Ruthless Podcast

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 quiet DHS shutdown chaos vs. “big boy stuff” reality A palate-cleanser that somehow gets even more unhinged Special Guests: Senator John Kennedy + Brian Hook 🇺🇸 Kennedy on why Trump owns the moment—and why Capitol Hill can’t stop making it political 🧠 Hook on the 1979 origin story, proxies, missiles, and why “negotiations” so often turn into a time-buying trap 🎯 What “success” looks like when you’re trying to stop a nuclear breakout—not win a news cycle 🌍 The regional chessboard: allies, Abraham Accords math, and what comes after the ayatollah Question of the Day: Do you trust Trump’s plan for Iran—or do you think this spirals? Drop your take and tell us what people in your group chat are saying. Hit subscribe right now so you don’t miss the next drop, follow the show on your socials for clips, and comment like you mean it—because we’re reading them and bringing the best ones into the next episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 keep getting wrong about voters • How elite institutions overplay their hand every time • The messaging mistakes Republicans still need to fix PLUS, A STATE OF THE UNION HARD PIVOT THAT DESERVES ITS OWN AWARD. Special Guest: Michael Knowles 🎙️ • The deeper cultural divide shaping national politics • Why Democrats can’t stop misreading middle America • Faith, identity, and populism in the modern Right • Where the movement goes from here Special Guest: Congressman Wesley Hunt 🇺🇸 • His closing argument in the Texas Senate primary 🗳️ • Youth, energy, and the next generation of GOP leadership • Why Texas could reshape the national Senate map Special Guests: Nick Shirley and David Hoch 🎥 • The fraud investigations forcing DC to pay attention • How independent journalism is driving accountability • What happens when grassroots reporting outpaces legacy media And we roll out ruthlesspodcast.com/map — click your state, watch every candidate interview, and decide for yourself. No spin. No filters. Just the fellas asking the questions. Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Follow Ruthless on social for clips all week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎤 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 • Trump’s closing argument for the midterms • The alternative “State of the Swamp” disaster PLUS, DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT A GIRAFFE AND FROG BRIGADE. YES, REALLY. Then we deliver on a promise. Special Guest: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 🇺🇸 • The high-stakes Texas Senate primary showdown • Runoff math and what happens if no one hits 50% 🗳️ • How he answers the impeachment and personal attacks • Why Texas could shape the national Senate map We also sit down with Jessica Anderson of Sentinel Action Fund 📊 • Can Republicans break the midterm curse? • The economic message that actually moves voters • How to keep the Trump coalition engaged And we unveil something big: RuthlessPodcast.com/Map — click your state, watch the candidates, decide for yourself. No filter. No spin. Just the fellas asking the questions. Question of the Day: Did this State of the Union change the midterm trajectory — or not? Drop your take in the comments. Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Follow Ruthless on social for clips all week. Comment, share, and send this to the group chat. 00:02:30 State of the Union sets the 2026 midterm battlefield 00:05:52 Congress stock trading crackdown and the political optics 00:08:24 Minnesota fraud scandal and the immigration culture clash debate 00:13:15 The stand-or-sit moment that becomes campaign ammo 00:16:52 Why the “they’re crazy” line lands with voters 00:20:22 New interactive map to vet candidates by state 00:27:44 Democrats’ disruptions and the sanctuary cities flashpoint 00:31:59 The alternative SOTU meltdown and why it backfires 00:36:59 Democrats mock American heroes and the backlash case 00:40:04 Trump’s “golden age” pitch and the midterm contrast strategy 00:48:59 Question of the Day: Does this SOTU move votes? 00:50:21 Listener responses on Democrats’ biggest midterm liability 00:52:20 Interview: Texas AG Ken Paxton on the Texas Senate primary 01:18:55 Post-interview: Can Paxton clear 50% or trigger a runoff? 01:21:19 King of the Hill: Bill Kristol vs. Joe Walsh meltdown tournament 01:32:49 Interview: Jessica Anderson on winning the midterms with data 01:49:36 Strategy debrief and why the map could change primaries Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 after hockey heartbreak • A runaway hog with maximum confidence Then — Featured Interview: Stephen Moore 📈💰 • What’s really driving inflation right now • The outlook heading into the State of the Union • Tax policy, spending fights, and the midterm stakes • Why energy policy and deregulation matter more than headlines • How voters should actually think about growth, wages, and the economyA straight-up economic breakdown from one of the architects behind major tax reform — no spin, just the numbers and what they mean going forward. Sports pride. Political malpractice. Variety the way it’s supposed to be. Question of the Day: What’s the Democrats’ biggest liability right now? Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Like. Comment. Share. Stay ruthless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 • Trump’s stand-up moments at the Board of Peace PLUS, A LIBERAL PARENTING GROUP CHAT TURNS INTO A WAR ZONE. Yes. A DC mom group melts down over Israel, Gaza, and “comrades.” You truly can’t make this up. Then — Featured Interview: Todd Ricketts 🇺🇸⚾ • Cubs season outlook • The MLB salary cap fight • Bears stadium drama • Launching the new “Free Spoke” search engine Serious policy. Cultural absurdity. Sports. Politics. All in one. Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Trump stand-up moment — and why? Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Like. Comment. Share. Stay ruthless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 fundraising play, and the Democrat-media machine that treats late night like a campaign arm. In this episode:• The Equal Time rule Colbert pretends doesn’t apply• Why CBS lawyers stepped in• How a “banned interview” turns into a multi-million dollar outrage haul• The real reason Jasmine Crockett didn’t get the same invite PLUS — we actually believe in equal time. Featured Interview: Coach Dooley, candidate for U.S. Senate in Georgia 🇺🇸• Why he’s running• What makes this Georgia race critical• How Republican primaries are shaping up nationwide• What voters in Georgia are really focused on. Then it’s King of the Hill chaos — Bill Kristol vs. Steve Schmidt — because no episode is complete without a little courtroom carnage. Question of the Day: Should CBS pull Colbert off air for turning his show into a Democrat campaign shop? Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Like. Comment. Share. Stay ruthless. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 and the 2028 implications Rubio’s contrast and the Western values fight Democrats shutting down DHS—who owns it? The media’s “just a few stumbles” spin cycle PLUS, OBAMA SAYS ALIENS ARE REAL… AND NOBODY FOLLOWS UP?! Special Guest: Congressman Andy Barr 🇺🇸 Why he’s running for Senate How he plans to win a tough GOP primary 🗳️ What Kentucky voters are actually talking about Why this race matters nationally Question of the Day: Can AOC actually win the White House? Why or why not? Drop it in the comments. Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday. Follow Ruthless on social for clips all week. And jump in the comments—we read them. #RuthlessPodcast #Ruthless #AOC #Munich #Politics #ForeignPolicy #MarcoRubio #DHS #ICE #AndyBarr #Kentucky #SenateRace #PoliticalPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 just the Italians anymore Serious topics delivered with the signature Ruthless sense of humor FEATURED INTERVIEW: Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron joins us to discuss his 2025 Senate primary campaign. Cameron breaks down his vision for Kentucky, explains his approach to the competitive three-way Republican primary race against Andy Barr and others, and shares why he's focused on kitchen table issues like groceries, gas prices, and summer leagues instead of political drama. Get an inside look at one of the most closely watched Senate primaries in the country. 🔔 Subscribe to never miss an episode of Ruthless 💬 Drop a five star review 👍 Like if you enjoyed this Fun Time Friday episode Question of the Day: What’s the most obvious fake-news immigration story you’ve seen in the last year? Drop it in the comments—local stories welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 malpractice time. Axios had to delete a headline after reporting that crime plunged in major cities “despite” Trump’s crackdown. The fellas unpack what that framing says about the press — and why enforcing laws suddenly became controversial. Plus: • A liberal columnist admits broken windows policing might actually work • The SAVE Act panic — and why requiring ID to vote is suddenly “controversial” • Somalia requiring voter ID before Democrats can agree on it And it’s primary season. Senator John Cornyn joins the program to discuss: • His reelection fight in Texas • Border security and ICE enforcement • Texas securing $11 billion in federal reimbursement • Performance politics vs actual legislating • The stakes of a contentious Republican primary Texas voters have a big decision ahead — and the outcome could impact Senate races nationwide. Question of the Day: What’s the most obvious “revelation” a liberal has had during the Trump era? Drop your answer in the comments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. Subscribe now and stay ruthless! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 desperation, health insurance greed, media meltdowns, Supreme Court wins, grassroots strategies, and holding the House & Senate in 2026. Perfect for fans of sharp political satire and insider GOP insights. Subscribe now for weekly episodes packed with laughs and analysis! #RuthlessPodcast #KamalaHarris #RNCMidterms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 the bipartisan Carter–Baker commission findings, the Real ID framework, and the data showing how few registered voters lack identification. We also address the push to blame online narratives and personal attacks instead of dealing with the policy itself, including outside agitators trying to redirect frustration away from Senate leadership decisions. After that, we move fast. The lightning round hits a law firm offering to evict Billie Eilish from a Los Angeles mansion on behalf of a native tribe and the plan to reinstall a Christopher Columbus statue on White House grounds. King of the Hill returns with a fresh matchup, Florida enters the taco business with cold-stunned iguanas, and we sit down with Byron Donalds for a wide-ranging conversation on ICE, immigration enforcement, and the Florida governor’s race. We close by asking what it will really take to get elected Democrats to stop dodging voter ID and deal with it head-on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 everything 🇺🇸 Also in this episode: Australian strip club chair fights 🪑🥊, the immortal name “Dick Bigger Jr.” 😂, cold-stunned Florida iguanas 🦎❄️, and more unhinged variety 🔥 Keep the faith , hold the line, and own the libs! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 there, we sit down with the people turning “one small step” into action across communities. We get into why this moment matters, how grassroots pressure actually moves decision-makers, and why civic confidence is slipping for too many people. We also talk through why Philadelphia’s history—Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Constitution Center—hits different when you stand in the middle of it.️ 🐘 Then the fellas bring the games. We play Dem or Journo and Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity joins us to talk service, manufacturing, watching taxpayer dollars, unclaimed property wins, and what it looks like to run a massive office like a serious operation. 💥 Finally, Guy Benson steps in with a sharp take on immigration, federal enforcement, and the outrage of taxpayer fraud—then we cap the night with Hard Pivot, a game where Guy shines as bright as they come. 00:00 - America 250 kicks off live in Philadelphia 06:23 - Ron Jaworski joins the progrum 09:45 - Leadership and the American dream mindset 15:08 - Dick Vermeil, team culture, and paying the price 29:35 - America 250 toolkit and celebrating all year 33:06 - AFP leaders on “one small step” and civic action 38:34 - Libre Initiative and Hispanic outreach 42:33 - Concerned Veterans of America and veteran voices 49:00 - Demerge Snow: wild quotes about American history 1:03:21 - Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity on service and stewardship 1:15:21 - Guy Benson on immigration, enforcement, and fraud outrage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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—very publicly—about Cruz as a possible Supreme Court pick. Cruz gives us a definitive answer, explains why he doesn’t want the robe, and lays out how he sees his role in the middle of policy fights instead. We also get the behind-the-scenes origin story of Trump Accounts—from a late-night Vegas poker table to drafting the provision that ends up in the bill.️ 👑 After the interviews, we talk through what we heard, what it signals for the midterm conversation the fellas are building toward, and we get into listener comments on early Senate predictions. We close it out with our Thursday staple, King of the Hill, where Cheri Jacobus takes on champion Steve Schmidt. 00:00 — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent 03:16 — What Trump Accounts are and why the media isn’t covering it 09:18 — Smug’s big announcement 10:34 — Markets, compounding, and why this is meant to change behavior 14:22 — Davos: what happened with Gavin Newsom 23:32 — Fraud, NGOs, and “benefits turned into business” 31:19 — What “too small to succeed” means 33:32 — Smug’s baby news 44:15 — Trump’s Cruz riff: Supreme Court chatter goes public 45:35 — Ted Cruz on possible SCOTUS nom 59:18 — King of the Hill Subscribe for more unfiltered conservative commentary, interviews with top leaders, and laughs! Hit that like button if you're ready for America's comeback. #RuthlessPodcast #ScottBessent #TedCruz #TrumpAccounts #EconomicBoom #SupremeCourt #maga Our Sponsors: ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Tell Congress year-round E15 is long overdue. https://fieldsoffreedomalliance.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 start with North Carolina, because the fellas think it’s shaping up to be one of the most expensive races in American history—potentially a $600 million monster. We talk through the matchup dynamics, why the Democrat name ID advantage is real early, and why the race changes once the spending begins. Then we jump to Georgia, where Ossoff’s entire plan looks like it hinges on Republicans not showing up in the rural areas in a midterm—so the primary becomes its own test of who can actually build the kind of turnout operation it takes to win.️ From there, we hit the rest of the map: Susan Collins once again fighting upstream in Maine while Democrats try to sort out their own mess, Michigan opening up with Democrats in a fractured primary and Republicans feeling like they’ve got a real shot, and the Texas situation that could turn into a full-blown runoff slugfest with massive consequences. We also get into Alaska’s quirks and why polling there is always a mess, Ohio’s matchup potential, Iowa’s open seat and why candidate quality matters, and the Louisiana calendar that’s set up to produce a low-turnout sprint into a runoff. Then we talk with US Attorney Jeanine Pirro about crime in D.C., what changes when prosecutors actually prosecute, how the federal component of her office plays into major cases, and why she’s approaching public safety like it’s the job—not a press strategy.Our Sponsors:➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/➢Melania from Amazon MGM Studios captures the personal moments that come with stepping into the role of the First Lady for a second time - in theaters exclusively on January 30th, 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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. 🫏 We saved this for your Friday: Krysten Sinema getting dragged into a divorce filing that reads like a political thriller written by a horny screenwriter. We get into the alleged affair, the weird trips, the gifts, the encrypted messaging, the drugs, and the “this can’t be real” details that somehow keep piling up. It’s messy, it’s ridiculous, and it’s exactly the kind of story that makes you wonder how anyone in Washington functions in public at all.️ 🏠 Then, we sit down with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to discuss housing, homelessness, and disaster recovery. He tells Ashbrook that HUD uncovered $1.9 billion in misplaced funds and moved to return those dollars to the Treasury. Turner also explains why they cut contracts, including $4 million in DEI-related contracts. 00:00 - Crime, punishment, and chaos 04:10 - It’s perp walk season 05:58 - Activist goes on CNN and tries to rewrite the story 10:07 - Another perp walk: “Da Woke Farmer” gets arrested 15:47 - Activists + media collusion 19:44 - Krysten Sinema scandal is totally wild 28:15 - Divorce filing details: affair allegations and power dynamics 37:30 - MDMA, “boring” missionary talk, and peak absurdity 47:33 - Variety with a great pic and taking a whale ride 57:49 - HUD Secretary Scott Turner Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Tell Washington it's time to end middlemen markups and put American patients first. Visit https://phrma.org/middlemen ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 rhetoric shifted, why “enforce the law” became controversial, and why he thinks so much of the outrage is less about policy and more about denying wins—no matter what it costs in public safety. 🌽 Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins discusses a year of governing and the White House efforts on warp-speed execution. Namely: trade, prices, inputs, exports, and making sure America stays the breadbasket for ourselves and the rest of the world. Then Rollins lays out why the administration wants real food back on plates, why whole milk is returning to schools, and how the old low-fat dogma flipped incentives in the worst direction. 00:00 - Dems reveal their moderates were a bait-and-switch 04:02 - Spanberger drops her moderate face 07:15 - The campaign ad pitch vs the record 15:40 - Mikie Sherrill rhetoric ramps up 20:06 - Eric Swalwell on ICE and law enforcement 25:57 - Border Czar Tom Homan 42:41 - Davos, Greenland talk, and Macron’s sunglasses 51:21 - King of the Hill: Steve Schmidt vs Rick Wilson 59:34 - Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro confirming what everyone already knew: Kamala Harris’s team was obsessively paranoid about Israel and anti-Semitism politics during the VP vetting process. We react to the insane details, including the question that basically asks if Shapiro was some kind of undercover operative, and we connect it back to a broader pattern of the modern Democratic coalition’s hatred of religion.️ 💥 Virginia Democrats are openly gunning for a 10–1 map and Republicans in places like Indiana are refusing to play hardball when it matters in the redistricting fight. We talk through why this stuff is never polite, never clean, and why pretending the other side won’t do it to you has become a political death wish heading into the midterms. ⛷️ Variety with ski jumpers “ehancing” suit measurements, Bears fans painting their nails during a playoff run, and airlines quietly celebrating Ozempic. Come join us with AFP in Philadelphia - get tickets here http://a250philly.com/ruthless 00:00 — The left’s “religious tolerance” problem 06:06 — Consequences, law enforcement, and why this can’t keep sliding 09:04 — Don Lemon shows up and hides behind the First Amendment 18:33 — The organizers post the whole op on Facebook 23:55 — Why Shapiro mattered for the Harris ticket 46:02 — Redistricting fight: Texas, California, Indiana, and Virginia 58:56 — Ski jumping suit scandal goes nuclear 01:06:12 — Bears fans embrace matcha and mannies 01:08:37 — Ozempic saving airlines millions Our Sponsors: ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢ Tell President Trump and Congress to deliver American greatness and fund fusion. https://www.builtforamerica.us/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Melania is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look from the perspective of the First Lady. In theaters January 30th, find out more: https://www.amazon.com/salp/melaniamovie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 both painful and deeply satisfying. This reveals the broader pattern we’ve seen for years: vibes over facts. 🏀 Bruce Pearl joins us for a deep conversation on leadership, college basketball, NIL disorder, and the cost of speaking freely. He explains why accountability matters in sports and politics, reflects on coaching at the highest levels, addresses campus anti-Semitism, and makes the case for courage, clarity, and responsibility in public life. 00:00 - Supreme Court arguments and the definition problem 03:30 - Why laws collapse without clear definitions 06:30 - The Alito moment and unintended consequences 09:18 - Ketanji Brown Jackson‘s “I don’t understand” problem 12:40 - Lawyers dunking on the bench 15:34 - Language games 19:58 - MAGATKO 23:02 - Why the mob never expects pushback 25:16 - Tim Walz audio and unforced errors 35:30 - Dem or Journo returns 45:24 - What the media used to brag about 46:01 - Coach Bruce Pearl joins the Progrum 55:32 - NIL, college sports, and leadership 01:03:09 - Speaking freely and paying the price Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 treat “oppose Trump” as a full personality. How do libs expect that if laws are on the books, that it won’t be enforced? We explain how these fights get reframed into “Gestapo” language, and why that reframing is the point. 👑 It’s Thursday, so we play our signature game: King of the Hill. It’s a truly deranged week featuring Joe Scarborough and champion Steve Schmidt. ️ 🐘 Montana AG Austin Knudsen on how foreign influence and dark money can end up behind pressure campaigns and litigation. He walks us through how funding trails get buried through layers of orgs and intermediaries. Knudsen also explained how climate lawsuits can be used to choke an energy state one permit at a time. Then: China-linked consumer platforms, Second Amendment fights, and what it takes to keep states from getting steamrolled by activist-law tactics. 00:00 - Why the real debate gets dodged 02:02 - Rapid-fire fights and the missing public case 05:33 - Minnesota confrontation narrative shifts 07:06 - Process arguments vs the underlying problem 09:52 - “Gestapo” framing and the sanctuary-state contrast 13:51 - Trump announces Feb 1 sanctuary-city payment cutoff 16:03 - Progressive push to block immigration enforcement funding 18:56 - Lawsuits to block federal enforcement inside states 22:13 - Trump and Eric Adams have deuling f-bombs 25:42 - The media fever dream 31:42 - King of the Hill: Joe Scarborough vs champion Steve Schmidt 37:41 - Montana AG Austin Knudsen joins the Progrum Our Sponsors: ➢The Durbin / Marshall credit Card bill would benefit corporate mega stores. Tell Congress to https://guardyourcard.com/ ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ 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 (“we support Hamas here”), then watch the rapid-fire flood of identical condemnations roll out from the usual suspects. We also get into the broader pattern: how narratives get laundered, how “authoritarian” comparisons get deployed on command, and why the party’s selective outrage always seems to arrive right when it’s politically useful.️ 🐘 West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey is leading the case headed to the Supreme Court on women’s rights. He explains how West Virginia passed a straightforward law in 2021, how the ACLU sued almost immediately, and why this ends up at the Court, even though most Americans think the answer is obvious. We also talk through why states regulating athletics matters and why he thinks this lands as a wide-margin win. 🏒 The greatest hockey game ever played was on a Friday in Hershey, PA. The fella’s review the largest, longest and greatest hockey fight on record… with 6 year olds. Enjoy a great laugh with us to cap off a great episode. 00:00 — Minneapolis liberals scramble to change the subject 09:23 — The rise of liberal AI rage bait 18:26 — Viral propaganda imagery and how it reverses the facts 28:52 — Democrats’ Hamas posture pivot 48:19 — Youth hockey intermission brawl 52:35 — JB McCuskey joins the Progrum Our Sponsors: ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢ Tell President Trump and Congress to deliver American greatness and fund fusion. https://www.builtforamerica.us/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We break down how Democrats, activist groups, and legacy media work together to turn massive government fraud into street unrest and false narratives. We walk through the ICE enforcement at the center of the controversy, the viral clips being deliberately misrepresented online, and the way language like “legal observer” is used to confuse the public and protect bad actors. ⚡ From there, we examine how the media and Democratic politicians rushed to create a parallel narrative. Instead of discussing stolen funds, systemic failures, or enforcement responsibilities, the focus shifted to emotionally charged language, selectively edited clips, and invented roles like “legal observers” meant to recast agitators as victims. The manipulation of language isn’t accidental—it’s designed to short-circuit rational discussion and replace facts with moral panic. 🪨 We close with some variety, like a Disney employee taking one to the face, and for what? To impress adult and overweight Diney Adults? And the Colts are in bad shape. If you need it explained, just watch their owner’s last press conference of the season. 00:00 — Why the left always needs a lie first 03:21 — The pepper spray clip the media lied about 05:35 — Why ICE is actually in Minnesota 08:44 — Criminals protected, enforcement demonized 10:29 — “Hands up, don’t shoot” all over again 12:52 — When protests jump the rails 15:11 — Foreign money and coordinated chaos 19:21 — Minnesota schools, unions, and shutdowns 27:08 — Media blaming YouTube instead of fraud 32:12 — The invented term “legal observer” 36:52 — Democrats openly attacking ICE 40:26 — The SUV lie and the use-of-force reality 43:50 — Why this all traces back to fraud 49:31 — When Democrats admit they want blood 53:36 — The IRS finally shows up 59:27 — How big is the fraud really 01:15:45 — Indiana Jones boulder dominates 01:19:41 — The Colts are a total mess Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We dig into the Minneapolis ICE shooting video that’s lighting up social media, focusing on what the footage shows: officers identify themselves, a “get out of the car” command, the vehicle surging forward, and shots fired as an officer is put in immediate danger. We talk about how the clips are getting spun into a partisan Rorschach test—and why Minnesota’s leadership jumps straight to blaming the feds instead of dealing with the events that brought federal agents into the state in the first place. ⚡ From there, we connect the flashpoint to the bigger story: massive fraud allegations in Minnesota and the claim that officials looked the other way until it blew up. We react to legislative testimony about whistleblowers facing retaliation and intimidation, and we walkthrough audit findings that allege sloppy oversight and even backdated paperwork meant to cover tracks. Then we hit the Keith Ellison audio that sounds like politics and protection money getting way too close for comfort. 👑 King of the Hill returns with reigning champion Steve Schmidt facing off against congressional candidate George Conway, in a battle of pure derangement.️ 00:00- Minneapolis ICE shooting sets the week on fire 01:55 - Why Minnesota leadership keeps humiliating itself 03:29 - Fraud pipeline through programs and the state looking away 05:44 - Agitators, street pressure, and why the story doesn’t stay local 16:01 - Video angle one 17:19 - Video angle two 19:42 - Walz rhetoric heats up the confrontation 27:05 - House testimony: whistleblowers and intimidation claims 37:48 - Ellison tape revelations 39:32 -Backdated docs and covering tracks 51:30 - Dem counter: “look at white men” instead of the spreadsheet 01:03:09 - King of the Hill: Schmidt vs Conway Our Sponsors: ➢We need to stand with President Trump in his fight against big insurance companies. Learn more: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We walk through the Maduro capture and why it matters that the U.S. can go in, grab the guy, and get out—clean. We talk through the stakes in the region, the role of adversaries in propping up a failed-state mess, and why the oil angle is less about “needing it” and more about who gets to control it in our own hemisphere. 🫏 Then, the democrats trip over themselves to pretend they never spent years saying Maduro had to go, only to suddenly act shocked that anyone actually did something. We run through the Sunday-show spin, the fake confusion routine, and the weird scramble to frame an obvious win as a scandal. Their only reflex is to oppose whatever Trump does, even when it’s something they demanded yesterday. 🗽Did we miss a memo? Is the New York City mayor a global military commander? Plus, Tim Walz is stepping aside, Klobuchar is hovering, and a fraud fiasco that’s about power more than accountability.️ 📦 We close with a USPS driver in Florida allegedly trying to run down a ten-year-old over a misdelivered package, and a loose monkey in Tennessee that apparently wants to “shop local” by wrecking a music store. 00:00 - Maduro captured: why it matters and why it’s funny 03:47 - The failed state next door 05:35 - Rubio crushes the Sunday shows 07:19 - How the mission works and why defenses don’t matter 08:05 - The oil question and why our adversaries care 12:04 - Iran/Russia/China/Cuba ties and the pipeline logic 15:58 - Tactical details and the message it sends abroad 23:44 - Democrats flip to “illegal” and “unconstitutional” 31:10 - Chris Murphy then and now 39:44 - “Epsteinzuela?” 45:16 - Mamdani was “briefed” is pure comedy 50:53 - Minnesota fraud fallout 56:49 - Electability over accountability 01:05:10 - USPS driver vs. kid’s scooter in Florida 01:10:37 - Tennessee monkey hits the music store Our Sponsors: ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We review the year that was 2025, counting down the greatest media failures of last year. To top the list, Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad. A basic pun about “genes” turns into a prime-time lecture about eugenics and white supremacy, and watching a major network try to make that argument out loud is the kind of thing you still can’t believe is real. Then over to CBS, where John Dickerson tries to compare modern immigration enforcement to Irish discrimination and deportation crackdowns in the 1800s. 📺 Other favorites included in our countdown: Jim Acosta interviewing AI, Taylor Lorenz romanticizing Luigi and Jim Cramer dropping a giant F-bomb on live TV. Plus Olivia Nuzzi’s chaos, Bill Belichick’s off-camera relationship, and Anderson Cooper snaps at Chris Sununu. 🐘 We recap our favorite moments from just a few of our best interviews, like, JD Vance, Karoline Leavitt, Senator Kennedy, Majority Leader Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson. Looking forward to a great 2026 on The Progrum! 00:00 — 2025 media fails 01:11 — Sydney Sweeney “great genes” becomes a national freakout 06:09 — CBS Saint Patrick’s Day: Irish deportations vs ICE 11:15 — Jim Acosta interviews an AI recreation of a murdered child 13:05 — Taylor Lorenz praises an alleged assassin as “morally good” 15:44 — CNN and the defense-fund moment 19:26 — Jim Cramer drops an F-bomb 20:30 — Olivia Nuzzi interview spiral and her accountability problem 25:24 — Bill Belichick + Jordan Hudson shuts down a standard question 27:56 — Anderson Cooper snaps at Chris Sununu on-air Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We start by trading stories about the funniest reactions our wives have had to the Progrum, including the moment it dawned on them that this thing might actually be real. From late-night editing side-eyes to the infamous “so you have groupies now?” Uber ride, the fellas compare notes on how humility is enforced at home, no matter how big the show gets. ⚡ We continue to rip through your questions, like what it actually takes to jump into a House or Senate race, why federal campaigns have zero margin for error, and why real groundwork matters more than ambition. The fellas get blunt about grassroots work, campaign mechanics, consultant traps, and why door knocking teaches you more than any consultant memo ever will. We also tackle questions about journalistic giants, what’s actually changed since the Fox deal, and whether Democrats would ever come on the Progrum to face tough questions. ️ 💥 Then, Andrew Bremberg on health care costs, price transparency, and why throwing more taxpayer money at a broken system keeps failing. Plus, a recap of some of the best moments from our favorite variety segments from 2025. We still love the New Yorker shoot of famous democrats and a drunk SC democrat - enjoy! 00:00 — Funniest reactions to the Progrum from our wives 07:29 — When the in-laws realize it’s a real show 08:20 — Getting involved in politics after Trump 15:05 — Why voters humble everyone 16:27 — GOP realignment and progressive policies on the chopping block 23:21 — Skyline Chili: how to try it 27:34 — Journalistic giants and what real reporting looks like 35:04 — What actually changed after the Fox deal 36:42 — Why Democrats won’t come on the Progrum 39:35 — Andrew Bremberg discusses controlling health care costs 44:18 — Price transparency and why it matters in health care 53:55 — Best of variety: notable New Yorkers exposed 01:12:00 — Best of variety: South Carolina Democrat cop car meltdown Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ The fellas should open a daycare—because apparently the easiest money in America is getting paid for childcare that doesn’t exist. Nick Shirley’s goes door-to-door in Minnesota: finding blacked-out windows, locked doors, no kids in sight, and big checks flowing anyway. We talk about how this kind of scheme doesn’t just rip off taxpayers—it also squeezes the real families. It’s embarrassing how local and national press frames this story, why “it’s just a few bad actors” doesn’t cut it, and why the incentives behind keeping this kind of grift alive. 🫏 Then, we recap the best 2025 Democratic faceplants and clips. From Kamala to Warren, Crockett to an unfortunate No Kings congresswoman - we show how messaging gets used as a shield by democrats. 🐘Then, Jayme Franklin joins the Progrum. We talk about her work in building The Conservateur and Sincerely American, what it’s like creating a space for conservative women in media. We also address how friendships—and real-life priorities like marriage, kids, and work—are a bigger part of the story than the usual press narrative. 00:00 — The Fellas Need to Get in on the Grift 02:03 — Nick Shirley’s Doing The Work Media Won’t 07:35 — Who Gets Hurt When Money Disappears 13:57 — Finding “Quality Learing” in MN 18:10 — Investigative Compilation from MN 20:04 — This System is Functioning as It Was Intended 22:07 — The New Tammany Hall 26:45 — Why “a few arrests” won’t fix this 34:11 — The DHS Shrug-fest 35:53 — Wisconsin Governor On Immigrants 37:15 — What Elizabeth Warren‘s Stumble S’ays about the Moment 38:08 — Jasmine Crockett’s Messaging Machine 41:46 — Kamala Doesn’t Pick Pete 46:51 — Jayme Franklin On building The Conservateur 53:05 — Why women’s media is so one-sided Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Get ready for a whole stack of holiday-flavored chaos. We start with the most deranged “ideology in baking” moment imaginable: a decolonized Christmas cookie pitch that tries to rewrite history through masa, honey, and pure self-seriousness. From there, we’re right into the spirit of the season: the stuff that’s supposed to be wholesome, until it isn’t. 🐫 ️Next up, we hit peak pageantry with a live-nativity-adjacent church scene that includes camels walking the aisle—right up until one of them detonates a kick into an unsuspecting face. Then we keep the decorations theme rolling: a car fully wrapped in Christmas lights attempts a heroic pass… and immediately turns into a cautionary tale. 🎄 And because the holidays are nothing without juvenile sabotage, we get the garage-door letter swap that takes “Merry Christmas” somewhere deeply unfit for polite company—followed by our own story time about a neighborhood snow sculpture that gets an anatomical “upgrade.” ⚡Then we flash back to our favorite variety segments from 2025. From men fighting gorillas to umpire nut-shots. Relive the best of 2025 with the fellas. ️ 00:00 - Holiday laughs with the fellas and a fresh stack of variety 03:23 - “Decolonized Christmas” cookies 07:03 - Live nativity chaos: camel strolls into church, then the kick lands 10:08 - Christmas car eats it 11:18 - Classic Christmas Variety 18:12 - Vintage Variety: 100 men vs 1 gorilla simulations 22:39 - 10,000 gorillas vs 1,000,000 men and the morale problem 24:39 - Airborne elbow-drop strategy talk for gorilla combat 29:18 - Vintage Variety: Rhode Island prosecutor arrest bodycam 37:40 - The Washington Post tries “Gen Z” sketch comedy 42:49 - New angle on the F-15 backseat ejection footage 44:24 - Padres field-runner kid gets tackled 45:21 - ESPN tries to fix itself 50:33 - Best umpire nut hit in history 54:12 - Wild pigs turn bright blue in California 57:35 - Drunk man drives airport cart through walkway 51:28 - Adults using pacifiers to cope 51:55 - Year-end reflections and variety chaos Our Sponsors: ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We kick off our Christmas Day Q&A by answering the burning questions from the audience. We talk through how our careers actually started, how campaign instincts and comms muscle turn into real-world wins, and why the Progrum isn’t just “four guys with microphones,” but four guys who’ve lived the jobs we talk about. ⚡ Then, how the sausage gets made: how messages spread, why creativity beats policy-speak, and how the right phrase at the right moment can take over the conversation. We also talk about the early internet era in politics—how it worked, why it mattered, and what separated the serious operators from the scammy money-grab crowd.️ 🥸 More of your questions in this proper holiday hang: Holmes’ on-again/off-again mustache situation, where ‘Progrum’ actually comes from, and whether we still have day jobs (we do). More Q&A in Part II - coming next week. 00:00 - Christmas Day Q&A - Our gift to you 04:16 - The backstory on the fellas 05:14 - How comms work actually gets learned in the Senate 11:12 - Selling stories to reporters and shaping the narrative 12:50 - Branding moments that stick in politics 17:30 - The road back to winning in 2014 24:58 - Building a real professional partnership 28:37 - Smug’s bio: finance to politics to operating in NYC 30:00 - Inside the financial crisis panic 35:52 - Where “Comfortably Smug” comes from and why it takes off 40:16 - Covid-era Zoom happy hours give birth to an idea 49:52 - Why does Holmes mustache come and go? 53:19 - Where “Grum/Progrum” comes from—dialects, sports, and Senate impressions 59:17 - Do we still have day jobs? What we actually do now Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎁 A happy Festivus to all those who celebrate. Today, the fellas have their a festivus celebration for the ages. Everyone shares their personal and political grievances, plus we review the best feats of strength from the year. ️ 💥 Whether it’s a debate about nachos being a total scam or Donald Trump’s decisive bombing of Iran, you won’t want to miss a bit of our Festivus Celebration. Grab your aluminium pole and prepare for your own Festivus miracles! 00:00 - A Festivus for the rest of us 04:18 - Moving the chains on the NFL 08:06 - Immigration enforcement and prioritization 13:41 - Burgers that are too tall to eat 18:21 - Nachos and restaurant food scams 20:00 - Political ads and candidate disclaimers 24:49 - Speakerphone use in public spaces 28:44 - Democrats pretending to be TikTok Zoomers 33:25 - Walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk 36:03 - Conservatives complaining about Congress out of session 42:42 - The 2025 Feats of Strength 45:04 - American military action abroad 50:35 - Minnesota cheerleaders and cultural madness 53:18 - Border numbers and enforcement strength 56:14 - Fighting bears and unhinged bravery Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Another democrat political fairy tale collapses in real time. We start with Ilhan Omar’s claim that ICE pulled over her son, then walk through how DHS says it never happened, how the story keeps shifting, and why the media still gives it oxygen. We discuss why this keeps happening and why Minnesota keeps finding itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. ⚡Eric Swalwell has painfully forced taco campaign content, just cringe at its worst. Then, Kamala Harris reappears on late night, and the Biden administration is suddenly pretending like it always respected the Department of Justice. We talk through why that story doesn’t hold up, how selective memory works in politics, and why Jimmy Kimmel asking “soft” questions still manages to expose a mess. Plus free booze to hobos in San Francisco.️ 🐘 Then, former AG Bill Barr sits down for a wide-ranging interview on Venezuela, narco-terrorism, Hezbollah, climate lawfare, the Supreme Court, and the Epstein case. Barr lays out what actually happened, what matters, and why so much of the noise is just that. It’s a long run, a lot of laughs, and more than a few uncomfortable truths. 00:00 - Omar has entered the chat 07:03 - DHS says it never happened 09:16 - Omar responds and the story keeps changing 12:30 - Past immigration allegations resurface with Tom Homan 15:04 - Swalwell’s taco content and campaign cringe 23:36 - Kamala Harris on late-night and the DOJ excuse 29:18 - San Francisco’s free alcohol program for the homeless 41:45 - World Cup Pride match lands Iran vs Egypt in Seattle 49:47 - Bill Barr joins on Venezuela and narco-terrorism 59:12 - Bill Barr on climate lawfare and the courts breaking the system 1:07:38 - Barr on Epstein, the files, and what actually happened Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Tell Washington it's time to end middlemen markups and put American patients first. Visit https://phrma.org/middlemen ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢ A new rule can put privacy first, strengthen protections, and let free markets work without compromising on safety for consumers. https://dataexposure.cslf.us/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ We break down why “just asking questions” turns into an incentive structure for inventing madness. We discuss what this kind of content does to real people who are living through real grief, and the influencers online who are trying to cash in on Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk and the fight with Candace Owens. ⚡ Then we pivot to a brutal week of terror news and the political responses that make our blood boil. We run through the headlines, the media gymnastics, and the hard pivots. Primarily, Debbie Wasserman Schultz wandering into Trump-land while the question is about jihad, Chris Murphy turning violence into a fundraising pitch, and the broader weakness that keeps showing up across Western politics. What will it take for liberals to get serious about radical Islamic terrorism? 🐘 Then, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joins the Progrum. We talk Arkansas momentum, National Guard troops in D.C. and what changes on the ground. Plus, her quick stop at the White House to address farmers' needs and the economy going into 2026. And, what does the Huckabee family Christmas look like? 👑 And our signature game, King of the Hill with Adam Kinzinger taking on champion Steve Schmidt. 00:00 - Why we refuse to commentate on commentating 04:24 - The Charlie Kirk tragedy should not be a content machine 10:09 - How conspiracies hijack the vacuum before court facts land 21:47 - Debbie Wasserman Schultz hard-pivots away from jihad 28:28 - Chris Murphy blames Trump for violence and gets roasted 31:52 - Australia clip: leaders stammer around radical clerics 43:45 - King of the Hill: Steve Schmidt vs. Adam Kinzinger 55:38 - Ja Rule’s golf shot goes sideways 56:54 - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders joins The Progrum 59:04 - Arkansas Guard in D.C. and what the city feels like now 1:04:10 - Why food security is national security 1:09:41 - The economy, midterms, and selling the administration’s case Our Sponsors: ➢Tell your lawmaker to put parents first. NetChoice is dedicated to making the Internet safe for free expression and free enterprise: http://netchoice.org/keepappstoressafe ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢John Deere is investing billions in American factories and launching new tools to help customers repair their machines: https://www.deere.com/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ The fellas discuss how billions in COVID-era funding vanished through fraud in Minnesota. We walk through how the slush funds were set up, why there was almost no oversight, and how state leadership dodged responsibility while taxpayers got fleeced. We also break down the absurd defenses that Tim Walz continues to offer up. This was not some paperwork error—it was an invitation to steal. 💪 Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer is cleaning up unemployment insurance fraud, cracking down on abuse of worker programs, and restoring trust in systems that are supposed to help people. We also get into her work to create apprenticeships and trade skills for Americans. Plus her thoughts on why the American worker is being boxed out by policies that reward shortcuts instead of effort. 🐘 Another major announcement from the Office of Personnel Management on a new effort to bring early-career technical talent into government. We talk with Scott Kupor about merit-based hiring, ditching credential gatekeeping, and why rebuilding state capacity starts with trusting people who can actually do the work. Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢John Deere is investing billions in American factories and launching new tools to help customers repair their machines: https://www.deere.com/ ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ 00:00 — Why emergency slush funds created a fraud playground 05:52 — Tim Walz refuses to protest his citizens 10:15 — What real oversight would have caught immediately 12:23 — US Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer 17:07 — Apprenticeships, trade skills, and rebuilding worker pride 22:46 — Protecting American labor 33:30 — AI, workforce training, and staying competitive 52:14 — FBI stops a far-left terror plot before New Year’s Eve 58:00 — Overseas attacks and the cost of ignoring extremism 1:08:01 — OPM Director Scott Kupor 1:25:23 — Variety Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Gavin Newsom is spinning his Palisades Fire “hair on fire” story, so we go back to the actual clip and walk through how the hero tale falls apart. Then, Tim Walz now claims Republicans fear him because he can fix a truck. We revisit his shifting image from the campaign till now. Kamala is also declaring herself a “historic figure,” and talking about her future marble bust in the halls of Congress. 🫏 And the great hope of Texas Democrats, Jasmine Crockett, isn’t even allowed to speak in her own senate launch ad. The fellas dig down on what we can learn from Jazzy Crockett in Texas and we review the song and dance she’s choreographing. Plus, we review AOC and her Puerto Rico spending spree. ⚡️Then the return of Dem or Journo where the fellas see if they can detect the subtle difference given some blind statements from Ashbrook. Variety with Michigan football’s implosion and Ashbrook defends incoming strays all about Ohio. 00:00 - Gavin Newsom’s Palisades Fire “hair on fire” story 07:09 - Tim Walz on “toxic masculinity,” trucks, hunting, and what he says scares Republicans 10:03 - Kamala Harris calls herself a “historic figure.” 17:31 - Jasmine Crockett launches ad built on Trump 34:27 - Venezuela drug boats, tanker raid video, and the risk of regime projects 40:02 - AOC’s Puerto Rico spending 45:00 - We play Dem or Journo 59:00 - Michigan coaching scandal, flag world record jump, dirt-bike arrest, and the Big Boy statue graveyard Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢We can create a space where girls can connect and thrive. Get involved today at https://empowerourfuturecoalition.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ The same people who pushed trillions in spending now act confused that prices climbed. We lay out how democrats got us here on inflation, and the size of the hole that Trump is trying to climb out of. 💵 Then, we look at the actual data — wage growth under Trump’s second term, the collapse of real wages under Biden, and the painful gap between rising prices and falling purchasing power. We talked through why the free-market fixes we’ve supported for years are still the right path, and why handing more control to Washington will only make families’ expenses worse. 🐘 Michigan hasn’t sent a Republican to this Senate seat in roughly three decades, but former congressman Mike Rogers thinks that streak is about to end. Rogers walks through what a real change election looks like in a 50–50, working-class state that actually builds things. ️ 00:00 — Cold Open 01:41 — How Biden Broke the Economy 04:36 — Andy Beshear’s “economy of tomorrow” talking point loop 08:23 — Prices, wages, workers: the real affordability gap 14:16 — Why Obamacare was built to break the system 25:37 — Real wage growth explained 34:03 — Comparing conservative affordability to socialist “solutions” 42:06 — King of the Hill 54:37 — Mike Rogers on the future of Michigan Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🔥 Democratic Party CHAOS: The Radical Left Takes Over & Chuck Schumer’s Days Are NUMBERED! + Mary Katharine Ham joins for the lightning round ⚡ The Democratic establishment is COLLAPSING before our eyes. From Jasmine Crockett scaring off “moderate” challengers in Texas to the progressive lunatics running in primaries nationwide, the party of AOC and “The Squad” is now fully in charge. Chuck Schumer? Done. Finished. His grip on power is slipping faster than a drunk guy on a cruise ship with 33 beers… which, yes, we also cover in this absolute banger of an episode. 🤯🎯 What You’ll Hear: Why Colin Allred bailed on the Texas Senate race the second Jasmine Crockett jumped in. 🔥 The radical left’s “win at all costs” strategy and how they’re purging anyone remotely normal. Jasmine Crockett’s wild Jeffrey Epstein smear meltdown on the House floor. 😳The INSANE story of a cruise passenger who drank 33 beers, got pepper-sprayed twice, sedated… and it didn't end well. 🍻⚓ The greatest animal fight clip of all time: Chinese zookeepers vs. angry black bear armed with a basketball hoop, a chair, a stick, and… a PARROT?! 🐻🪑🦜 (You have to see this) This is Democratic Fight Club — and the first rule is there are no rules left. 👕 Grab Christmas merch before it’s gone! Order by Dec 11th for guaranteed delivery → https://store.ruthlesspodcast.com 🔔 SMASH the Subscribe button for the most chaotic, unfiltered political takes on YouTube! 💬 Comment your best Jasmine Crockett campaign slogan ideas! 🔔New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday & Friday! Timestamps: 01:12 Democratic Party Civil War Begins 07:00 Jasmine Crockett Torches Texas Senate Race 11:28 Jasmine’s Jeffrey Epstein Meltdown Clip 1:09:50 The 33-Beer Cruise Ship Pepper Spray Incident 🍺🚢 1:17:28 Greatest Zoo Fight Ever Recorded 🐻🦜 Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ The latest democrat hoax has fallen apart. The drug boat ‘scandal’ seems to be a big nothingburger. Democrats instantly shifted into defending traffickers once the hoax fell apart. After that, we break down the even stranger week on MSNBC, where Morning Joe skipped town for so long that even their audience noticed. As we looked around for them, it felt like half the media went into witness-protection mode the second their earlier narratives started blowing up. ⚡Then, a Joe and Mika super cut and another Biden disaster. USPS was ordered to buy thousands of EVs no matter how unready the technology was. Plus, Olivia Nuzzi finally sits down with a podcast to break down on camera.️ It was VERY theatrical. 🐘 House Majority Leader Steve Scalise joins the Progrum to talk through the early days of the new congressional session, what Republicans are preparing in 2026, and why the Biden administration’s regulatory spree is already forcing Congress into crisis-mode oversight. We talk message discipline, the border, and spending fights. It’s a sharp conversation and a great preview of the midterms. 00:00 – The Media’s Drug-boat Hoax Collapses 06:40 – Democrats shift into defending smugglers again 09:15 – Morning Joe vanishes for almost a full week 12:58 – USPS forced EV disaster unfolds across the fleet 26:44 – Olivia Nuzzi returns and media blowback 31:58 – House Majority Leader Steve Scalise joins the Progrum 38:20 – Scalise on 2025 agenda, oversight, and early fights Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢The future won't wait, and TC Energy is moving forward confidently: https://www.tcenergy.com/ ➢John Deere is investing billions in American factories and launching new tools to help customers repair their machines: https://www.deere.com/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ There is absolute rot at the core of the Democratic Party, especially their constant need to defend criminals. We start with Senator Reed's baffling attempt to defend narco-traffickers, trying to paint them as mere "delivery drivers" in a discussion about supply and demand. We followed that with the unbelievably unhinged rhetoric from Debbie Wasserman Schultz. ⚡The left's entire ideology is now centered on opposition to Donald Trump, which leads them to support the indefensible, whether it's drug runners, domestic terrorists, or even murderers like Luigi Mangione, who now has his own fan club—the "Cougars for Luigi." This kind of political insanity is what we're up against. 🐘 Then, we got into a deep-dive conversation with Senate Majority Leader @JohnThune, who provided incredible insight into the unprecedented amount of Senate votes this year, driven entirely by the Democrats' desire to obstruct every one of the President’s nominations. Thune also broke down the Republican Party’s strategic message for the 2026 midterms 👑 We finished the show with the King of the Hill, pitting Smokin' Joe Walsh against Ron Filipkowski. Last, a variety story about a drunk raccoon that broke into a liquor store on Black Friday, passed out next to a toilet, and sparked a serious discussion about the dangers of trash pandas.️ 00:00 - Democrats Defending Criminals 03:22 - Senator Reed's Narco-Trafficker Defense 07:27 - Minneapolis Mayor Exploits Somali Clan Warfare 10:48 - Luigi Mangione's Expanding Fan Club 15:38 - Senator John Thune on Senate Obstruction, Record Votes, and Bipartisanship 24:08 - Thune Unveils the GOP's 2026 Midterm Election Message 46:39 - King of the Hill: Joe Walsh vs. Ron Filipkowski 58:48 - Drunk Raccoon Raids Liquor Store Our Sponsors: ➢The future won't wait, and TC Energy is moving forward confidently: https://www.tcenergy.com/ ➢John Deere is investing billions in American factories and launching new tools to help customers repair their machines: https://www.deere.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ There is an absolute horror show going on in Holmes' home state of Minnesota. We looked into the explosive New York Times story revealing a $1 billion fraud scandal involving the state's social service system under Governor Tim Walz. This wasn't just typical government waste; we dissected how members of the Somali diaspora allegedly stole hundreds of millions of dollars meant to feed children during the pandemic. 💥 These Mafia-style tactics used to perpetuate the fraud are a common tool of the left. The fellas discussed how the nonprofit group, Feeding Our Future, threatened state agencies with accusations of racism and negative press to force them into approving fraudulent applicants, proving that the left has weaponized these accusations as a shakedown racket. We explain how the Democrats have outsourced these tactics to NGOs to pressure and capture institutions like corporate America. 🐻 In Variety, the fellas got into a hysterical segment about a viral video of a lineman saving a black bear from a power line and debated the merits of the new holiday gift, "Guido on a Ledge," a Staten Island-inspired Elf on the Shelf alternative. 🐘 Then, Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is running for Senate in Iowa. She discussed her experience as a "mama bear on a mission" and how her background is helping her relate to Iowans on kitchen-table issues like affordability and school curriculum problems 00:00 - Serious Democrat Corruption In Minnesota 03:38 - How State Leadership Failed MN 05:51 - The NYT Details Fraud and Tim Walz's Involvement 24:44 - How "Mafia-style" Tactics Perpetuated Fraud 37:43 - Could the Stolen Money Potentially Fund Terror 47:48 - Thanksgiving Comments 51:07 - Tennessee’s Special Election and Democrat Extremism 01:06:22 - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson on her Senate campaign, political issues, and musical talent Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ John Deere is investing billions in American factories and launching new tools to help customers repair their machines: https://www.deere.com/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ The fellas explore the total collapse of Hollywood cinema and what it might mean for the American consumer. We all agree the movies just aren't what they used to be—you can't find a good, simple action flick or comedy anymore. Holmes points out how the shift happened during the Obama years, moving toward terrible, non-English, anti-American award bait. 🎬 The fellas drive home that Trump's greater influence lies not just in movie preferences but in reindustrializing the American film industry. We discussed how high taxes and regulations in California led to outsourcing production overseas, particularly to countries that incentivize making content with a cultural disposition that shows America in the worst possible light. If Trump provided competitive tax incentives to bring film production back home and coupled that with cultural benchmarks, it could reinvigorate American movies made for an American audience. 📱 Then, a new transparency feature comes to X and exposes the location of popular accounts. Many accounts posing as American patriots or constitutionalists are actually based in foreign countries. We explain how mainstream media journos rely on X's algorithm for "sentiment analysis" from "the base," which is easily polluted by these foreign accounts. Is it time to get rid of the algorithm entirely and return to a chronological timeline. 🐎 In variety: there’s a Namibian politician with the most unfortunate name as the most famous dictator in history. We can't believe a name like that not only exists but gets re-elected. Then, an absolutely insane clip of a rogue ambulance driving onto the inside rail of a track during a horse race in Louisiana 🐘 We wrap with Brent Gardner from AFP about the legislative agenda for the end of the year, focusing on energy permitting reform to boost American production and healthcare reform. We also hit on the importance of the NDAA as a vehicle for AI preemption legislation to ensure the US remains the global leader in technology. 00:00 - The Fellas on Hollywood's Decline and Trump's Cultural Reach 03:14 - Why Modern Movies Suck and Trump's Plan to Reindustrialize American Cinema 08:50 - Discussing Ben Smith's Semafor Article on Trump and Hollywood 15:59 - Hollywood Outsourcing Problem 28:52 - X’s New Transparency Feature 47:46 - Can We Fix X 52:32 - Unfortunate Politico Name and Wrong Way Driver In THE WORST Place 01:03:30 - Brent Gardner (AFP) on the Congressional Sprint to the End of the Year Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Help fuel America's energy advantage. Visit https://www.chevron.com/America to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🦃 It’s our annual Thanksgiving Spectacular! This is the episode that made the Ruthless Variety Progrum famous. A reminder of the basic framework: you want your like-minded relatives excited to arrive, and the libs coming over to be stricken with fear. We dissect a cringe-worthy, anonymous USA Today op-ed from a person who dreads confronting their family’s “hateful politics“ since Trump’s election. We analyze the underlying issues when libs come to family dinner. 🍗 Then, your Ruthless recipe for Thanksgiving domination. We go from setting to setting throughout the Thanksgiving Day experience to prep you for maximum impact and help you create the greatest pain for your overly woke guests. 🏈 For dessert, your NFL turkey day preview and the one game that the fellas cannot believe is a prime-time feature. Plus, a little guidance for those degenerate gamblers listening to make it through the afternoon of pure, drunken alpha dominance. 00:00 - Thanksgiving: A Ruthless Opportunity for Activism 01:13 - Your Framework for Creating Fear 03:22 - Dissecting the Woke Anxiety 10:16 - The Ruthless Recipe: Preemptive Strikes and Setting the Scene 17:05 - The Meal as an Achievement Contest 20:55 - Put the Conversation on Offense 31:48 - Thanksgiving Day Football and Degenerate Gambling Guidance Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Every year, corporate insurers get richer, while Americans pay more and get less. Paid for by American Resolve Action: https://www.resolveaction.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ AOC appears to be fundraising for her campaign under the guise of a turkey giveaway for the needy, which is beyond the pale. The fellas pointed out that while she has raised money for actual charities in the past, this latest move smells of a massive list-building operation with political transaction fees skimming off the top, leading to local critics calling it a "typical bait and switch." 🐻 Then, California has no good options for Governor. In the latest blow, Eric Swalwell filmed his California gubernatorial campaign launch video from his primary residence in Washington, D.C., a $1.2 million Victorian bungalow currently at the center of a mortgage fraud investigation. We’re having trouble figuring out if he even has a house in the state he wants to govern. Maybe a Chinese spy can help him out of this jam. 😘 Part two of the Olivia Nuzzi saga with her former fiancé Ryan Lizza dropping his follow-up article. More insanely, Lizza discovered a fake tabloid article Nuzzi had written about herself, fantasizing about her Mark Sanford affair becoming public. This is totally unhinged behavior, but typical of most Journos. 🧊 Then, ICE Director Todd Lyons discusses the crucial work his agency is doing under the Trump administration. Lyons shared his unexpected path to becoming the director and offered a stark compendium of how different administrations prioritized, or failed to prioritize, the agency's core mission. He highlighted the massive challenge of cleaning up the mess left by the previous administration's lax policies. 00:00 - AOC's Thanksgiving Day Scam 10:07 - Swalwell's DC Campaign Launch 19:50- Nuzzi and Lizza Part II 44:13 - Home Depot Protests 52:23 - ICE Director Todd Lyons 1:13:45 - The Horrifying Link Between Sanctuary Cities and Fentanyl Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ ➢Insurance companies are threatening to raise your premiums and putting greed before patients. It's time to hold them accountable. https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ This might be the biggest, messiest, most custom-produced story for the Progrum: the saga of writer Olivia Nuzzi. There’s a bombshell dropped by her ex-fiancé, Ryan Lizza, and no one expected it. We cover how she left New York magazine, her overly dramatic book, and recent developments. 😘 The fellas discussed the absurdity of the new Mark Sanford revelations, noting that Nuzzi had apparently had a physical relationship with Sanford while profiling him for his 2020 GOP primary bid, and right in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdowns. Plus her Olbermann relationship and brief music career.️ 🫏 Then, Jasmine Crockett gets caught in a humiliating lie about Lee Zeldin because there are two men named Jeffrey Epstein. We also covered her utterly terrible attempt at a TikTok meme. 00:00 - Olivia Nuzzi’s Shocking DC Allegations 07:07 - The Journo World's Inner Turmoil & Lizza's Substack Teaser 15:46 - Lizza's Account: Kimpton Stationery and The Shoe Closet 20:01 - Olbermann's Gift-Giving Math & The Light Stalking 25:21 - The Substack's Republican Twist 33:40 - Weiner, Olbermann, and Prophetic Tweets 42:52 - The Unhinged Myspace Pop Song 52:11 - Jasmine Crockett's Jeffrey Epstein Confusion Ruthless is produced, edited and made by humans. Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢It’s time to hold insurance companies accountable: https://www.americansforopengovernment.com/ ➢Help fuel America's energy advantage. Visit https://www.chevron.com/America to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ It’s wild how the mainstream media only got interested in Epstein after they thought it would hurt Donald Trump. The fellas discuss how the entire narrative is a cynical exercise in political partisanship, mirroring the disastrous Russiagate hoax, and not a genuine pursuit of justice for victims. We knew all along that Epstein was a well-known liberal financier with deep connections to the left, which is why the national media buried the story for nearly two decades. 💥The most unbelievable thing to come out of this Epstein nonsense is Stacey Plaskett's text correspondence with him. It’s wild that Plaskett was getting real-time information from a convicted pedophile to feed questions to Michael Cohen on the stand. This is undeniable documentation of Democrats working directly with the devil himself to go after their political enemies. ️ 👑 Thursdays are for King of the Hill. Today, reigning champion Jen Rubin takes on challenger Joe Walsh in a battle royale for dominance. 🐘 Representative Brandon Gill joins the Progrum to discuss his aggressive, prosecutorial style in Congress and why holding leftist opponents accountable under oath is working. We reveal his surprising success in advancing major conservative legislation, including tax cuts, welfare reform, and border security. Gill explains his bill to fast-track the deportation of criminal illegal aliens convicted of sexual offenses and details the shocking vote where every Democrat opposed the "Bow Wow Act" to deport animal abusers. Plus, we discover why he hates losing and what his last meal would be. 00:00 - Jeffrey Epstein and the 20-Year Media Cover 06:16 - Democrats Try to Use Epstein to Target Trump 10:08 - Stacey Plaskett's Texts with Epstein During Trump Impeachment Hearing 8:47 - Hakeem Jeffries' Cringeworthy Defense 41:47 - The Dangerous Weaponization of Redactions in Epstein Files 55:30 - King of the Hill (Jen Rubin vs. Joe Walsh) 01:06:14 - Interview with Congressman Brandon Gill Ruthless is produced, edited and made by humans. Our Sponsors: ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Congressman Brad Sherman had some scandalous iPad scrolling on a flight - which was made for the fellas to cover. PLUS the Democratic Civil War continues to rage with AOC, Tim Kaine, and others squaring off to take out Chuck Schumer. 🐘 The leaders of the Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), Chris Winkelman, and the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), Alex Latcham. In this deep dive, we get the actual stats and outlook for the coming season. Latcham and Winkelman explain the structural advantages Republicans currently hold, including the fact that 16 Democrats sit in seats that President Trump won in 2024. We also break down how they plan to defend the 22 Republican Senate seats while expanding the map in states like New Hampshire, Georgia, and Michigan. ️ 💥In Variety, we examine the animal violence epidemic against humans, specifically a dog that accidentally shot its owner while he was cleaning a shotgun, and an idiot in Yellowstone approaching a wolf pack with bear spray. Ruthless is produced, edited and made by humans. 00:00 - The Democratic Civil War is rolling as Hot as Ever 04:43 - Congressman Brad Sherman's scandalous iPad scrolling on a flight home 10:52 - The Democratic Civil War: Gluesenkamp Perez, AOC, and Tim Kaine 19:48 - In-depth Interview with Alex Latcham and Chris Winkelman on the Midterms 44:37 - Oppositional research and the importance of candidate quality 56:30 - Mad Maxine, Ed Markey, and the death of MSNBC Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Every year, corporate insurers get richer, while Americans pay more and get less. Paid for by American Resolve Action: https://www.resolveaction.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ This entire shutdown was a plan without a strategy for success, driven purely by Schumer's desperation to appease an angry base after repeated losses to Republicans. Now, the media is struggling to spin a clear loss as a "win," while Democrats like Sen. Andy Kim still genuinely believe they were fighting a principled fight over Obamacare. This lack of introspection and the sheer cynicism driving the party's leadership have created the perfect conditions for a massive internal civil war. 🫏 In Today's cynical Democrat Party, the hunger for power outweighs family loyalty - see Sen. Shaheen. This is followed by the hard left, led by AOC, twisting the knife in Schumer’s back, accusing him of a coordinated effort to abandon their fight. The fellas speculate if Schumer's political career is finished because he prioritized the fringes and lost the begrudging respect for effectiveness that a true leader must maintain. 👑 Then, King of the Hill is a battle of titans with Cheri Jacobus and Jennifer Rubin facing off in the ring. 00:00 - The Democrat Party's Long National Nightmare Begins 04:50 - Andy Kim and the Obamacare Delusion 13:00 - Family Feud: The Shaheen Civil War 16:15 - AOC Puts the Knife in Chuck Schumer 22:02 - Left-Wing Media Slams Schumer 38:00 - King of the Hill: Jennifer Rubin vs. Cheri Jacobus This podcast has been edited to remove references to Jacquelyn Arthur. The earlier version of this podcast contained a segment that incorrectly identified Ms. Arthur as an escort with a page on escortbook.com. Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Unleash American energy to be bigger and better than ever before, because when America builds, America wins. https://permittingreformnow.org/ ➢Every year, corporate insurers get richer, while Americans pay more and get less. Paid for by American Resolve Action: https://www.resolveaction.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Joe Biden’s back, or at least his lifeless corpse is back in action. The reaction from the crowd, clapping for the "dead guy" just for moving is beyond tragic. Then, the DNC has a new internal civil war over... wait for it... having to work in the office five days a week. The idea that this organization lost the Presidency, House, and Senate but feels they can demand permanent work-from-home is peak Democratic delusion. 🫏 Then Representative Jasmine Crockett's latest conspiratorial rants on Mark Elias’s podcast, where she falsely claimed a Republican "friend" purchased Dominion Voting Systems to rig elections. Later, the liberal media response to Crockett’s antics involved a host literally kissing her sneakers on air. This is how the modern left genuflects. Maybe they can be saved by a new Kennedy scion running for Congress: Jack Schlossberg. 🕸️ Smug brings us a horrifying segment about a Balkans spider cave where two rival species of poisonous spiders have united to create a massive "hell web," where they capture and kill animals in massive numbers. 🇺🇸 Lastly, Katie Miller shares her experience with the modern left's domestic terrorism, including being forced to move her family from their home due to death threats, stalking, and "wanted" signs put up by deranged leftists. She also gives us a first-hand account of what it's like working for Elon Musk, what she learned from interviewing Mike Tyson, and why she launched her own podcast to serve as a counter-discourse for women. 00:00 - Rough Week & Biden's Sad Restaurant Appearance 04:22 - The DNC's Insane Return-to-Office Civil War 17:16 - The Cost of Democratic Delusion 23:12 - Jasmine Crockett Spreads Election Conspiracy Theories 27:57 - Jack Schlossberg: Congressional Candidate, Creep, and Anti-Semite 41:14 - The Horrifying and Opportunistic Balkans Spider Cave 48:07 - Katie Miller on The Reality of Modern Political Violence and Her New Podcast Our Sponsors: ➢Go to https://zbiotics.com/RUTHLESS and use RUTHLESS at checkout for 15% off any first time orders of ZBiotics probiotics. ➢Every year, corporate insurers get richer, while Americans pay more and get less. Paid for by American Resolve Action: https://www.resolveaction.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ It’s not surprising, but the fellas called every twist and turn of this government shutdown fiasco months ago. Senate Democrats finally caved, reopening the government without securing any of their stated demands, which further proves that the shutdown was entirely a political exercise to push turnout for Election Day. We get into the media's baffling spin, which finally admitted to a "Democratic filibuster" only after it was broken. Once again, democrats will hurt the American people if it helps them politically. 💥 We revisit our past predictions, including conversations all the way back to March. The "deal" that was supposedly brokered was the exact same offer Republicans made weeks earlier, revealing the whole bipartisan agreement narrative as complete "bulls**t." This political theater was underscored by Senator Tim Kaine's admission that he was more focused on the election than on the financial pain his constituents faced during the shutdown—a classic example of elected officials prioritizing politics over their actual jobs. ⚡The fellas cover a stunning video of a rat hunting a bat, which has Ashbrook’s brain turning on how to defeat these creatures. Then, the American Beverage Association talks about their efforts to curb sugary drinks and create jobs. ️ 00:00 - The Fellas’ Predictions Come True 04:13 - MSNBC's Confusion and CNN's Admission of a "Democratic Filibuster" 08:13 - Memory Lane: The Program Predicted the Shutdown's Timeline and Political Roots 18:58 - Tim Kaine Gives Away the Game 23:39 - Progressives Call for Schumer's Ouster 32:10 - Bizarre Footage of a Rat Eating a Bat 44:55 - Kevin Keane, American Beverage Association President, on Jobs and Consumer Health Our Sponsors: ➢Beverage America believes in the promise that makes this nation great. Learn more at http://wedeliverforamerica.org/ ➢Want to make a difference in your community? https://takeonesmallstep.org/ Join AFP's grass-roots efforts at https://afpvolunteer.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

🎙️ Live from the Patriot Awards with Carley Shimkus, who seems super excited to join the fellas. She updates us from inside the belly of the beast, talking New York City mayoral race and the victory of self-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani. Smug stands by his assertion that the city "gets what they deserve," a sentiment that Shimkus finally understands. We also chat about recent off-year election results in New Jersey and Virginia 🎬Then, funtime Friday with a hilarious clip of actor George Clooney, who maybe has regrets after forcing Biden out of the race? I mean, he wanted him to step down - but just not the way he stepped down. Can you imagine that happening within the Republican Party? Our Sponsors: ➢Find out how BP is investing in America: https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/who-we-are/us-impact-report.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices