Most Americans feel powerless amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. For 45 days, the Department of Homeland Security has gone without funding, leaving the Transportation Security Administration in shambles and wreaking havoc at airports across America (where President Donald Trump’s plan to deploy ICE agents has only added to travelers’ stress). It’s up to members of Congress to end the shutdown one way or another, and an unlikely source just gave citizens a way to send their lawmakers a message: TMZ.
TMZ’s reputation as a tabloid precedes it. Controversial reporting—such as sharing photographs of singer Liam Payne’s body after his death and breaking the news of NBA great Kobe Bryant’s passing before his family had been informed—has made the outlet notorious for crossing lines with its journalism.
On Thursday, March 26, TMZ posted a call for submissions, asking Americans to send photos of congresspeople leaving Washington, D.C., and on vacation, as Congress begins a planned two-week recess despite the ongoing shutdown and war in Iran.
“As TSA officers are selling their blood to keep a roof over their heads, members of Congress are packing their bags for a 2-week vacation, and WE WANT THE PICS!” TMZ wrote in its post, which also featured a video of TMZ Live hosts Harvey Levin and Charles Latibeaudiere.
“We want to show what they are doing at your expense,” Levin said in the video, repeating the call for photos and videos of congresspeople on spring break while everyday Americans struggle to enjoy their own vacations.
A TMZ spokesperson summed up the move in a statement to Fast Company: “To quote a legendary [fictitious] ‘broadcaster,’ we’re as mad as hell, and we’re not gonna take this anymore,” they said.
The internet was immediately intrigued at the prospect of TMZ “using their messy, morally lacking ways for good,” as one viral post put it.
Days later, as Congress’s two-week recess began in earnest, TMZ’s callouts of representatives began. The most talked-about politician on vacation is Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who was spotted dining at Disney World, then wandering around the theme park with a bubble wand in hand.
Some social media users found Graham’s (apparently solo) trip to Disney to be especially jarring in light of his recent comments asking his constituents in South Carolina to “send their sons and daughters over to the Middle East” to fight in the war.
TMZ also posted shots of Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Barrasso (R-WY) in airports during and after leaving D.C., while Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) was papped at a casino in Las Vegas.
The internet collectively celebrated the chance to put congresspeople on blast, thanking TMZ for placing pressure on the government as only a tabloid could.
“Sometimes TMZ clocks in and decides to go after the government rather than Britney Spears,” one user remarked. “And in those moments, we know peace.”
“TMZ can be sooo powerful when it chooses its targets correctly,” added political influencer Matt Bernstein.
Others wondered why TMZ doesn’t spend more of its time targeting politicians, considering the obvious good it’s done for the brand’s image in a single weekend. “I think TMZ should just do this forever!” one poster wrote.
TMZ isn’t the only brand to put pressure on members of Congress. Delta Air Lines recently announced it was suspending its “specialty services” perk for U.S. senators and representatives, which would normally allow them to skip TSA lines and receive escorts. Instead, Delta is letting congresspeople feel the full effects of their shutdown, while TMZ keeps them on their toes even after getting through the airport.
Whether the brands’ efforts will convince members of Congress to end the shutdown anytime soon remains to be seen—but their Disney adventures won’t go unnoticed (or un-ridiculed) until they do.