Viral Podcast Clip Condemning Homeschooling Backfires, Strengthening its Case
Outspoken political podcasters Jennifer Welch and Angie “Pumps” Sullivan sparked online outrage last week after condemning homeschooling.
The women host the “I’ve Had It” podcast, a show with millions of followers and self-described as “two middle-aged women in the buckle of the Bible belt trying to stand up for democracy.” Welch and Sullivan primarily use their platform to complain about the political and moral stances they disagree with, including the lack of support for transgender-identified children, their felt need for abortion access and political figures who practice Christianity.
Each episode is packed with crude language, overt opinions and hateful attitudes, with Welch once commenting that she and Sullivan “need to bully the s—” out of those who disagree with them.
“You want to go low, we’re gonna go lower,” she said.
Their recent bashing of homeschooling certainly fits the women’s M.O. A segment of July 14th’s “I’ve Had It” episode featured a call from a Minnesota woman complaining she has “had it” with “watching some of the stupidest people I went to school with decide that they’re qualified to homeschool their children.”
The caller continued:
Welch and Sullivan snickered and giggled at the caller’s tirade before launching into one of their own, with Sullivan, a former Christian, snatching the microphone first.
“I feel that because you would not believe how many people in Bible study homeschool their kids,” she began. “And you just think, ‘Uhhh, I worry about that.’”
Sullivan continued:
Welch followed suit, declaring:
“This is trickle down stupidity,” she concluded. “America has a crazy Christian problem. … I think it’s all child abuse, honestly.”
The podcast clip quickly went viral, sparking responses from across the nation. Most notably, the Department of Education fired back at Welch and Sullivan on X:
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who previously praised Florida as the #1 state for homeschooling in the U.S., also chimed in on X, writing, “Not true. Also, in my experience homeschoolers tend to be noticeably well-behaved.”
Additionally, political commentator Glenn Beck commented on the “I’ve Had It” episode, saying:
In a follow-up podcast episode with Don Lemon, Welch responded to the backlash with, “I stand by my statement. Unequivocally. I still believe that.”
Lemon later commented in the episode, “There’s a reason that they don’t send their kids to school.”
And he is exactly right. According to 2025 data from Pew Research Center, the number one reason U.S. parents choose to homeschool their children is “concern about the school environment,” with 83% of respondents citing this as a primary motivation. Other top reasons include “prefer to provide moral instruction” (75%), and “desire to emphasize family life together” (72%).
This third reason – cultivating family life – is directly contrary to one of Sullivan’s comments on the original episode:
Sullivan’s attitude towards her own children is extremely saddening, as families crave connection now more than ever, and this fundamental need is undoubtedly reflected in the recent rise of homeschooling.
According to the National Home Education Research Institute, homeschooling “may be the fastest-growing form of education in the United States.” Similar increases in homeschooling have been charted across multiple other countries, including Canada, Australia, France, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Russia, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom.
Welch additionally defended her claim that homeschooling is a form of “trickle-down stupidity”: “It’s like the person at the top says, ‘I’m dumb and I’m going to make my kids dumb, too,’” she told Lemon.
However, a 2025 study published in the Peabody Journal of Education found homeschool students consistently score “well above the national average” in reading, language, math, social studies and science, as well as on standardized tests and college entrance exams.
In an interview with Daily Citizen, Nathan Lively, a formerly homeschooled student now pursuing a PhD in mechanical engineering at Baylor University, commented:
Lively then described a friend of his who was educated in a public high school and recently graduated with honors from a rigorous university STEM program. Despite her academic excellence in college, Lively explained that his friend did not know basic historical facts, such as when the Declaration of Independence was signed, who was president during the Civil War, or that the Holocaust was associated with World War II.
“This is not because she is stupid,” Lively said. “She is actually one of the smartest people I know, but was simply never taught these things while in public school.”
Lively continued:
Testimonials such as these, along with irrefutable data, directly counter Welch and Sullivan’s ignorant condemnation of homeschool.
I, myself, was homeschooled in both the United States and Canada until college. The knowledge, experiences and support I received through my home education laid the foundation for a very successful university career – I now hold two bachelors’ degrees, a minor in a foreign language and several graduate honors.
Angie Sullivan’s claim that homeschooling is “easier” for parents is both untrue and extremely stereotypical. Homeschool parents are some of the hardest working, most driven individuals I’ve ever met. Not only does it take time and commitment to simultaneously develop personalized lesson plans for multiple children in different grades, but true homeschooling also requires selflessness and sacrifice. The knowledge that my mother loved her children enough to invest so much of herself into our education was a tangible testament to her love and desire to care for us – a fact that has strengthened our relationship and friendship throughout my adult life. I feel incredibly sorry for people like Sullivan’s children, as their mother publicly boasts about doing anything possible to “get them where I wasn’t.”
Contrary to Jennifer Welch’s belief that homeschoolers “fear critical thinking more than anything on the planet,” these women’s ignorant comments reflect an inability to practice the very thing they preach. Not once in their respective tirades did they cite any statistical evidence to back up their opinions – a skill they claim homeschoolers like myself are “incapable” of practicing.
Welch and Sullivan’s faulty arguments against homeschooling are, as far as I can tell, based entirely on extreme stereotypes and their own harsh feelings, not facts.
– a discourse that personally, “I’ve had it” with.
Related Articles and Resources:
Resources: Schools & Related Issues
Home Schooling: Giving Your Child a Strong Foundation
Education Department Celebrates National School Choice Week
The Anti-Homeschool Movement Wants Control of Our Children
Jennifer Burns’ ‘Excelara’ Helps Parents Reclaim Their Kids’ Education
Brazilian Mother Prosecuted for Homeschooling
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