Regardless of your political leanings, we can all call Michael Moore a political agitator. The documentary filmmaker and progressive activist had pointedly and repeatedly spoken truth to power with his movies and writings. Sometimes he does it with dark humor, like with his breakthrough film, 1988’s Roger & Me, in which he let the world in on how the decline of the automobile manufacturing industry had devastated and decimated his hometown of Flint, Michigan, or with the pro-gun control satire of 2002’s Bowling for Columbine. Sometimes, however, Moore strikes a tone of righteous anger and doomsaying, like 2004’s incendiary and lightly conspiratorial Fahrenheit 9/11.
Unsurprisingly, since the rise of Donald Trump from cartoonish real estate tycoon to actual president of the United States, Moore has been a harsh critic, although he was cynical and savvy enough to be one of the few people who predicted that Trump would win. Moore is from the Rust Belt, after all, and knew that voters’ “economic anxiety” there would help him eke out an Electoral College victory. (He also predicted Trump will win re-election in 2020.) Trump probably just loved that, but he’s not going to love Moore’s latest publicity-stunt-with-a-purpose.
The White House and the Department of the Interior are in agreement on a plan to increase offshore drilling for oil. That means that companies can just start drilling right near the beach, all over nearly the entire coastline of the United States. In response, Moore announced that he’s getting the equipment together to start his own gas-seeking operation—and he’s going to be doing it off the coast of Floria, in a spot that just so happens to be nearby Mar-a-Lago, the fabulous luxury result and golf course where Trump spends most of his time, which he also owns.
We are back on the air in September — in prime time! “Michael Moore LIVE FROM THE APOCALYPSE!” Our fracking off the coast of Mar-a-Lago begins right after Labor Day. I’ve already got the rig — a beautiful Halliburton G-0008 fracking system with a monster Caterpillar engine! https://t.co/riUn0QgvkG
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 6, 2018
Not only is Moore looking for black gold, a.k.a. Texas tea, he’s going after it by fracking for it—an especially environmentally destructive kind of oil drilling.
Here’s our fracker! We’ll be drilling right off the coast of Mar-a-Lago. God Bless You Donald Trump for making this possible! The oil we drill just off your beach will pay 4 our entire show! And any spills – we’re going to let the ppl of Florida keep whatever they collect 4 free! pic.twitter.com/iGq2f1Gi33
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 6, 2018
Basically, Moore is saying, “U mad, Trump?” Which he probably will be, because if Moore goes through with his expert-level satirical plan, he’ll have a noisy, ugly drilling operation going on in Trump’s backyard.