TV

Netflix’s Members Only: Palm Beach pioneers politics-reality crossover no one saw coming

Members Only: Palm Beach trailer
Netflix

Members Only: Palm Beach is quickly climbing the ranks of Netflix's must-watch list for 2026.

It follows the usual format of any great reality show; a group of socialite women documenting flaunting their wealth, getting into fights, and attempting to climb the social ladder.

But what makes Members Only: Palm Beach a standout watch among major competitors like the Real Housewives franchise (let's be honest, we don't need convincing to watch both) is that somehow, politics is at the forefront of the conversation.

Sure, these women are successful in their own right - Hilary Musser is a luxury real estate tycoon, Gale Brophy is the CEO of Estates by Brophy, and Taja Abitbol has made her mark in the wellness world - but conversations online have made it clear the audience are more interested in their connections.

Netflix

It's one thing being immersed into a world outside of our own, but Members Only, whether intentionally or not, is offering a sneak peek into the world of Mar-a-Lago, also known as Trump's micro-universe on Florida's south east coast, and for once, not as critics.

The highly-exclusive 17-acre plot between Lake Worth and the Atlantic Ocean boasts a "beach and pool facility, spa and fine dining as well as world class entertainment", and is thought to cost its members $20,000 per year, plus a $1 million initiation fee.

Situated right on its doorstep, it would appear that in one way or another, many of the women in the show have some kind of friendly connection to the Republican.

While Trump himself doesn't appear in the show, the cast speak about both him and Elon Musk openly, with Mar-a-Lago being a central hangout spot among their crowd (although we never see inside because the club seriously values privacy).

Taja Abitbol's son went to school with Barron Trump with her husband playing in Trump's golf tournaments, and Gale Brophy has been pictured with Trump - the now-president even wrote her a letter of recommendation in 2008 speaking of her "integrity" during their 20-year friendship, as shared with Newsweek.

The crossover spills over into the show's narrative too.

Netflix

Brophy forms a central part of the plot when she mentions that she bid against Donald to buy Mar-a-Lago in 1985, and the other women question just how close they were.

“All I know is that Gale almost got escorted out by the Secret Service because we saw Trump walking by and she went over to him and she said, ‘Do you remember me?’", Abitbol says, adding: “He obviously, clearly did not remember her."

Brophy, however, maintains that the president has acknowledged her multiple times over the years.


@jillbadlotto

Netflix’s Members Only Palm Beach star Gale received a letter of recommendation from Donald Trump, calling her a personal friend #Netflix #MembersOnly #MembersonlyPalmBeach #GaleBrophy #greenscreen

In another scene, Trump's on-off-sidekick gets brought into the conversation.

"Maybe you could get Elon Musk to donate a trip to the moon", Hilary Musser is heard saying in jest, with one social media user noting: "They're literally fighting over who's more MAGA".

In a third moment, Romina Ustayev, who is often caught out for not behaving 'Palm-beach-like' enough, gushes over her desire to live the Mar-a-Lago lifestyle.

Getty

“It’s so much pressure to try to fit in and I want to because I love going to Mar-a-Lago and being in the same room as the president and Elon Musk, that is such an amazing feeling. You feel like, oh my god, you made it,” she says in the show.

In reality, it's one of the first times we've seen the narrative flipped on its head, with being as close to Trump as possible becoming the emblem of success.

"Is this a parody?", a social media user posted.

"I started watching but they mentioned Mar-a-Lago. I’m out!" another added.

However, for others, it's become the show's signature selling point.

"This show is definitely like a train wreck for me… I just can’t stop watching", one person wrote.

"This show is terrible and I need 5 more seasons immediately", someone else chimed in, while a third nodded: "The show is really cringy but I can’t stop watching. It’s so unserious and campy."

Is politics the new sex appeal? Well, we certainly can't look away.

Members Only: Palm Beach is now streaming on Netflix

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