Indian American comedian and podcaster Akaash Singh is back in the internet’s hot seat, and once again it is something he said into a microphone that refuses to stay quiet. During a recent episode of the “Flagrant” podcast, which he co-hosts with Andrew Schulz, Singh tossed out a line that instantly lit up timelines and comment sections alike.
“There’s probably more pedophiles in the Oval Office,” Singh said.
The joke, or jab depending on where one sits, spread fast. Social media users were quick to replay the clip, dissect it, and point out what they saw as a noticeable shift in tone.
The pushback largely came from the same online crowd that remembers how podcasting comedians, including voices from this ecosystem, played a role in shaping the moment around Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
To them, Singh now sounded different from what he was heard a couple of months back.
As the comments poured in, one user wrote, “@andrewschulz @AkaashSingh both of you need to retract your statements from this episode. One your percentage is wrong, and two they have tried to release the Epstein files and a judge blocked them. And you guys know this. You make that pedo joke knowing damn well if there was any evidence it would have been used against him when he was running for office, which ironically you guys platformed him for. You enthusiastically kissed his ring that episode but now want to run your mouths? Your fans won’t forget. And your haters won’t jump on board just cause you’re talking shit now.”
“Y’all voted for this. Nahhhhhh,” another wrote. Another user wrote, “all of these dudes 18 months ago.”
Another comment was, “Why’s he crying now? He spent a ton of time promoting Trump? Fucking hypocrite.”
All of this is unfolding in the Trump era, which has neatly overlapped with the boom of hourlong Netflix comedy specials and the rise of the freewheeling comedy podcast. Stand-up in America has never been a monolith, and neither has its politics.
While many comedians still take shots at everyone, Singh’s latest remark has added fresh fuel to an already polarized debate around the Trump administration, touching on everything from immigration and trade to tariffs and how America presents itself to the world. And the most striking question is why these comedians-turned-podcasters are suddenly striking a different chord.
Earlier in 2024, the “Flagrant” podcast offered a very different snapshot of where Andrew Schulz and Akaash Singh were landing politically. In one episode, the duo laughed along as Donald Trump reeled off his trademark nicknames for rivals such as “Comrade Kamala” Harris and revisited the moment he survived a near-assassination, turning serious political drama into podcast fodder.
In another episode, recorded just days before the election, Singh shifted gears and aimed his fire squarely at the Democratic Party. The tone was blunt and impatient, with Singh arguing that Democrats had been shielded from the kind of hard scrutiny they deserved, especially over how they handled President Joe Biden’s candidacy.
“I think we’re giving Democrats way too much credit,” Singh said, venting his frustration at what he described as a reluctance to confront failures or make room for new leadership. Referring to Biden, he was even more direct. “He should have dropped out,” Singh said, framing the party’s refusal to pass the baton as a key reason for its troubles.
Singh did not stop there. He also revisited the legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a figure revered by many liberals, and questioned her decision to remain on the bench during Barack Obama’s presidency despite serious health issues. “If she just decided, ‘I’m in my mid-70s with cancer, I should drop out while Obama’s in office,’ Roe v. Wade might not have been overturned,” Singh argued.
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Singh, who had earlier shared the Flagrant studio with Donald Trump in a highly publicized episode, also leaned into the optics that have come to define the 2024 race, especially as both Trump and President Joe Biden edge through their late 70s. For Singh, the contrast was less about policy and more about imagery.
“Think about the visual of Trump getting shot and standing up, raising a fist in the air, versus Joe Biden walking up a flight of stairs,” Singh said, a line that quickly circulated online for its bluntness.
Trump’s eventual return to the White House, despite multiple criminal charges and a long list of controversies, left many political observers pointing fingers at the Democratic establishment. The post-election consensus among critics was that Democrats struggled to offer a clear, unified alternative, a vacuum that Trump once again managed to fill.
The Flagrant appearance itself also gave Trump space to revisit one of the most divisive issues in American politics. On abortion, the former president sought to draw a line between himself and hardline positions within his own base. “I do believe in exceptions,” Trump said, referring to situations involving the life of the mother, rape, and incest.
Trump went further, arguing for abortion access in extreme cases involving violent crimes. “If your daughter’s impregnated by someone who’s from a prison and has killed people, absolutely, you have to be able to do that,” he said, framing his stance as a matter of practicality rather than ideology.