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Jennifer
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Angie
So we're supposed to start the podcast.
Kylie
Ready? One, two, three.
Angie
Patriots. Shit. Patriots. Gaytriots. Theatriots. Black Triads, Brown Triads. Welcome to America's top DEI podcast, where we just like to give them hell all day, every day. Pumps. What have you had it with?
Kylie
What I've had it with is I've just felt had it with voicemail. I've had him with leaving him, I've had him with receiving him. Like, there's no world in which you're going to confirm my appointment and I'm going to call you back. Like, that's simply never going to happen. If you send me a text and it says, confirm and all I have to do is hit C, I'm in. Stop leaving voicemails. I just feel like we're past that. I left one this morning for a friend on my way to work. I felt guilty about it ever since because nobody fucking wants to listen to a voicemail. Nobody.
Angie
Well, I don't even think I listen to them anymore because now the smartphone will transcribe and so now I just read the transcription of the voicemail.
Kylie
Mine doesn't do that.
Angie
It does. You just don't know how to do it.
Kylie
Well, that's probably true, but I mean, like, does any. Does any appointment think that I'm going to call them back and say, yes, I'm going to confirm?
Angie
Well, I mean, I think, you know, you're like, we know you're on the cusp of boomer.
Kylie
I know.
Angie
I think a lot of boomers call back.
Kylie
No, I do think boomers call back. I 100% do. But I. I'm not on the cusp of being a boomer.
Angie
You're pretty close, Kylie. What's the age of. I mean, what's the year of a boomer?
Kylie
I just feel like if it's like 1970 or 1969, I'm going to crawl under the table immediately.
Angie
What's the boomer?
Riley
1946 to 1964.
Angie
That's pretty class.
Kylie
Six years past it.
Angie
Six years. Four years.
Kylie
You're talking about four years. Wait, what?
Angie
64. You're 68?
Kylie
No, I'm 70. 76 years. And you act like four years is the world's biggest age gap. So I'm not that close.
Angie
It's pretty big.
Kylie
You can't have it both ways.
Angie
Pretty big, considering so much younger. Considering you don't know how to. That you can transcribe your voice memos?
Kylie
Well, I. I don't know how I can do that.
Angie
I wish the message. I'll show you. It's really easy. And then you can read them, and then you no longer have to listen to them.
Kylie
What about when I'm an asshole and I leave them for people because I'm driving? I mean, I felt guilty.
Senator Andy Kim
Why?
Angie
Why do you feel guilty?
Kylie
Just because. Nobody wants to listen to that. If it were me, I'd be like, why did you leave a voicemail?
Angie
Why? Maybe your friend likes it. Did you ramble?
Josh
No.
Kylie
No, I was very short and to the point.
Angie
All right, I bet it's okay. I think you can alleviate your guilt. It's just a voice memo.
Kylie
It's just I didn't, like.
Angie
Not a big thing in Trump's America.
Kylie
I didn't, you know, like, take over in a fascist movement or anything.
Angie
No, no, no. I mean, you're not, like, out there. Triple trumping. You're not out there, you know, freebasing Fox News. I think we're fine with the rogue voicemail. Okay, I have something that I have to share with everybody. So a friend of mine called me, FaceTimed me Monday night, and I answer the phone, and this friend of mine, her name is Liz, her default setting is just smug in general. So I answer the FaceTime, and we're making direct eye contact. And we're both just silent staring at each other. Which is kind of our thing. Like, if we see each other, we just kind of stare. Neither one of us are like the, oh, my God, hey. You know, we're more like, what are you doing? And so we kind of stare at each other. And she says, I have a confession that I have to make to you. And I said, okay, Liz, what is it? And she said, I went to my doctor and, you know, I've had tennis elbow from all of the pickleball playing, but I haven't been playing that much pickleball lately. So I was talking to the doctor about some other things, you know, like generalized health care. And then she says to the doctor, you know, I haven't been playing that much pickleball. But despite this, my tennis elbow still persists. And, and the doctor then inquires, do you carry a Stanley Cup? To which Liz answered, yes. And I know that Liz carries a Stanley cup because every time we're playing pickleball together in between matches, she goes and gets her Stanley cup and goes, hey, Jennifer. Hey, Jennifer. And she, like, takes a swig out of her Stanley Cup. She's like, it's delicious. Do you want a drink? And if it's hot or if it's cold, whatever it is, she'll offer it. So she's always trolling me with her Stanley Cup. But this is just another thing to add to the list. Stanley cup is causing injuries. Tennis elbow, it's exacerbating tennis elbow. I put it into chat GPT. It appears that it can in fact exacerbate tennis elbow. Nobody needs to carry around a cup that large that, that, that is that heavy.
Kylie
Yeah. And to say this, Liz has the best smug I've ever seen in my life. She does it better than anybody ever. Totally. You pale in comparison.
Angie
Oh, no. She's the queen of smug.
Kylie
She's the queen. But you know, the steel, it makes sense. They are heavy. They are really heavy. And here's the deal. I would still be carrying mine, except for the lips. You get wrinkles around your lips, so I've switched caps. But it is heavy. It is heavy. I'm not going to say so now. In addition to. It's a gateway to maga. It's a gateway to tennis elbow. Just add that to the list.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah.
Kylie
And lead poisoning.
Angie
Yeah. I mean, I just don't think there's any question about it. So I just thought that was a pretty interesting evolvement in my ongoing study of the Stanley cup fetish. And if you're new here, listener, the Stanley Cup, I'm not talking about the hockey thing. I'm talking about this American fetish, capitalist consumer fetish, particularly among white women that carry around these large cups that have lead in them and just, like, drink nonstop. I, I, I still will never get over that. Somebody has to sip on something all day, every second of every day.
Kylie
So if the listener's new, tell them about Your hydration issues. Like, you're so mad about over hydration. You think everybody's over hydrated.
Angie
Well, I. I do think everybody's over hydrated. And I do drink water all day long. But I found myself in the ER screaming, crying with what was diagnosed a few hours later of kidney stones, which was worse than childbirth. And I mean, you guys, I was. That was death. It was complete and utter death. I don't go to the doctor. I'm an anti hypo. Like, I. I brag about I have 102 fever, and I'm not going to go to the doctor because it's a total racket, because we all know the fever will go away.
Kylie
And you kind of are judgmental about people that do go to the doctor.
Angie
Totally. 100% judgmental of hyp. Hypochondriacs.
Kylie
Totally.
Angie
Which we all know. My husband is one. So when we go to the hospital, he takes me. And everybody knows Josh's long, torrid history with demanding exams, demanding medical care, and I'm the opposite. And his hypochondria makes me even more of an anti hypochondriac. So I find myself at the ER wailing. Right? I'm completely wailing. They inject me with a couple of doses of morphine, which took my pain from a 10 down to maybe a 6. I'm a little bit better. But then they're like, okay, we're going to take you away for your CAT scan. And Josh chimes in. With contrast or without? I whip my head around like, what are you, a fucking radiologist tag? What do you mean, with contrast or without? He. I just kind of, like, whip around. He goes, oh, I know all about it. I've done both.
Kylie
Right?
Angie
Right. I'm just like, how would you. How would you know with contrast or without? I mean, that's just insane.
Kylie
Oh, my gosh. I love that so much. That makes me so happy that he did that, because it's just a little bit of brevity in that very dire situation.
Angie
He keeps saying. And I'm screaming, you guys. I mean, it's just horrific, horrific pain. My legs are convulsing, and I'm just. I can't control it. And I can't keep saying, I'm gonna vomit. I'm gonna throw up. Cause I felt so much pain that I felt like the only thing I could do was vomit. And Josh goes, well, at least this is happening now and not while we're on our trip. And I'm just like, it doesn't matter. When it happens, it's still terrible.
Kylie
You have to know this listener about Jennifer Welch. There is nothing that she has, like, I would say a genuine fear phobia of besides needles. She hates, hates, hates, hates, hates it. You think she hates the emergency room? Wait till they get near with a needle, like a shot. And my girl was in so much pain, she didn't even bitch about it. You weren't even scared. You just took it like a big girl.
Angie
I. When the doctor came back and they'd done the no contrast CT scan, he came back and he goes, well, it's what I thought. You have two kidney stones. I said, does that mean you're sending me home? And he goes, well, yeah, eventually. And I was like, I don't want to go home. And then I realized, like, I've. I'm asking to stay at the hospital. That's how painful. I know that any listener that has had this. And this is my first time at 50 years old to have one. It's so brutal. But I survived. I can still kind of feel it. I think it's about to go into the bladder. It's all tmi, but it was traumatizing. But anyway, I do drink a lot of water. Despite brow beating over hydrators. I drink water all day long. I don't drink cokes. I don't drink sodas. I don't drink iced tea. I drink water.
Kylie
Yeah, but I don't see you. You don't like, carry around a bottle of water? Not like I do, no.
Angie
And that's a part of my personality because I am so against performative hydration.
Kylie
Right.
Angie
That I think that that stance drove me straight to the ER to a non contrast CT scan. Getting shot up with morphine and fentanyl.
Kylie
Which could begging to stay in the er. Who is this person?
Angie
Oh, my God. Welcome to I've had it. I'm Jennifer.
Kylie
I'm Angie. Hbic.
Angie
Let's check in with the lesbians.
Riley
Kiki, I'm happy that you're back. Jessica, we were worried sick.
Angie
I know. You know, if I'm at the hospital, it's.
Kylie
It's bad.
Angie
It just couldn't be worse.
Kylie
Okay, I just have to tell we have a new nickname for Kylie. Katie. Kiki the magic lesbian. Kathy. She got a letter in the mail and it said, dear Riley.
Angie
We had.
Riley
A brand send us like PR packages. And I opened the letter and it says, Jennifer Pumps and Riley. We are huge fans.
Angie
Yeah, that is hilarious. I think there's just something so funny about calling somebody the wrong name.
Kylie
I'm glad you think so, because your best friend does it constantly.
Angie
I think it's kind of hilarious. Okay, what do you have in store for us today?
Riley
I've got some reviews today. This first one is five stars titled thank you from the groomers. And L writes, when my girl gang of groomers, formerly known as teachers, aren't too busy making kids trans, putting litter boxes in our classrooms, and brainwashing America's youth with our liberal woke agenda despite not even being able to get them to put their name on their paper, we love tuning in to YouTube broads to refuel our nasty woman powers. Thank you for being a breath of hope and life to all the public servants out there trying to create kind, empathetic critical thinkers in Trump's America and his attack on education. You help fuel the fire that keeps us fighting the fight, and we so appreciate your support and for bringing us along on Pump's lesbian doordash driver journey. If you need some groomers to help help you transition through that, we know a few.
Angie
That is so funny. And here's the thing I want to say about one of the things, because there's just so much fuckery that goes on in the MAGA movement, but one of the worst, and this started in Trump's first term, is this attack on educators. And it's so. It's just so fundamentally wrong to attack the people that educate our children, and then they attribute all of these baseless lies to them. When in actuality, if you look at, like, a lot of the arrests recently in Trump 2.0, and then you go look at their social media, it's like, you got a pedo.
Kylie
Yeah.
Angie
And then they're posting about Trump, and then you've got some church guy and they're posting about Trump and these poor teachers. You know, you have these parents that come screeching in and like, I didn't want my kid taught dui, and I don't want my. Or DEI or DUI morphine.
Kylie
Morphine hangover.
Angie
But it's just. I just think it's so arrogant and so insane and everybody deep down knows that teachers aren't doing this. And it's. I don't know, I just. I don't like this component of American culture where they start attacking groups of people that are out doing their jobs when the attacks. If you were attacking, like, youth pastors, I'd get it. There's a huge history, a long history there of a lot of fuckery with youth pastors. If you wanted to start attacking church camps for introduction, indoctrinating children, I would say do it. But also as a parent, you don't have to send your child there. But the attacks on teachers, I just. I don't like that. And I know that there's so many teachers that try so hard. They don't have that much funding and all. A lot of these teachers don't make that much money. And then they spend a lot out of their own pocket to get basic necessities for the classroom. And it's just the not valuing education and not valuing our educators and then demeaning the teachers when they try to form unions is just. It's a really extra layer of evil.
Kylie
Yeah, I'll tell you what, I have so much respect for teachers because I'll tell you what, right now, there's nothing worse about being a teacher than the fucking parents. I mean, I cannot imagine having to deal with everybody thinking their little Johnny's perfect, their child's special, so treat them special, you know, with special privileges. And then you have the attacks on them for doing their jobs. When in so many situations, the teachers are like the heroes of the story. You know, they're the person that brings a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for a kid that doesn't have food or, you know, reports abuse or things like that. Provides a safe place for somebody to talk about what's going on at home. And it's. And it's gross. And I was early child or early childhood, elementary ed major. I did my student teaching. I thought, this is way too fucking hard. There's no way. I hate kids. I don't like farting. I just. All this, I can't do it. I mean, teachers number one, they're underfunded and undervalued. We need to be applauding them at every turn instead of like driving their head up against a brick wall.
Angie
I completely agree. All right, Riley, who's next?
Riley
Okay, the next One is a one star review titled Total Nut Jobs. And Mr. Majestic writes, if you believe America is the worst country ever, this is your show.
Angie
I mean, here's the deal, Mr. Majestic. I guess people like Mr. Majestic don't understand constructive criticism. They don't understand the intent that the founders had for a country to be criticized and for corruption to be called out so it could be brought into the light and corrected. They don't understand this, the maga, the basic Majestic maga.
Kylie
Well, and I think we all know why. I mean, there's a through line there. Obviously dumb, but they're religious beliefs. They're not allowed to question that. Therefore, you can't question Trump or the MAGA policies or you hate America or you're blasphemous if you criticize religion or ask questions. So makes perfect sense.
Angie
Okay, now I've got some stories from the news we have right now. The IRS is now allowing houses of worship to endorse political candidates, ending a 71 year ban. Okay? So here's what I have to say about this. Do it. Let's put them all on record. Let's put all these megachurches on record supporting Trump. We all know they do. We all know that they want to. I think this is bullshit. I'm hopeful that democracy survives and not only does this get reversed, but they are taxed because big church is every bit as dangerous as Big Pharma and Big Oil. And Big church goes widely ignored in the United States of America because the Democrats are too big of pussies to say the MAGA Christian nationalist is a cult antithetical to the teachings of the religion. And despite that, we have a secular society. They're dangerous little cultists and they vote to harm and injure other people. And they refuse to call them out because then the Christians are like, oh no, I'm getting persecuted. Meanwhile, they persecute everybody with their religion. So, you know, I just know that all of these churches, these hellfire damnations and even some Diet MAGA churches, you know, some of these mega churches that are like the take Venmo, you know, they're really, really big grifters. They like the authoritarian style of government because it works well for their business model. The more authoritarian your personality that like psychiatrists did a study. What is the one component that is the through line of Trumpers? And the majority of them have an authoritarian personality or defer to an authoritarian personality, even more so than relig. And so what helps religion thrive is it is an authoritarian. So the thing is, you have an authoritarian government, you have authoritarian religions. So all of these people find themselves in these situations and critical thinking, education, teachers, all of that they mask as being evil. Oh, you know what I saw the other day? I meant to bookmark this Caroline Levitt on the at the podium. She was talking about spiritual warfare.
Kylie
That inspires me at all.
Angie
So, okay, to our international listeners, there's this thing in the American south where people believe in the spiritual warfare thing and they think it's happening at all times. And in their worldview, Trump would be with the angels fighting the demons, which would be us and you for watching this and they think this is real. They think it's real. And they control the federal government pumps. They think this is real. They believe in spiritual warfare. And all these mega churches do, too. It's always the talk where, you know, spiritual warfare and in our fight for spiritual warfare. I remember the first time I heard this, I was younger. I was just like, what on earth are these people talking?
Kylie
Well, I grew up with it, so it's. It doesn't shock me at all that she says that.
Angie
Did you think that there was. Yeah, sure did. Fighting.
Kylie
I mean, I didn't think it was, like, the devil on my shoulder, the angel on this shoulder, fighting. But I definitely thought, like, if I'm pulled in this direction and I. Right, like, not. I guess I don't think.
Angie
I think Satan was pulling you.
Kylie
I didn't think Satan. I just thought, you know, that's not the way to go. It's war, you know, that kind of thing. But I will say this, and I'm. I'm happy to report this because I think Caroline Levitt is the absolute. I think she is an abomination on every level to women, to Christians, to truth seekers, to everything that I think should have respect and merit. She fucking takes a big fat dump on it every time she gets on that podium with her crossing lies. So I read an article, and this made me feel better. And that's maybe because I'm a petty, petty person. But universally, she has been hated her entire life. Her classmates and her peer group said she was a raging cunt starting, like, from jump. Everybody at college thought she was nut. She was ostracized because she's just meaner than a fucking rattlesnake. And I was like, okay, that makes me feel better that other people, even before she got hated or before you hated her, Before I hated her. And they see what I see. Like, I was oddly comforted by that. That, like, okay, people do know that she's a lying liar who lies a lot full of shit. Meaner than a rattlesnake.
Angie
Yeah, she's. I mean, she's terrible. She's a propagandist. But I think what's so crazy about the Trump regime is, like, you have, like, all these different little pockets of evil that conspire separately but parallel to one another. So you have, like, the. The rapture preppers, the, you know, like the. That have the hallelujah, praise, worship things at the White House where people are speaking in tongues and, you know, raising their hands and doing, I guess, you know, fighting spiritual warfare. You have that component, the religious nuts, the Bible thumpers. And then you have like, the really evil fuckers.
Kylie
Yeah.
Angie
Like Stephen Miller and whoever works under him, where their whole agend agenda is not just to deport people. That's not enough. They want to torture them, they want to concentrate them, they want to display it. And I guess it's like porn to them, which is a really, really sick thing. And when I think about that a lot, it overwhelms me that you, you want to deport people. We know they're, they're not interested in deporting criminals because they go to parks, they go to schools, they go to Home Depot, they go to 7Elevens. They're not going. And, you know, getting some FBI alert of some drug house somewhere where people are, you know, trafficking human beings or trafficking drugs, which we would all agree those people need to be deported with due process and incarcerated. And after a trial, that's not what they're doing. And I remembered back pumps when Trump was running and we covered his election so rigorously that he said at one point, you tell me if you remember what highly. Look up the clip. But he said something like, yeah, we're going to round them all up. And sometimes you might see a mother crying. Do you remember him saying something like. He said something to the effect of kind of painting the picture that it was going to be, you know, that it might tug at your heartstrings, but that's what he had to do to keep everybody safe. I'll have to have Kylie look it up. All right, I'm going to move on the next story. All right, nearly half of parents, 47%, admit they're only staying together for their kids. Okay, here's what I have to say about this. This. And I think every married person with kids can vouch for this. Some days you're only staying married for your kids. Some weeks you're only staying married for your kids. And then sometimes you're married, you're past that, you're like, oh, I actually really like this person. I'm married to him because we're a family. And it ebbs and flows. It's not always this. But I think that if you've been married and you've never felt this component before, I don't know if you're processing your feelings fully because it's very difficult to live in a family unit and have adulthood just rain hellfire on you. Bills, kids, their personality, sharing, sleeping next to somebody all the time. You know, it's. It's a Lot. Young adulthood is really hard. So I think sometimes, a lot of times I've looked at Josh and I thought it's a good thing you have these two kids with me because I sure'd be leaving your ass.
Kylie
Oh, yeah. I think everybody feels that. Contrast, contrast, contrast.
Angie
Yeah.
Kylie
Here's the deal.
Josh
I did this.
Kylie
I stayed married for my kids. And that's one of the biggest regrets I have. I should have pulled the plug way before I did. And I think it's probably worse to stay together in a toxic situation, at least in my case it was. But having done divorce law forever and ever and ever, I mean, that is a reoccurring thing totally. And not only just because of the kids, but like the finances. Like, like our two incomes can support our kids in one household and two cars, but when we separate and get two households, it's going to be a lot more expensive and we can't do it. So finances and kids, they go hand in hand.
Angie
Yeah. And sometimes it's like you might. I've been through a phase in my marriage before where I'm glad that we had the kids because there's a good couple of years there where I was just like, I don't really like this person. I can't stand him. And it made more sense, like you said, for us to stay together. And then we, you know, sought therapy. He went to rehab and things got better. And so, you know, I think for those listeners that are experiencing this, unless you're in an overtly abusive situation, then you have to completely get out. Sometimes that's just a part of marriage. Sometimes it is just the kids that keep you together for a little bit.
Kylie
Absolutely. I just think being with anybody all the time and living with them is fucking hard. I mean, even your kids, it's hard to live with.
Angie
Pumps. And I need to share with everybody that we have written a book. It's called Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit sandwiches and believe it or not, Pumps. And I have not always been so rock solid. And we talk about all of our trials, tribulations, most of all our fuck ups. Yes. Because fuckups are relatable and a part of the human experience.
Kylie
I have gotten so much feedback regarding the book that because of my situation with the religion and addiction and all that, that people relate to that. So I do think there's something to take away that's comforting about it because we've all been in very difficult situations.
Angie
And listener, what we want you to do. This is the it book for summer reading. So please get Your copy of Life is a Lazy Susan of shit sandwiches and take a picture of yourself with the book in really great places and tag that I've had It podcast and we will share your images with our Summer it book. You can buy it in bookstores. You can buy it in the link in our bio. You can buy it at Target, Walmart, Amazon, etc. All the retailers. Happy reading and Happy summer.
Josh
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Kylie
But it doesn't just help your heart.
Josh
It can support brain health, reduce inflammation, and even help you ease joint pain and stiffness, which is a game changer at my age.
Kylie
So why wait?
Josh
This is a simple, smart way to take care of yourself now.
Kylie
So let me help you get started.
Josh
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Angie
Okay, pumps. Today we have a guest and he is a United States Senator from New Jersey and a Senator Andy Kim. Senator, how are you today?
Senator Andy Kim
I'm doing well. How are you?
Angie
Great. It's nice to see you. Thank you so much for coming on. I'm sure that work has been somewhat stressful lately around the Senate. That big heaping pile of dog shit of a bill, I mean, that's a disaster.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, it's been a mess. Honestly, it's been really tough. You know, I was, you know, the last time that the Republicans had that trifecta in the Congress and the White House and were gutting the, trying to gut the Affordable Care Act. You know, I was just a regular citizen. I was not somebody interested in politics. It was very surreal being on the floor of the Senate this time. You know, I remember watching, you know, John McCain be able to stop them from gutting the Affordable Care act eight years ago with his thumb right the gladiator style. And this time around, to be actually on the floor of the Senate, to be there and watching this, unfold the talk with my colleagues and be praying for that political courage to return yet again. But, you know, I just, yeah, I just think it was really tough to see and really tough to experience this time around. And, you know, I don't know what's going to happen next here in the Senate. I think that's something that I worry about a lot.
Angie
Okay, so Senator, we like to talk about, start off with just petty grievances, just everyday annoyances that drive our listeners crazy. So, Senator Kim, what have you had it with?
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, well, look, I got a seven year old and a nine year old, two little boys, and yeah, we just had them meet up with some of their cousins for a little family reunion. So There were like four boys between the ages 6 and 10, and every single sentence that they said started with bro this, bro that. I mean, it was just like. And they would just say, not just to themselves but to me, they're like, bro, can you get me dinner? I was like, what are you talking about? So I had it with my young boys just saying bro in front of every single sentence. It's a little overwhelming.
Angie
You know, my sons always say to me if I text them something like, hey, I got our flights booked. They respond sick. Every time I see that, I'm always like, sick of what? And then I realize, oh, you're. This is the word. Like I used to say to my mother, oh, cool. And she'd be like, what's cool? You know, she didn't know what it went. And there's a real moment where it makes me feel older.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, it does. I mean, it definitely makes me feel like I'm missing some of the language that they're referring to. But it's, I don't know, it's it's also endearing in some ways because I got, you know, these two boys that, you know, they, it's, you know, at that age of two years apart, they like love, hate each other, right? And like it's cute to see them just, you know, bonding. They sleep in the same room and like they have that kind of brotherly love. So I don't know, it's fun to watch their personalities unfold, you know, especially at that age. But it doesn't mean that it, it's any less annoying when they start to do certain things though.
Angie
We emailed with you prior to your coming on and one of the things that you've had it with is money in politics. So congresspeople owning and trading stocks and you know, like super donor candidates like Elon Musk, Trump I would assume, and then super PAC spending. So tell us your thoughts on this.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, I mean I think this is one of the, the, the biggest problems that we have out there and it's, I think the root of so many of the, of the, the sins and illnesses that we have in our politics. I mean like first and foremost, like members of Congress and government officials, like we should not be owning and trading individual stocks. That should be a no brainer. I mean I got colleagues in Armed Services Committee or other committees that have stocks in, you know, Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed. Like you, we're making major decisions that can affect these companies, these industries. And the American people deserve to know that we are doing things and making decisions based off of what's best for the country. Not what's best for one stock portfolio for one's bottom line. And so that's something that just really pisses me off. There's so many other industries where you're not able to trade stocks because of conflicts of interest. Why is it that we have this? No one's holding a gun to our head to do these jobs. If you care that much about your stock portfol, like, please, I'm sure there's something else you can do. So that's always been frustrating to me and especially when we see right now with the President as well, it's not just about members of Congress. I have legislation I've introduced that would ban members of Congress from owning and trading stocks, but also the President, the Vice President, Cabinet officials, even the Supreme Court justices. I often say if you have a job whose job description is in the Constitution of the United States, you should not be trading and owning stocks. You should be focusing, focused on the people. There's a Higher calling and you should be held at a highest level of standard. So that's been really frustrating, but also just writ large in money and politics. I have run for Congress against only self funders. I've only had the chance to run against self funders. And it's really frustrating when someone can just throw in millions of dollars into their own campaign. And I often say it's like playing chess against someone with all queens. Like it's just not the same game. I don't have the ability to throw in millions of dollars into my own race. And why is it that someone that can just immediately get so much of an advantage? And same thing with super PACs. Like I think one of the worst Supreme Court decisions in the history of this country was Citizens United has unleashed this curse upon our democracy with billions of dollars being spent and it makes it harder for us candidates because we now have to compete against these super PACs that you don't even know who's funding these. We had one that was coming after me about healthcare. We tried to track down who it was and it was the best we could find was went back to some strip mall, UPS store in Virginia or something like that. We had no idea who was funding these super PACs, trying to spread these lies against me. And it just raises up the ability for like Elon Musk and others to have an outsized impact on our democracy. It's inherently unfair and tilted towards the billionaires, which is now what we see having the influence in this administration as well as in Congress.
Angie
Let me ask you this, this is something I think is at the core of the Democratic Party moving forward. You have in New York a candidate named Zoran Mamdani who won his primary via grassroots. And now you have some New York politicians who are Democrats who have not endorsed him. And the one thing that all of these Democrats have in common is they take AIPAC money. And I think this is a real problem for the Democratic Party. And I think when you put the needs of Israel, who is a completely hawkish country controlled by a total war criminal dictator, Benjamin Netanyahu, and you see that the Democrats right now in power only have a 16% approval rating. And then comes this grassroots, young, good looking, smart talking, affordability candidate that just takes New York City by storm and rich white people got the guy elected and you're not listening to that and you're not endorsing him. And then we did a little deep dive on this and every single one of these senators and Congress people, the one thing they all have in common is they are beholden to aipac. And I think it's a huge problem. And Israel is underwater with the Democrats right now. The support has completely reversed. Kind of like gay marriage did super, super fast, because Democrats cannot, cannot watch people being killed and starved and shot in AIDS aid lines, you know, to get food and feel like we're okay with that. So I just think this is a big problem. And I think more Democrats have to come out and call out their co workers on this because we're liter on the precipice of authoritarian regime. I mean, who knows if we're going to make it to the midterms, quite honestly? I mean, seriously.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, yeah. No, look, I mean a lot there that we're struggling with, first and foremost. I mean, you're right. Like, I think about my own Senate race when I was running for Senate, you know, I stepped up to run against indicted Senator, Senator Bob Menendez, who was indicted for corruption.
Angie
Oh, yeah.
Senator Andy Kim
But then I also found myself running against the current governor's wife. And the entirety of the Democratic Party actually supported my. Supported the governor's wife rather than me, including all my Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives supported her, not me. And it was just one of those situations where I was basically excommunicated from the Democratic Party in New Jersey for a while. I was radioactive. People there didn't want to have anything to do with me. And I found it to be so frustrating in some ways, because you're just like, look, let's not be just beholden to concentrations of power. Let's not be beholden to corporate interests or this or that. And in New Jersey, we have a machine politics, and it's a Democratic Party, my own party, that's doing so many things that I think are wrong doing.
Angie
So many things that specifically talk about aipac. Do you take money from a package?
Senator Andy Kim
No. No, I don't take money from aipac. I don't.
Angie
Don't you think that in light of the low approval ratings of elected Democrats and it's such a layup right now to get high approval ratings against just this idiotic MAGA regime, it should be such a layup. But our politicians, Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries are tethered to aipac, and you can just feel it. You can feel their compromise and the. The base of the Democratic Party. We're not stupid. We don't go, okay, we're all into Epstein. Oh, okay, now we're not supposed to be into Epstein. Okay. Jewish space lasers. We actually critically think and think for ourselves. And as I watch it, and I watch, why are these guys not endorsing this just fantastic candidate? I think we have to, at this time, politicians like you, communicators like us, have to band together to move the Democratic Party away from this, because I think it will be our demise. We lost two political races to a fucking moron who cannot blend his makeup because of centrist Democratic policies. And here's the thing. I live in a red state and I used to buy into this Democratic narrative that, oh, we need to be in the center because it's going to turn off the right centrist Democratic policies. If you live in a red state, it only makes the right wing further right because everything they define is in opposition to what the opposing party is. So if you're in the center, they go full tilt. No abortion, even if you've been raped or it's going to save your life. They go so far, right. So at this point, I'm like, fuck it, let's go all the way left. And really, Bernie's ideas, AOC's ideas, Zoran Mamdani's ideas, they're just not radical. They're just. The problem is they are just not beholden to special interests. And I just feel like we have to beat this drum.
Senator Andy Kim
You know, I think about this a lot because, you know, in the House of Representatives, I represented and won a district that Trump won twice. So, you know, I watched, you know, the Republicans tried to gut the Affordable Care Act. My congressman at the time a Republican, was the lead author of the healthcare repeal bill. He was the one that came up with the idea of gutting pre existing condition protection elections. And he won my congressional district by 20 points in 2016. So he thought he was untouchable. But look, we were able to do a 21 point flip, win this seat, help flip the House of Representatives in 2018. And I won in 2020, this district again, despite the fact that Trump won my district that year in 2020. So I thought a lot about what does it take to win? And I'll be honest with you, so often people in D.C. try to, to make it seem like a swing district, swing states, that is a blue army and a red army duking it out every day. It's not the case. What I found in my district is the vast, vast, vast majority of people in my congressional district couldn't stand either party. They have such distrust in politics as a whole, and they appreciated that. I'm not somebody that dreamt of being in politics since I was a kid that I'm not central casting what you'd imagine a U.S. congressman or a U.S. senator to look like. I was only 34 years old when I was first starting to run for Congress. I just doubled the number of millennials in the U.S. senate. On the Democrat side, what they liked was that I was somebody that was coming at it from a different direction. I'm not somebody that's just been waiting for someone else to tell me when I can run. I didn't ask for permission. And when I was running for Senate as well as in the House, I was pushing a heavy reform agenda. Some of the things I talked about money in politics, but also about just fixing our fundamental democracy. But from an anti corruption standpoint, I think it's powerful because I think so many of the people that are disaffected, feeling apathetic about politics, they're just frustrated with large about the entire project and they want people that are going to come at it from a different direction. I think corruption and anti corruption and reform agenda, having a new generation of leadership stepping up, you know, those are the types of messages that I think the Democratic Party would benefit from. And I think it's something that can coalesce across ideological spectrum. I don't think that it's only progressives that care about stopping corruption. I think that there's a lot of people that can get behind that. And that's at least what I've experienced so far in my time.
Angie
Go ahead.
Kylie
When you look at what, what, you know, what you have proposed in terms of corruption, and every time I talk, I hear people talking about corruption in politics. You know, Nancy Pelosi is the first name you hear. And I look at how the stock market and the buying futures, like Trump's going to announce a tariff. So we're buying and selling the way that is working. Is there any way by legislation to protect people, Right, from insider information because of their political appointments?
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah. Well, look, like I said, I introduced legislation that would ban members of Congress, but also executive branch senior officials from owning and trading stocks because I don't think that we should be able to have that kind of insider knowledge and then be benefiting off of that and trading off of it. I think there's conflicts of interest. I think if you're heavily invested in a certain industry, like, yes, you may want to make sure that that industry is healthy and continuing to succeed. So there's no way to be able to extract that. And I've seen it. And also, it's just also about the perceptions from the American people, when they're seeing Trump doing what he's doing with the tariffs, turning them on, turning them off, and then they're seeing members of Congress actively trading at the same time, when they see members of the administration actively trading stocks at that time, it certainly gives the perception that this is something that is being dominated because of personal benefit and interest. The American people deserve to know that they're elected officials and that their government officials are working for them. Again, not for them, working for the people, not for themselves. And so that's really important, especially at a time when there's such distrust in government. Government, you know, like 84% of people, percent of people in New Jersey surveyed believe that their politicians are corrupt. Like 84. That is a crazy number. It just shows you how widespread the concern is. Like, how can democracy function if 84 of people, well, believe that their elected officials are corruption?
Angie
It's not functioning. I think it's just absolutely not functioning.
Kylie
And.
Angie
And Trump has monopolized on that.
Kylie
Let's face it.
Josh
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Kylie
I don't like to cook, but I.
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Kylie
I switched to Earth Breeze.
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Angie
With people acting like low sex drive is just a part of aging. Like oh, you're in your 40s. What did you expect? I expected to still want sex. Thanks.
Kylie
Exactly.
Josh
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Angie
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Josh
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Josh
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Angie
Back to what you were saying about you winning MAGA districts. And I think there's a lot of nuggets there for Democrats. And I think about AOC in the last race. She won districts and precincts that Trump also won. And she went famously to her Instagram live and asked what it was. Zoran Mem died. Same thing. And if you think about the juxtaposition of that, you sitting here talking about anti corruption. But think back to what people originally said about Trump. He's so rich he can't be bought. That's what they thought. They thought he's a billionaire. We worship. That's a symptom of American culture we're going to have to deal with if we survive this. But that we worship rich people and we think that they're somehow superhuman. But I do think the nuggets in your district that you won, that Trump won, same with AOC and the same with Mamdani, is a way for Democrats to look into messaging. Because all of you fiercely, from what I'm hearing you say and what they do are fiercely independent, grassroots, not beholden to corporations. And there was this myth among MAGA voters that Donald Trump, because he's so wealthy, couldn't be bought and that he was going to, quote, drain the swamp. We all know that was all bullshit and propaganda, blah, blah, blah. But to the person who doesn't follow the 24 hour news cycle like all of us here, it's not that big of a stretch. Well, he's rich. He says he's going to get rid of all the corruption because people just assume because of all the aforementioned stock trading and all that stuff that they are corrupt. And let's face it, a lot of politicians are really corrupt, either overtly or covertly. So what do you think about moving forward the Democratic Party? Because I feel like we're at a real, real time here where I feel the base is splintering. I feel it. We feel it in these podcast waves on YouTube. We can feel it. There's a real dissatisfaction in Democrats with the leadership right now and it's getting fever pitch. So as somebody who has won districts that the Antichrist himself won, Donald J. Trump has won. Tell us what you, you think the way forward, not for you personally, but as a party.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, you know, this has been a real frustration for me because as I told you, you know, I won. I was one of only seven Democrats that won a congressional district that Trump won in 2020. That's the only seven of us out of 220 some Democrats in the country. At no point after that election did anyone from leadership in Congress or the DNC or the White House ever come to the seven of us and ask us, like, how'd you do it? Like, how'd you pull it off? And like, like, what do you need to do it again? Or how can we take that and, and scale it? Or, or move it around? You know, and so, like, that's just been infuriating. And as I told you, you know, my own party was, was, was trying to, you know, to stand in my way and stop me from running, you know, when I was running for Senate. So, you know, I've, I've experienced a lot of the frustrations of this party. I mean, look, for me, I am a believer in movement politics. You know, I was a community organizer working on homelessness issues before. I worked on a lot of other ways from the outside. So that's like, for me, like, I'm not going to just, you know, sit by and just kind of wait for somebody to try to figure out what the game plan is. I'm trying to just build it on my own, you know. So we're engaged in this effort right now, now to just build off of what we did in New Jersey to try to mobilize nationwide. For instance, me and Jamie Raskin have started continuing this effort called Democracy Summer, which Jamie has done in the House. I'm doing it now in the Senate, which is trying to mobilize young people around the country to try to get them more engaged. There's a lot that I'm trying to do, again, on trying to build a national movement when it comes to reforming policy politics for taking on so many of the. These frustrations that people have. So I think that that's really where it is for me is like, as much as I can't stand Donald Trump, when you look at what he's doing, he is a movement leader on his own side. We've seen the MAGA movement basically consume the entirety of the Republican Party. The Republican Party does not exist anymore. It has been consumed by this mega movement movement. Well, the Democrats, we're not going to be able to be able to compete or be able to win if we're just thinking about this in traditional party politics. This is not party politics. We're up against a movement leader. We need our own movement. We need our own effort on our side to be able to go up against that. I really do think that we need to continue to push on this outside in mentality to be able to build a movement in. And it's not going to just come from just the edicts of political party leadership. It's something that we just need to be able to harness. And I hope people see that as we get closer to the midterms, because that's how I came into office, by helping be part of the 2018 wave. I was a candidate that had nobody, no connections to the Democratic Party or the DCCC or whatever. We're seeing those candidates now stepping up around the country. I hope people can channel their frustrations and anger and channel that towards lifting up these. Some of these incredible candidates that I'm seeing stepping up. These are people that are not waiting for the blessing of party leadership. They're just jumping out there saying that they want to roll up their sleeves and get to work. And I hope people adopt one or two of these candidates or these congressional districts and try to make sure we can mobilize and be able to win back the levers of power, power to stop Trump, to restore some of the checks and balances, and then certainly get engaged in a much more fulsome effort to try to shape the party leading into the presidential election cycle. So that's certainly where I'm trying to do. Like, we need to make sure we can get back control over one or both of the chambers. That needs to be our immediate goal in terms of winning back one of the gavels and stopping Trump from just being able to run the tables and be able to do another big, beautiful, disastrous legislation. We can't let him do that again. So that's at least kind of how I'm trying to, to think through this right now.
Angie
Okay, now let's play our game. Had it or hit it. So we'll. I'll list some things, and if you like it, you'll say, hit it. And if you don't, you'll say, had it. Oh, my God. Welcome to had it or hit it. I would hit it.
Senator Andy Kim
Had it.
Angie
I hit it every day, sometimes twice a day. Okay. Had it or hit it. Grocery store bagels.
Senator Andy Kim
I had it with grocery store bagels. I'm somebody that I actually love making my own bagels. So I make my own bagels, and I take that very seriously. And with grocery store bagels, I don't even think they can be called bagels. I just call them circle bread, because it is not actually a bagel. And I think it does such a disservice to the name. It's. It's false advertising. So that's something I can't stand.
Angie
Okay, last one. Had it or hit it. Your co workers.
Senator Andy Kim
My. Depends on who we're talking about. But what I'll say is that. What I'll say is that at least in the Democratic caucus, it's. It's been really extraordinary getting to the seat and work alongside them. Some amazing people there that I've been learning from and engaging in. And just in general, like what? Look, I want to just put a plug in, like, at a time when Elon Musk and others have been demonizing public servants. Like, I want to lift up public servants. You know, I was a career public servant. I actually started my first job at usaid, which we've seen under attack and decimated. You know, I. As we're approaching the 250th anniversary of our country, I hope that in this next year we try to recommit ourselves to public service. We try to recommit ourselves to recognizing we're part of something bigger than all of us. Because right now it's being hollowed out. And we have a lot of people in Congress now that are what I call perform. They do what I call performative governance. They're more interested in. In putting on a show rather than actually governing. So to my colleagues that actually want to govern, I will say hit it. And I want to make sure we're continuing to support public service. But to those who are just looking out for their own ego and their ambition, I've had it with that kind of stuff. It's a disgrace and it's something that the American people deserve better than that.
Angie
Senator Kim, thank you so much for joining us today and good luck fighting the good fight. Invite at work. And I love your shout out to public servants. I could tell Pumps did, too. I think that's a really important shout out. But thank you so much for your time today.
Kylie
Thank you so much.
Senator Andy Kim
Yeah, thanks so much for having me. Take care.
Angie
All right, that's all we have time for today, you guys. We're so happy to always have so many senators and Congress people come in and report to us. Please make sure you buy our book. Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches. Pop Pumps is laughing. But we agreed with our publisher that we would promote this.
Kylie
She did it so seamlessly.
Angie
I am a woman of my word, and she can sit and ridicule it.
Kylie
I'm not ready for it.
Angie
I will keep my word. Harper Collins and all of the people involved as a woman who keeps her word. We'll see you all later. I'll tell you what I've had it with. Let's hear it. It. I've had it with that. Listen up, patriots, Gatriots and Natriots. We have a new podcast that has dropped. It's called I hip News. It's Monday through Friday. Every day, 15 to 20 minute hot takes on the political landscape of the United States of America. Always served with a side of petty grievances.
Kylie
We are on all the available platforms at Apple, Spotify, Google, whatever you get, your podcasts and YouTube.
Angie
Please go rate, subscribe and review so that we will chart upwards with America's greatest legal mind. Pumps, Pumps. What does an eagle say?
Kylie
Caca.
Angie
A little bit more enthusiasm.
Kylie
Caca.
Angie
That's it. That's. That's caca. That's the patriotism that this country needs right there.
Release Date: July 24, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Special Guest: United States Senator Andy Kim
Episode Title: Big Cult, Little Brains
Voicemail Woes
The episode kicks off with Kylie expressing her frustration with voicemails:
Kylie (01:23): "Nobody fucking wants to listen to a voicemail. Nobody."
Angie responds by highlighting modern smartphone features that transcribe voicemails, making them easier to manage:
Angie (02:03): "Now I just read the transcription of the voicemail."
The conversation evolves into a humorous debate about generational differences and technology use, touching on the reluctance to engage with older forms of communication.
Stanley Cups and Tennis Elbow
Jennifer shares a relatable story about her friend Liz’s habit of carrying a heavy Stanley Cup during pickleball, which exacerbates her tennis elbow:
Jennifer (06:09): "Nobody needs to carry around a cup that large that, that, that is that heavy."
Kylie humorously criticizes Liz's smug demeanor while handling the Stanley Cup:
Kylie (06:19): "She does it better than anybody ever. Totally. You pale in comparison."
Hydration and Health Struggles
The hosts delve into Angie’s personal battle with kidney stones, exacerbated by her strict hydration habits:
Angie (07:38): "I drink water all day long. I don't drink cokes. I don't drink sodas. I don't drink iced tea. I drink water."
Kylie comments on Angie’s aversion to carrying water bottles:
Kylie (11:21): "I don't see you. You don't like, carry around a bottle of water? Not like I do, no."
Listener Reviews and Host Reactions
The hosts read and react to listener reviews, with Angie particularly criticizing the MAGA movement’s attack on educators:
Angie (13:26): "It's so fundamentally wrong to attack the people that educate our children... They don't make that much money and spend a lot out of their own pocket to get basic necessities for the classroom."
Kylie adds her respect for teachers faced with difficult parents and undervalued work:
Kylie (16:48): "There's nothing worse about being a teacher than the fucking parents."
Jennifer and Angie promote their book, encouraging listeners to engage with its relatable content about life’s challenges:
Angie (27:51): "We have written a book. It's called Life is a Lazy Susan of Shit Sandwiches and believe it or not, Pumps."
They urge listeners to purchase and share photos with the book, emphasizing its availability across multiple retailers.
Everyday Grievances
Senator Andy Kim joins the podcast, sharing his lighthearted frustration with his young children:
Senator Andy Kim (33:21): "They have such a little overwhelming with their 'bro' obsession."
Money in Politics and Corruption
A significant portion of the interview focuses on the pervasive issue of money in politics. Senator Kim articulates his concerns about Congress members trading stocks, which poses conflicts of interest:
Senator Andy Kim (34:42): "Members of Congress and government officials should not be owning and trading individual stocks... The American people deserve to know that we are making decisions based on what's best for the country, not for our stock portfolios."
He elaborates on his legislative efforts to ban stock trading among elected officials:
Senator Andy Kim (34:56): "I have introduced legislation that would ban members of Congress from owning and trading stocks... If you have a job defined by the Constitution, you should not be trading and owning stocks."
Super PACs and Campaign Financing
Senator Kim criticizes the influence of Super PACs and the Citizens United decision, which he views as detrimental to democratic integrity:
Senator Andy Kim (36:07): "Citizens United has unleashed this curse upon our democracy with billions of dollars being spent, making it harder for candidates like me to compete."
Democratic Party’s Future and Grassroots Movements
Angie questions the Democratic Party’s reliance on entities like AIPAC and the neglect of grassroots candidates. Senator Kim responds by emphasizing the need for an independent movement within the party:
Senator Andy Kim (45:33): "We need our own movement. We need our own effort on our side to be able to go up against that [MAGA movement]."
He highlights his efforts to mobilize young people through initiatives like Democracy Summer:
Senator Andy Kim (54:48): "We're engaged in this effort to build a national movement to reform policy politics and address the frustrations people have."
In a lighthearted conclusion, Senator Kim participates in the hosts' game, expressing his disdain for grocery store bagels:
Senator Andy Kim (59:18): "I'm somebody that I actually love making my own bagels. So I make my own bagels, and I take that very seriously."
He briefly touches on his respect for genuine public servants while criticizing performative governance:
Senator Andy Kim (60:00): "To my colleagues that actually want to govern, I will say hit it. To those who are just looking out for their own ego and ambition, I've had it."
The episode weaves through personal anecdotes, political critiques, and promotional segments, culminating in an insightful dialogue with Senator Andy Kim about corruption in politics and the necessity for grassroots activism within the Democratic Party. The hosts successfully blend humor with serious discussions, providing listeners with both entertainment and thoughtful commentary on current political dynamics.
Notable Quotes with Timestamps:
Kylie on Voicemails (01:23): "Nobody fucking wants to listen to a voicemail. Nobody fucking wants to listen to a voicemail."
Senator Kim on Stock Trading (34:42): "Members of Congress and government officials should not be owning and trading individual stocks."
Senator Kim on Super PACs (36:07): "Citizens United has unleashed this curse upon our democracy with billions of dollars being spent."
Angie on Educators (13:26): "It's so fundamentally wrong to attack the people that educate our children."
Senator Kim on Grassroots Movements (45:33): "We need our own movement. We need our own effort on our side to be able to go up against that [MAGA movement]."
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the "Big Cult, Little Brains" episode of "I've Had It," providing a clear and engaging overview for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.