Lovett or Leave It – "Political Violence Bad"

Date: September 13, 2025
Host: Jon Lovett (Crooked Media)

Episode Overview

In this powerful, darkly funny, and challenging episode, Jon Lovett addresses the shocking escalation of political violence in America, particularly the murder of Charlie Kirk. He explores the toxic political climate, the manipulation of tragedy for partisan purposes, and what it means for democracy and empathy. Lovett is joined by Minnesota State Rep. Leigh Finke for a nuanced discussion on anti-trans scapegoating and policy. The episode also features a lively, joke-filled queer panel with Alex English, Punky Johnson, and River Butcher, culminating in the always-unpredictable Rant Wheel.

Main Segments & Key Timestamps

1. Opening Monologue: A Week of Political Violence ([01:18–12:01])

Main Points

• Backdrop: Lovett launches into the show with rapid-fire jokes about current pop culture, quickly pivoting to the grim news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
• Escalation of Political Violence: Lovett lists recent incidents—attempts on Trump’s life, murders of lawmakers, the Paul Pelosi hammer attack, and more—framing these as symptoms of a deeply broken political era.
• How Politicians Respond:
  • Democrats universally condemn violence.
  • Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is praised for genuine, unifying leadership:

    “Nothing I say can unite us as a country… We just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be.” ([03:29], Governor Cox)

  • Many GOP leaders and right-wing media figures—Alex Jones, Trump, a member of Congress—use the moment to vilify the left, stoke fear, and promise crackdowns.
    • Notable quote from a Congressmember:

      “Some of the American left are undoubtedly well meaning people, but their ideology is pure evil. They hate the good, the truth and the beautiful and embrace the evil, the false and the ugly.” ([04:51])

• Lovett’s Take:
  • Satirical asides about double standards ("Imagine if your colleague from sales got up and said marketing... is evil… other than at Netflix, where is that tolerated?") ([05:03])
  • Mocks the opportunism and lack of fact-finding; highlights failures in official responses and rapid disinformation.

Standout Quotes

• “And the fact that I’m the emotionally mature one here should be chilling to your core.” ([06:49], Lovett)
• “Assassinations are acts of arrogance and domination. Whatever the motive, it is an assumption of power stolen from each of us, no matter who it targets.” ([10:38], Lovett)

Key Takeaway

Empathy cannot be conditional, even when its subjects are adversarial or complicit in dangerous rhetoric. Lovett urges the audience to resist the “viciousness in us now” and remain committed to values of care and humanity—“without becoming depraved ourselves.”

2. Interview: Rep. Leigh Finke on Anti-Trans Vilification ([14:15–34:23])

Main Points

• Personal Updates: Rep. Finke recently married at the Minnesota State Capitol, infusing the discussion with a note of trans joy.
• Dehumanization and Scapegoating:
  • Finke traces the right’s tactics: blaming trans people even in unrelated tragedies, and pushing the narrative of an existential threat.
    • “The central policy of the Trump administration … is trans eradication… By making every story a trans story.” ([17:18], Finke)
  • The Wall Street Journal report about “trans and anti-fascist ideology” on the bullets is cited as an example of how quickly disinformation spreads.
• Policy Discussion:
  • The attacks aren’t limited to youth:

    “They took gender affirming care away from people in prison, military, military families… all federal employees…” ([19:08], Finke)

  • The strategy: using insurance restrictions, FTC investigations, and institutional pressures to erase care.
• Responding to the “Sports Question” Trap:
  • Lovett and Finke discuss how trans athletes become lightning rods, despite the minuscule number affected.
    • “There are 510,000 student athletes and 10 of them in the NCAA are trans. I mean, it is not a problem.” ([22:25], Finke)
    • “If you give here, you’re going to give there… people who take a baby step towards ‘it’s ok if we give up on sports,’ [soon give up on healthcare too].” ([24:05], Finke)
  • Rather, Democrats should forcefully affirm: trans people belong.
    • “Trans girls are girls and should play with the girls and trans boys are boys and should play with the boys… You will never find a pathway forward [by compromising]…” ([26:33], Finke)
• Trans Joy and the Value of Transness:
  • Moving beyond defense into celebration.
    • “I love being trans so much, and we have so few opportunities to just enjoy and love ourselves in public.” ([29:44], Finke)
    • Trans liberation unlocks liberation for all: “Everyone has ways that gender and patriarchy and these constructs have really done damage to who we are and who we can be…” ([31:05], Finke)
• Societal Discomfort and Opportunity:
  • Both Lovett and Finke opine that what unsettles many conservatives is the existential freedom transness represents.
  • They riff humorously on the absurdity of gendered shoe sizing and the boredom of men’s clothing.

3. Panel: “Gay Supreme Court” with Alex English, Punky Johnson, and River Butcher ([36:08–59:58])

Main Points

• Queer Community Banter:
  • The all-queer panel brings lively (often irreverent) conversation and Q&A, tackling audience queries about queer dating apps, identity language, and more.
• Grindr Ratings:
  • River: Instead of Yelp-style reviews, proposes “airport bathroom” style smiley faces for satisfaction. ([39:26])
  • Alex: “I don’t need them [exes] telling you what’s going on. That’s all. Yeah. I’ll never find anybody ever again.” ([41:00])
  • Punky: Advocates radical honesty about her own relationship flaws for new dates.

    “I meet a bitch, I be like, look, bitch, I’m barely gonna be home. … But I’ll pay your light bill…” ([42:36])

• Definitions: Pansexual vs. Bisexual:
  • River offers an impromptu history lesson:

    “The actual definition of bisexuality, the original definition is being attracted to the opposite gender and the same gender as yourself… pansexual was designed to be like inclusive of trans people, but it’s actually like this horseshoe of being, like kind of weirdly transphobic.” ([45:26])

• Black History & Allyship:
  • Alex riffs on the overzealous white NYU graduate desperate to discuss Black history and literature, humorously cautioning white listeners to “stand down.”
• Pete Buttigieg’s Alleged “Straightness”:
  • Lampooning a Tucker Carlson conspiracy; broad support on the panel for Pete’s “gay credentials.” Punky launches into an impassioned, expletive-laden defense:

    “The problem is not the fact that he gay. … What about who he is as a person? He’s a good person… He did the homework… Because he gay he ain’t qualified? … Pete, you should be on his next campaign…” ([59:03]–[59:41])

4. The Rant Wheel ([62:25–70:43])

Panel Rants & Highlights:

• River Butcher:
  • On cis women’s hostility to trans men in gyms and awkward restroom transitions.

  “Honestly think that’s part of why trans guys are on this planet. … Guys, we don’t have to live like this.” ([62:45])

• Leigh Finke:
  • On the sports debate’s erasure of trans men:

  “Nobody is talking about how if we do what they want us to do, jacked trans men are gonna be playing in these women’s leagues…” ([65:26])

• Punky Johnson:
  • On intra-community queer policing and regional differences in queer life:

  “If I disagree with one thing about the gay people, the group where we supposed to be all inclusive… call me homophobic. Fuck you, bitch…” ([67:26])

• Alex English:
  • On unnecessary white outrage over supposed racial issues in pop culture:

  “I need white people to understand that black people don’t really give a fuck as much as y’all do…” ([69:10])

Notable Quotes

• Lovett:

  “We are drowning in images of death and violence, and it enrages us against our opponents, it radicalizes us while sapping us of our care and empathy. … I beg you to see past your animosity, to enter that uncomfortable place where you see the humanity of those blaming us right now.” ([09:34])

• Leigh Finke:

  “Trans liberation is liberation for everyone, because everyone has ways that Gender and patriarchy … have really done damage to who we are and who we can be.” ([31:05])

• Punky Johnson:

  “There are different regions of gay… Don’t call me homophobic, bitch. We just got different regions of gay. And that’s just how the fuck the goddamn cookie crumble. Okay? Fuck y’all.” ([67:26])

• Alex English:

  “I just said I loved white people. What? 20 minutes ago, I was kind of lying, but not all the way…” ([70:28])

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: A trademark mix of sharp political satire, sincere moral challenge, and queer community humor. Lovett and his guests balance critical commentary with irreverent, incisive wit.
• Big Picture:
  • The real threat to democracy is the normalization (across both political divides) of dehumanization and violence.
  • The “culture wars” are manufactured distractions that undercut solidarity and progress, especially for already-marginalized groups.
  • Comedy and community are vital resources in weathering dark times, but mustn’t replace empathy or flatten complex, lived experiences.

Listen for These Segments

• Political violence, empathy, and responsibility: [01:18–12:01]
• Leigh Finke on anti-trans policy and joy: [14:15–34:23]
• Queer panel jokes, identity debates, and Pete Buttigieg: [36:08–59:58]
• Rant Wheel (highlighting frustrations from within and beyond the LGBTQ community): [62:25–70:43]

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