The Necessary Conversation
A novelist moderates weekly political arguments between his liberal sister and their MAGA-supporting mother.
This show is a raw, unfiltered look at the political schism within an American family. Host Chad Kultgen acts as a moderator and reluctant fact-checker as his sister and mother clash over the week's headlines, conspiracy theories, and core values. The conversations are often tense and circular, punctuated by moments of genuine familial connection and dark humor, providing a microcosm of the country's broader political dysfunction.
“Unlike structured political debates, this show's standout feature is its messy, authentic family dynamic. The long history between the participants—mother, son, and daughter—adds a layer of emotional complexity and frustration not found in typical commentary podcasts.”
Who hosts this show
The Necessary Conversation is hosted by author and podcaster Chad Kultgen, who describes the show as "family therapy through politics." Each week, he navigates contentious discussions about current events with his politically divided family members: his liberal sister, Haley Popp, and his MAGA-supporting mother, Mary Lou Kultgen. The show documents their attempts to understand each other's perspectives across a deep ideological divide.
Credentials & credits
- Novelist, author of 'The Average American Male' and 'Men, Women, and Children'
- Graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts
- Screenwriter
- Co-author of 'How to Win the Bachelor'
- Creator of the NBC series 'Bad Judge'
Other ventures
- Game of Roses (podcast)
- Dudesy (podcast)
What kind of podcast
When new episodes drop
- 01Maga justifies cops shooting at civilians with kids in the carJun 26, 2026 · 1 min
- 02Maga on cops killing a babyJun 26, 2026 · 1 min
- 03is Trump vandalizing the white house?Jun 25, 2026 · 1 min
- 04Chad and Haley discuss the current state of politicsJun 24, 2026 · 36 min
- 05Sunday Night Live!Jun 22, 2026 · 1h 03m
- 06Who Does Maga Blame For The Reflecting Pool Disaster?Jun 21, 2026 · 1h 06m
Notable episodes
- 01Who Does Maga Blame For The Reflecting Pool Disaster?
Features a tense three-way conversation where the host's mother, Mary Lou, entertains the conspiracy theory that Michelle Obama is a man, showcasing the family's deep ideological rift.
- 02Chad and Haley discuss the current state of politics
A representative 'Lib Sibs' episode where the two siblings discuss the news, with Haley wearing a distorted MAGA hat and identifying as 'Antifa' to provoke a reaction.
- 03Sunday Night Live!
A solo live stream where the host, Chad, directly engages with his audience, discusses his personal shift away from atheism, and addresses his mother's use of a transphobic slur from a previous episode.
What you'll be asked on this show
The format varies between conversations with just the host and his sister ('Lib Sibs'), episodes with the full family trio, and solo live streams where Chad interacts with his audience. The tone is informal and conversational, often feeling like an overheard, and occasionally tense, family phone call. Technical difficulties and interruptions are sometimes part of the experience.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
- “How do you feel about this?”
- “If Trump were to cross one of your stated lines, would you protest?”
- “Do you think [X] is justified?”
- “What do you think is up with [politician]?”
- “Are you saying that if [your candidate] doesn't win, the election isn't valid?”
- “Why do you think [politician] can't close the deal on [policy]?”
- “Do you think [media outlet] is lying about this?”
Signature segments
- · Lib Sibs
- · Viewer question of the week
- · Chad's Trump impression
- · Discussing the political beliefs of his MAGA parents
- · Sunday Night Live Q&A
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show's recurring 'guests' are the host's immediate family members, primarily his sister Haley Popp and mother Mary Lou Kultgen. It does not follow a traditional interview format with outside experts or personalities.
- Haley Poppon Chad and Haley discuss the current state of politics
- Mary Lou Kultgenon Who Does Maga Blame For The Reflecting Pool Disaster?
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The host promotes his Patreon for his other podcast, 'Game of Roses,' suggesting a listener base that is loyal to his broader work. This audience is likely receptive to direct-support models and cross-promotions for his other creative projects.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of The Necessary Conversation?
- The host is Chad Kultgen, an American novelist, screenwriter, and host of the podcasts 'Game of Roses' and 'Dudesy'.
- Who are the other people on the show?
- The other regular participants are the host's sister, Haley Popp, and his mother, Mary Lou Kultgen.
- What is the format of the podcast?
- It's a conversation, usually between the host and his sister, or with his mother joining as well, discussing current political events from their opposing viewpoints. There are also occasional solo live streams with the host.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, based on the recent episode dates, new episodes are released weekly.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on YouTube.
- How can I submit a question to the show?
- The show's description invites listeners to send questions in a 1-minute or shorter audio or video format to their email address.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Chad Kultgen - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
- [02]Chad Kultgen | Official Publisher Page - Simon & Schustersimonandschuster.com
- [03]Chad Kultgen - HarperCollins Publishersharpercollins.com
- [04]Chad Kultgen, the Pod God Who Teaches Us How to Win the Bachelor - You But Better (Podcast)ybbpod.com
- [05]The Man Who Turned The Bachelor Into a Sport | Chad Kultgen (Game of Roses) w/ Robin Dann - Podsongs (Podcast)podsongs.com
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