heavy until deep into the episode, and we give a warning before they come on strong.
Find us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Threads, or email us at fake presidents [at] gmail.com to join the convo! We're always open to suggestions for fake potuses to cover...
The Dude-In-Chief (THE CONTENDER, 2000)
2025/02/01
We cover 2000's THE CONTENDER starring Jeff Bridges as a U. S. president sometime between 2007 and 2010. Joan Allen is a senator nominated to fill an open VP slot who refuses to address any allegations of sexual impropriety in her past. Gary Oldman is a congressman trying to destroy her during the confirmation hearings.
Does anyone actually read these show notes? Do we need to mention that Christian Slater, Sam Elliott, William Peterson, Mike Binder, and Saul Rubinek are all in it, too, in order to game some search engines? You know, for all the Rubinek-heads out there?
The episode title is a BIG LEBOWSKI reference, since Bridges and Elliott were in that movie. We also considered: The Big Lewinski, Bone Allen, Capitol Gang Bang, and Hearing Impaired. Did we pick the right one? LET US KNOW. Email us at fakepresidents [at] gmail.com.
We're also at Threads, Instagram, and Bluesky.
Podcast reviews
Read Fake Presidents podcast reviews
Softballer67 2025/11/05
A complete break from real-life politics
Just what the doctor ordered!
jeff swart 2025/08/16
avoid this podcast like they avoid reality.
oren is a raging anti-arab zionist, genocide denier, and ahistorical hasbara machine. i wouldn’t trust any of the content on this podcast.
actor77 2023/07/16
These dudes are shaaaaarp
Very funny and great insight into a weird and entertaining niche.
WinkyMomma7 2021/12/23
well produced, funny, and surprisingly informative
I usually don’t listen to movie podcasts because I don’t see a lot of the movies, but this podcast works for me even if I haven’t seen the movie, whic...
mcs4 2020/12/31
You Had Me At "Dave”
The fact that you started with this movie is enough said. This is such a fun listen and a much-needed reprieve from real politics (which, these days, ...
Keith Addler 2020/11/21
So much fun!
I’m loving this podcast! Even when I haven’t seen the movie (or remember seeing the movie), Ben and Eric make everything fun, funny and just informati...
Big Green Dad 2020/11/13
👍 👍
For anyone who loves both movies AND politics. Or movies OR politics. Or just politics. Or just movies. I guess it’s for a lot of people actually!
Daddysings 2020/10/30
Such a fun experience
I’d so much rather hear about fake presidents! Great dialogue, and frighteningly realistic. Do President Scrooge!
writer alex 2020/10/25
New favorite podcast!!
I'm a political junke -- I listen to a dozen or more poltiical podcasts a week -- and FAKE PRESIDENTS has instantly become my new favorite. It satisfi...
Bloomer Girl 2020/10/06
the ONE podcast I can listen to with my husband
my husband and I don't agree on everything politically, but we can agree that this is a great podcast we can both listen to together.
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