It kills me because of Trump
In the shadow of political tension, comedian and actress Margaret Cho made a quiet but telling calculation: she turned down a role she wanted in an HBO Max series because she feared that crossing the Canadian border — given her vocal opposition to the Trump administration and ICE — might cost her more than the part was worth. Her decision, made in private and only recently shared, offers a small but revealing window into how the climate of immigration enforcement and political polarization has begun to reach into the everyday choices of artists. It is a story not just about one missed role, but about the weight that fear carries when it sits at the intersection of livelihood and conscience.
- Cho loved the script for 'Heated Rivalry' but walked away, convinced her public anti-Trump, anti-ICE stance made her a target for detention at the Canadian border.
- The role went to another actress, and Cho has since watched the finished series — hosting rewatch parties while openly mourning the opportunity she felt forced to abandon.
- Her regret is pointed: 'It kills me because of Trump,' she said, framing the loss not as a personal failure but as a consequence imposed from outside.
- She is now exploring a possible second-season appearance, suggesting the door hasn't fully closed — though whether the circumstances or her fears have shifted remains uncertain.
- The episode adds to a longer pattern: Cho repeatedly declined invitations to 'The Apprentice' despite Trump reportedly being a fan, drawing a consistent line between professional opportunity and political principle.
Margaret Cho recently revealed that she turned down a role in HBO Max's 'Heated Rivalry' — a 2025 sports romance series about rival hockey players who fall for each other — because she was afraid of what might happen to her at the Canadian border. As someone who has been loudly critical of the Trump administration and ICE, she made the calculation that the risk of detention outweighed the reward of a project she genuinely loved. The part went to another actress.
The decision has since settled into regret. Cho has watched the series, hosted rewatch parties, and said plainly that losing the role 'kills her — because of Trump.' She is now looking into whether she might appear in a second season, though the details remain unresolved.
Her choice sits within a longer personal history of drawing lines around Trump-adjacent work. She declined repeated invitations to 'The Apprentice' over the years, even as Trump was reportedly a fan of her comedy — making one brief exception only when her friend Cyndi Lauper was involved in a challenge. Taken together, these decisions sketch a portrait of an artist navigating a political landscape that has made certain professional opportunities feel genuinely dangerous — whether or not the danger was ever as concrete as the fear.
Margaret Cho turned down a role in HBO Max's "Heated Rivalry" last year because she was afraid of what might happen to her at the Canadian border. The actress and comedian, known for her outspoken criticism of the Trump administration and ICE, made the calculation that crossing into Canada to film the show was too risky. "I was so scared because I'm so vocal about hating ICE and hating this administration," she explained on the "I Never Liked You" podcast. "I was like, I will get detained at the border and I will be put in ICE detention if I go."
The role she declined was in a 2025 sports romance series centered on two professional hockey players—Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams—who develop a romantic relationship while competing for rival teams. It was a show she loved from the moment she read the script. But the logistics of production, combined with her anxiety about her own visibility as a Trump critic, made her decide the risk wasn't worth it. The part went to another actress instead.
Since then, Cho has watched the series and become a genuine fan. She's even hosted rewatch parties for friends. "It kills me, like it kills me because of Trump," she said, expressing regret over the choice she felt forced to make. The experience hasn't closed the door entirely—she's now exploring the possibility of appearing in the show's second season, though it's unclear whether that would involve crossing the border or if circumstances have shifted.
Cho's decision reflects a broader anxiety that has circulated through parts of the entertainment industry since Trump's return to office. Her history of public opposition to the administration is well documented. In 2015, she called Trump "abhorrent." More recently, she recalled being repeatedly invited to appear on "The Apprentice" because Trump was reportedly a fan of her comedy—an invitation she found unsettling. She declined those offers as well, though she did make a brief appearance on one episode when her friend Cyndi Lauper was competing in a challenge.
The calculation Cho made—weighing a professional opportunity against perceived personal risk—speaks to how political polarization and immigration enforcement have begun to shape decisions in creative industries. Whether her fears about border detention were realistic or reflective of broader anxieties about the current administration remains unclear. What is certain is that she felt the stakes were high enough to walk away from work she wanted to do.
Citas Notables
I was so scared because I'm so vocal about hating ICE and hating this administration. I was like, I will get detained at the border and I will be put in ICE detention if I go.— Margaret Cho, on the "I Never Liked You" podcast
It kills me, like it kills me because of Trump.— Margaret Cho, reflecting on watching the series she declined
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
When you read that script, what made you love it enough to consider going in the first place?
It was the story itself—two hockey players on rival teams finding something real with each other. That's a good premise. I wanted to be part of it.
And then the border question became the thing that stopped you.
It wasn't abstract. I've been very public about my views. I know who I am and what I've said. The question became: is it worth the risk?
Do you think you were being rational, or were you responding to a climate of fear?
Probably both. The climate is real. But I also know that my visibility makes me a target in a way other people might not be.
You've since watched the show. Does that make the decision harder or easier?
Harder. I see what I could have been part of. But I also don't regret protecting myself.