These Podcast Hosts Want to Help You Laugh Through Your Feelings About The Mueller Report

By John Horn with Jonathan Shifflett and Andrea Gutierrez

To most people, the Mueller report isn't exactly funny.

But for the three hosts of the podcast "Mueller, She Wrote," there is plenty of time for laughs -- between bursts of outrage.

The podcast has been tracking the special counsel's investigation since the first major indictments in the fall of 2017, and in a strange coincidence of timing, had scheduled a live recording of its latest episode for Thursday night at Largo. Of course, Mueller's redacted report was released publicly just hours before curtain call, giving the live show an unusual sense of urgency.

"It literally changed 20 minutes before we got here," AG, one of the show's three hosts, said. "We've had the same structure for live shows that we've been doing. I was like, we can't just act like it's a normal day!"

Unlike the hosts of most other political and legal podcasts, the women behind "Mueller, She Wrote" are neither journalists nor lawyers. Instead, they share a common connection as stand-up comedians.

But their passion for covering all things Mueller is no prank -- AG (as the lead host calls herself), Jaleesa Johnson and Jordan Coburn might sometimes play a fantasy sports-like game about which member of Trump's inner circle will next be indicted, yet they can also cite federal statutes and quote plea agreements... and separate spin from facts (even though they have a clear liberal bias).

AG is currently a federal employee (she can't say what her job title is, specifically). By using just her initials for the show, she is complying with the Hatch Act, which regulates the political activities of federal employees. Despite this precaution, AG said that she may soon not be working in her job anymore -- and it won't be her choice.

"I've been in service, including my Navy service, 13 years. It means a lot to me, but I've got to do what I've got to do," AG said," And I can't do what they won't let me. So that's where I'm at."

At Thursday's live show, the three hosts scrambled to put together a new podcast that reflected the day's huge news. As is often the case on "Mueller, She Wrote," the analysis was a hybrid of reporting and commentary, much of it laced with caustic put-downs.

"To take these traumatic and important events and spin them into humor," AG said, "it helps us get through it. It's kind of like, if you don't laugh, you'll cry."

Listen to this segment on KPCC's The Frame podcast.