The ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast is well-liked with disaffected Democrats : NPR

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Photos for GLAAD For individuals who do not just like the Trump administration's insurance policies or how the Democratic Social gathering has responded, there is a good probability I've Had It has come throughout their social media feeds.

It solely takes a number of seconds of listening to get a way of who hosts Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan think about their audience — and the goal of their ire.

"Patriots, Gaytriots, Theytriots, Blacktriots, Browntriots and to all of the crusty motherf****** that do not assist them, you possibly can f*** off," one latest episode started.

Welch is an inside designer. Sullivan, an lawyer. They're two middle-aged suburban ladies from Oklahoma — and one-time Bravo actuality TV stars — whose present has come to characterize a vocal coalition of a liberal base who has, nicely, had it, with Democrats.

"It feels just like the 'Preservation Social gathering,' that they wish to protect the established order," Welch stated in an interview. "It virtually feels conservative within the sense that they don't seem to be evolving and they don't seem to be transferring."

Talking to NPR on the finish of October, Welch and Sullivan talked concerning the present's rising reputation and the Democratic Social gathering's unpopularity amongst voters who say its leaders do not combat in opposition to President Trump sufficient.

"Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, they're writing strongly worded letters and it is like, this man's tearing down democracy," Sullivan stated of the Home and Senate Democratic leaders. "We'd like extra motion than we want strongly worded letters."

The 2 hosts have completely different backgrounds — Welch is a lifelong liberal atheist who's at all times been outspoken and simply moved to New York Metropolis for a spell, whereas Sullivan was raised as a conservative evangelical Christian who has slowly develop into extra comfy with sharing her political beliefs.

Each say that key Democratic Social gathering leaders aren't doing sufficient to face up for marginalized teams, to assist younger and progressive candidates like mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in New York Metropolis, or to push again in opposition to Trump insurance policies.

A type of latest moments on show was with New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, who was requested about Israel's conflict in Gaza. Extra particularly, he was requested if he thought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "a conflict prison," allegations that Netanyahu has rejected.

"These are questions that lots of people assume are the necessary litmus assessments which might be loaded and scorching," Booker stated, visibly flustered. "My urgency is to be an efficient chief in bringing an finish to this disaster. And I get these questions on a regular basis that, to me, undermine my urgency."

The identical senator who spoke for 25 hours on the ground in April to protest the Trump administration, Welch stated, filibustered what needs to be a easy sure or no query.

"The factor with Cory Booker is, I can disagree with him if he is f***** trustworthy," Welch stated of the interplay. "However to offer us a rooster**** cowardice reply about 'Is Benjamin Netanyahu a conflict prison?' The reply to that's objectively sure."

Her reply illustrates another excuse some people cannot get sufficient of I've Had It: a model of uncooked, unvarnished and infrequently rude descriptions of American politics proper now.

In an episode referred to as "America's Dumbass Dictator" that premiered on Election Day final week, Sullivan bemoaned what she referred to as the "propaganda machine of MAGA" across the suggestion that Trump might illegally run for a 3rd time period.

"I really feel like we have gone from both you are on the aspect of legality, the Structure and democracy, otherwise you're full-blown fascist and you do not give a s***," she stated.

Welch says the podcast's tone is simply how individuals speak: "a bit of little bit of gossip, a bit of little bit of coverage, a bit of little bit of 'F yous'... it is extra digestible, it is extra fascinating that means."

She additionally factors to Trump's new media successes and the way he makes politics extra conversational.

"I disagree with every little thing he says, I feel he is a compulsive liar, etcetera… however the best way we speak is actually the best way Trump has been doing it the final ten years on podcasts," Welch stated.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3334x5000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F87%2F6150d2844ba885e68b520b75567b%2Fgettyimages-2222343250.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3334x5000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F87%2F6150d2844ba885e68b520b75567b%2Fgettyimages-2222343250.jpg" class="img" alt="Jennifer Welch (L) and Angie Sullivan (R) attend a GLAAD Pride Month event on June 26, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York." loading="lazy"/> Jennifer Welch (L) and Angie Sullivan (R) attend a GLAAD Satisfaction Month occasion on June 26, 2025 in Brooklyn, New York. Bryan Bedder/Getty Photos for GLAAD cover caption

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Bryan Bedder/Getty Photos for GLAAD Sullivan provides that the duo's self-deprecating humor is vital.

"I do assume that since we do not take ourselves so significantly — like so many politicians — it makes us extra like only a gal pal that you just're working round with," she stated.

On-line, clips from the present have gone viral for his or her salty language and pejorative descriptions of Trump, Vice President Vance, Home Speaker Mike Johnson and different Republicans.

Nevertheless it's their withering rebukes of Democratic Social gathering leaders — typically to their faces — which have additionally helped the duo acquire tens of millions of followers throughout Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and extra.

"Hakeem and Chuckles – that is what we name Chuck Schumer – and the Cory Bookers of the Democratic Social gathering, if they do not get their s*** collectively, a grifter very like Donald Trump will are available and fill that void," Welch stated.

The twice-a-week "I've Had It" and its shorter twice-a-day information counterpart "IHIP Information" discover themselves on prime podcast charts subsequent to exhibits just like the Rachel Maddow Present and the Charlie Kirk Present, amassing a whole bunch of hundreds of views and listens per week throughout mediums.

"We've got all age teams, purple states, blue states, rural areas, massive cities," Welch added, when requested about who's consuming their content material. "What's so fascinating about us is that we're middle-aged ladies from a purple state, and it is like, 'Oh my God, white individuals do care! Additionally, the truth that we're novel — that, I feel, is kinda unhappy."

At a time when the political podcasting area is dominated by the manosphere and a seek for the "Joe Rogan of the Left" to convey voters again to the Democratic Social gathering, the "I've Had It" hosts say their present is making an attempt to nudge elected officers again in direction of the voters.

"I am cautious to have the mentality that a whole lot of leftists do: 'Let's simply burn all of it down, it is the one means we will get higher,'" Welch stated. "I say, let's confront and push the politicians we now have so far as we will. And if that makes them each susceptible to main, then they weren't the precise chief for us anyway."