The ‘Real Housewives’ star who says she’d ‘throw down’ in Congress
“The TSA lines are ridiculous,” the “Beverly Hills” star told USA TODAY, lamenting the monthlong shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
WASHINGTON − There’s not much of a difference between the “Real Housewives” and the House of Representatives. Not according to Erika Jayne, at least.
In an interview not far from House Speaker Mike Johnson‘s office in the U.S. Capitol, the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star said the similarities between reality television and modern American politics were hard to miss.
“It feels like Congress is one really long reunion,” she told USA TODAY, referring to the “Housewives” finale episodes that often devolve into screaming matches. “Can we please get to a place where we talk to one another? Stop fighting?”
Jayne and a coterie of other Bravo celebrities, including the Atlanta franchise’s NeNe Leakes and New York City’s Luann de Lesseps, trekked to Capitol Hill on March 18 to advocate for HIV prevention and awareness. The gathering drew a number of lawmakers, including Rep. Adelita Grijalva, D-Arizona, and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, to schmooze.
The convening of stars and senators highlighted the often-striking resemblance between Congress, a place increasingly criticized for its theatricality, and the actual world of reality TV.
But which is harder: Housewiving or legislating? Jayne jokingly said she’d be a consummate politician. (Her public image, not unlike many others in the Capitol building, has been clouded in recent years by scandal. In her case, that includes an estranged husband convicted of stealing millions from his legal clients.)
“Oh, I could throw down in here,” Jayne said. “What do you want me to do? Give me the topic, and then give me the plan, and I’m roaring.”
She lamented the state of the country, including the monthlong shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. Even rich celebrities aren’t fully immune to the long airport security lines that congressional gridlock has created.
“The TSA lines are ridiculous,” she said. “We don’t need this.”
Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
