Ruthless Podcast

Is the media exposing the truth—or just taking out one of their own? And if a Democrat goes down, is it ever really about accountability… or just clearing the field for the next one up? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook (with Comfortably Smug out on assignment)—jump straight into the Eric Swalwell implosion with special Guest Ben Domenech.

What's the deeper game being played behind the scenes?

Because this isn’t just a scandal—it’s a case study.

Allegations pile up, the media suddenly “discovers” what...

Is the next “rising star” in politics already crashing back to earth? How does someone win big, get crowned the future of a party… and then immediately start losing the public? The fellas—Michael Duncan, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook—jump straight into the rise and sudden fall of Abigail Spanberger, and what it tells you about how political narratives are built—and how fast they collapse. Because this wasn’t supposed to happen. She was marketed as the answer. The moderate. The safe pick. The future. So why are the numbers already turning? And what happens when voters realize they w...

Is the outrage real—or is it all just a performance? When the facts start coming in and the narrative falls apart, why do the loudest voices double down instead of backing off? The fellas—Michael Duncan, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook—discuss the chaos surrounding Iran and expose what might be the biggest problem in modern politics: the “hot take economy.” Because here’s the reality no one wants to admit—when the conflict started, the takes were locked in. Outcomes didn’t matter. Facts didn’t matter. And when the ceasefire hit? The same people just… flipped the script. So what...

Is the federal government supposed to run your life—or just protect your freedom? When politicians start promising childcare, healthcare, housing, and everything in between… are they helping you, or making you dependent? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook—jump straight into one of the biggest fights shaping the future of the country: what is the role of government in America today? Because this isn’t just policy—it’s direction. One side wants more control, more spending, more dependence. The other is asking a question we haven’t seriously debated in over a decade: what happens when the...

Is America actually back—or are we just finally remembering who we are? When a bar full of strangers erupts like it’s the Super Bowl over a rocket launch, what does that say about the country the media keeps trying to write off? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook—jump straight into the tension between a rising American spirit and a political/media class that seems almost allergic to it. The fellas break it all down—calling out the nonsense and reminding everyone what happens when Americans stop buying the decline narrative. In this episode… Artemis 2 sp...

Is the system broken—or is it working exactly how the left wants it?

When judges start issuing rulings on cases that don’t even matter anymore, what are we actually looking at… law, or pure political theater? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, and John Ashbrook —jump straight into the chaos and ask the question nobody in media wants to touch: is this about justice, or just headlines? Because when courts are making “decisions” with zero real-world impact, activists are celebrating wins that don’t exist, and journalists are spinning nonsense into narratives… you’ve got a problem. And the f...

Are Democrats losing control of their own coalition—or is this exactly where it was always headed? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and (briefly missing) John Ashbrook—talk about a political landscape that feels less like strategy and more like chaos. From fringe activists gaining mainstream influence to protests that look more like performance art than persuasion, the question becomes unavoidable: who’s actually in charge anymore? The fellas break it all down with zero patience for nonsense and plenty of laughs, cutting through media spin, exposing contradictions, and calling out the uncomfortable reality shaping today’s politica...

Foreign policy chaos, media narratives spinning out of control, and politicians dodging the simplest questions…

Special guests - Rep. Julia Letlow and Laurie Buckhout join us for two great interviews as we update our midterms race map! So what’s actually true—and who’s just playing politics? Don't forget to visit Ruthlesspodcast.com/map to check out all our interviews for midterm races! The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—jump straight into the mess. From Iran to Congress to campaign season, they break down the gap between reality and what’s b...

Government shutdown chaos. TSA lines out the door. Political blame flying everywhere. So what’s really going on—and who’s actually responsible? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—cut straight through it. No spin, no fluff. Just the reality behind the dysfunction, the strategy, and why you’re the one stuck dealing with it. In this episode… DHS shutdown fallout and TSA chaos Chuck Schumer under pressure inside his own party ICE funding fight and political maneuvering Dem strategy exposed in immigration debate PLUS, POLITICIANS ARE PLAYING CHESS… WHILE YOU’RE STUCK IN A SIX-HOUR AIRPORT...

Is the problem bad messaging—or is it something deeper? When legacy media starts copying podcasters and still can’t win back trust, what does that tell you? The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—get into it as they break down a media landscape that’s clearly shifting, a government fight that’s hitting real people, and a growing gap between what’s being said… and what’s actually happening. From CNN experimenting with a more “authentic” look to ongoing fallout from DHS funding issues, the conversation keeps circling back to one thing: credibility. And if audiences don’t...

What happens when the Democrats stop pretending to be normal? What happens when the mask slips and the people running for office start sounding completely insane? This week, the fellas jump straight into the chaos and ask the obvious question: how is this the bench the left thinks is ready to run the country?

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook are in peak form as we break down the weirdest, creepiest, and most revealing Democrat candidate moments of the week — and then unleash the most glorious tradition of the year.

PL...

Democrats are melting down, and the fellas are not letting them hide it. When party leadership is getting dragged around by the radical left, what’s left of the “moderate Democrat” brand? And when Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries can’t even steer their own caucus, how exactly are they planning to steer the country? Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook jump into the chaos surrounding Democrat leadership, the DHS shutdown disaster, and the growing reality that there is no such thing as a moderate Democrat anymore. In this episode… Democrat leadership in free fall Abigail Spanberger...

What happens when Iran turns into a global punchline, and the fellas decide to have a little too much fun with all of it? Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook are back, and this one goes all in. We kick things off with the wildest story in the world right now: the alleged “Gayatollah” intel bombshell out of Iran. Is this real life? Is this the weirdest regime collapse subplot imaginable? And why does every new detail somehow get even crazier? In this episode… The “Gayatollah” story and the internet’s total destruction of the new Iranian lead...

Some episodes start with laughs. This one starts with a warning. When a convicted ISIS supporter is released from prison and then allegedly shows up at the center of another attack, it’s not politics as usual. It’s not abstract. It’s not theoretical. Lives are at stake. So the question hanging over everything is simple: how many warnings does this country need before people start taking terrorism seriously again? The fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook — start this episode where it matters. The Old Dominion attack, the synagogue attack in Michigan, and the reality th...

Yet another massive taxpayer fraud, this time in California. Why does the media seem more focused on narratives than the billions being stolen from taxpayers?

Guests: Chevron CEO Mike Wirth on that state of American energy + AFP's Brent Gardner discusses the on-going Democrat shutdown of DHS. The fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook jump straight into the chaos. From shocking Medicare hospice fraud (89 HOSPICE COMPANIES REGISTERED IN ONE BUILDING?!) to Democrats shutting down the Department of Homeland Security during heightened global tensions, the episode asks a simple question: what the he...

What happens when a guy screams “Allahu Akbar,” throws an explosive at a crowd in New York, and the media still twists itself into knots trying to protect the narrative?

Who’s the real target here, and why does the press seem more offended by the protest than the violence? The fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook — jump straight into the insanity, breaking down the NYC attempted terror attack, the liberal media spin machine, and the misplaced empathy that keeps letting radicalism hide in plain sight. In this episode… The NYC bomb attack and the medi...

What happens when a sitting U.S. Senator, who’s also a former Navy SEAL, walks in and breaks down the Iran conflict with the kind of clarity you only get from someone who’s lived the GWOT? Everybody’s got a take on Iran. Almost nobody can explain it like this. The fellas — Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook — listen to Senator Tim Sheehy to lay it out: why this moment feels like the culmination of a fight that’s been running for decades, why the “we’re starting a war” framing doesn’t match reality, and why the potential do...

War in Iran continues — and the fellas are not holding back.

Does Iran have a Navy or just expensive toys? And why do Democrats suddenly sound like they don’t know what they believe?

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook jump straight into the politics of war.

The fellas break down what the Iran operation signals about American power, why the isolationist panic might be missing the point, and how the left keeps getting the messaging wrong. From Chuck Schumer confusion to House Democrat word salads, it’s a ma...

Trump green-lights the strike on Iran—and Washington instantly splits into two camps: strength vs. “what did you just start?”

So what’s the real play here… and do you trust Trump’s plan, or are we walking into the world’s messiest endgame?

The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—jump in fast, cutting through the spin and asking the questions everyone’s thinking but nobody on cable will touch.

In this episode…
Trump’s Iran strike and the nuclear clock
Why China and Russia stay weirdly...

When Michael Knowles joins the fellas, the gloves come off. The culture war isn’t slowing down — it’s exposing who’s ready for the moment and who isn’t. Why do Democrats keep misreading the country? Why do they double down on the exact messaging that turns voters away? And is the cultural fight now more decisive than any policy debate? Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook kick off with Michael Knowles and dig into what’s really driving the political realignment. In this episode… • Why the culture war is remains a battlefield heading into 2026 • What Democrats kee...

🎤 Trump turns the State of the Union into a midterm war map — and Democrats can’t decide whether to sit, shout, or show up in frog costumes. Is this the moment that resets 2026? Or just another viral night in the circus? Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook break down the speech the way the MSM won’t. The optics. The traps. The binary choice moments. And why some Democrats might wish they had just stayed home. In this episode… • The “stand up if you agree” moment that froze the Democrats cold • Why sitting might haunt Democrats in campaign ads • T...

Team USA delivers gold — and the Democrats deliver… whatever this is.

The fellas break down Gavin Newsom’s bizarre “I’m just like you” pitch, Gretchen Whitmer freezing on Ukraine, and Andy Beshear wrapping progressive policy in Sunday-morning language.

Then it gets worse: Democrats quietly admit their 2024 problem in a locked-up autopsy they don’t want you reading.

Also in this episode:

• The Texas Democrat primary FCC “equal time” twist no one in media wants to talk about

• Trump’s greatest stand-up hits (yes, we play them)• Canada coping aft...

New York just dropped a $127 BILLION budget — and somehow you’re still not getting what you paid for. Where’s the money going? And how long before this model spreads to every blue state in America? The fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook — dive headfirst into the insanity. New York’s Mamdani budget math doesn’t add up. $50 billion for schools. Massive spending hikes. “Tax the rich” — except it never stops there. Is this the future Democrats want nationwide? IN THIS EPISODE… • The jaw-dropping NYC budget breakdown • Why raising taxes never fixes the problem • Eric Swalwell’s resurfaced poetry...

Colbert says he was “silenced.”

Reality: CBS lawyers reminded him the FCC equal-time rule exists — and he didn’t want to give the other Democrat equal airtime.

So instead of booking other candidates, he kicked the interview online and cried censorship.

This wasn’t Trump.

It wasn’t the FCC storming the studio.

It was a late-night host trying to tilt a primary on broadcast TV — and getting boxed in by the rulebook.

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook break down the spin, the...

AOC hits the Munich Security Conference and faceplants on foreign policy—so why is the media acting like it was a breakout moment?

Is this the Democrats’ next presidential contender… or a kingmaker they’re trying to polish in real time?

The fellas break down the Taiwan dodge, the Venezuela spin, the “global south” rhetoric, and the press running cover like it’s their full-time job.

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook connect the dots—and then pivot to the chaos back home.

In this episode…
AOC’s Munich meltdown an...

Minnesota Mayhem, Irish Heat, and Kentucky Senate Showdown | Ruthless Podcast Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook kick off another Fun Time Friday with the Ruthless Podcast crew tackling the week's most unbelievable stories. This episode features incredible congressional testimony that has to be heard to be believed, some well-deserved heat thrown at Minnesota's left-wing imports, and the Irish finally getting their turn in the hot seat. 🎙️ What's in This Episode: Unbelievable congressional testimony from Thursday that we couldn't ignore Why every horror seems to come from Minnesota (sorry, Josh) The Irish take some heat - it's not j...

The fellas discuss one of the biggest political stories flying under the radar: a State Department report identifying far-left activist groups as potential vectors of Chinese influence operation. That’s not just politics — that’s national security. Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook break down: • The State Department naming Code Pink and The People’s Forum in a report to Congress • How foreign influence exploits U.S. nonprofit networks • Why Minnesota protests and ICE clashes don’t look organic • The money trail behind radical “riot-on-demand” activism • Ways & Means Chairman Jason Smith launching investigations into foreign-backed nonprofits Then it’s media malpract...

The fellas tackle the Olympics controversy head-on as US athletes seem more interested in trashing America than representing it.

What happened to patriotism in elite sports and why is anti-American sentiment getting rewarded instead of condemned.

Plus, Congressman Pete Stauber joins to share his unique perspective on the US Olympic hockey team, Minnesota's political transformation, and his family's Olympic legacy. The fells also discuss the train wreck Super Bowl halftime show, was it the worst halftime shows of all time?

Ruthless delivers sharp political commentary with humor, insight, and unapologetic conservative values. New...

In this episode of the Ruthless Variety Program, hosts Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook dissect Kamala Harris's awkward campaign relaunch and what it means for a bankrupt Democratic Party.

From her Gen Alpha "skibidi" vibes to failed youth appeals, we break it all down with zero holds barred.

Then, tune in for an exclusive interview with RNC Chairman Joe Gruters on crushing fundraising records, election integrity lawsuits, midterm battle plans, and a potential game-changing "Trumpapalooza" convention to defy history and secure Republican majorities.

Key topics: Kamala's rebrand flop, Democratic...

We open by laying out what actually just happened with the SAVE Act and why it matters right now. The bill clears the House, heads toward the Senate, then gets stripped out during a government funding move. We walk through the numbers, the polling, and the quiet shift from open opposition to procedural delay. We also get into why voter ID keeps pulling strong public support while Democratic leadership keeps finding reasons to slow-walk it.

From there, we get into the arguments we keep hearing and why they don’t hold up under scrutiny. We talk through th...

The left has become insufferable theater kids 🎭 — staging Iwo Jima reenactments with the wrong flag 🇸🇴, blocking Minneapolis streets with shipping crates 🛑, and screaming “no one is illegal on stolen land” while living securely mansions 🏰.

Josh, Smug, and Duncan and Ashbrook break down the performative outrage 😤, the foreign money behind it 💰, the recycled San Francisco protests 🔄, and why social media + cash incentives have turned activism into cringe cosplay 📱🤡

Plus: NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson joins for a deep dive on the 2026 midterms 🗳️ — record fundraising 💰, prime pickup opportunities 🗺️, Democrat civil war 🤯, redistricting battles ⚔️, and why turning out Trump voters is everyt...

🎙️ We’re live in Philadelphia to kick off America 250, and we’re coming in hot: big crowd, big venue, and a full night built around pride in the country and what it still makes possible. We talk about why celebrating the 250th isn’t just a party—it’s a push to re-learn what holds this place together. Then we bring out the NFL’s own Jaws, Ron Jaworski, and the conversation lands on values, work ethic, leadership, and what it takes to win when the stakes are real—on the field, at work, and at home.

🇺🇸 From...

🎙️ The fellas sit down with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for a wide-ranging conversation that hits policy, politics, and the pure theater of the moment. We talk through what Trump Accounts are built to do—seed money, compounding, and a real push toward financial literacy—plus how the private sector and states may stack on top of it. We also get into the broader economic pitch: growth, inflation, deficits, and why Bessent thinks the private sector is about to do the heavy lifting.

💰 Then we sprint to catch up with Senator Ted Cruz after President Trump riffs—...

 The fellas are laying the whole Senate map on the table and getting real about what’s actually at stake for the next two years.

We get into why holding the Senate matters so much for a Trump administration, from confirmations to the very real threat of impeachment politics coming roaring back if Democrats get the chance.

Then we start walking state by state through the early battlefield, where the money is going to flood in, where the margins are going to be brutal, and where Republicans can realistically grow the majority.

 We s...

🎙️ No better start to a Friday than the fallout from the church disruption in Minnesota, and for once, we actually get the kind of consequences we hoped for. We talk through the arrests, the perp walks, and the sheer audacity of watching people try to rewrite what happened in Minneapolis. However, there is a continued refusal to bring charges against Don Lemon. We go through what it says about Minnesota’s political rot, what it says about activist media, and why this whole “I’m just reporting” act falls apart when the so-called journalist is obviously part of the operation. <...

🎙️ Once again the left has given the American people a bait-and-switch with the promise of “moderate Democrats” in VA and NJ. We walk through how that brand gets sold, why it keeps working in purple places, and what happens the minute governing power shows up. Virginia Governor Spanberberger shows how a “most bipartisan” claim turns into a very different set of priorities once the ink is dry.

🐘 Border Czar Tom Homan explains how the same enforcement tools that were treated as normal for decades are now used as a political weapon. He walks us through how the...

🎙️ We break down the left’s overt hatred of religion in America - on display Sunday in Minneapolis. More than unhinged, it’s dangerous. Then we get into Don Lemon showing up on the scene and trying to dress the whole thing up as “First Amendment” theater, while the fellas call out what’s really happening: organized chaos with a media camera crew conveniently on-site. We dig into the growing sense that the activist left is operating with zero fear of consequences, and why the DOJ is actually stepping in.

⚡The political hypocrisy tour continues with Pe...

🎙️ Watching SCOTUS this week, it’s obvious that the left’s entire legal theory collapses once someone asks simple questions. We talk about why this case isn’t just about sports, and why the arguments we’re hearing put far more than one issue at risk. Serious question, though, is Ketanji Brown Jackson the dumbest current justice, or the dumbest justice ever? I bet she doesn’t understand.

👩🏻‍⚖️ Then, we break down why this thinking from left-wing justices collapses under even mild pressure. It also exposes years of sloppy logic, and why watching actual litigators respond to it is...

🎙️ Why does it feel like we’re bouncing from one high-stakes fight to the next without ever forcing the real public debate? Because liberals and the media use this as a tactic. The fellas explain how narratives and process drama help the bigger questions get ignored: like why federal law enforcement is in Minneapolis in the first place, and what elected leaders did to set the whole mess in motion.

⚡️ Then, we get into the sanctuary city pressure campaign and the Feb 1 payment cutoff that Trump has planned. Then, how the loudest voices on the left tr...

🎙️ There is a new internet sickness: AI-generated rage bait dressed up as “real life.” We walk through the fake priest clips, the Italian deli “Basta” performance art, and the comment sections that somehow make the videos look subtle. We explain why this stuff works, who it’s really built for, and how the left treats the internet like an indoctrination machine—because if they can’t find enough real people to sell the outrage, they’ll just manufacture them.

🫏 After that, we shift to the sudden Democratic heel turn on Hamas. We react to the Queens rally chant...