"But he fights!" became a double-edged sword for MAGA loyalists.
Some loved how Donald Trump didn't let his enemies tee off on him without a response. It's what President George W. Bush often did during his two terms in office, and some of the cruel barbs stuck as a result.
Candidate Trump never let an attack go unanswered. Still. And, when it comes to late-night TV salvos, he'd be better off ignoring the brickbats.
Donald Trump posted a video of himself slamming Stephen Colbert into a dumpster to X following the show's last episode airing last night 😭 pic.twitter.com/wh6qsXw9ka
— internet hall of fame (@InternetH0F) May 23, 2026
Now, reality show villain turned candidate Spencer Pratt is following Trump's lead. Partly.
Pratt is vying to unseat L.A. Mayor Karen Bass after her administration's imcompetence made 2025's Palisades fires even worse. Pratt, like hundreds of his fellow neighbors, lost his house in the blaze. And, like many of his neighbors, construction on replacement homes has been turtle-like in its speed.
"The Hills" alum knows how to work social media like a certain leader of the free world. And, as part of that, he refuses to lay down as his political foes attempt to cut down his candidacy.
Take Hannah Einbinder. The "Hacks" alum has quickly become one of Hollywood's most vocal, and far-Left, personalities. She's anti-Israel, pro-Palestine and, despite being part of LGBTQ+ Nation, oblivious to the contradictions in that stance.
She's on a roll of late, using her "Hacks" platform to speak out on any number of issues, from ICE to Pratt's unlikely campaign. Here's Einbinder, a Nepo Baby (daughter of comedy icon Laraine Newman) leveraging a Variety red carpet encounter to attack his candidacy.
“There’s a lot of wealth in this city and I think that there are a lot of people who masquerade as Democrats or people on the left, but really, money is their key issue and that’s what leads them to vote for people like Spencer Pratt — who is endorsed by Donald Trump.. It’s important to resist that.”
She's using the "resist" label to lazily tie Pratt to President Trump. It's what Democrats have been trying to do for weeks, even though Pratt has gently side-stepped that connection. His common sense platform isn't MAGA. It's begging for a return to competent leadership.
Safe streets. Fewer homeless tents. More drug rehabilitation. Reservoirs brimming with life-saving water.
Simple. Clear. Powerful. Apolitical.
Media outlets regurgitated Einbinder's comments sans criticism. The Variety red carpet reporter cheered the actress on, saying she should run for office.
Get the message? A far-Left celebrity can trash a right-leaning candidate, and that's the only message we hear from the media.
Except Pratt fired back on social media, courtesy of X.
She says from a literal red carpet, surrounded by armed security, completely insulated from the horrors on our streets that Angelenos and their kids have to suffer through every day... I’m glad she doesn’t have to suffer the consequences of Karen and Nithya’s failures, but she’s in an elite minority and the rest of us want change.
Bingo.
Pratt isn't as savvy, or as naturally funny, as President Trump. He still understands that he can't sit by and let liberal celebrities smite his campaign without a response. Especially in L.A.
Even better?
What Einbinder said made little sense. Pratt's campaign isn't about money or the elites. It's about the quality of life, or lack thereof, in the City of Angels. Pratt's response speaks directly to that, and it puts the ball in her court.
And, since she isn't used to being challenged, let's predict she drops her anti-Pratt comments moving forward.
That matters. So does refuting such a poorly considered argument.
Pratt, like Trump, fights. And, at the moment, he's smart about the battles he picks.
