Netflix is ​​giving Trump supporters a platform and unfortunately

For the most part, all of Netflix’s attempts to kill off the “Real Housewives” franchise have failed miserably over the years. However, the streamer may have finally found its footing with its latest facsimile, “Members Only: Palm Beach.”

The series, which premiered in late December, follows cast members Hilary Musser, Rosalyn Yellin, Maria Cozamanis, Ro-Mina Ustayev and Taja Abitbol as they navigate the social circles of Palm Beach, Florida, and its “unspoken rules, inherited traditions and high-stakes hierarchies.”

I disagree with the criticism that the new reality series is the “Temu version of a ‘Housewives’ show,” as one user on IMDb said. It’s more like a Zara copy of some designer’s recently praised collection, and I mean that as a compliment.

In “Members Only: Palm Beach,” there is clearer evidence of wealth compared to some of the more dubious sources of income shown on the hit Bravo franchise. (Some of our favorite Housewives have faced felony charges and convictions due to financial problems.) Likewise, this cast actually lives in the area they claim to represent on television, so when one of them declares “it smells like money” in the opening moments of the premiere, there’s no need to suspend belief. Altogether, that makes the show more on par with the “Real Housewives” premise than some of the franchise’s shows.

That doesn’t make “Members Only: Palm Beach” as entertaining as “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” in any way. But credibly wealthy women within a social circle not determined solely by their employment make for their own kind of compelling television.

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However, a hurdle for select viewers could be whether they can stomach the level of admiration conveyed for President Donald Trump.

The show is not overtly political in any way, however, there are a lot of references to Mar-a-Lago.

“Oh, wow. You can see Mar-a-Lago from here.”

“Have you ever been invited to Mar-a-Lago?”

“I’m bidding against Donald for Mar-a-Lago.”

“You made noise in the bathroom at Mar-a-Lago.”

“One weekend we’re at Mar-a-Lago and the next we’re at a fetish party.”

“Gale was vaping in the Mar-a-Lago room in Trump’s face.”

If I had played a drinking game based on the number of times Mar-a-Lago was mentioned, I probably would have died from alcohol poisoning within an hour.

Other exclusive country clubs are mentioned (1000 North, owned by Michael Jordan, and The Breakers), but the Mar-a-Lago, owned by Trump, is certainly considered the place to be.

I don’t love hearing the constant Trump references, but I know too much about white voters to pretend this is the only show that could qualify as “The Real Housewives of MAGA.”

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If anything, that makes these women more like “Real Housewives” than any duplication presented above, considering I could easily see many women in this cast mingling with other Trump-loving Bravolebrities we know, particularly those who now live in the Palm Beach area and are also partying at Mar-a-Lago.

They make no secret of their conservative leanings, but it’s fascinating to see them take themselves so seriously and argue about status and social rules.

Take Ro-Mina, someone who describes herself as “The Kim Kardashian of Palm Beach.” She finds herself clamoring for access to Mar-a-Lago and people like Trump and Elon Musk, so she subjects herself to relentless criticism from Rosalyn, her new mentor, about how she dresses, how she’s too loud, and how she essentially needs to adapt to the influence she seeks.

Aside from having black hair, she doesn’t look anything like the Kardashians, but I guess they at least share the experience of being branded as new money trying to make a splash among the elite. However, what sets her apart from Kim K. is that Kim is willing to do anything to achieve her goal. Ro-Mina is not, for the most part, and while I don’t know how to translate the saying “the game is the game” into Palm Beach terms, someone else should.

Then there’s Gale Brophy, a friend of the show who, like many grown-ups, loves to tell the same stories over and over again; In her case, her claim to fame is being the original “IT” girl of Palm Beach society. Gale considers herself the Grand Lady of Palm Beach and has anointed Rosalyn as her successor, along with her literal passing of the baton and an eventual exchange of tiaras.

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Meanwhile, Hilary, who reminds me of Jill Zarin from “Real Housewives of New York City,” along with Taja, considers Gale to be a name-dropping fool and a phony who was kicked out of Mar-a-Lago for being broke.

What is also illuminating is what is largely left unsaid: the cast members’ faces resemble what has now been seen. considered “The face of Mar-a-Lago.”

Behind all the displays of luxury and access in this series is an obsession with relevance and acceptance, as in any version of “Real Housewives.”

The “Real Housewives” franchise has long highlighted that money can’t buy you class or a clue, but “Members Only: Palm Beach” adds another layer: It can’t buy you freedom from the same desperation for acceptance that drives everyone else.

If there could ever be a “Real Housewives of Palm Beach,” it would look and sound a lot like this. The show is successful because it successfully captures the hypocrisies and antics of this type of influence chasing.

Whether you can bear to watch it is another question entirely.

“Members Only: Palm Beach” is streaming on Netflix.