Lovett or Leave It: "MAGA’s Uncivil War" Episode Date: March 21, 2026

Episode Overview

In this live episode of Lovett or Leave It—titled "MAGA’s Uncivil War"—Jon Lovett and guests (Maria Bamford, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Nico Santos) unpack the comedic chaos of a Republican party tearing itself apart amid Trump-era scandals, war in Iran, and public infighting. The show delivers a signature blend of satirical news analysis, cultural commentary, personal quirks, and raucous games. The focus toggles between the week’s biggest political trainwrecks, behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories, mental health and performance, intrusive thoughts, and what it means to be yourself in a world that often prefers conformity.

Key Segments & Insights

1. "What A Week": The GOP’s Implosion & War in Iran

[04:20 – 19:09]

• The GOP’s Civil War

  • The Republican Party is depicted as collapsing under “internal contradictions, political failures, and long simmering resentments.” Lovett jokes, “The girls are fighting. And if we think it’s bad now, just wait for the live reunion episode at the Hague.” (04:31)
  • Trump’s war in Iran has led to high-profile resignations and infighting among conservatives.

• Joe Kent's Resignation

  • Kent resigns as counterterrorism chief, citing the unjustness of the Iran war. Lovett quips: “You’re trying to use your good conscience in the Trump administration? No, no, you got to let that demon out…” (05:19)

• Trump’s Contradictions on Security

  • Trump says Kent was “weak on security,” even though he appointed him, prompting Lovett’s deadpan: “So Trump nominated a guy he always thought was weak on security to lead the National Counterterrorism Center. What was he tough on? Stains?” (06:10)

• White Nationalism, Conspiracy Theories, and the “Broken Clock”

  • Lovett details Kent’s troubling ties and sums up: “A broken clock is right twice a day, even if the clock broke because it was hurled through the window of a synagogue.” (06:34)

• Tulsi Gabbard’s Testimony: The Strait of Hormuz Running Gag

  • Gabbard removes key facts from oral testimony to avoid contradicting Trump. Lovett mocks: “I actually think you could develop a tool where the frequency of discussion of the Strait of Hormuz lets you know how destabilized the planet is.” (07:05)

• Allies Confused and Alienated by US Policy

  • Trump forgets basic diplomatic etiquette: “You gotta ask your allies if they're down for the war before you start the war. You can't hire a getaway driver when the bank robbery is underway.” (14:17)

• Megyn Kelly vs. Mark Levin Penis Feud

  • Social media meltdown over insults about “micropenis” prompted by Trump’s war, with Lovett relishing, “For too long, she sat idly by while bad faith actors falsely claimed Mark Levin was working with a real womb broom down there. Speaking of dicks, JD Vance is also caught in the middle of this MAGA civil war.” (10:50)

• JD Vance’s Fence-Sitting

  • Lovett likens Vance’s equivocation to Cheesecake Factory’s Skinnylicious menu: “You can't have it both ways...” (11:19)

• Trump’s Tall Tales and “Secret Former President”

  • Trump claims an unnamed ex-president told him he wished he'd bombed Iran. Lovett breaks it down: “There are only four living presidents ... Jimmy Carter is technically dead...he's trapped in a liminal space between this world and the next because he has unfinished business sleeping with a second woman.” (12:51)
  • Lovett speculates Trump could be getting catfished by an AI Bill Clinton.

• Republican Squabbles Over Cabinet Nominations

  • Lovett describes Rand Paul eviscerating Markwayne Mullin, Trump’s DHS nominee, with a vengeance for past jokes: “Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. And explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues...” (17:22)

• Final Word from a Disaffected Trump Voter

  • Random voter: “You’re a worthless pile of [bleep].” Lovett asks, “You voted for him how many times?” Voter: “Three times. That was my bad. Apparently, I’m an idiot.” (19:03)

2. Interview: Maria Bamford on Comedy, Mental Health & Documentary Fame

[23:11 – 41:15]

• Documentary Insights

  • Maria on being Judd Apatow’s doc subject: “Half the documentary is me trying to get paid.” (23:35)
  • “I'm in the back nine of life. I don't want to spend any more time in front of a camera unless I'm being paid.” (24:46)
  • Conan O’Brien called her “a lobster out of her shell, but still feeling everything.” Maria counters: “I think I'm tough as nails... Like a strong hog.” (24:56)

• Comedy, Challenges, and Contradictions

  • Lovett: “You have the confidence to do what only you could do,” inquiring about the contradiction of being a self-proclaimed mess and a huge success. (26:17)

• On Making It in Showbiz

  • “I didn't rise through the ranks of corporate America.” (27:20)
  • Bamford credits inner confidence: “I'm my biggest fan. So even if nobody likes what I do, I think I'm fucking hilarious.” (32:14)
  • “Don’t do it for the Emmys, you know, don’t do it for the Emmys.” (33:26)

• Intrusive Thoughts & Mental Health

  • Both trade their childhood intrusive thoughts and OCD tendencies.
  • Lovett: “If a phone call drops, I assume there’s been a 911 of some kind.” (34:42)
  • Bamford: “Don’t leave me alone with your dog. That’s…that’s my fear.” (37:54)
  • Segment “Glass is Half Full of Intrusive Thoughts” mixes personal fears with comedic hopeful spins.

3. Egg of Truth: Ghosts, Organs, and Medical Mishaps

[44:15 – 57:51]

• Haunted Egg of Truth Game

  • “Where would you want to haunt?” Utkarsh: “Chick-fil-A. I could do a lot of damage there.” Nico: “You punish a lot of homophobic people at Chick Fil A.” (45:17–45:47)

• Deathbed Celebrity Apparitions

  • Nico: “Valentino, so I look fabulous when I fucking die.” (47:06)

• Organ Recipients and Being Haunted

  • Maria: “I think it must be possible.” (47:48)

• Gross Medical Procedures at Home

  • Maria details removing a skin tag: “Guess what, you’ve just removed a pedunculated lesion. And I’ll be called Dr. Pedunkadunk.” (48:09–49:04)

• Directing ‘Ghosts’: On Set Antics

  • Utkarsh: “I had no respect going into it, and the process, I think it remained the same…I’m in the DGA. Fuck off.” (50:13–50:51)
  • Maria asks about “fun runs” (improv takes)—Utkarsh: “No more fun runs, baby. We got a huge cast, and we have a lot to get done.” (51:09–51:43)

• Nico on Filipino Nurse Representation

  • “It’s kind of crazy that 2025 is when [the show] premiered, and that was the first time people have seen a Filipino nurse on television, which is so crazy.” (53:14)

• Career Origins

  • Nico: “I started doing standup in SF while I was doing retail during the day... I would be, like, in my bougie uniform... All the straight male comics are like, who the fuck is this guy?” (54:06)

• Utkarsh on Writing a Spy-Fi Comic Book

  • “It’s about a guy named Abby… He’s the operator for this assassin… [They] run through the streets together trying to clear her name. And they fall in love while they’re doing it.” (55:27)

• Satire Misreadings

  • “Do you think that a lot of our problems are because people didn’t realize RoboCop was meant to be kind of satire?” (56:13)
  • Utkarsh: “They made Robocops 2 and 3 to actually cater to that audience that had no clue. Thus destroying the entire franchise.” (56:18)

• Ghostbusters Blowjob Question

  • Debating the logistics of a ghost sex act: “Where does it go? Does it just shoot through the ghost’s head?” Maria: “Some people, whether they’re ghosts or not, love giving blowjobs.” (57:10)

4. Second Thoughts & Closing Reflections

[60:21 – 64:51]

• Meta-Regrets

  • Lovett: “Did I give the audience new ideas for intrusive thoughts?... It’s a bit like the ring, and you’ve put the video in...” (61:14)
  • Maria: “No. I feel very good about what I’ve done, and I feel grateful...” (62:18)
  • Closing banter about marriage to trans partners, being a “pork chop”/underdog in Survivor, and a tongue-in-cheek regret about doubting figure skating’s technical skills. (62:35–63:58)

• Promos for Guests’ Work

  • Ghosts (CBS), St. Denis Medical, Maria Bamford’s live shows and documentary, and Utkarsh’s graphic novel, “The Guy in the Chair,” are all highlighted.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On GOP Infighting:

  • “Yes, the girls are fighting. And if we think it’s bad now, just wait for the live reunion episode at the Hague on Tuesday.” – John Lovett (04:31)

• On Internal Contradictions:

  • “A broken clock is right twice a day, even if the clock broke because it was hurled through the window of a synagogue.” – John Lovett (06:34)

• On Defensive Testimony:

  • “Instead of giving a clear answer to whether the intelligence community thought that Iran posed an imminent threat, Gabbard claimed that only Donald Trump could make that determination.” – John Lovett (08:53)

• On War Diplomacy:

  • “You gotta ask your allies if they're down for the war before you start the war. You can't hire a getaway driver when the bank robbery is underway...” – John Lovett (14:17)

• On Vision Boards & Privilege:

  • “If you give people vision boards in, like, a poor area of Appalachia, they’re just going to have a lot more hurdles even if they have cut out a picture of an Emmy...” – Maria Bamford (32:14)

• On Self-Confidence:

  • “I’m my biggest fan. So even if nobody likes what I do, I think I’m fucking hilarious.” – Maria Bamford (32:14)

• On Haunted Chick-fil-A:

  • “You punish a lot of homophobic people at Chick-fil-A, I think.” – Nico Santos (45:47)

• On Filipino Representation:

  • “It’s kind of crazy that 2025 is when the show premiered, and that was the first time people have seen a Filipino nurse on television, which is so crazy.” – Nico Santos (53:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:20] – Political chaos: GOP, war in Iran, party infighting
• [10:50] – Megyn Kelly & Levin "micropenis" Twitter feud
• [12:29] – Trump’s "unnamed ally" and NATO/war prep gaffes
• [17:22] – Rand Paul vs. Markwayne Mullin on Senate floor
• [19:03] – Trump voter’s disillusioned final word
• [23:11] – Interview with Maria Bamford: comedy, career, intrusive thoughts
• [34:42] – Intrusive thoughts segment ("Glass is Half Full…")
• [44:15] – Egg of Truth: ghosts, hauntings, medical stories, showbiz
• [53:14] – Filipino nurse representation in media
• [55:03] – Spy-fi comic book discussion (Utkarsh)
• [57:10] – Ghostbusters ghost sex conundrum
• [60:21] – Second Thoughts: Regrets & closing remarks

Episode Character & Tone

As always, Lovett or Leave It brings equal parts astute political critique and absurdist humor—exposing the week’s hypocrisy with rapid-fire jokes while revealing the human, vulnerable side of its guests. Playful, irreverent, gleefully meta, and never shying from uncomfortable truths, it’s a perfect episode for anyone trying to laugh their way through political bedlam.

Listen for:

• Blistering MAGA mockery
• Intimate and honest discussion on mental health from Maria Bamford
• Hilarious behind-the-scenes banter about the entertainment business
• Inspired moments of political, cultural, and personal candor