I've Had It – Episode Summary

Podcast: I've Had It
Hosts: Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Episode: Death of Centrism with Gov. JB Pritzker
Date: January 27, 2026

Episode Overview

This lively and topical episode dives deep into what hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan – with producer Kylie as a regular interjector – and their special guest, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, "have had it with" in modern American life and politics. From everyday grievances like abysmal customer service and dog park drama to urgent national conversations about the death of centrism, the state of democracy, anti-fascism, and the moral obligations facing the Democratic Party, this episode is equal parts cathartic vent session and no-nonsense political dialogue—with a comedic, irreverent twist.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI, Customer Service, and the Erosion of Human Connection

Timestamps: 00:24 – 05:15

• Pumps rails against “customer service” that relies entirely on unhelpful AI and forces people online, even when they are calling for help.
  • "If I could do it through the app, we wouldn't be having this conversation." (00:40)
• Jennifer connects the rise of AI, the isolation of modern life (especially in non-walkable cities), and increasing generational difficulties with basic social skills.
• Both hosts agree that tech advancement, especially in rural/suburban America, is fostering dangerous disconnection and anxiety—especially among Gen Z.

2. Dog Park Fiasco & Pet Peeves

Timestamps: 05:22 – 16:44

• Jennifer recounts being “assaulted and robbed”—by a mischievous black Labrador retriever at the dog park, who absconded with her coat's hood and refused to give it back. The incident was worsened by the owner’s indifference and their failure to pick up after the dog.
  • "He just screwed up my whole coat...he did not even clean up his dog’s shit." (08:43)
• The conversation spirals into a confessional by Kylie, who admits to not cleaning up after her own dog in NYC, sparking swift moral judgment from the group.
• Lighthearted but pointed: bad pet owners are the true villains of the city, and accountability matters even at the smallest scale.

3. Political Resistance & The Death of Centrism

Timestamps: 17:08 – 21:09

• Kylie shares a viral story about a man training crows to attack MAGA hats. The man's rationale: “centrism was no longer a moral option.”
  • "I tried to be a centrist for a long time, but I no longer believe that it is a moral option." (17:54)
• The hosts wholeheartedly agree, declaring the end of both-sidesism and aligning with the idea that issues dividing the country are moral, not just political.
  • “Centrism is complacency. Centrism is appeasement.” – Jennifer (20:19)
  • “There aren't both sides... There's the side for democracy, and the side against.” – Jennifer (19:51)

4. Escaping the Trump Era: Cruise Ship Satire

Timestamps: 21:40 – 23:43

• Discussion of a real cruise line marketing a four-year trip to Americans wanting to skip Trump’s term. The hosts riff on the hellscape of being trapped at sea with MAGA supporters:
  • "As a non-religious person, if someone asked me to describe hell on earth, I think it would be a cruise with everybody on it MAGA." – Jennifer (22:24)
  • “That would be a hostage situation… MAGA or not.” – Pumps (23:28)

Interview with Governor J.B. Pritzker

Starts at 26:37

5. Personal Grievances: Ads & Streaming Overload

Timestamps: 27:44 – 29:19

• Pritzker laments targeted ads (cheese grater hats) and the glut of streaming subscriptions that never quite satisfy.
  • "I'm so sick of that happening…I feel like cable was a lot cheaper." (28:09, 28:52)

6. MAGA Hypocrisy, Faux Masculinity, and Moral Clarity

Timestamps: 29:20 – 33:03

• The group laughs about MAGA influencer Benny Johnson’s self-own after he is served targeted ads for gay cruises.
• Pritzker recalls an anti-LGBTQ congressman who turned out to be gay, drawing a parallel to Trump’s projection.
  • "Whenever you hear anybody really loudly condemning something... it's usually about him." – Pritzker (30:44)

7. Will Pritzker Run for President?

Timestamps: 31:01 – 33:03

• Pritzker says he’s focused on his third gubernatorial run and defending Illinois, but remains deeply concerned about the nation and the parallels to 1930s Germany.
  • "We're living in a world that looks a whole lot like the early '30s in Germany." – Pritzker (32:19)

8. Trump’s Cognitive Decline & Malign Influence

Timestamps: 33:03 – 35:03

• Pritzker distinguishes between Trump’s possible dementia, rabid narcissism, and his circle of enablers.
  • "It's hard to separate narcissism from his dementia... A malignant narcissist with dementia, surrounded by sycophants." – Jennifer (35:03)

9. The Democratic Party’s Dilemma: Appeasement, Corporate Influence & Base Awakening

Timestamps: 35:04 – 46:03

• Jennifer and Pritzker discuss generational rifts in the Democratic base, frustrations with “corporate Dems,” and the existential imperative to speak out and be “upstanders.”
  • "There are collaborators, bystanders, rescuers, and upstanders.” – Pritzker quoting Holocaust survivors (37:44)
• Pritzker calls out quiet party members and corporate elites for repeating 1930s Germany’s error.
  • "Every day that goes by that you let this guy amass power and we don't push back is a day when we are weaker and he is stronger." (39:30)

10. Democrats Must Lead on Economic and Social Justice

Timestamps: 41:15 – 44:23

• Pritzker invokes FDR and the foundational role of the Democratic Party in working-class advocacy, criticizing Democrats for failing to talk about minimum wage, healthcare, and affordability.
  • “We need to be the party that's forcing a discussion about universal healthcare... fighting for the working class and vulnerable people.” (41:16)
• He criticizes the focus on “defending democracy” speeches that don’t mobilize voters on daily needs.

11. Israel, Palestine, and Moral Consistency

Timestamps: 46:42 – 53:40

• Jennifer presses Pritzker on the party’s Israel/Palestine handling, referencing Kamala’s lack of Palestinian voices at the DNC and America’s complicity in atrocities.
• Pritzker, as a Jew, expresses anguish over Israeli leadership’s actions and the U.S. government’s uncritical support for Netanyahu, while noting Hamas’s atrocities. He calls for “support for rebuilding Gaza” and protecting innocents, regardless of faith or ethnicity.
  • "These are challenging questions... Israel was created as a safe haven, but what Netanyahu is doing—atrocities—[is] hard to reckon with.” (46:42)
  • “We have to now stand up for the people who are most innocent and most put upon…that’s what it is to be a Democrat." (53:40)

12. Abolishing ICE & Demanding Accountability

Timestamps: 53:40 – 56:07

• Jennifer calls ICE “FUBAR.” Pritzker agrees it must be abolished—reform isn’t enough after Trump’s weaponization of the agency.
  • "We've got to abolish what Donald Trump has done to ICE…it's become his personal police force." (54:38)

13. The End of Incrementalism & Project 2029

Timestamps: 58:02 – 59:45

• Both agree Democrats can no longer “hug the center” or govern slowly—“Project 2029” must rival Project 2025 in boldness.
• Pritzker, a billionaire, advocates raising his own taxes and ending apologetic approaches to taxing the ultra-wealthy.
  • “We got to stop pussyfooting around.” (59:45)

14. On Communicating with the MAGA Base & Patriotism Hypocrisy

Timestamps: 60:25 – 62:39

• Pritzker rails against self-described MAGA “patriots” who undermine the Constitution, reiterating that Democrats are the ones upholding democracy.
  • “I've had it with people who say they love America but seem to hate America.” (60:25)
• The party must focus not just on anti-Trump resistance but on winning over everyday Americans through direct appeals about quality of life.

15. Grifters, Corruption, and the Threat of Authoritarianism

Timestamps: 62:42 – 63:47

• The group calls out MAGA’s hypocrisy, lawlessness, and corruption, and the need for Democrats to be more forceful in highlighting it to working people.

16. Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and the Big Tent of Bigotry

Timestamps: 67:22 – 76:44

• A wide-ranging discussion connects the dots between far-right anti-Semitism, faux-patriotism (“America First” roots in Nazism), and organized bigotry.
• Pritzker reminds listeners that 50% of the Fortune 500 were founded by immigrants or their children—the economic advantage of multiculturalism.
  • "We are a nation of immigrants…that is our culture." (76:44)

17. Progressive Messaging & Hitting the Issues that Matter

Timestamps: 78:07 – 80:38

• The group praises progressive candidates like Zoran Mamdani, highlighting the importance of economic justice, intersectionality, and uniting civil/human rights with affordability.

18. Love of Country, Hope, and Action

Timestamps: 80:44 – 83:27

• Despite national despair, Pritzker expresses deep love and hope for the USA, highlighted by a story of grassroots resistance in Edwardsville, IL.
  • "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice… but we have to bend it." (83:14)
• Urges everyone: “We’re going to take our country back.”

Memorable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Centrism is complacency. Centrism is appeasement. You either believe in supporting LGBTQ+ people … or you don’t.” – Jennifer (20:19)
• "Every day that goes by that you let this guy [Trump] continue to amass power and we don't push back is a day when we are weaker and he is stronger." – Pritzker (39:30)
• “We can't be apologetic anymore…We got to stop pussyfooting around." – Pritzker (59:45)
• "I've had it with people who say they love America but seem to hate America." – Pritzker (60:25)
• "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. It doesn't just naturally bend—you have to bend it." – Pritzker (83:14)
• “None of us are free until all of us are free. We need to link all of these things together.” – Jennifer (86:23)

Notable Moments & Humor

• Jennifer’s black lab “assault and robbery” story (07:00–13:16)
• Kylie’s poop confession and ensuing shaming (15:07–16:53)
• The crows trained to attack MAGA hats (17:08–19:10)
• Imagining a MAGA cruise from hell (22:17–23:43)
• Pritzker’s cheese grater hat advertising saga (27:44–28:09)

Takeaway: Tone & Final Thoughts

The episode’s tone is unfiltered, sardonic, and at times righteously indignant, with the hosts and Governor Pritzker offering hard truths and sharp humor in equal measure. The dialogue moves rapidly between relatable personal annoyances, pressing moral crises, and the serious business of saving American democracy. The undiluted verdict: the age of “both sides,” centrist hedging, and incrementalism is over. The moment for moral clarity—and action—has come.

For First-Time Listeners:

If you missed the episode, this summary covers the comic relief, the everyday rants, and especially the urgent, passionate arguments about why centrism is dead and why now, more than ever, both everyday citizens and leaders must speak out and act boldly. Whether discussing the future of the Democratic Party, the soul of the country, or the indignity of a faux fur hood stolen by a dog, “I’ve Had It” serves up resistance with a side of wit.