• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'

1

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt

2

U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited

3

After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
Leadership

Why Michael Moore’s Trumpland Is Going Viral With Conservatives

By
Anne VanderMey
Anne VanderMey
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Anne VanderMey
Anne VanderMey
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 26, 2016, 2:15 PM ET
ENTERTAINMENT-US-VOTE-POLITICS
KENA BETANCUR AFP/Getty Images

Michael Moore’s new documentary, Michael Moore in TrumpLand, is winning over a surprising online fanbase: Trump supporters.

At least part of the movie is, anyway. Even conservative site Breitbart has written about a particular passage from the film, a clip where Moore talks about the appeal of voting Trump: “[He’s speaking] to people who are hurting, and it’s why every beaten down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who used to be part of what was called the middle-class loves Trump,” Moore says. “He is the human Molotov cocktail that they’ve been waiting for.”

And indeed, Moore’s colorful closing lines in the clip sound like a call to action: “Trump’s election is going to be the biggest f**k you ever recorded in human history—and it will feel good.”

https://twitter.com/JaredWyand/status/790707670776811522

 

Of course, the clip making the rounds cuts Moore off mid-sentence, leaving out the rest of his point: “It will feel good—for a day. You know, maybe a week. Possibly a month.”

Then he adds, “Because you used the ballot as an anger management tool and now you’re f**ked.”

Michael Moore in TrumpLand is not a rollicking invasion of Trump country, as the title suggests. Even though the movie was filmed in Republican-leaning Wilmington Ohio, it’s decidedly not a Roger & Me-style reportorial tour de force of exposing wrongdoing. Moore doesn’t actually venture out into “TrumpLand” at all, instead filming the entire thing on a stage inside a Wilmington theater.

Here’s what TrumpLand really is: a quiet, personal and sympathetic plea to vote for Hillary Clinton, aimed at people who don’t like her. The film’s viral success on conservative websites means it’s doing a pretty good job (even if the message on those sites is truncated). In typical Michael Moore-fashion, the filmmaker is trying to reach the autoworkers, laid-off manufacturing employees, and the rest of the disenfranchised middle class with a message about why the former first lady is the country’s best choice for president.

But while he’d probably be happy to sway a few Trump voters, residents of TrumpLand aren’t the target audience. The movie primarily takes aim at the Bernie-or-bust and Jill Stein contingents.

Moore’s attempts to persuade revolve around not how terrible Trump is, but about how much he admires Hillary Clinton. Speaking against a backdrop of black-and-white photos of the young candidate, he talks about her campaigns for women’s rights and her work on expanding access to health care, among other liberal projects.

And he closes the movie by urging people to go vote for her, even if they have to hold their nose while doing it. His reasoning probably won’t appeal to conservatives: he suggest that it’s possible Clinton has been harboring a leftist side that she’s had to hide during her years in the spotlight, biding her time until she could enact her liberal agenda. In other words, he spoke to his left-leaning base and basically said, “She’s very well may not be the centrist, pro-business hawk you think she is.”

With that pitch, Moore’s apparently quickly-produced and occasionally clumsy movie (there are a few truly cringe-inducing videos interspersed throughout the film) hits its mark. During one of the first showings at the IFC Center in New York, there were a few hecklers from the liberal side of the anti-Clinton camp, and as the audience got up to leave, one shouted “Vote Jill Stein!”

Someone else responded: “She doesn’t believe in vaccines!”

To which the man replied, “That’s a lie!”

Prompting someone else to yell, “We’re in New York, it doesn’t matter who we vote for!” something that’s hard to argue with during a presidential race in the deep-blue city.

Even if Moore convinced every member of the Manhattan audience to vote Clinton, it wouldn’t tip any scales. TrumpLand’s raison d’etre, however, is that the same can’t be said for the residents of Wilmington in the swing state of Ohio.

About the Author
By Anne VanderMey
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

Matt Panella
SuccessJobs
This home-builder dropped out of high school and worked construction for $8 an hour—by 22, he was making $200K from his trade empire
By Emma BurleighMay 31, 2026
9 minutes ago
Samsung’s UK boss keeps a signed $100 bill she’s never allowed to spend—and shares her best and worst investments
SuccessFortune The Good Life
Samsung’s UK boss keeps a signed $100 bill she’s never allowed to spend—and shares her best and worst investments
By Orianna Rosa RoyleMay 31, 2026
46 minutes ago
soccer moms
CommentarySports
Why soccer moms are shaping the future of football in the U.S.
By Ruslan BashirovMay 31, 2026
1 hour ago
Troy Link outside of a Jack Link's world headquarters sign
SuccessCareers
Jack Link’s CEO shares his message for Gen Z workers: Commit, stick to it, and ‘be really good at it’
By Preston ForeMay 31, 2026
3 hours ago
Snowflake CEO says monster quarter shows why software firms need new pricing models to thrive in AI age
AISnowflake Computing
Snowflake CEO says monster quarter shows why software firms need new pricing models to thrive in AI age
By Sebastian HerreraMay 30, 2026
17 hours ago
Warren Buffett’s son Peter didn’t know his dad was a billionaire until his 20s—he found out from a rich list
SuccessWarren Buffett
Warren Buffett’s son Peter didn’t know his dad was a billionaire until his 20s—he found out from a rich list
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
Economy
Surging Treasury yields expose a brutal truth: America has no margin for error on its $39 trillion debt
By Shawn TullyMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
Politics
U.S. says deals with Iran for safe Hormuz transit are prohibited
By Jack Wittels and BloombergMay 30, 2026
20 hours ago
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
Law
After a judge ordered Trump's name be removed from the Kennedy Center, president says it will 'soon be closed, probably never to open again'
By Collin Binkley and The Associated PressMay 30, 2026
14 hours ago
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
Economy
Gen Z is rejecting $200 dates and choosing 'solo-maxxing'—and dating apps are taking a hit
By Sydney LakeMay 30, 2026
1 day ago
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
Innovation
After Blue Origin rocket explosion, NASA's entire moon exploration program depends on SpaceX for now as Musk eyes blockbuster IPO soon
By Jason MaMay 30, 2026
15 hours ago
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 29, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 29, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.