On ‘Survivor,’ Talking Politics Could Get You Voted Off the Island

In the summer of 2016, as Donald J. Trump was locking up the Republican nomination for president, Sarah Lacina was dominating in her second appearance on the reality television show “Survivor.”

Ms. Lacina, a young police officer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, maneuvered strategically through the game, voting out her opposition and bonding with an array of allies to earn the votes of a majority of other contestants on an island in Fiji and win the $1 million prize.

Then, back at base camp after the cameras had stopped rolling, Ms. Lacina donned a red Make America Great Again hat — an action that felt to some of the more liberal contestants like a jarring reminder of the real world.

“I was floored,” said Andrea Boehlke, a fellow player who voted for Ms. Lacina to win. “I went, ‘Wait, this is a joke, right?’”

It was one of the rare moments that electoral politics pierced the bubble surrounding a show that has spanned 25 years and 46 seasons.

On Wednesday evening, in the thick of another heated election year with Mr. Trump on the ballot, the 47th season of “Survivor” will premiere on CBS. One of the contestants is uniquely known for his politics: Jon Lovett, a 42-year-old host of the popular liberal podcast “Pod Save America” and a former speechwriter for Barack Obama. But there is no indication that his presence on the island will lead to any more of a political season than usual.