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Harvey Levin, founder of the celebrity news site TMZ,

locked his gaze on a toy monkey. It had fuzzy hair, brooding

eyes, and a wan smile. Levin appraised the toy monkey, which

is named Annabell and has belonged to reality TV star Kris

Jenner since she was7 years old. “In a way,” Levin said of

Annabell, “she symbolizes overcoming obstacles.”

Levin was taping an episode for the second season of

Objectiied, a Fox News series in which he interviews celebri-

ties about their most cherished possessions. At one point he

referred to Jenner, from the long-running show Keeping Up

With the Kardashians, as the matriarch of the “most famous

family on the planet.”

This seemed unquestionably true until Election Day 2016.

But lately the Kardashian-Jenners have been eclipsed by a

family no less skilled at cashing in on public notoriety. Ever

since Donald Trump became president, even the afairs of

once-peripheral Trump-Kushner characters—say, Don Jr. and

his budding romance with former Fox News host Kimberly

Guilfoyle—have overshadowed Kardashian-Jenner plotlines.

It’s now the Kardashians who are having trouble keeping up

with the Trumps.

Perhaps as a result, there’s been talk of late about various

Kardashian-Jenners going into politics, a notion Levin and TMZ

have enthusiastically promoted. Standing across from Jenner at

a kitchen island, he tried to coax an announcement out of her,

noting that the family has together amassed some 700 million

followers on social media. “Have you ever thought of using that

to push a political agenda?” Levin asked. “Because you could

probably get people elected and voted out of oice.” Jenner

responded that she was focused on her family’s philanthropic

eforts. “Can we take that as a maybe?” Levin asked, grinning.

For years, Levin, 67, has arbitrated fame in American life.

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The Primary

Featuring:

Kanye West

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Kris Jenner

TMZ