Happy Hour: Sippin' a Smug Smash

Summary

Podcast Summary: Kennedy Saves the World

Episode: Happy Hour: Sippin' a Smug Smash
Date: September 19, 2025
Host: Kennedy (FOX News Podcasts)
Guest: Comfortably Smug

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Overview

This Happy Hour edition of "Kennedy Saves the World" features Comfortably Smug—political influencer, digital strategist, and co-host of the Ruthless podcast. Together, they share drinks and sharp banter as they trace the evolution of conservative irreverence online, discuss the current political climate post-2024, and unpack the implications of recent political violence in America. The episode weaves personal storytelling, laughter, and incisive critique into a candid, spirited conversation about free speech, humor as political resistance, and the danger of dehumanization in politics.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mixology and Happy Hour Nostalgia

• [00:00–01:37] Opening banter as Kennedy introduces the "Smug Smash," a tropical whiskey cocktail she devised for her guest.
  • Kennedy: “The smug smash is a twist on an Old Fashioned, but it’s got pineapple in it, so it’s a little tropical.”
  • Smug: “That’s a keeper.”
• Discussion of other potential (and intentionally awful) drink ideas for future happy hour guests.

2. Ruthless Podcast Origins and Style

• [01:37–04:19] Smug describes the "Ruthless" podcast, started in October 2020—before the election—with fellow co-hosts Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook.
  • Kennedy: “Tell me about the Ruthless podcast...”
  • Smug: “We hit number one on the charts. Beat Pod Save America.” [02:02]
  • They credit their success to being fun, honest, and not beholden to party talking points.
• The backgrounds of each Ruthless co-host are highlighted: Capitol Hill experience, digital strategy, and grassroots activism.

3. Disruption, Humor, and Political Trolling

• [04:19–06:53] Kennedy and Smug reflect on the role of humor and ridicule in political resistance, especially on social media.
  • Smug claims to have pioneered a grassroots online "happy warrior" ethos:
    “There was a dark age on social media where conservatives...were gone. I would read those rules and walk right up to the line and do everything I could to get people to make fun of the left. ...it caught on...and it just took off.” [03:45–04:36]
  • Kennedy: “The art of screwing around has really been lost in these serious times... It is as necessary as self-reflection.” [04:36]
• Discussion of the "Beto is a furry" meme as an example of viral, mischievous political marketing.

4. Why Conservatives Can Be Funny—And Should Be

• [06:19–07:34]
  • Kennedy: “For so long, it was just accepted like, ‘Well, conservatives aren’t funny... will never be that way.’ And that never made sense to me.” [06:19]
• Smug argues that politics is more like HBO’s "Veep" than "The West Wing”: “You should treat politics with the humor it deserves.”

5. Political Violence, Dehumanization, and the Killing of Charlie Kirk

• [09:45–15:16]
  • The hosts tackle the assassination of Charlie Kirk and its chilling impact.
  • Kennedy: “What does this kind of assassination do to the conversation that we have and making fun of people?” [10:11]
  • Smug: “I started getting text messages from friends back home...who don’t listen to even political podcasts. They were so affected by this horrific event, because there was a recognition that Charlie believed in the same things I did...Not only was he murdered for that, but to see professors, teachers, nurses put out videos...celebrating his death... That’s just been an eyeopening realization.” [10:50–12:31]
• Both express horror at celebration of violence and the normalization of dehumanizing political opponents.
  • Kennedy: “To celebrate someone's murder...I didn't realize that a pretty sizable loud group of people would be capable of a massive lack of empathy.” [12:33]
  • Smug: “That has to stop.” [12:32]
• The episode underscores the dangers of rhetoric that labels others as "fascists" or "Nazis," because it encourages violence.

6. Radicalization and Responsibilities of Leadership

• [15:49–16:49]
  • Smug points to Democratic leadership’s inflammatory language:
    “You have Maxine Waters say, 'If you see a Trump supporter, you confront them.' Chuck Schumer said, 'We will hit you back. You won’t know what hit you.' ...This is a left wing radicalization problem. And the dehumanization of conservatives.” [15:49–16:33]

7. Libertarians, Coalition-Building, and Third Parties

• [16:51–19:49]
  • Kennedy asks if libertarians are a threat to conservatism.
  • Smug: “Not in the least. ...Biggest lesson to take from President Trump’s massive victory last November is this is what you get when you expand the party...it’s essentially become the sane people who said, I want law and order and I want my country back.” [17:07]
  • Libertarian spoilers in close races are acknowledged as a frustration.
  • Smug shares a meme: “Today, I think I’m going to vote third party Libertarian. ...Then he looks at the results...999 votes for the Republican, 1,000 votes for the Democrats, one for the Libertarian: guns officially banned.” [18:46]

8. Trump’s Outreach and Libertarian Party’s Missteps

• [19:27–20:25]
  • Kennedy recounts Trump boldly pitching to the Libertarian convention about freeing Ross Ulbricht.
  • Criticism of Libertarian candidate Chase Oliver and lack of compelling outreach.

9. Policing, Urban Decline, and the Reversal under Trump

• [20:22–22:49]
  • Smug and Kennedy discuss spike in urban crime, politicization of stats, and what Smug characterizes as Trump’s problem-solving on law and order.
  • “Decline is a choice, and it’s one that...we don’t have to accept.” [22:27]

10. Personal Brand, Anonymity, and Sunglasses

• [23:03–24:58]
  • Smug clarifies he is not blind—the shades are part of his shtick for anonymity, inherited from his days in finance/social media.
  • Kennedy: “Is it true your name is Shawshank Redemption?” Smug: “No, but I’m often called that.” [25:01–25:03]

11. Movies, Urban Life, and Drug Policy

• [25:07–26:11]
  • Smug’s favorite movie: “There Will Be Blood.”
  • Both lament current approaches to decriminalization and homelessness—Kennedy critiques “harm reduction” as counterproductive, calls for effective mental health care.

12. Nonprofit Incentives and Political Inertia

• [26:11–26:52]
  • Smug: "If you are a left wing nonprofit and end up being effective...you're going out of business."
  • Both agree that persistent social problems are perpetuated for profit and political gain.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Trolling & Ridicule as Strategy
  • Smug: “There’s no use in debating these people’s ridiculous ideas. You should ridicule them.” [03:45]
• On Political Violence and Empathy
  • Kennedy: “To celebrate someone’s murder...I didn’t realize that a pretty sizable group of people would be capable of a massive lack of empathy.” [12:33]
  • Smug: “That has to stop.” [12:32]
• On Dehumanization
  • Kennedy: “We have to stop seeing people who have a subtle difference of opinion as evil because when you see someone as evil, they’re no longer human and...it requires [neutralizing] them.” [14:18]
• On Coalition Politics
  • Smug: “This is what happens when you have a big tent, when it’s not about, ‘Oh, I’m trying to get as many Republicans to vote for me’... It's essentially become the sane people who said, I want law and order and I want my country back.” [17:07]
• On Decline in Cities
  • Smug: “Decline is a choice, and it’s one that...we don’t have to accept.” [22:27]
• On Nonprofit Incentives
  • Smug: “If you are a left wing nonprofit and end up being effective...you're going out of business.” [26:11]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00–01:37] — Smug Smash cocktail recipe and lighthearted banter
• [01:37–04:19] — Origin and ethos of the Ruthless podcast
• [04:19–06:53] — Humor, trolling, and the “happy warrior” approach
• [09:45–15:16] — Assassination of Charlie Kirk and dangers of political dehumanization
• [16:51–19:49] — Libertarians, coalition-building, and third-party spoilers
• [20:22–22:49] — Urban decline, policing, and political spin on crime
• [23:03–24:58] — Comfortably Smug's sunglasses and public persona
• [25:07–26:11] — Movies, city life, and failed drug policies
• [26:11–26:52] — The business of unsolved crises

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Tone & Style

Kennedy and Smug keep the atmosphere irreverent, dryly funny, and sincerely concerned—skewering political hypocrisy while urging a return to civility and human connection. Kennedy’s quick wit and Smug’s smirking directness keep the conversation brisk, relatable, and pointed.

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Conclusion

This episode blends cocktail recipes, culture war commentary, and reflections on democracy in crisis. Kennedy and Comfortably Smug stress the power of humor, the need for honest coalition, and the dangers of rhetorical excess—urging listeners to fight politicized dehumanization and foster empathy, even across ideological lines.

Transcript

[Kennedy]

Foreign. Hello, and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. It's happy hour. This man needs no introduction. Comfort comfortably. Smug is here. Smug. This is a smug smash. Drink it. Cheers to you.

[Comfortably Smug]

Cheers. Thanks for having me, Kennedy.

[Kennedy]

Oh, yeah, baby.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's pretty good. What's in that?

[Kennedy]

Okay, so it's great Jones rye, a little Woodford Bourbon, Duke's orange liqueur, two shakes of orange bitters, pineapple juice, a squeeze of orange juice and a little bit of grenadine at the bottom and a tiny bit of lime juice to offset all the sweetness.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's a good twist. Like on an Old Fashioned. I like it. Yes, that's good.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. The smug smash is a twist on an Old Fashioned, but it's got pineapple in it, so it's a little tropical.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's a keeper.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, right?

[Comfortably Smug]

That's a keeper.

[Kennedy]

Okay, good. There we go. Because I was thinking, you know, I almost made you a graveyard, and I was gonna try and make you the grossest drink possible.

[Comfortably Smug]

No, I'm glad you.

[Kennedy]

Cause I was gonna do, like, tequila, rum, vodka, like a Long island iced tea that would make you instantly barf. Because I haven't done that. I haven't yet on happy hour. Tried to make something absolutely disgusting. I got to save that for someone less delightful.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, I appreciate you decided to go with the good drink. This is terrific.

[Kennedy]

No, this is a good drink. And I saw on your ex profile you like whiskey, so I was like, I can't do tequila.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, this is great. Thank you. Cheers, man.

[Kennedy]

I got to do Martha and the Five layer. I better slow down. I can only have four or five of these before I broadcast, so. Tell me about the Ruthless podcast. Yeah, it's you, Josh. I've been on Outnumbered with Josh. I don't know if I've met Michael.

[Comfortably Smug]

Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook. We, in October, are gonna hit five years. It's already been five years somehow.

[Kennedy]

Okay, so, yeah, you guys started before the election in 2020.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep, October 2020. We started our very first episode. We hit number one on the charts. Beat pod, save America.

[Kennedy]

How?

[Comfortably Smug]

I think it's because American people want someone who's fun and someone who's honest and isn't just reading. You know, here's the lines some party head gave me, like, which is pretty much pot saves formula. Yeah, we have a. We have a ton of fun. We actually talk about the important things and provide analysis of where it's going, because all of our backgrounds. Josh was a chief of staff to Senate leadership for Mitch McConnell Ashbrook is probably the most, well, plugged in comms professional on the planet. And I mean, that's. That is not, you know, going over, trying to just make him feel good, like he is connected to everybody. He gets ahead of the curve. On the news. They call him a silent assassin in D.C. the way he's taken some Democrats out. He'll never brag about it, but he's a. He's an assassin when it comes to.

[Kennedy]

If you are, you can't be the silent assassin.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, well, that's the thing.

[Kennedy]

A metaphorical assassin, which, you know, I feel like we have to.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, that's true, but in the times we're living. But Duncan is a storied digital professional. He's done a bunch of campaigns, bunch of wins. And me, who originally my claim to fame was being a troll on Twitter to Democrats and kind of like marshaling grassroots support to hold them accountable until they couldn't ignore us.

[Kennedy]

So do you feel like you were one of the first disruptors in the modern social media age who really figured out how to use it for. I'm not going to say for evil, but for mischief. Yes, for mischief. That's a. That's a much better word.

[Comfortably Smug]

So that's the thing is, I mean, I don't need to tell the folks listening to this. There was a dark age on social media where conservatives were essentially, if. If the powers that be wanted you banned, you're gone. They create all these rules to be like, essentially, how can we try to get all conservatives off our platform? I would very carefully read those rules and I would walk right up to the line and do everything I could to get people to make fun of the left because there's no use in debating these people's ridiculous ideas. You should ridicule them. And so it caught on. Then you've got this grassroot army, we call them the minions of folks online who, who they got, you know, they saw that there's this like, happy warrior ethos online of where you can have fun holding these Dems accountable, making fun of them, and it just took off.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. And that's really like, the art of around has really been lost in these serious times. And that's what's so sad, because around is really important. Like, it's really important to screw around with your friends and have a great time. It's not wasting time. It's not immaturity. It is as necessary as self reflection.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. So, I mean, a great example, one of the first, I remember, tremendous successes I had is folks Might not remember, but when Beto was getting ready to announce that he was running for president, he had a lot of Obama's former people had already. Obama had already reached out to him.

[Kennedy]

Wow.

[Comfortably Smug]

He was going to be like a juggernaut. Like, as soon as he jumps in, it's going to be Beto. I caught wind of that and I was like, how can we take this guy down a notch before he even gets out of the gate? And these photos of him, I think it was in college, came out where he was performing in like an animal suit in a band. And I said, beto is a furry. And so I started just tweeting every response to his tweets. Beto's a furry. Other people saw this. He couldn't go anywhere without people started shouting, Beto is a furry. When he tried to show up in Iowa and anywhere he went completely wrecked his campaign before he even got started.

[Kennedy]

So, I mean, but that's like the brilliance of marketing is like figuring out something that will, that will latch, that will make purchase and catch on. And I think that would be the beauty of what you do.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. And it's doing it in a light hearted and fun way where again, it's making fun of the Democrats because there's no sense in debating them.

[Kennedy]

And for so long, you know, it was just accepted like, well, conservatives aren't funny. Like, Democrats are funny, Liberals are creative, will never be that way. There's never gonna be a late night conservative talk show. And it was I. That never made sense to me because.

[Comfortably Smug]

Now look at things.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, but although I'm a libertarian, I'm like, no, everyone likes to have a good time. Everyone likes to make fun of themselves. And we certainly like to make fun of other people the way we made fun of our brothers and sisters and bullies at school. So it's like, why can't we have that in everyday life? Why. Why should we cede that critical territory to other people?

[Comfortably Smug]

It's so useful because here's the thing is, if you talk to people who have worked in politics, like actually in Capitol Hill or, or even in the White House, they'll tell you it's more like an episode of Veep, that comedy that was on hbo, than what was that NBC Charles Martin Sheen drama, West Wing. Yeah, it's not like West Wing, it's a clown show every day. And so, yeah, you should treat politics with the humor that it deserves. And this got compounded as a problem by the left being like, well, jokes aren't allowed anymore. And so when they are no longer allowed to have fun. And their rhetoric is essentially just opinions or violence. Who wants to be a part of something like that?

[Kennedy]

No, I think that's what people are figuring out. I mean, that's certainly what younger men have figured out. Okay, so in 2020, when you guys got together, October, that critical month, it's like we were well into the pandemic. Did you think that Trump was going to win?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Okay, 100%. And we started our podcast. So, like you said, you know, the pandemic is going on. There were still lockdowns. Our studio is in dc, so it's not like we can go in and record episodes. We were on Zoom, and we would, after a workday on, like, Fridays, we would jump on Zoom, would pour some bourbons, would bet on horse races because they were allowed to race horses. Right. But everyone isn't allowed to go into work. But you can race horses. So we're betting on.

[Kennedy]

You can drink and gamble.

[Comfortably Smug]

Exactly.

[Kennedy]

Couldn't go to church or the gym.

[Comfortably Smug]

And so, you know, we would hang out, we'd talk over Zoom while we're betting on the ponies, and we're like, you know, this would be a really funny show.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And turns out it was.

[Kennedy]

So if POD Saves America, if they are Barack Obama's, you know, spawn.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[Kennedy]

Are you guys Trump's minions?

[Comfortably Smug]

So here's the thing.

[Kennedy]

Are you beholden to any one leader of the Republican Party or the conservative movement?

[Comfortably Smug]

We are beholden to only the idea of ridiculing the left and doing what it takes to ensure conservatives continue winning. That's what we are beholden to. And the thing is, is you never want to be beholden to an individual. I mean, you look at what happened to POD Save America, where, so they've got an investment from Soros Fund Management, which has a board seat on that company. They're VC backed, and they were, you know, the speechwriters for Obama. So you're not actually having a conversation with someone. They're talking down to you. They're giving you talking points. Right. When you listen to our show, it's like you just pulled up a stool and you're hanging out with your bar, at the bar, with your friends. You're actually listening from people who are. Who are not like, well, we were speechwriters for Obama, and, you know, we want to also get a Netflix deal like he did, so we have to say what is approved and put that talking point messaging out there.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. No, it's. I mean, they are absolutely governed by Committee, which has to suck.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

When you are having a conversation and truly trying to dissect what is going on in the world and what is going to happen and where we go from here. Um, so, you know, I was thinking about our conversation today, and all anyone can talk about is Charlie Kirk and what he meant, what he meant to the movement. And, you know, what does this kind of assassination do to the conversation that we have and making fun of people? I mean, is this the kind of thing where his murder just stops the rhetoric and stops the violence and we have a massive reset? Or. Or is this the kind of thing where people go, oh, that's where we are now. Well, guess what? I have a whole list of people whose ideas I hate. I feel justified in killing them now. Like, what does this really do to us? You know, not as conservatives or libertarians or liberals or Democrats, but to the country and where this has landed us.

[Comfortably Smug]

I started getting text messages from friends back home who don't work in politics or are not political, don't necessarily listen to even political podcasts. And they were so affected by this horrific event because there was a recognition, they said that Charlie believed in the same things I did. They believe in God. They believe in a traditional American value, the rule of law, just what you think this country was founded on. And the eye opening realization that not only he was murdered for that, but then to see there were professors and teachers and nurses who put out videos with their own face and name attached to it. They were that comfortable celebrating his death because he believed in the things, the same things that my friends do. That's just been an eye opening realization for them. And I pray, I pray so hard that this becomes a moment for the left to realize, okay, this is not fascism. This is not. Because their mindset's almost like a doomsday cult. Like, you go to the front page of the Washington Post, it says, democracy dies in darkness across the top. Well, Trump just won the Electoral College and the. And the popular vote. Democracy is doing great. I think we need to be worried about a left that has become only about violence. When they've said that words are violence, it's to enable violence against words they don't like.

[Kennedy]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

And that has to stop.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. It is a justification for that. And, you know, to celebrate someone's murder. It just that I didn't realize that a pretty sizable loud group of people would be capable of a massive lack of empathy.

[Comfortably Smug]

And that's. It's not some, you know, kid in a basement who, who, who's in the dark doing dark things.

[Kennedy]

No, they may have been. These are gaming and chatting on discord. You know, these, these are part of the intelligentsia. These are people who are shaping kids minds.

[Comfortably Smug]

And then to see this, it's teacher celebrating this.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

That you can be in a Starbucks and. And the person next to you is like that. It's mind blowing. It's horrific.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. One of my daughters runs in pretty liberal circles here in New York City, and she was so shaken and sad by Charlie Kirk's death because every kid on TikTok knows who he is. Even if they don't agree with him, they can't stop watching the videos and they respect anyone who has a debate with him. And you know, to see someone like that murdered, you know, in, in such a public setting, in front of his wife, in front of his family, so heartlessly that that really shook her. And I thought that more people felt like my daughter. But, you know, I hope as a person who believes in God deeply and believes in optimism and love, I hope this is a turning point where people go, you know, we have to respect human life. We don't want that to happen to our family members. We don't want that to happen to people on our side. You know, we have to stop seeing people who have a subtle difference of opinion as evil because when you see someone as evil, they're no longer human and they're such a threat that, you know, it requires, like, if, if we have literal Hitler running the country, then that has to be neutralized. And you. My hope is that people do turn away from that and turn back to what the most important thing is, and that's having a deep connection with one another and hopefully with God as well. But you can't force people to do that. And I wouldn't want to.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, what really horrifies me is the realization that after President Trump's assassination attempt, plural tense, they kept calling him a fascist.

[Kennedy]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

They kept it up. If that didn't make them have a pause and rethink what they're doing, I don't know what it will take. I don't know what it's going to take.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, but I don't want it to take anything else. Like, I don't want someone on the left to be assassinated. I really don't. Don't go anywhere. More Kennedy Saves the World right after this.

[Guy Benson]

I'm Guy Benson in for Dana Perenno. This week on Perennial on Politics. I'm joined by Fox News contributor, outkick columnist and host of the Getting Hammered podcast. Podcast. Mary Kathryn Ham, my dear friend, listen and follow [e-mail] I don't.

[Kennedy]

It is not a justification and that's what scares me because there are unwell people all over this country.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think what really has to be confronted is it's so many things. It's at the top. You have Democrat leadership who you saw Maxine Waters say, if you see a Trump supporter, you confront them, get in their face. Chuck Schumer said that, like, we will hit you back. You won't know what hit you. You will reap the whirlwind. So their leadership is completely missing in trying to corral the radical elements of their party. And outnumbered. They showed in the opening of it, over 50% of Democrats in a poll said that violence could be justified against President Trump or Elon Musk. So it's not a tiny segment. This is a left wing radicalization problem. And the dehumanization of conservatives.

[Kennedy]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Of being like, well, if they're a fascist or they're a Nazi, then I'm allowed to commit violence against them. That has to be confronted.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. And also, you know, the idea, well, someone voted for Trump. I don't want them to come to my Thanksgiving. And it's like, that's where it starts.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's where it starts. Yes, that's it.

[Kennedy]

So let me ask you this, switching gears a little bit. So I am an unaffiliated voter. I'm an ideological libertarian. I've never been a member of a Libertarian Party. I'm a right of center libertarian. Are we a threat to conservatism?

[Comfortably Smug]

No, no, not in the least. I think perhaps the biggest lesson to take from President Trump's massive victory last November is this is what you get when you expand the party. This is what happens when you have a big tent, when it's not about, oh, I'm trying to get as many Republicans to vote for me. When it's, I want the support of as many Americans as possible. You have Maha, which has joined the fold. You have RFK Jr. At HHS. You have Tulsi Gabbard who joined. It's essentially become the sane people who said, I want law and order and I want my country back. I could not be more thrilled with this massive coalition that we have on our side.

[Kennedy]

So you don't, you don't have resentment toward libertarians. What about when they upset races like in Georgia?

[Comfortably Smug]

So that does get me. So that does get me.

[Kennedy]

So I saw Raphael Warnock at the DNC last year. And I went up to him and I said, how much do you love Chase Oliver? And he got really flustered. He's like, what? What? Why would you ask me that? And I'm like, because without him, you, my friend, would not be a United States senator.

[Comfortably Smug]

There's this great meme where it's this car.

[Kennedy]

And I thought Chase Oliver was a horrible presidential cand. I was really disappointed. And I wanted to like him. And I met him and I talked to him and I wanted him to want me as, as a libertarian, as an unaffiliated voter, as a working mom, all that stuff. I wanted him to reach into my capitalist sphere and pull me onto his team. He did not do that. I did not vote for Chase Oliver. I thought he was awful.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. So there's this hilarious meme, and in the first cartoon panelist, this little cartoon guy saying that, like, today I think I'm going to vote third party Libertarian. And he goes to the, to the poll site, he votes Libertarian. And then he looks at the results and it says, 999 votes for the Republican, 1,000 votes for the Democrats, one for the Libertarian, guns officially banned. And it's like that frames the situation so perfectly because occasionally you do have to see it as. Because a lot of libertarians are extremely principled, and I love that, because if without principles, we have nothing, but occasionally you have to see it as what is the realistic lesser of two evils?

[Kennedy]

Well, I mean, Trump actually went to the Libertarian convention and made his case, and. And it takes a lot of curse showing up there.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, someone's gonna be wearing their clothes. He was booed.

[Kennedy]

And, you know, it's like he knew that was gonna happen, but he was like, hey, this is what I could do for you. I will free Ross Ulbricht. The first day, I'm an eye. And it was like a third day. But it was a, you know, pretty freaking promises made.

[Comfortably Smug]

Promises.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, exactly. But, you know, Chase Oliver didn't. He didn't have that kind of outreach. And, you know, it's like, that's why I get frustrated with the Libertarian Party, because I feel like we can have these ideals. And, you know, Spike Cohen was like, well, maybe we're not going to win national election. So that's why he's focusing on local election, which unfortunately, in places like Port Portland, the radical left, the progressives, have focused on the local elections, and that's where they have gained so much ground and they have turned these cities into garbage heaps.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, it's horrible. A couple things. So famous libertarian Roger Stone said, losers don't legislate. It's important to remember that losers don't legislate. You can't get anything done if you don't get the win. So you have to keep that in mind when you want to affect these cities. And like you said, look at what has happened. So I spent a lot of time in Washington, D.C. that's where the studio for Ruthless is based out of.

[Kennedy]

Do you live there?

[Comfortably Smug]

I have a place there, but I live in North Carolina.

[Kennedy]

God's country.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's wonderful. Could not be more thrilled. I love it. But in D.C. it's almost like Trump waved a wand. And two blocks from. So I have, in theory, it's a safe place because the entrances to the building have armed guards 24 7.

[Kennedy]

Okay.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right. There's like, you know, the Chanel store and everything nearby. So it's supposed to be the good part of town. Two blocks away is an open air drug market. You would see people buying and shooting heroin at 2 in the afternoon. And then Trump said, no, and it's all gone. It is unbelievable. I, we did a fancy football draft the other week. I got home around midnight. I took a walk around the block. You didn't see a single person using drugs, selling drugs. You didn't feel unsafe. There was again, two blocks from that location, there was a man was shot in the head before a hockey game.

[Kennedy]

Oh, God.

[Comfortably Smug]

So it had gotten that bad. But Trump fixing that shows this is not something you just have to accept. It's not like, well, I live in a city, so that means it's got to be dirty and there's got to be crime.

[Kennedy]

Yeah. And carjackings and rape, and it doesn't have to, you know, and then some statistics go down, thankfully, like you want homicide to go down, but then others, like, shoot up. And it's like.

[Comfortably Smug]

And then you'd hear from the police that, like, I wouldn't trust these stats because we were told, okay, you have.

[Kennedy]

Counting this as a felony. This is now a misdemeanor.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's a misdemeanor.

[Kennedy]

Look, assault went down.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's incredible.

[Kennedy]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And so seeing that really show decline is a choice. And it's one that, with this example in D.C. it's one that we don't have to accept because for so long you were told, well, you move to the big city, you're gonna get crime. It's gonna be dirty. It's not like that. And of all places, the nation's capital. We should be proud that this is the capital.

[Kennedy]

We have to let these things happen because of systemic racism.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's unbelievable. Like, the whole trick of being like, it's not crime, it's racism, or, you know, he's not a murderer. It's a mental health crisis. It's like, no, it's a choice. And we can have the rule of law. And it's great.

[Kennedy]

When did you go blind? So was it as a child? So have you ever seen colors?

[Comfortably Smug]

It's the funniest thing. So when folks. I wear the shades for folks who are just listening, not seeing the video. And it's. When I worked at a hedge fund many years ago, and my account that I had on Twitter had to be a pseudonym. I wouldn't have my name attached to it. Because I could be drinking a Diet Coke and say, you know, this is a horrible Diet Coke. And you'd have an investor be like, wait a minute. Then why is the hedge fund long on Coca Cola?

[Kennedy]

We need to short that immediately.

[Comfortably Smug]

So I made sure to completely separate that. And you know what? The shtick just hung around at this point. People just love it. And I am not blind.

[Kennedy]

The more. Oh, thank God. Yeah, I feel so much better. Cause I just assumed. Where do you go with the bit, though?

[Comfortably Smug]

So it's a wonderful thing in the sense that I can go to a home.

[Kennedy]

I am truly myopic. Like, I cannot see without my glasses. If I wake up in the morning and I can't find my glasses, I am like, it sucks. And I've done that. And I've been like, you know, feeling around the house, and I can't get Lasik cause my pupils are too big. And. And it's like. So I've worn glasses since fifth grade.

[Comfortably Smug]

So I'm in a tough situation where one of the benefits of wearing sunglasses whenever I'm on air and on TV is people. It's like a Superman, Clark Kent thing where once the recording's over, I take them off, I go in public, and no one knows me. And it's so wonderful. I go to the grocery store, no one knows who I am. I go to Home Depot, no one knows who I am. And then when I need to record, I put them back on. The other problem is, but if it's a sunny day and I don't want to be recognized, especially on, like, the streets of D.C. where 99% Democrats, what do you wear?

[Kennedy]

Like, a motorcycle helmet with a full visor?

[Comfortably Smug]

It's just. You got to put up with the sun, not throwing on the shades.

[Kennedy]

That's really funny. Is it true your name is Shawshank Redemption?

[Comfortably Smug]

No, but I'm often called that.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, I like that. That's a great movie. What's your favorite movie?

[Comfortably Smug]

That's a tough one, Boy. There Will Be Blood.

[Kennedy]

Okay.

[Comfortably Smug]

Tremendous film, tremendous film.

[Kennedy]

Drink your mouth shake.

[Comfortably Smug]

There's this theater in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, tiny little theater. I saw it there, and it was the perfect place to see the movie. I think it was me, my sister, and, like, four other people. So it's actual film buffs. You're not gonna hear anyone talking or anything. Absolute silence. And it's just like an incredible performance.

[Kennedy]

I don't think I've seen a movie in New York where people aren't yelling at the screen. Right, yeah, yeah, I'm okay with it because now you can get drunk at the theaters. Now you can recline, you can eat nachos. No one cares. It's like yellow libertarian theater. That's exactly. Although I can't stand, like, I am pro drug legalization. This decriminalization is not legalization. It's a bit like they're doing it wrong by just like, oh, let's reduce harm by giving people heroin and needles. Like, no. Get them into rehab.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

Like, give them mental health treatment and help them get better and live productive lives. And then they can pay taxes so I don't have to.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know what my theory on that is?

[Kennedy]

Tell me everything.

[Comfortably Smug]

So if you are a left wing nonprofit and you end up being effective in getting people, you're going out of business. You're going out of business.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, I mean, it's. That is the state of California. Like, why would they ever sell? Solve the homelessness crisis when Gavin Newsom's cronies are rich. Coming up. Like, well, we have a solution. Why don't we build homes that take three years each to build and $700,000 and then we'll never finish them on time and then pretend that we're doing something. You know, Jesus is coming. Look busy.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's too profitable to keep the bad things going. It's a horrific situation.

[Kennedy]

All right, Smug, I've kept you too long. I want to thank you for your time, your great sense of humor, your contribution to ruthless and to humanity. Thank you so much and continued success in solving all the problems and in your own way, saving the world.

[Comfortably Smug]

Thank you so much to you, comfortably. Smug to you. Thank you.

[Kennedy]

And to your happy hour. This has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Smug. I'm Kennedy. Listen, ad free with. With a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.

[Guy Benson]

This is Jimmy Phela inviting you to join me for Fox Across America where we'll discuss every single one of the Democrats dumb ideas. Just kidding. It's only a three hour show. Listen live at noon Eastern or get the [e-mail].