Panic at the White House

Summary

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Podcast Summary: I've Had It

Episode: Panic at the White House
Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Jennifer Welch & Angie “Pumps” Sullivan
Guest: Mayor Brandon Johnson, Chicago

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Episode Overview

This high-spirited episode of “I've Had It” combines comedic venting, sharp political critique, and authentic conversations about everything from airline mishaps and wedding craziness to crucial topics of democracy, party politics, and bigotry in America. Highlighted by a featured interview with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who shares insights on current events, party messaging, and his vision for effective, progressive leadership, the episode pulls no punches and brings both laughter and thoughtfulness to the fore.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What Have You “Had It” With?

[01:18 - 03:12]

• Angie: Frustration with herself for constantly losing items she's tried to store "for safekeeping," questioning her memory and jokingly referencing concerns about dementia.
• Jennifer: Air travel frustrations, especially airlines only discovering maintenance issues after passengers have boarded. Calls for a policy change so checks occur pre-boarding, blaming airlines rather than front-line staff.
  • Quote: “My point about this is, why are we not checking the planes prior to boarding the passengers?...the maintenance checks need to happen prior.” (Jennifer, 05:36)
  • Conversation expands to inefficiency in airline procedures and opaque handling of delays and cancellations.

Memorable Moment:

Jennifer recalls a time she was forced off a delayed plane after 12 hours, blaming airline corporate policies and connecting it to recent changes in refund regulations.

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2. Airlines: Inefficiency Exposed

[06:40 - 12:06]

• Angie and Jennifer bemoan policy and customer service failures in air travel: e.g., lack of honest communication, backward procedures (maintenance checks, paperwork), and airlines’ resistance to regulations protecting passengers.
• Quote: “We’re in the airline business. That’s what we do. We compound misery.” (Jennifer, 09:46)
• The segment ends with Jennifer asking for a pilot to anonymously explain why such inefficient procedures persist.

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3. The Review Rundown

[13:14 - 14:49]

• Kylie (producer) reads listeners’ reviews—both 5-star love and critical 1-star slams:
  • Notable Positive: “You give me hope every day. Keep up the amazing work.”
  • Notable Negative: "These women are haggard. They don't provide any insight to anything except how insufferable they are." (Senor Wonderful, 14:07)
• Hosts embrace the critiques humorously:
  • Quote: “Insufferable. Spot on. I really cannot…I think I resemble that one star remark. So, you know, can’t win them all.” (Jennifer, 14:10)

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4. One-Star Review Backlash & Political Messaging

[14:51 - 16:44]

• Discussion over a recent wave of negative reviews traced to Fox News coverage and MAGA backlash.
• Jennifer and Angie discuss being mischaracterized as violent or dangerous. Angie relays her daughter’s support for Jennifer being "the voice of the Democratic Party," prompting Jennifer to call for more accountability and primary challenges within Democratic ranks.
  • Quote: “We need more voices like ours in the Democratic Party holding the cowardice, spineless corporate beholden in the Democratic Party to account…” (Jennifer, 16:10)

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5. Wedding Excesses & Cultural Critique

[16:45 - 24:52]

• Kylie introduces a news story about a NY couple charging wedding guests $333 just to attend; majority declined.
• The group discusses growing narcissism and over-the-top pageantry in modern weddings, especially color-coded themed bachelorette parties.
  • Quote: “It is 100% a production for social media…these weddings are so narcissistic...” (Jennifer, 17:13, 22:26)
• Jennifer goes on a comedic rant, declaring a personal boycott of all weddings as protest against such excess.

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6. Gas Station Anxiety in Gen Z

[25:28 - 27:48]

• A news story reports that 60% of young drivers feel anxiety at gas stations.
• Jennifer and Angie lampoon the idea that this is even a legitimate phenomenon, dismissing it as “pissy” and unnecessary coddling.

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7. Interview with Mayor Brandon Johnson

[32:55 - 74:16]

Introduction

[32:55 - 34:18]

• Jennifer and Angie introduce Mayor Brandon Johnson: former teacher, union organizer, current Mayor of Chicago.
• Johnson celebrates Chicago’s rich history and diversity; shares breaking news about the city hosting the Midwest New Year’s Eve countdown.

Trump, Racism, and Chicago as the Alt-Right Punching Bag

[34:18 - 39:50]

• Responds humorously to Trump’s confusion between Chicago’s "Magnificent Mile" and a fictional "Miracle Mile," referencing imaginary groups of Black women in MAGA hats.
  • Quote: "Perhaps they're on this Miracle Mile fantasy block that he was referencing…" (Mayor Johnson, 35:22)
• Lays out Chicago's opposition to divisive federal attacks targeting cities with Black mayors.
  • Johnson frames recent federal hostility as an attempt to “relitigate the Civil War” and attacks on working people, Black communities, and public services.

Messaging and the Democratic Party

[39:50 - 44:29]

• Jennifer critiques Democrats’ failure to message the value of cities and multicultural cooperation effectively.
• Johnson emphasizes the need for direct, value-driven engagement with communities (e.g., “lakeside chats”), and the necessity for the ultra-rich to “pay their fair share.”
  • Quote: "If our democracy is going to survive…we have to demand these millionaires—and now we're literally on the brink of having trillionaires—they have to pay their fair share." (Mayor Johnson, 41:39)

Centrist Democrats vs. Progressive Action

[44:29 - 49:55]

• Jennifer calls out “pick me” centrist Democrats for being too eager to please and failing to fight for meaningful change, especially during crises like the government shutdown.
• Johnson seconds the sentiment:
  • Quote: “You have too many weak Democrats that believe if you play nice with individuals who are literally clearly breaking the rules…they’re going to take on racism and poverty.” (Mayor Johnson, 46:06)

Border Agents, ICE, and Racism

[49:55 - 53:26]

• Angie praises Johnson’s candor in press conferences, especially confronting dehumanizing language about immigrants.
• Johnson recounts recent “barbaric” actions and photo-ops by Trump-aligned border/security officials in Chicago, linking these to America’s legacy of inhumane propaganda.
  • He calls for UN Human Rights Council involvement due to the impact of Trump administration policies.

The Democratic Party’s Bigotry Problem

[53:26 - 57:01]

• Jennifer criticizes elements within the Democratic Party who take AIPAC money and fail to stand up against bigotry and Islamophobic attacks on progressive candidates.
• Johnson applauds the hosts for their moral clarity, stressing that protecting the marginalized does not threaten anybody else.
  • Quote: “There are people groups that have been harmed over the course of decades and centuries. And it’s incumbent upon this generation—and if we see ourselves as the party that champions working people…when you do unto the least of these, you do it unto him.” (Mayor Johnson, 57:01)

Hope for Progress

[57:01 - 63:11]

• Johnson highlights recent electoral progress (Mamdani in NY, gains in MS) and shares his optimism about growing progressive coalitions.
• Describes tangible results in Chicago: increase in affordable housing, reduction in homicides, shootings, and carjackings.

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8. "Had It or Hit It" Lightning Round

[67:34 - 72:03]

A spirited game with Mayor Johnson:

• Ketchup on hot dogs?
  • “Had it. Now that the Pope is from Chicago, to put ketchup on a hot dog is a cardinal sin.” (Mayor Johnson, 68:19)
• Chicago winters?
  • “You can’t be in Chicago and be afraid of the winter. Get a coat.” (Mayor Johnson, 68:45)
• Legacy/Corporate Media?
  • “Had it.” (Mayor Johnson & all, 69:08)
• Billionaires?
  • “Had it… now we’re about to have trillionaires so had it.” (Mayor Johnson, 69:59)
• United States of America?
  • “Still, I believe, the best place on the planet, so let’s hit it. But it’s got to be a place that works for everyone and not just the ultra-rich.” (Mayor Johnson, 71:49)

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9. Reflections & Final Thoughts

[72:03 - 77:55]

• Jennifer and Angie share admiration for Mayor Johnson’s authenticity and clarity, emphasizing the value of “moral clarity” in political leaders.
  • Angie: “100% right…we’re still fighting” about the Civil War legacy.
• Discussion on faith, justice, and the evolution of social attitudes in Black churches versus white evangelicals.

Listeners’ Takeaway

• “If you hear politicians or billionaires talk about things rigidly and aren’t open to evolution, that’s a problem.” (Jennifer, paraphrased, 75:55)

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10. Follow-Up on Airline Maintenance Rant

[78:00 - 79:07]

• Kylie checks with her brother, a commercial pilot, and confirms: pilots are responsible for checks 15-20 min before passenger load—vindicating Jennifer’s frustration.
• Angie volunteers to “Karen” future flight delays by confronting crews directly.

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Selected Notable Quotes

• “We’re in the airline business. That’s what we do. We compound misery.” (Jennifer, 09:46)
• “Insufferable. Spot on. I really cannot…I think I resemble that one star remark.” (Jennifer, 14:10)
• “Perhaps they're on this Miracle Mile fantasy block that [Trump] was referencing.” (Mayor Johnson, 35:22)
• “We have to demand these millionaires…pay their fair share. If we do not do that, our democracy, our economy, will not be sustainable.” (Mayor Johnson, 41:39)
• “You have too many weak Democrats that believe if you play nice with individuals…they’re going to take on racism and poverty. They have never demonstrated that.” (Mayor Johnson, 46:06)
• “If you hear politicians or billionaires talk about things rigidly and aren’t open to evolution, that’s a problem.” (Jennifer, 75:55 – paraphrased)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:18 – What Hosts Have “Had It” With
• 03:12 – Air Travel and Airline Rants
• 13:14 – Podcast Reviews Segment
• 14:51 – Negative Review Backlash & Political Messaging
• 16:45 – Modern Weddings Rant
• 25:28 – Anxiety at the Gas Pump
• 32:55 – Mayor Brandon Johnson Interview Begins
• 35:22 – Trump, Chicago, & Propaganda
• 41:39 – Democratic Party’s Messaging Challenge
• 46:06 – Centrist vs. Progressive Democrats
• 49:55 – Border Security, Racism, & ICE
• 57:01 – Bigotry in the Democratic Party & Hope for Progress
• 67:34 – Had It or Hit It Game
• 72:03 – Reflections on Leadership & Faith
• 78:00 – Airline Pilot Policy Confirmation

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Tone and Style

• Outspoken, irreverent, and humorous; the hosts blend biting social critique with self-deprecating humor.
• The guest interview is earnest, thoughtful, and inspirational, with moments of witty banter.
• Language and exchanges remain authentic to the personalities and comedic, brash tone of the show.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential example of “I've Had It”—a unique blend of stand-up frustration, relatable rants, and unfiltered political candor, featuring a significant, insightful interview with a progressive leader shaping the national conversation. Even if you missed the episode, this summary provides the emotional energy, big takeaways, and why their platforming of authentic voices like Mayor Brandon Johnson matters.

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Transcript

[Jennifer]

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[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

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[Jennifer]

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[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

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[Jennifer]

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[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

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[Jennifer]

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[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

One, two, three.

[Jennifer]

Patriots, Gay Trots. They Trio, Black Trio, Brown Trio. And the people who like to marginalize them can do what Pumps off. All right, welcome to America's Top DEI podcast. Pumps. What have you had it with?

[Angie]

Okay, what I've had it with is myself. And here's why. I have a habit of putting things in a certain place and when I put things there, I think I'm going to put this there so I won't forget where it is. And then I can't remember where that place is. That just happened to me. I took my gloves and my hat to Maine and then yesterday it was freezing so I was going to get my glove in my hat. I have searched my entire house. I cannot find them. And I remember specifically saying to myself, I'm going to put this here so I'll know exactly where it is next time. And I have a habit of doing that. And I'm sick of it. I'm so sick of myself for doing stupid shit like that and not just putting stuff where I know where to find it.

[Jennifer]

I do that all the time, constantly. I think, okay, I'm going to be so sly and put this here or there. On the flip side of that, sometimes you find something that you're like, oh, I'm going to need this in a couple of days and you find it in one of your little hiding spots. But I do that shit all the time. And I think it is a universal thing that we all think in that short term moment that our Short term memory is going to prevail. And it doesn't.

[Angie]

No, it doesn't. And you know what else? I'm trying to decide if I have Alzheimer's or not or dementia, and this doesn't help my cause. I ask Kylie at least three times a week, do you think that means I have Alzheimer's? Because it's. I'm. I feel like I'm slipping.

[Jennifer]

Yeah. All right, well, let me tell you what I've had it with. I've had it with this component of air travel where you're waiting to get on the plane for quite some time and the plane is at the gate, okay. And it's delayed. Like, we're going to delay boarding by this amount of time. We're going to delay boarding a little bit longer. You see the pilots go on. You see the crew go, go on. And then you get on the plane and you think, well, they've had a lot of time to get this bird ready. This bird should be ready to fly. And then you get on and you notice like, well, they closed the door a while ago. We're just still sitting here. And then the door opens again. And then the pilot comes on and says, yeah, we were getting ready to push, and we notice some lights weren't functioning properly. So we've got to do a maintenance thing. And we're waiting on the paperwork and on maintenance. My point about this is, is why are we not checking the planes prior to boarding the passengers? Why do we have to go through the lies that you act like our plane is going to take off, that that bird is going to fly in the air only to get in on that bird. And most recently, this happened to me. And then I got kicked off of the bird. I waited 12 hours to get on that thing because of Trump shutdown. And then we get on it and the pilots were on it multiple hours before we were. I saw them. I was looking through and I could see the cockpit and I could see the pilots in there, and they were him hawing and having a good. And then we get on, they're like, yeah, we were about to start up and we noticed these lights were malfunctioning. So we've got maintenance in here working on them. Maintenance takes a while, then the paperwork takes a while. And then guess what happened? The pilots timed out and we got kicked off the bird. Yeah. What? And so my thing is this. I don't want to beat up on pilots or anybody that works at an airport or flight attendants or TSA or any of that, because I know that that is a difficult place to work. I know that people are at their worst in those positions. My question is, is this a pilot thing or is this the airlines that wait to do checks until the bird is loaded? Because in my opinion they need to do a policy shift to where these maintenance checks happen before we load the bird. Because I, it's happened to me multiple times. I've been kicked off of a plane multiple times because of some sort of maintenance issue that should have been vetted prior to loading. Right. And I am going to blame the airlines for this and not the pilots. Here's why. Because the airlines everybody over as frequently as they can and now they've colluded with kinks to reverse a Biden era policy that would mandate a refund should the airline dick you over and cancel your flight or cause you to be late. Blah, blah. Biden said you get a full refund. Pete Buttigieg full refund Kings comes in and immediately bends, you know, does what the corporations want and the corporations that have always gotten bailouts every time they've mismanaged things. So I think this is a airline corporate policy that needs to be changed and I've completely had it. The, the maintenance checks need to happen prior.

[Angie]

I completely agree. I feel like a lot of stuff with airlines, the efficiency is backwards. Like everything they do could be more efficient if they just switch the policy entirely. Like get, get the pilots on, get the flight attendants on. Let's go through the maintenance checks. Let's load the passengers from the back so there's not a big backlog.

[Jennifer]

You know, another thing, when they tell.

[Angie]

You, when you're sitting there like you sat in the airport 12 hours on Sunday, why don't they just say we're going to cancel your flight? We're just, we can't do it. We're not going to be able to do it. Like we're just canceling it. Instead they just push it out 10 minutes, 15 minutes, an hour. I'm confident they knew like six hours in, this deal's not happening. So I just feel like there's a lot of inefficiency in an airline I.

[Jennifer]

Don'T think they knew. I think this is a group of people that cannot come to a logical conclusion if they can't figure out we need to check the plane, that it works prior to boarding the plane. I don't have an expectation that they can play the tape through if they can't get through the most elementary checks before loading the bird full of passengers. And this was A full big jet with people from Los Angeles to New York if they couldn't check the lights and make sure those lights were functioning. And I saw a lot of him. Ha. I saw a lot of fun going on in the cockpit, which I don't besmirch. I'm happy that they had that bonding and that camaraderie. Those pilots, they deserved it. But why are we checking right before pushback? Why didn't we have all of that done beforehand? Why didn't we have the maintenance check going through so that then the pilots wouldn't have timed out? And I just think that we sometimes have a lot of incompetent people running things, primarily the federal government. But I'm going to go ahead and trickle this down to airlines that have the inability to play the tape through. Like, what would be more efficient here? What makes more sense? And instead you've got a bunch of emails that could have been phone calls, policy books that make no sense. I remember there was a flight at one point that didn't have that. I was on. I can't remember if you were on this with me. It didn't have the, like, emergency landing manual on the plane, the flight attendant on the iPad. Yeah. So remember they went down and printed it.

[Angie]

It was over a thousand pages.

[Jennifer]

And that we had to sit on the plane while they printed 1000 pages. You were with me, right?

[Angie]

Yeah.

[Jennifer]

So my thing is on this. Why didn't we check that before we put the passengers on the bird? Because you have a bunch of people that do not play the tape through that are just like, we're just going to float through. And if a problem comes up and it exacerbates and compounds and makes it miserable for everybody else, perfect.

[Angie]

Right?

[Jennifer]

We're in the airline business. That's what we do. We compound misery. I've just had it. I've had it with all of that. And I just want to say to the pilots on that United flight from LAX to Newark, I'm giving you that. I think that this is an airline policy, but I would like for a pilot to anonymously message us. I want to know, I need to know why are these checks not happening prior to loading passengers? Is that the airlines thing? Are you guys too busy knee slapping and chuckling around to do it? I want to know who's responsible. I just need to know. I'm not going to care in it or anything. I just want to know. I need to know why it's so.

[Angie]

Inefficient for your personal serenity.

[Jennifer]

Just I need to know.

[Angie]

And then I can accept it.

[Jennifer]

Because I would think if I was a pilot, I would get on before I started having casual conversations with my co pilot, with flight attendants, with passengers. I would go ahead and do a thorough check, right? And once the thorough check was done, then I would say, we're ready to board the passengers. But I. Too many, too many times more than both of my fingers on my hands. These checks and then these maintenance repairs happen while you're sitting on the plane, which, number one, increases anxiety. I'm not. I'm not a scared flyer at all. But when you hear that there's a mechanic on the flight with you working on something, that's when I'm like, is this going to be it? Is this it? Is it going to go down where I'm going to die? Is that. Is this. It's not something pleasant you want to think about, but something's broken on the airplane and it's getting. Getting maintenance. Right. Before you take off.

[Angie]

Right? Well, absolutely.

[Jennifer]

Just keep all of that from the customer.

[Angie]

Right.

[Jennifer]

Just a better delay knowing that. Right. I completely agree.

[Angie]

And I always hate when they say, okay, we've had a mechanical deal. We're having a mechanic come, and then the mechanic comes in and they say, we're waiting on the paperwork.

[Jennifer]

Yes. What the fuck?

[Angie]

I mean, we're. We're in e society. Just sign it on the electronically. Like we have to have some Yahoo walk all the way down to the end of the airport, print his thousand pages. Like that flight we were on to New York and come back so the pilot can sign it. Let's E file. Let's E sign it. Shouldn't be that hard.

[Jennifer]

All right. Welcome to I've had it. I'm Jennifer.

[Angie]

I'm Angie.

[Jennifer]

No HBIC is that tired.

[Angie]

The hbic. I kind of thought maybe it will.

[Jennifer]

Never be for me.

[Angie]

Never be head Beaver in charge. Here we go.

[Jennifer]

All right, Kylie.

[Kylie]

Kylie. The. The Hlick had lesbian in charge.

[Jennifer]

Oh, that really does sound gay. H lick.

[Angie]

Yeah, I didn't.

[Jennifer]

That is about as gay as an acronym could be.

[Kylie]

It's perfect.

[Jennifer]

Yeah. All right.

[Kylie]

Okay. I've got three reviews that we're gonna fly through. The first one is five stars titled Inspiration. And it says, I listened to I've had it or I hip news to get my daily dose of inspiration to call Moses Mike's D.C. and L.A. offices and leave him an earful every single day. It's so very cathartic. Having moved from NYC to a red leaning North New Jersey town 20 plus, years ago. I'm so glad to have found your podcast. You give me hope every day. Keep up the amazing work. It's truly appreciated.

[Angie]

Wow.

[Jennifer]

I love that. Never been a report of a more successful windup on this podcast than that it has manifested. His listening to our incessant bitching has led to him calling little Moses Mike Grinder Johnson and reading him for filth every single day. That is just. Hashtag success.

[Angie]

Yes. I mean, that is the best thing I've ever heard. That's ambitious. It's organized, it's determined, it's hustle. It's everything I like in a person right there.

[Kylie]

Okay, now we've got a one star titled Insufferable White Women. And Senor Wonderful writes, these women are haggard. They don't provide any insight to anything except how insufferable they are.

[Jennifer]

That's a fair point.

[Angie]

It's a fair point. I feel haggard.

[Jennifer]

I do. And I mean, the inside is questionable. Insufferable. Spot on. Yeah, I. I really cannot. I'm not offended by that. I think I resemble that one star remark. So, you know, can't win them all.

[Kylie]

No.

[Jennifer]

Okay.

[Kylie]

The last one is five stars. And Daisy writes, they tell it like it is. God forbid women are angry. These one star reviews are hilarious. And I think these two women will change the trajectory of politics in the coming years.

[Jennifer]

That is so nice, Kylie. We've been getting a lot of one star reviews.

[Kylie]

We've been getting a ton of one star reviews.

[Jennifer]

Really? Really.

[Kylie]

Maga, you know, has really locked in on us and it shows.

[Jennifer]

Yeah. So is this after the Fox News covered when they claimed that I wanted to kill conservatives?

[Kylie]

Yes, it is. That's exactly when it started.

[Angie]

That was the tipping point.

[Jennifer]

I just. I also think how hilarious it is that they can actually say that because it'll filter over to my personal page that. That they think that I want to kill them and. Or want them dead. And they're. They're so triggered and so easily scared that they believe that to be true.

[Angie]

Yeah. Well, it also feeds their narrative that they're the victims and everybody else is out to get them and how violent the Democrat Party is. I do have to say Emily sent me a TikTok. She sent it to Jennifer, too. And it was a TikTok.

[Jennifer]

Emily is her daughter.

[Angie]

Oh, I'm sorry. Emily. My daughter. And it said the tick tock caption was.

[Jennifer]

This should.

[Angie]

She should be the voice of the Democratic Party. And I just want to say I'm putting my vote for that. Jennifer. I think you should be the voice of the Democratic Party and I kind of think you already are. So keep it going girl.

[Jennifer]

Thank you pumpers. I think that's a stretch. I do think we need more voices like ours in the Democratic Party holding the cowardice, spineless corporate beholden in the Democratic Party to count. And we need to make sure they are primaried because this is such a dangerous time for so many marginalized people. And the Democrats that play this pick me politics. I'm a centrist. I've had it. Shut the up.

[Angie]

Yeah.

[Kylie]

Okay, I've got some news stories for you today. This one hit home for me because I have been in wedding season. Yeah, season everything. And it cost me an arm and a leg. So this one says a New York couple charged their wedding guests $333 each in an effort to save money. Only 60 out of 350 guests came.

[Jennifer]

Here's what amazes me about this. In a time where marriage is pretty unpopular and doesn't have a great success rate, the insanity surrounding the pageantry of weddings is the worst it's ever been. It's almost like it is like they're going to make sure these brides and these grooms that do this, that they're going to put the nail in the coffin and they're going to make sure that, that weddings and marriage are so wholly unattractive and off putting by the social media grandstanding of it. And then poor Kylie. You know, this is something that's going on for our listeners that are in their 20s, 30s, this is something that's going on that's a huge problem. So when you're in your late 20s, early 30s. In Oklahoma, people get married in their early 20s. So I shouldn't say early 20s. You, you don't have as much money as you're going to later in life. And so these weddings are so narcissistic and so over the top that the bride and groom have a bachelor party that if you're invited to, you have to pay your way to the wedding, which is destination, you have to pay your way to all this. It showers. So Kylie, all of her extra money she's spending now to watch these friends get married and you have to buy your own dress, airfare, all this shit. And I guarantee you Kylie, the last two big weddings I went to in the last five years, both couples are already divorced. Both well into six figure weddings. They're both already divorced. I guarantee you some of these weddings you're going to within 5 years crickets divorced over and Then guess what? You have a bad memory. Yep.

[Angie]

Okay. Jennifer, I don't even know if you're aware of this. So I had this confirmed to me by my daughter Emily. And then Kylie actually showed me the proof. Did you know that brides, when they have these bachelorette party destinations where they you have to pay to travel, they send you an invitation with a color coded dress code. So they give you certain shades that you wear on certain days. Like morning one, we're going to wear green and light blue for lunch on day two, we're going to wear pink and white. Dinner on day three, we're going to wear sunset colors. Like, I thought this was total. My daughter was telling me about it. I was like, that's crazy. So I'm talking to Kylie about it. Like, have you heard this during all these weddings? She actually shows me an invitation that somebody printed out that had the color coding on the different days that is happening.

[Kylie]

As I can confirm each day had a sunset color theme, a sunrise color theme, and then also like the textures you could wear the fabrics that go along with it. So like glitter.

[Jennifer]

Were you invited to this, Kylie? Did you receive this?

[Kylie]

Yes. Yeah, I went on this one.

[Jennifer]

This was one of the somebody you.

[Kylie]

Know sent you that I'm describing my invitation that I got and it has a detailed itinerary.

[Jennifer]

Was this person heterosexual or homosexual? What do you think?

[Kylie]

Heterosexual woman?

[Jennifer]

I just, I'm just going to tell you that this makes me never ever want to have anything to do with a wedding again. Just for spite of these bad actors. Like, I want to boycott the whole thing. Like, I want to have a really kind couple come to me and say, hey, we're getting married in the courthouse and we're not going to spend much money and you can wear whatever you want and it doesn't matter if you're late or blah, blah, blah, we just love to see you. I want to say you've done nothing wrong. But on principle and for spite, I have boycotted weddings across the board because of some bad actors that people are not calling out and the buck stops with me. I'm not going to enable this. I'm not going to be codependent. And even though you are not a grandstand or even though that you are not a narcissist, even though you may actually have married your soulmate and you don't want a bunch of attention, you might not even do an Instagram post about it. I am so fucking pissed off by proxy that some dumb bitch sent Kylie a color coded invitation. Yeah, and didn't feel shame or embarrassment or that person needs to be ridiculed. I just want to say do not cut this out. Do not edit this out. Kylie, I hope that this dumb listens to this podcast. You should be ashamed of yourself. The clock is ticking because there's no way your marriage is going to happen because already it's far more performative than it is authentic. And I dislike you because I know that Kylie probably doesn't. So I'm going to dislike you for me or pumps and you and our listener, because I know our listeners. Blood is boiling because that is the most narcissistic American. Is this person maga? Are they maga, Kylie?

[Kylie]

No, but their family is. They're. They're from Texas.

[Jennifer]

You know, here's the thing.

[Angie]

It's happening everywhere. Like, if you look at a bachelorette party photo, because my daughter was showing me on Instagram all of the photos of people she knows that are getting married and having bachelorette parties. They're color coded in these photos. They are doing it for Instagram. It is 100% a production for social media. And I'm with. You had it.

[Jennifer]

I need to go back to the psychology of this person that Kylie knows.

[Angie]

Okay. We're going to single that person out.

[Jennifer]

Yes. The family's maga.

[Kylie]

Yeah, I believe so.

[Jennifer]

And this. This individual is not.

[Kylie]

No.

[Jennifer]

Are you sure about that? Yeah.

[Kylie]

Now, now, down the road, now that they're married, you know, some women kind of transfer to the other side.

[Jennifer]

You think she'll be a lesbian?

[Kylie]

No, I mean transfer over to. I mean, transferred to the magazine.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

The opposite.

[Jennifer]

Because you know what happens that way, too. I've never seen so many midlife lesbians in my life. It's unbelievable. I just read an article about it yesterday on the plane when I finally got back on a plane. Well, I'll just tell you, I think this is a disgrace. I think that is so humiliating that you would not feel any shame. Embarrassment. And I think it is a telltale sign that this marriage is going to end in divorce spectacularly, because it's already so performative by nature.

[Angie]

And I'm living proof that happens before Instagram.

[Jennifer]

I'm living with it. Share with the listener how many bridesmaids you had?

[Angie]

Well, now it seems paltry in comparison to the 21, 22. How many did you have in 1997? I had nine bridesmaids, two candle lighters, which I didn't want a candle lighter. My mom behind my back and did that. And then I had two guest book attendants. For a grand total of like 16 people in the wedding, 500 guests banned the whole nine walking down the aisle. Like I'm walking down the aisle with my dad. I'm looking at the full pews and I'm thinking, this could go either way that's going through my head like this. It's probably a mistake as it's happening in real time and we all know what happened. Spectacular disaster.

[Jennifer]

Yeah. You gave it your all pumps. I sure did. You sure did. You really did. I was. I was there for the last 10 years of that. You tried maybe 15 years. You tried really, really hard. Too hard. Accepted a lot of things that were unacceptable.

[Angie]

Unacceptable.

[Jennifer]

Which you can read all about in her juicy tell all. Life is a Lazy Sandwich is available everywhere you buy a book and audio. And the link is below in the show notes. All right, Kylie, do we have time for one more news story before we welcome our guest?

[Kylie]

Yes, we'll do one more. This one is over 60% of young drivers, extreme fear and anxiety at the gas station. And it says more than 60% of young drivers report feeling extreme anxiety. According to a recent survey. Rising fuel prices, unfamiliarity with pumps and fear of being judged or watched are all cited as top stressors.

[Jennifer]

Huh? Well, unfamiliarity with pumps. Pumps. I think maybe you could remember when we used to have gas station attendance.

[Angie]

Full time, like full service?

[Jennifer]

Yeah, that was. Here's the thing. Here's my problem with all of this. Number one, who thought to do this study, right? The idea that you're even doing this study being codependent and creating a culture where you're even creating the question to somebody, do you feel anxiety at the gas station? And then the person is, you know, persuasive to the power of suggestion. I think, well, you know what I am. I think, well, boy, that could blow up. That nozzle has a lot of germs on it. Blah, blah, blah.

[Angie]

Okay?

[Jennifer]

I think a lot of things are true. I think a lot of people are pissies. Yeah. And. But I also think that these are just things that shouldn't be pulled.

[Angie]

I agree.

[Jennifer]

I think even sending it out into the universe, that it's possible that you have some sort of phobia about the gas station. Look, pumping gas is not pleasant. Now, we'll admit, right when it turns, right when it starts going through initial of gasoline, I kind of do like that.

[Angie]

I do like the smell of gasoline.

[Jennifer]

Yeah, yeah. You know, not. Not sustained, but that initial kind of hit.

[Angie]

Yeah, I do.

[Jennifer]

And then when, you know, you have a full tank, it's satisfying. You know, it's not going to last very long. But I think that's a stupid poll and I think a lot of people are pissies.

[Angie]

I do too. And here's the deal. For anybody out there that has concern about being judged at the gas station. I have driven my new car for about 20 months and I still pull up to the wrong side to put my gas in it. And I have to go up and I have to reverse. I have to do all that. Every time I fill my car with gas, I feel zero. I feel zero judgment. I feel zero shame. I'm just like, oh, I pulled up to the wrong side again. So just fucking get over it.

[Kylie]

Who cares?

[Jennifer]

That's what I was thinking. All right, let's welcome our guest. He is a mayor, a big time mayor of a big time city. Of course, we're talking about war torn Chicago. War torn Chicago. That's Mayor Brandon Johnson. He is a former public school social studies teacher, which I love. God, I always love my social studies. Always. A union organizer in Chicago, which I think the propaganda campaign against unions by the Republican party and the Republicans that take part in that is one of the most disgraceful organizing groups of propaganda I've ever seen. So good on him for being a union organizer and he's the current mayor of Chicago. Mayor Johnson is a progressive, which I love that, who has recently made headlines and gone viral for his strong opposition to the Trump administration. Particularly with ice activity that has been going on in Chicago over the past two months. Let's give a warm welcome. I've had it. Welcome listener. We expect you to clap both of your hands for Mayor Brandon Johnson. This episode of I've had it is brought to you by booking.com pumps. I've got to say, if you're looking to grow your vacation rental business, this is the place to be. Booking.com is one of the most downloaded travel apps in the entire world. And for good reason. Since 2010, they've helped over 1.8 billion vacation rental guests find places to stay. That's billion with a B. But here's the thing. Most vacation rentals don't even realize they can list their properties on booking.com and if you're not on the platform, your rental is basically in visible to millions of booking.com travelers worldwide.

[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Jennifer]

All right Pumps. What's softer than cashmere and warmer than wool?

[Angie]

Is it alpaca?

[Jennifer]

You are so freaking smart and I've got to tell you for years I have been on the hunt for that one. Go to natural fiber hoodie that I can always pack and know that I'll stay comfortable no matter what I'm doing. I tried cashmere, merino, seaweed, you name it. But then everything changed when I finally found this alpaca hoodie from Paca. I like this product so much that I'm going to gift it to you for Christmas. Yes, I'm telling you pumps what I'm buying you in advance because you're going to love it that much. Paca makes performance apparel from Alpaca Fiber, one of the world's most sustainable natural fibers. Their best selling hoodie is softer than cashmere, warmer than wool and breathable. So listener, right now when you order your pack a hoodie, they'll throw in a free pair of their alpaca crew socks which might be the only thing better than the hoodie. These are seriously next level. They keep your feet dry, never smell and on top of all of that they are just insanely cozy. Plus, have you ever had socks that come with a lifetime guarantee? Paca dares you to wear these out. If you can, they'll replace them. So listener, to grab your Paca hoodie, a free pair of alpaca cruise socks. Go to go packa apparel.com hat it. Use our code. Hat it. That's go packa apparel.com had it. And enter the code. Had it. Listener, let's welcome to I've had it. Mayor Brandon Johnson. Mayor, how are you today?

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

I'm doing wonderful. Thank you for asking. And happy Veterans Day to all of our brave women and men who have served this country throughout its history.

[Jennifer]

And you are the mayor of Chicago, or as the president likes to call it, war torn Chicago. And I have to say, pumps. And I spent over a week in Chicago last summer at the dnc and it is such a lovely American city. It is such a, a fabulous, fabulous city.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

You know, I totally agree. That's why I live here. You know, look, you know, the city of Chicago, I see it as the global capital of the world, quite frankly. It's a beautiful story. A black Haitian immigrant and a Potawatomi woman established a trade post at the bank of the river. And immigrants from around the globe, descendants of slaves, have all come here to find refuge and comfort. We have this incredible diverse economy, 20% of the world's fresh water, great universities. I could go on and on. Just such a beautiful place. And you know, I'm looking forward to this conversation. And you all have to come back and visit again. We do have some great breaking news from yesterday. We're going to host the, the, the, the New Year's Eve countdown for the Midwest Central Standard Time. So book your hotels right now. You gotta be in the city of Chicago to ring in the new year.

[Jennifer]

That's awesome. I do want to share with you a headline I thought was hilarious. Kylie, pop this up. Confused. Trump 79 demands troop deployment over fictional shopping center. It says the aging president raged about the Miracle Mile and claimed it was, quote, once considered one of our nation's best. I think the only problem is there isn't a Miracle Mile shopping center in Chicago when, you know, so this poor man, you know, he has dementia. Clearly nobody really talks about it. His, his, his so frail in appearance now and he often gets confused. But he's tried to put you and your city and your constituents at the epicenter of this. And one lie he continues to, to say all the time is there are these black women all over Chicago wearing MAGA hats. And I've never seen that. And I'm just as you go around in your city or to a cookout or two, do you see a swath of black women wearing MAGA hats?

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

No. Perhaps they're on this Miracle My Mile fantasy block that he was referencing. So maybe we have to do that. I'm going to have my administration fully investigate where this Miracle Mile is, and perhaps he can find a bunch of black women just rolling around in MAGA gear. That sounds like a nightmare, by the way. Look, you know, we have always been, you know, for the alt right in this country, a punching bag. Right? And, you know, it was Ronald Reagan that declared war on American cities as well, at the time in which we had the first black mayor in the history of Chicago, Mayor Harold Washington. You know, this is right out of the playbook of those who are really attacking working people. Our values are very clear. You know, we're a strong working class city. You know, the labor movement birthed right here in the city of Chicago. And when you think about even electing the first black president of the United States of America, if Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. Does not run on single pair and building a rainbow coalition, you do not get that historic moment in 2008. So, you know, look, we have an incredible diverse city, an economy that is growing and evolving every single day. And being a part of the labor movement, as a public school teacher raised in a household with nine siblings and one bathroom, it is truly the honor and joy of my life to be able to represent what I call the greatest city in the world.

[Angie]

I was going to ask you when this whole thing about sending troops to American cities, it was not lost on me that the cities chosen by the administration had black mayors and a black population center. Can you talk about that, how that felt as a leader for your community? And because Chicago is so diverse, do you believe that that was that you were chosen and your city was chosen for that reason?

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

I think it's obvious. You know, I mean, when you think about it, whether it's, you know, Mayor Bass in Los Angeles or Mayor Brandon Scott in Baltimore, you know, Mayor Young in Memphis, many of the cities that were, you know, targeted from day one have black leaders. And, you know, as a proud black leader and a progressive who comes out of the labor movement who understands the values of working people, it wasn't lost on me that this administration, the President of the United States of America, has been intentional about dividing our politics in a way that is just so vicious. Right. And I think you're alluding to this earlier. I mean, Donald Trump is such a brittle man. And when people are Insecure, they hide behind these positions of power without any real, true substance. The difference here in Chicago is that we hold to our values and we don't flinch, we don't bow, we don't cower, we don't break. We're not intimidated by what he is doing. In fact, I put forth the budget that literally protects Chicagoans from Donald Trump's cuts. Right? So, yeah, I mean, it's clear that this president has done things like we secured $2 billion from the federal government to extend our public transportation line to go farther south where many black families reside. That fight been going on for 50 years. So a year ago, we finally secured it. I'm 49, just to give you some context. And so we secured it and then President Trump withheld it because he didn't want it to go to a community that would have benefited from this investment, while at the same time writing a blank check to Argentina, at least $20 billion and counting. So we know that the intentional attacks that are coming from the Trump administration and the extreme right in this country has very much, much been what I call, it's an attempt to relitigate the civil war. Right. They have not accepted the results that the north actually won. Right. Because if you look at all of the attacks, it's not just black cities he's going after education, housing, transportation, good paying jobs and healthcare. Those are literally the five demands of descendants of slaves post civil war. So it's evident that they are not committed to actually realizing the full dream of what this country can offer. And that's public good, public service, to benefit everyone.

[Jennifer]

And it seems like the, the attacks on blue cities have been. You mentioned, they go back to Reagan. There has been a long, decades long propaganda aimed at blue cities which you can't really name a successful red city. It simply doesn't exist. And I'm just putting that out there. But I think it's because the enemy of white supremacy is multiculturalism. In order to live in a city, you have to be able to cooperate, and it takes cooperation. And the cooperation means you cooperate with people of a different religion, a different gender, a different sexuality, a different skin color. And these people are your neighbors and you have to communicate together, non verbally or verbally to walk across the street. And this really hurts their desire to preserve the structures that have benefited them so much where they have received affirmative action. And instead they flip the script and propagandize that somehow these people in blue cities are trying to milk off of them, when the reality is it's the people that don't live in blue cities that get the benefits of all the hard work that goes into the blue cities that then ricochets to the places that don't pay as much in taxes. And the Democrats have done a really bad job messaging that. That is not something that has been messaged. Democrats, that's govern but don't message. And as a party leader right now, and I think we can look to you and Pritzker and the newly elected new to be sworn in, Zoran Mamdani for new progressive leadership in our party. How do you see the party moving forward as it pertains to governing while messaging at the same time?

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Look, you're absolutely right. I mean, about the, you know, your analysis. And quite frankly, you know, I believe a loving critique of the party, you know, you know, have people who come into these offices in these spaces, and we believe that just because we're doing the work that that's going to automatically translate into people feeling or experiencing what that work has been designed to do. And that's why, you know, podcasts, or in my case, we call them lakeside chats in Chicago, that's a play off of, of course, the lake versus a fireside chat, where I take the message directly to the community. It's something that I learned early in my administration that we didn't do enough of that we have to talk to people and engage with people around our. Why? It's not just about what we're doing, it's why we're doing it. So that's thing one, we have to stay engaged. I come out of the organizing apparatus as a labor organizer, as a community organizer. That's how you continue to build movement. But the second thing is we have to stay true to our values. Look, I fought Democrats in Chicago, Democrats who privatize our education system, shut down public schools, shut down public housing, shut down mental and behavioral health care services. I'm the first mayor since Mayor Harold Washington to actually invest in public mental health. Right. And it's about making sure that we're challenging even within our own party. Which gets at the last part of your question, you know, what do we do and what do we say in this moment and how do we build off the success that we had a couple of Tuesdays ago? We have to demand in this country the ultra rich to pay their fair share in taxes. We saw the largest upward transfer of wealth into the hands of a few people, large corporations and billionaires, than we've seen in any other time in the history of Chicago. In the history of the country. Right. And so now, you know, we're literally in the midst of working through what Justice Brandes warned us of almost a century ago, more than a century ago, that you can either have a democracy or wealth concentrated into the hands of the few. But he said we cannot have both. And so in this moment, if our democracy is going to survive, if our humanity is going to be protected, as Democrats, those of us who are fighting, at least some of us are fighting others, ostensibly fighting for working people, we have to demand that the public services, the public institutions, have to be in the hands of the public, and we have to demand these millionaires. And now we're literally on the brink of having trillionaires. They have to pay their fair share. If we do not do that, our democracy, our economy, will not be sustainable if we as Democrats don't stand up and make sure that we're literally fighting for the interests of everyday working people.

[Jennifer]

Don't you feel like with what just happened with the government shutdown. I know, I felt this. That MAGA is going to do what MAG is going to do. It's not. The MAGA movement isn't necessarily true. They're just less polite about it. Now. MAGA is the Republican Party, the same as it was during Bush, both Bushes and Reagan. They're just a lot more in your face about it. There's. They're, they're. They're a lot more overt with their racism instead of COVID and they're just, you know, just complete dicks about most of it. So I expect all of that from them. But the Democratic Party, I have a higher standard for. And when I see these centrists Democrats, and I call them pick me Democrats, because they're too scared to make anybody mad. And so they just kind of say, oh, pick me. I'll be. I'll be agreeable on this, agreeable on that. I feel like at this moment, when in your city you had men in masks kidnapping people, denying due process in a Supreme Court that says, yes, you can racially profile people, that this is serious, serious, that this is as serious as it gets. And if somebody can't fight, and I'm talking about the eight that voted with Republicans to reopen the government and Schumer, who behind the scenes gave his blessing, that the most patriotic and best thing we can do as progressive Democrats is hold their feet to the fire because this centrist Democrat. Pick me. We don't want to upset anybody. We're going to govern incrementally, has made Us all less sad, safe, and the Constitution is hanging in the balance.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Yeah, look, you're spot on here. I mean, it reminds me of words that the writer Gary Young wrote, you know, about 10, 15 years ago, where he essentially said that Jim Crow had a son. And, you know, instead of, you know, wearing their sheets, you know, out in public, they display the same value system of those who believed solely in white supremacy. In fact, it was President Biden who at the commencement speech at Howard University a couple of years ago, he said, the greatest threat to our democracy is white supremacy. Now, we can have another conversation about the former President Biden, but I think to your point, let's not act like the Republican Party that exists today is one that was formed when President Trump was sworn in. And that's why I made the early reference to Ronald Reagan. You know, there's been an extreme, you know, shift to the right in this country for a very long time. I can tell you, you know, though I was young, you know, my father lived and worked during the Reaganomics era. And I can tell you I know what it's like to open up a refrigerator and there's no food in it, you know, or our water bill got behind, or we had an extension cord from our home to our neighbor's home just to make sure that there was some electricity. And my father worked hard every day, and the ends didn't meet. Like, that's the real struggle that families have had over the course of decades. Dr. Keen described it as one of the evils, right, between militarism to your reference earlier about masked men with long guns, sticking them into the faces of families to poverty. Right. And it's incumbent upon us as Democrats, particularly those of us who. Who understand the daily struggle of working people in this country. We cannot capitulate or somehow believe that if we play nice with these individuals, that somehow they're going to, you know, through the goodness of their hearts and through benevolence, that they're going to decide to take on racism and poverty. They have never demonstrated that they're willing to do that. In fact, what's so disheartening. And I've had these conversations with Reverend Jackson before, you know, when he was a little bit stronger, when he took his message all over the country, whether it was in our urban centers or Appalachia or rural America. The struggle, collective struggle for working people, that's the one that is really going to help strengthen and defend this democracy. And you have too many weak Democrats that believe if you play nice with individuals who are literally clearly breaking the rules that somehow that group is going to understand the struggle that I went through and other families like mine. It's nonsense, right? And so that's why I'm working hard every single day to continue to show up for working people. Investing in education, investing in transportation. We have reopened open mental health clinics in, in Chicago. We're hiring thousands of young people not just for summer jobs, but year round. Because I know what it's like when I got my first summer check, guess who got it? My mother. Because it had to go into the larger pot for the family. Those are the day to day experiences of working people that somehow some of these pick me. Democrats, which by the way I'm totally using that. Democrats who want to be picked, but they don't want to serve. They don't want to serve everyday working people. They're more interested in serving the interests of the ultra rich in this country versus everyday working class people. That's a problem. And that's actually what we're going to have to do as Democrats is not capitulate but to double down on our efforts to ensure that the rights, the human rights of every single person, housing, education, transportation, jobs and healthcare, that that becomes a guarantee and not a chance.

[Angie]

One thing I've been watching extremely closely. First of all I love in your press conferences that you will call, call out a reporter if they call somebody an illegal. I love that because they've just successfully dehumanized so many people. But the border, the border agents, Bavino I think is the leader. And you have a judge that brought his ass in every day and exposed lie after lie which coming from that agency under Trump and Kristi Noem who killed her kids dog, I completely believe it. But they lie about what's actually happening. And you keep us in the know with your press conferences. What's the latest on the border agents in Chicago and Bevino in particular, I saw yesterday they're taking pictures that like the bean. I mean it's just unbelievable.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

It really is. I mean like the moment they stoop to a low, you just, you don't want to get too close just because how low they will go there's just no end. I mean, and, and you know I said this yesterday at the press conference or two days ago. You know, there are some gruesome images that we have studied and we have witnessed throughout America's history. As a former social studies teacher, I taught seventh grade primarily in eighth graders taught a year high school. And that photo just reminded me of photos that we've seen in the past and how grotesque, how insensitive, how inhumane those photos are. And, and I like to refer to him as barbaric. Bavino. Right. I mean, here's someone who just seems not to have an ounce of sense whatsoever or any level of dignity. When he was brought in before the federal judge, instead of getting dropped off in front of the courthouse or even going in the back way, he wanted to make a big spectacle of it. So he was dropped off a block away, paraded down the streets in Chicago, began to get these just. It's awful, these salutes. I mean, it's, it's, it's the. To be in the midst of this right now, this terror that is coming from the Trump administration and all of his henchmen and women, it reminds me of how sensitive and delicate our democracy is and why we have to have fortitude and strength in this moment to not cower or break or bend, you know, and so, you know, it's awful to see. Let's just not name it for what it is. It's racist. And it's why I've even called for the United nations to come to the city of Chicago, the Human Rights Council, to see how the Trump administration is impacting Chicagoans and Americans. People are going hungry, they're going without homes, they're being terrorized in their own communities. The fact that ice that their budget is only second or third to the United States military, military or China's military. Right. This is Donald Trump's private ties police force that has run amok. And Bavino has clearly worked. And what I've seen outside of the parameters of the law and the hope is that at least that our judicial system continues to show some level of accountability. Because going back to two questions ago, that accountability certainly is not coming from Congress. Right.

[Jennifer]

Right now, no, it is not coming from Congress. And we all know that Moses Mike Johnson has completely eliminated his co equal branch and has completely abdicated it to Trump. The Supreme Court is disappointing beyond yesterday or a few days ago. This will air in a couple of days. They agreed not to hear the gay marriage, which, you know, sometimes have moments of clarity, I guess, but these are really, really dangerous times. And what I see is the through line through all of these things that we're talking about is bigotry and bigotry towards the poor, bigotry towards people of color, anti immigrant bigotry. I've seen a huge rise in sexism, a huge call on the right to overturn the 19th Amendment. Let me just tell you, as two female podcasters, Internet is not a safe space for us to be in. The threats, death threats, threats of sexual violence are constant. And it's a really weird phenomenon because I think, well, this is a pretty serious message. I should probably send that to the FBI. But when you think about who's running the FBI, we're in very, very precarious position. Which brings me to my question to you, which has to do with where the Democratic Party is and our inability to mess message. And I recently moved to New York and was really excited for Zoran Mamdani and towards the closing of his candidacy of his race. The Islamophobic attacks on him were just so horrible, a lot of which coming from Democrats and, or Democrats didn't stand up and defend him. Now, Mamdani may be further left than Kathy Hochul, but she still up for him and stood up against those attacks. And I see some people in the Democratic Party that are beholden to AIPAC that did not stand up for him in the face of bigotry. And we have to be the party that is the anti bigotry party. And we have to acknowledge that all of this bigotry is linked. Racism is linked to sexism is linked to anti Semitism is linked to Islamophobia, is linked to homophobia. And none of us are safe until all of us are safe. Safe. And I just think it's really interesting that there are members of our party in leadership positions that take donations from a lobby that paid the same amount of money that Elon Musk did to get Donald Trump elected. I'm talking about AIPAC. 330, $350 million they gave him to give him elected. How can they be morally clear about bigotry or about anti Semitism or Islamophobia if they're taking money from the people who spiked the deal that Biden had for the ceasefire? And I just think we have a real problem brewing in the party right now. And I think it's going to take leaders like you, Pritzker, names that maybe aren't, you know, top of the fold every day to rise up this new Democratic progressivism that leaves no one behind and refuses to demonize the poor and starts messaging our values and how all of this bigotry is connected. Unless you're a rich white man, otherwise you're not safe.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Look, I want to drop this mic on your behalf. I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean that. I mean, I don't want to just like reduce it to a monologue because I think it's actually more of a manifesto in terms of offering up real direction here. And, you know, as you know, to hear both of you speak with so much moral clarity, it's encouraging, quite frankly. Breathtaking. And it's exactly what we need. And as a husband, as someone who is raising a daughter, to know that there are women out there who are taking such a bold stance, even in the face of adversity and threat, it's not lost on me of your courage. And in fact, you know, I share this with other people when we're talking about the most marginalized groups. It's amazing how people believe that their life position is going to be threatened because someone else is now protected under the Constitution. It's like, like civil rights would just ruin the rights of white people. That didn't happen. Right. It's not like gay marriage ended mine. Right. You know, it's like immigrants are, are not taking your job. The, the, the, the corporate greed is taking jobs. Right. And so there's always this idea that somehow if we work on behalf of the most marginalized people, that somehow other folks are going to lose, and that's just not the case. And so I believe you're absolutely right in everything that you said, that when it comes to defending our humanity, that is something that should draw us near to one another. That's how I was raised. So, look, honestly. So my father was a pastor, my grandfather is a pastor. My grandfather didn't even allow politicians in his pulpit, may he rest in peace. But I'm sure he is over that his grandson has called for the legalization of marijuana. And I think that sex workers should be unionized. So how's that for someone who comes out of the fundamentalist black church? But I think the larger point is that there are people groups that have been harmed over the course of decades and centuries. And it's incumbent upon this generation. And if we see ourselves as the party that champions working people or as my father preached, when you do unto the least of these, you do it unto him. And so that's what I live by. You know, a proud progressive Christian, you know, who believes that, you know, our religion should not be used as a weapon to marginalize and to harm people. Our nation and our nation's position and prowess should not be used as a way to circumvent universal humanitarian rights. Right. And so I'm even in the midst of all of this, this. To get back to your original statement within your presentation was what happened in New York, what happened in Virginia and what happened in New Jersey, and we picked up some seats in Mississippi. My family came up from Salas, Mississippi, during the second migration. To know that there are people who are organizing in red states and turning counties and smaller cities blue or more progressive, that gives me hope. And I think that the party would do itself a favor if it would relinquish its reluctance or their tendency to cling to the stereotypical face of power, which is a white Protestant man. And that, by the way, I've seen more horrific examples of that manifestation of leadership than someone who is Muslim or someone who is gay. And so I do find strength and encouragement in this season knowing that at what Mamdani ran on and what he will govern on around affordability. We're doing that in Chicago, where we're building more affordable homes, up to 10,000 by the end of my first term. And we're doing it in pockets of the city that have been historically, historically disinvested in. And as a result of our investments, you know, we have seen a decline in homicides, 30% reduction. Shootings are down 35%. Shooting victims are down 35%. Vehicular carjacking is down almost 50%. A lot more work to be done. But I am proof positive that a progressive working class person can lead a major city and all hell doesn't break loose. In fact, we've seen the opposite in our beloved city. That life is improving for so many people. And that's the hope that I'm going to cling to. And that's the hope that we saw a couple of Tuesdays ago.

[Jennifer]

It's because you're not a pick me mayor. That's why you're fighting for the game.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Certainly not a pick me mayor. In fact, when I announced my candidacy, October of 2022, I was pulling that. You know, I mean, literally, my. My senior advisor looked at me is like, look, man, we've done this before.

[Jennifer]

Throw it in.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

I'm like, yeah, looks like we have about 56 more percentage points to gain between now and election day.

[Jennifer]

You did. But you know what, the same thing.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Oh, absolutely.

[Jennifer]

But people are starving for this.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

That's absolutely right. And I'm, I'm humbled by all of this because the elevation that are held for me right now as mayor were the very elevators that I took an arrest in front of. You know, some of the politicians who are looking to score political points who have political aspiration. You know, I was on a hunger strike to keep schools open in the city of Chicago. Right. And so it's that type of drive. The experience that I had growing up in a working class family, the experience that I had teaching in our public schools, the experience that I had, I had organizing in communities across the city. That's the reference and the framework that I bring to this position. And that's what people are in desperate need for is someone who is. Someones who are willing to connect with the day to day experience of pretty much all of us and then lead with those convictions.

[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

Everybody's talking about it.

[Jennifer]

Everybody's talking about it. It took us one day to write it because we're on day one because.

[Angie]

We took a cognitive test and it was book right?

[Jennifer]

Done. All right. Anyway, please buy our book. It's a great way to support us. It is a really fun read for the fall. Curl up with your pumpkin spice lattes and just enjoy living the American dream and dipshit trumps America. This episode of I've had it is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Shifting a little money here, a little there, hoping it all works out well? With the name your price tool from Progressive, you can be a better budgeter and potentially lower your insurance bill too. You tell Progressive what you want to pay for car insurance and they'll help find you options within your budget. Try it [e-mail] progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. This ad is brought to you by Vive Healthcare, the makers of Apertude Cabotegravir.

[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Kylie]

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[Jennifer]

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[Angie]

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[Jennifer]

Sign up for your $1 a month [e-mail] Listen. Shopify.com Listen. All right, now we're going to play our game with you. We're having fun. It's called had it or hit it. So I'm going to name something and if you like it, you're going to say, I'll hit that. And if you don't like it, you'll say had it.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

All right, so let me just let my.

[Jennifer]

Sometimes white men have a hard time with the hit it part.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

See, I was just, I was gonna say as a male, this ought to be good. So hopefully that my political career does not end on this podcast. All right.

[Jennifer]

Oh my God. Welcome to had it or hit it. I Would hit it. I hit it every day. Sometimes twice a day. Had it or hit it. Catch up on hot dogs.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Had it. Yeah, that one. Yeah. That's bad. I. I have this really bad joke. I think it's good, though. So now that the Pope is from Chicago, to put ketchup on a hot dog is now a cardinal sin.

[Angie]

That's pretty good.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

All right, all right. Got it.

[Jennifer]

Had it or hit it. Chicago winters.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Oh, man. Yeah, we have to hit it.

[Jennifer]

Yeah.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

You look, you can't be in Chicago and be afraid of. Of the winter.

[Jennifer]

I, I agree. I mean, I think if you're going to live there, you got a man out.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Just saying, it's like, here's something. I'll give you some advice. Get a coat.

[Jennifer]

Okay. Had it or hit it. Legacy and. Or corporate media.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Oh, my gosh. Oh, man, that's easy.

[Angie]

Had it.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Had it.

[Angie]

Nailed it.

[Jennifer]

Nailed it. Yeah, they suck. It's, you know, the capitulation across the board, Mayor, from law firms to universities to oligarchs to the media hubs. And I talk about all the time. I'm like, you know, there's never been a bigger advertisement against being a billionaire than the humiliation exercise that you. You've never, you haven't flown commercial in decades. And you have to make some bullshit trophy and march it into the Oval Office, which looks like Marie Antoinette threw up. Up in. And give it to this frail, demented man and humiliate yourself. That's not freedom. That is not freedom. It is a walking, talking advertisement against billionaires. Which brings me to my next one. Had it or hit it. Billionaires.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Had it.

[Jennifer]

Had it. I agree. They're proving to be like that. I. I had a guest on a couple weeks ago named Emma Viland with the min. Minority report. Majority, minority, majority report. Anyway, she said she feels like once people become billionaires, they get a kind of psychosis. And when she said that, I thought, God, that makes sense because they all.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Seem so crazy afraid, like somehow like their billions is just going to disappear, you know, even though, like right now, you know, people are literally being disappeared in this country. And, you know, there was a debate whether or not billionaires should even exist, and now we're about to have trips. Billionaires so had it.

[Jennifer]

And let's talk about how. What Late stage capitalism, that is, you do a Sig Heil, you make the ugliest truck ever made on the planet, and your board of directors gives you a trillion dollars. I'm, I'm sorry, but like this, that is some late stage effed up capitalism if I've ever seen it. That's nuts.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

It is. And it's one of those things, like, as a parent. So, like, I've accepted things for my children, children, and it's like a good duty as a dad if there's something that they think is cute. And I'm sure every parent has had it. And, you know, you have that child that makes something for you, they want to cook something for you, and they bring it in, and it's just like, you feel like you have to like it. That's what I feel like that's happening right now with the, you know, corporate media and billionaires and trillionaires. Is this like. It's almost like they feel like they're acting like if they're forced to actually accept something even though we know it's trash. And I just want my kids who are watching this one day. All the gifts that you gave to me were not trash. I loved all, and I have them. They're stored somewhere in the attic.

[Jennifer]

Okay, Mayor, last one. Had it or hit it. The United States of America.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Oh, listen, hey, listen. It's still, I believe, the best place on the planet, so let's hit it. But it's got to be a place that works for everyone and not just the ultra rich.

[Jennifer]

I completely agree. And I think we probably have a mutual friend. Pumps and I are from Oklahoma City, and Mayor David Holt is a very good friend of ours. And I'm sure you've probably worked with that tall man before, and he is lovely. And I think that he illustrates, as do you, that mayors do some of the most important work in this country.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Absolutely. The US Conference of Mayors across this country has done, I believe, a real fine job at getting that message out. The American cities that make up continents, and whether it's here in North America or Central or South America, around the globe, it's the cities where the rubber meets the road. It's where people expect government to work. And that's why I'm truly honored to really serve. You know what I believe is the global capital of the world, the greatest frequency in the world. The city of Chicago.

[Jennifer]

I love it. Mayor, thank you so much. I bonded. It was a great episode, so I can't thank you enough. And the next time we're in Chicago, Chicago, we'll hit you up so we can talk about what we've had it with.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Okay? For sure. I'll definitely look forward to it. And just as a quick one, maybe we should talk about these oversized NBA players who can dribble and shoot from the perimeter like that. I'm. I'm not necessarily a fan of. I remember the days where tall men had to, like, stay down low. What we're seeing now with people like Wimby, these oversized centers who can take jump shots from 35ft out, I'm a little concerned about that. So maybe we can have that at part of our conversation. These metahuman beings.

[Jennifer]

We should. And we'll also talk about thunder versus Bulls. Go, Thunder, baby.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

Oh, come on. Come on. Go, Bulls. Love you all. Keep up the great work. Really proud of you all. And I'm just grateful to the attention that you're bringing to so many people, and especially the people who have been stuffed in the margins for generations. People are coming out in a way that I believe is going to help transform our democracy as we know it. It's not going to return to what it was. We're going to make it better than what it was. And because of you two, I'm certainly inspired and encouraged by it.

[Jennifer]

Likewise. Thank you, Mayor. Have a great day.

[Mayor Brandon Johnson]

All right. Bye. Bye.

[Jennifer]

Bye. I just really love him.

[Angie]

I like him so much.

[Jennifer]

I just feel like we need to just platform these politicians that have moral clarity that there wasn't any word salad. He stood up for everybody. He had clarity about how rigged the system is. He had clarity about bigotry. He had clarity about how the system is rigged for white people, and there's an effort to uphold white supremacy. And so many people we know, pumps that we grew up around would discredit him immediately once he starts speaking as a race hustler and would diminish him because of the color of his skin. So every chance we have an opportunity to partner with somebody who really fought for his people is a great, wonderful politician. That makes you, you know, politicians now nowadays have that, like, feeling. The Mom Donnies, this guy, others that, you know, Jasmine Crockett, they make you feel like, okay, they're fighting for something.

[Angie]

Yeah, they're authentic and they get it. Two things that really stuck with me when he said people are not. They haven't accepted that. The results of the Civil War. I'm like, he's 100% right. 100% right.

[Jennifer]

That.

[Angie]

I mean, we're still fighting about that. And then I loved that he used his faith, which you see far and away more in black churches, to fight for the marginalized and to stand up for people versus the white evangelical churches that otherize people and judge people, so that those. Those two things really stood out to Me from him.

[Jennifer]

There is a, you know, a link between the KKK and modern day white evangelicals all the way to mega churches. And there is a component in black evange evangelical churches of social justice is really in that. But I think what he was saying towards the end of that is he's even evolved beyond the, the confines of his religion to accept trans people, to try to unionize sex workers, to marijuana. And so I think the key lesson to that is whenever you hear somebody, a politician, a religion, a billionaire talk about things in very rigid terms and we're not open to the evolution and the flow and the progress of things, that's a problem. So what a great story. His is from being, you know, a very rigid black fundamentalist church, Christian style upbringing. And he is a evolved through his own faith to become more open minded and more open minded and that really is the key and that's the, the enemy of, of, of all of the things that these fascists want to conserve and preserve. And so I like that he has evolved his faith and talks about because there is a lot of homophobia and marginalization even within the black churches. And so you see these progress progressives coming out and taking the social justice teachings of MLK and evolving even more to, to link, like I said, all of those human rights because I truly believe they're all linked. And I think a lot of people in the Democratic party are dangerously prioritizing anti Semitism over all of the others instead of linking them because prioritizing one is only going to make those people less safe. And so you have to be against bigotry across the board. I completely agree. Kylie, put your camera up. Look at what she's just put on you guys.

[Angie]

What did I put on?

[Jennifer]

Oh.

[Angie]

Very nice.

[Jennifer]

Back end. Kinkles make taco tits.

[Kylie]

Also I have an update on your hat at Jen. I reached out to my brother who's a commercial pilot and he said it's the pilot's fault. They're supposed to check it 15 to 20 minutes before passenger load.

[Jennifer]

Do you mean to tell me when I sat at LAX for 10 hours and the pilots were on that plane for at least six hooting and hollering that they could have checked that plane and I could, that bird could have gotten in there. I'm furious. I tried to give them an out.

[Angie]

You did? Really tried, yeah.

[Jennifer]

You know what I might start doing? I. You know what? I'll make pumps do it because she's more, she's a better Karen than I am because I write her Karen and hotels. P. The next time we're flying together, I'm going to have you get on the plane and just go ahead and poke your head in the cockpit. Have you guys already done all the checks? We're not. You did all the checks?

[Angie]

We don't need maintenance. Every. Everything's working. We checked that before the passengers came.

[Jennifer]

Right, Right.

[Angie]

Okay.

[Jennifer]

We've already done a check. Right.

[Angie]

Okay.

[Jennifer]

I'm just checking. Have you done a check? And if they say no, you'd be like, what the you have us all on here for?

[Angie]

Then why, why are we on if you haven't done a check? Why wasn't this done before the passengers got on? Wouldn't that make more sense? Wouldn't that be more efficient?

[Jennifer]

There she said, I will ride that Karen coattail. And here's what I do. Listener. She'll do something like that. And then the person looks back at me and I'm like, but I'm sorry, but on the inside I'm like, God, she's just getting them. Yeah, okay.

[Angie]

And I'm just gonna say I fixed a microphone problem during the episode all by myself. So. Hello, technical guru.

[Jennifer]

Excellent. All right.

[Angie]

We will see you next Tuesday and Thursday.

[Jennifer]

All right, bye everyone. I'll tell you what I've had it with. Let's hear it. I've had it with that. Listen up patriots, gaytriots and natriots. We have a new podcast that has dropped. It's called IHIP 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 the petty grievances.

[Angie]

We are on all the available platforms. Apple, Spotify, Google, whatever you get your podcast and YouTube.

[Jennifer]

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? Caca. A little bit more enthusiasm. That's it. That's, that's, that's the patriotism that this country your needs right there. Save over $200 when you book weekly. Stays with VRBO this winter. If you haven't seen your college besties since, well, college. You need a week to catch up in a snowy cabin, take a week long vacation and save over 200. Book [e-mail].