George Carlin on Trump’s 2024 Reelection: What the Comedy Legend Would Say About America’s Political Circus

By Michael Kelman Portney

If George Carlin were around to witness Donald Trump’s reelection in 2024, it’s safe to say he would have a lot to say—and it wouldn’t be pretty. Carlin’s views on American politics were always scathingly honest, pessimistic, and insightful. He believed the political system was designed to keep ordinary Americans distracted, divided, and obedient while the wealthy elite ran the show. Trump’s return to the White House would be, in Carlin’s eyes, just another chapter in America’s grand illusion of choice and freedom. Using some of Carlin’s most famous quotes as inspiration, let’s dive into what the comedy legend might say about Trump’s second term and what it means for America.

1. “This country was bought and paid for a long time ago.”

Carlin would likely see Trump’s reelection as part of a larger trend, one that he often referred to as “America’s owners”—the elite class that runs the country behind the scenes. In Carlin’s eyes, the two-party system is a sham designed to keep people believing they have a say, when in reality, “the owners of this country” control who ends up in power.

Trump’s return to office might be, to Carlin, proof that the system is working exactly as intended. Trump, a wealthy businessman himself, fits the role Carlin often mocked: a figure who claims to represent “the people” while being deeply embedded in the elite class he claimed to oppose. Carlin might say that Trump’s populist appeal is just the latest version of what he called “the illusion of choice” in American politics—a way to keep people voting, hoping, and distracted.

2. “The game is rigged. And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care.”

Carlin famously argued that American democracy was a farce, calling it “a game” that’s been rigged in favor of those in power. He believed that both parties ultimately serve the same interests and that real change is impossible within the existing system. Trump’s reelection would likely reinforce Carlin’s belief that the game is indeed rigged and that many Americans are too distracted to see it.

In his view, the outrage and division that Trump’s reelection causes among Americans would be exactly what the “owners” want—a divided public too busy fighting each other to see the bigger picture. Carlin would say, “They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking,” because that would make it harder for them to control the narrative. Trump’s return would be, in Carlin’s eyes, another chapter in keeping Americans distracted from the real issues and controlled by an elite few.

3. “I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way. I don’t vote.”

Carlin famously abstained from voting, saying he didn’t want to participate in a system he believed was inherently flawed and corrupt. To him, voting was merely a way for people to feel like they were making a difference, even though he argued it was all predetermined by the powers that be. With Trump’s reelection, Carlin would likely say, “See? Voting doesn’t change anything.”

For Carlin, voting was like playing in a rigged casino—no matter who wins, the house always wins. He would view Trump’s victory as a continuation of the endless cycle of hope and disappointment that voting creates. “The public gets what they deserve,” Carlin often said, not out of cruelty, but as a reminder that the system only changes when people stop buying into it. He’d remind Americans that whether it’s Trump or someone else, the system remains unchanged because the “owners” will always get what they want.

4. “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.”

Carlin often mocked the wealthy elite as members of “a big club” that ordinary Americans would never be a part of. Trump, a billionaire himself, is the epitome of the “big club” member. Carlin would probably point out the irony of a wealthy, privileged man who claims to represent the “forgotten” Americans. Trump’s win, to Carlin, would be a case of the big club playing to the audience—a show to make people feel represented while reinforcing the elite’s power.

This quote would likely be Carlin’s go-to critique of the notion that Trump, or any elite politician, truly cares about the working class. He would argue that Trump’s populist persona is just that—a persona. Carlin would say, “They’re not on your side,” and that whether Trump claims to fight for the people or not, he’s part of a system that prioritizes money and power over the well-being of the average American.

5. “They want obedient workers—people just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork.”

Carlin argued that the government and corporations don’t want an educated, empowered public. Instead, they want people “just smart enough to run the machines.” Trump’s reelection, with its appeal to economic nationalism and “bringing back jobs,” would likely be seen by Carlin as a distraction from the fact that meaningful economic change is being blocked by powerful corporate interests.

He might argue that Trump’s promises of “working for the little guy” are hollow, as the real decisions affecting American workers are being made by those who profit off keeping the working class in its place. Carlin would say that Trump, like most politicians, is playing his role by keeping people focused on short-term economic gains while ignoring the structural issues that keep the “owners” in control.

6. “It’s all bullshit, folks, and it’s bad for you.”

Carlin’s classic line, “It’s all bullshit, folks, and it’s bad for you,” would apply perfectly to his take on Trump’s reelection. Carlin saw the whole political system as a series of manipulations designed to benefit the powerful while keeping everyone else in line. He’d likely see Trump’s return as part of the ongoing “circus” of American politics, where personalities and outrage take center stage, distracting people from real issues.

Carlin would mock the outrage, the headlines, and the media frenzy around Trump, calling it all a distraction from what he believed were the real problems: corporate influence, wealth inequality, and the erosion of personal freedoms. He’d tell people to stop getting caught up in the “show” and start recognizing that it’s designed to keep them from thinking critically.

Wrapping It Up: Carlin’s Take on Trump’s Reelection—Cynical, Brutally Honest, and Darkly Funny

George Carlin would undoubtedly have found plenty to laugh (and rage) about in Trump’s reelection. For Carlin, Trump would be less of a villain and more of a symptom of a larger disease—one that involves the manipulation of the public, the consolidation of power among the elite, and a political system that gives people the illusion of choice while keeping real change out of reach.

In Carlin’s words, “It’s all bullshit, folks, and it’s bad for you.” Trump’s victory would be, to Carlin, another act in the ongoing performance of American politics, a show put on by the “owners of this country” to keep people divided and distracted. He would remind us that voting alone isn’t enough, that real change comes from breaking out of the system’s limitations, and that the whole political landscape, regardless of who’s in office, is built to benefit a “big club” we’re not part of.

In Carlin’s view, Trump’s reelection isn’t a tragedy or a triumph—it’s another chapter in a long-running story of American disillusionment, and a reminder that as long as we keep playing the game, the house will always win.