It has been two months since US Attorney General Barr released his summary of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election, and just over a month since the redacted report was made public. President Trump, of course, claims the report “fully exonerated” him, and replies with the sound bites “no collusion, no obstruction” whenever the subject comes up.
The initial coverage of The Mueller Report seemed to spell an end to the cottage industry of Trump related podcasts that sprung up looking into the President’s Russian connections and ongoing investigations. The most vulnerable seemed the show named after the man himself, Mueller, She Wrote.
Hosted by three San Diego based comedians, Jordan Coburn, A.G. and Jaleesa Johnson, Mueller, She Wrote has followed the investigation in minute detail, with a weekly breakdown of investigations, and a playable fantasy Indictment League. Host AG says the show copped a wave of abuse following Barr’s summary letter.
“We got a lot of responses, tweets and messages [laughing and saying] mud on your face? Or don't you feel stupid for having this podcast for a year and a half that's dedicated to this farce witch hunt hoax?”
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But since then, the podcast has only grown in popularity and authority. The show is picking up subscribers to the free show, as well as paid subscribers to a new spin-off daily podcast. Recent guests have included former FBI director Andrew McCabe and Michael McFall, former ambassador to Russia under President Obama.
“I hate to use the word vindication because it indicates like a victory, and this country is in a very, very precarious and terrible position. And I hate to be seeming victorious when we're in such perilous times. But I feel like this administration and Trump supporters and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders have been gaslighting us for a really long time. And now we have written proof in 450 pages that we weren't crazy. And so it's kind of like we've put the gas light out. And we’re now in a position where America is catching up …”
Despite comedians at the helm, the podcast goes into incredible detail on the investigation and its many characters. Responding to the news that just three per cent of Americans have read The Mueller Report, the podcast has just released the first episode of a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the report.
“In 40 years when they do a documentary on the Mueller investigation, I wanted to be a part of that, because I just consider this so historical and so important. But how can I possibly do that? I'm not a journalist, I can't just go on MSNBC and get a show. I'm a comedian but I’m not known for political humour, so I can just go on stage and go around and be like Bill Maher.”
“But podcasting, that's accessible to anyone. Anyone who wants to start a podcast can start a podcast. So that's what we did. We had zero marketing budget, we just started with 50 bucks in my kitchen and went from there.”