I've Had It Podcast — "MAGA Meltdown Tour"
Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch ("Jen") and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Special Guest: Rep. Greg Casar
Description: A funny, fiery, deeply candid episode tackling family divides over MAGA politics, the moral crisis of silence from moderates, growing fascism in America, the failures of establishment Democrats, and a raucous interview with progressive Rep. Greg Casar.
Episode Overview
In “MAGA Meltdown Tour,” Jennifer, Pumps, and guest Kylie (plus later Rep. Greg Casar) vent about the rising tide of fascism, family rifts over right-wing politics, and the moral urgency of breaking silence around bigotry. The show is part therapy, part call to arms, blending raw personal experiences with incisive political critique. The latter half features a spirited, insightful, and often hilarious conversation with progressive Rep. Greg Casar about the Democratic Party, extremism in politics, and how to actually build a better country.
Key Discussions and Insights
1. Family Silence and the Burden of “Politeness”
- Kylie’s Frustration ([00:31]–[04:13])
- Kylie shares her ‘had it’ moment: being forced into silence around religious family members about MAGA, Trump, and bigotry.
- Quote: “Not saying anything is the same as being okay with it, I guess.” – Kylie [02:27]
- Jen and Kylie agree that in many Southern/religious families, ‘not talking politics’ is a guise for suppressing difficult truths—especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ issues and racism.
2. Silence as Complicity and the Challenge of Speaking Out
- Moral Stakes ([04:13]–[12:30])
- Jen: “Their silence is, in my opinion, dismissive of you in your humanity.” [02:11]
- Discussion on the insidiousness of ‘country club Republicans’—those who vote for their pocketbooks while tacitly allying with bigots.
- Pumps and Jen underline how white/middle-class privilege enables avoidance of hard conversations and perpetuates abuse-by-neglect, especially regarding LGBTQ+ children.
- Sharp critique of white families refusing to empathize with their own marginalized kids:
Quote: “This is the moral sin of American capitalism right here, that people value money over their own kids.” – Jen [09:58]
3. The Failures of White Privilege and Parenting
- Raising Better Kids ([12:30]–[16:13])
- Jen calls for white parents to “raise your fucking kids better” and to “get in their ass”—know who they're following online, what they're absorbing, and fight bigotry at home.
- Quote: “I will crawl up their fucking asses... If you traffic in right wing media bullshit that demonizes people, you will be cut off financially.” – Jen [14:59]
4. On Willful Racism and the Dangers of Denial
- ([16:13]–[18:23])
- Jen refuses to excuse any adult's “selective” racism or bigotry: “If they can cherry pick when they use it, then it's willful... We will never obey in advance.” [16:30]
- Multiple stories from marginalized listeners illustrate the harm when families or communities refuse to have their backs.
5. The Conspiracy Theory Culture and the American Meltdown
- ([18:29]–[20:18])
- Ridicule of MAGA conspiracy theories, e.g., the bizarre claim that Charlie Kirk’s wife is JonBenét Ramsey ([18:34]).
- Contextualizes the U.S. under Trump as “a fucked up movie” where “everyone is celebrating the villain.”
Feature Interview: Rep. Greg Casar
6. Greg Casar on the State of Congress
- Intro and Tone ([24:40]–[25:39])
- Greg joins with wit, acknowledging the exhaustion and absurdity in Congress.
- Quote: “I've been saying that there's more mentions of Trump in the Epstein files than there are House Republicans here.” [25:03]
7. Republican Strategy and the “Culture War” Obsession
- Call Out the Distractions ([26:13]–[32:27])
- Greg highlights how GOP uses trans/gay issues as smokescreens for their true agenda—kicking millions off healthcare and giving more to billionaires.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene is cited as emblematic: when 15 million are losing health care, “she calls an emergency meeting...on semi professional trans folks in fencing.” [31:06]
- Quote: “They're obsessed with it.” – Angie, on Republicans’ focus on LGBTQ+ [27:29]
- Jen and Greg agree that the media and even Dems should do more to expose these tactics, and to directly confront the hypocrisy.
8. Critiquing Democratic Leadership and Strategy
- The Israel/Palestine Vacuum ([33:11]–[40:24])
- Jen and Greg dissect Democratic failures to grasp public outrage over Gaza, warning that the vacuum is being filled by demagogues like Marjorie Taylor Greene.
- Greg reveals half the House Progressive Caucus now opposes funding for Netanyahu—“something is changing in the Democratic Party” [37:00].
- Quote: “We cannot let the MAGA right start taking this pro peace mantle when the Democratic Party should be the anti war party.” – Greg [36:29]
- Jen voices deep frustration at Hakeem Jeffries’ centrist leadership and lack of backbone.
9. “Fighters vs. Folders” in the Democratic Party
- ([41:20]–[46:44])
- Greg: The current divide isn’t just progressive vs. centrist—it’s “are you a fighter or a folder?” [41:20]
- Praises AOC and Bernie as fighters; criticizes Dems who only attend fundraisers; stresses the need for bold action, not apologetic stances.
10. Gerrymandering and Democratic Prospects in Texas
- Greg offers a reality check: Texas is horrifically gerrymandered, but there’s still potential for Democratic gains if there’s bold organizing ([44:13]).
- Emphasizes the need to fight to minimize GOP gains in the face of increasingly illegal voter suppression.
11. The Charlie Kirk Controversy & Democratic Cowardice
- ([46:44]–[54:50])
- Jen rails against Hakeem Jeffries voting to honor Charlie Kirk, a notorious bigot, after his assassination.
- Quote: “I cannot understand why this is the resistance—not playing patty cake with fascists.” – Jen [46:46]
- Greg, while careful, admits he did not vote for it, and stresses Dems should always refocus the narrative to real issues (healthcare, constitutional threats).
- Quote: “We're talking about whether we have a king or a democracy.” – Greg [53:35]
12. Naming Villains and the Threat of Billionaire Oligarchs
- ([71:43]–[76:59])
- Direct targeting of Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Larry Ellison: “We gotta be talking a lot more about Peter Thiel...the villains of the story.” – Greg [71:43]
- Dems need to embrace a ‘populism that punches up,’ not demonize immigrants or marginalized communities.
13. Messaging Advice and Playing Hardball
- Jen proposes Dems should call out Thiel and Musk’s foreign origins, Greg urges a focus on their power and wealth instead [75:47].
- Both argue for stronger, more unapologetic opposition to oligarchy and fascist creep.
14. “Had It or Hit It” Game (Rapid Fire Fun)
- Department of War: Greg “had it” with the right’s performative renaming campaigns [67:12].
- RuPaul’s Drag Race: All three are fans—Greg lauds it for celebrating uniqueness and telling real stories of adversity [70:09].
- Peter Thiel: Absolute “had it”—positioned as a chief villain of our times [71:43].
Notable Quotes, Moments & Timestamps
- “This is the moral sin of American capitalism right here, that people value money over their own kids.” – Jen [09:58]
- “If they have a tax cut, that’s all that matters. I was raised like that.” – Jen [04:56]
- “Straight up … that’s a really huge moral flaw to not have empathy for other people.” – Angie [11:32]
- “Raise your fucking kids better … see who they’re following, crawl up their fucking asses.” – Jen [13:28]
- “If they will say the n-word in private, but not around Black people, they know it's racist.” – Jen [16:30]
- “I've been saying that there's more mentions of Trump in the Epstein files than House Republicans here.” – Greg [25:03]
- “The current divide is: are you a fighter or are you a folder?” – Greg [41:20]
- “Populism that punches up... If you're feeling bad, there is a villain, but it's not a Venezuelan mom—it's a Wall Street hedge fund donor giving to Donald Trump.” – Greg [73:13]
- “I am your mom, not your friend. I am here to build character.” – Jen [10:41]
Episode Structure (Timestamps for Key Segments)
- 00:03 – 04:13: Opening, Kylie’s “had it,” politics and religious family divides
- 04:13 – 13:28: Critique of silence, “country club Republican” hypocrisy, raising empathetic children, white privilege
- 18:29 – 20:18: Riffing on conspiracy theories and cultural meltdown
- 24:40 – 54:50: Rep. Greg Casar Interview
- The state of Congress, GOP scapegoating, fascism threats, media complicity, Democratic leadership issues, Israel/Gaza crisis, infighting and party direction, healthcare and democracy stakes
- 56:17 – 64:13: What Guests/Hosts “have had it” with (Monopoly, social media)
- 66:39 – 79:46: “Had It or Hit It” rapid-fire game (fun banter and pop culture riffs)
- 79:47 – End: Wrap-up, praise for Casar, local Oklahoma politics, closing grievances
Tone and Language
- Fiercely opinionated, profane, and funny—stays true to the pod’s voice: “always served with a side of petty grievances.”
- Political analysis is blended with blunt, unfiltered personal stories.
- Willing to name names—in both praise (Casar) and condemnation (MAGA, “country club Republicans,” Democratic leaders they see as weak).
- Threads of hope for political change run through, but always with sharp comedic edge.
Takeaways for Non-Listeners
- The episode is a cathartic, candid group therapy session for anyone worn down by rising US fascism and family/political betrayal.
- It provides fresh insider perspective via Rep. Greg Casar, rich insights into the left’s current battles, and sharp deconstructions of both right-wing and centrist failures.
- Expect full-throated defenses of the marginalized and the necessity of real, often uncomfortable conversations.
- You’ll laugh, groan, and maybe get a bit fired up—and you won’t find a more unsparing, entertaining indictment of today's politics.
If you’re tired of “political civility” as code for looking away from injustice—or just want to hear why you’re not alone in your frustration—this is your episode.