Ruthless Podcast — Episode Summary
Episode: Another Catastrophic Failure in A Blue City
Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, John Ashbrook (Michael Duncan absent due to illness)
Special Guest: Chris Clem (Retired Border Patrol Chief)

Overview of Main Theme

This episode pivots from the usual "yucks" to a serious, personal, and at times searing discussion after a tragic mass shooting at a Minneapolis school and church. Using the incident as a jumping-off point, the hosts criticize Democratic leadership in major cities for policies they argue foster crime, blame "institutional leftism" in media and politics, and push for more honest national conversations on crime, culture, and policy. The episode also features a deep-dive interview on border security with Chris Clem, and rounds off with commentary on political and pop-culture trends.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Minneapolis Tragedy and Political Response

• Personal Impact:

  • Holmes and the team share personal connections and emotional reactions to the school shooting, highlighting the "blast radius" of such events on families and communities.
  • [04:21] Josh Holmes: “You send your kids to school and you think, okay, these things happen in somebody else’s city… we are just one or two degrees away from that kind of tragedy affecting people we really care about.”

• Criticism of Democratic Leadership:

  • The hosts sharply critique Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for prioritizing political positioning and progressive bases over effective crime prevention:
  • [09:09] Josh Holmes: “He had an opportunity, honestly, the guy had an opportunity to rise above the politics… and he chose to placate his left wing base.”
  • They lampoon the mayor’s “thoughts and prayers aren’t enough” comment considering the victims were literally praying at the time.

• Gun Laws and School Safety:

  • Despite celebrated new gun control laws (red flag laws, universal background checks), violence persists.
  • [16:55] Josh Holmes quoting Gov. Walz: “There’s no place for weapons of war in our schools, churches, banks or anywhere else. People are just trying to live their lives. Today is about taking meaningful action to create a safer future for our kids.”
  • The hosts argue these efforts fail to address root causes or provide safety funding for non-public schools (requests by Catholic school leaders were denied).

• Media and Narrative Suppression:

  • The coverage and “memory-holing” of mass shootings involving trans or non-white shooters is seen as politically motivated by the left’s capture of the media.
  • [06:00] John Ashbrook: “Erased from the scene, no longer worthy of discussion. Because it wasn’t a political point the collective institutional capture of the corporate media could take advantage of.”

• Focus on Perpetrator Identity and Mental Health:

  • They discuss the alleged shooter’s trans identity, the left’s rhetoric around “trans genocide,” and contend that it creates a radicalized, at-risk environment.
  • [21:22] Comfortably Smug: “Their elected officials are wearing that shirt that says protect trans kids with a knife on it, being like, we will militantly guard trans children from a genocide… you are specifically telling a group that by your own statistics 50% are suicidal, that they’re being genocided.”

2. Broader Themes: Crime, Media, and Policy

• Crime in Blue Cities:

  • The hosts argue that high crime in Democrat-run cities is enabled by progressive prosecutors, cashless bail, and an ethos they say sympathsizes with criminals over victims.
  • [29:46] Josh Holmes: “We have a crime problem in this country in blue, loose cities that are run by Democrats who have this mindset that criminals are right and victims are wrong and we need to help the criminals.”

• Victim vs. Offender Sympathy:

  • Examples: Assault victims in blue cities refusing to blame their attackers, rather expressing progressive solidarity.
  • [37:50] Josh Holmes: “There was an op-ed written by a Georgetown student who was assaulted, and [her] entire point ... was, I do not fault the person who assaulted me.”

• Public Opinion Data:

  • Polls suggest the majority of Americans see crime as a major issue, and Trump is favored over Biden on handling crime.
  • [44:43] Comfortably Smug: “In the US in general, they say that 66% believe that inside the United States, crime is a major problem… wherever the left has control is where it gets the worst.”

• Election & Political Implications:

  • The audience is urged to demand honesty from leaders—even at their own political cost.
  • [14:19] John Ashbrook: “What’s the point of running for office in the first place? Isn’t the point of trying to protect people?”

3. Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On “Thoughts and Prayers”:

  • [08:42] Comfortably Smug: “There were children murdered while praying. For him to come out and be like, your thoughts and prayers mean nothing is just... it’s unbelievable.”

• On Left-Wing Crime Policies:

  • [13:09] John Ashbrook: “Can you imagine if Jacob Fry would have gone out there and said what you just suggested?... He’d be a national hero now. He wouldn’t be re-elected... but who cares?”

• On Sympathy for Offenders:

  • [41:59] Comfortably Smug: “The BLM derangement is just, it’s horrific… we have turned the people who kept this country safe into the enemies of the state.”

• On Open Dialogue:

  • [50:16] John Ashbrook: “A big part of all of this is everybody recognizing that, look, the sky is blue. We can say the sky is blue.”

4. Cultural Segment: Swift-Kelce Engagement

• Media Reaction Parody:
  • The hosts lampoon the hysteria over Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement announcement, contrasting how men and women react to celebrity gossip.
  • [58:36] John Ashbrook: “Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. It’s on her Instagram... I feel like Paul Revere right now.”
  • They also discuss bets placed on the engagement’s announcement—a “testament to male ingenuity.”

5. Border Security Interview with Chris Clem (Retired Border Patrol Chief)

• Border Stats and Policy Shifts:

  • Clem provides stats illustrating the dramatic fall in daily border arrests after Trump’s presidency begins, calling it “the most secure the border has ever been at large.”
  • [68:24] Chris Clem: “This is the most secure the border has ever been at large... especially from Brownsville, Texas to Brownfield, California, it’s amazing how secure it’s become.”

• Historical Context:

  • Clem traces the trend: border security was once bipartisan; politicization spiked in Obama’s second term.

• Immigration Reform:

  • Clem advocates clear, enforceable rules and consequences—along with practical, “guest worker” reforms.
  • [76:40] Chris Clem: “Nothing gets done immigration wise if we don’t secure the border... we have to look at what is necessary for America, for strong economic growth... but you screw up... you’re gonna have to pay the price for that.”
  • [80:40] Chris Clem: “We need to make that very clear for both the potential immigrant, but also for the American business owner and the American farm and rancher... let’s make that simpler so people can come in here and do good and businesses can thrive.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00-04:21]: Minneapolis shooting, personal connections, emotional impact
• [05:18-09:09]: Mayor Fry and political/PR response
• [15:45-19:07]: Minnesota gun legislation, Catholic school safety requests denied
• [20:10-23:34]: Trans shooter identity, media reaction, mental health & political narrative
• [29:33-34:38]: Crime in blue cities, poll data, public opinion on crime
• [36:44-40:27]: Ridiculous leftist reactions to crime, victim-offender sympathy inversion
• [58:14-61:17]: Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce engagement, gendered media obsession
• [66:11-76:40]: Interview with Chris Clem — border security transformation under Trump
• [76:40-82:46]: Clem on immigration reform and policy advice

Tone and Original Language

Throughout, the Ruthless team maintain their trademark blend of irreverent humor and incisive, often confrontational, conservative analysis. They deliberately eschew establishment talking points and mainstream media framing, expressing frustration with both political and media narratives that, in their view, obscure the seriousness of crime and border issues. The hosts are unfiltered—veering from jokes about Southwest Airlines and the “Swiftie” phenomenon to explicit criticisms of Democratic officeholders and left-leaning activists.

Recap — For Those Who Missed It

This episode is a raw, honest look at the aftermath of a devastating school shooting, used as a springboard to tackle what the hosts argue are failed Democratic policies on crime and public safety in blue cities. They denounce the media’s selective coverage, left-wing ideological capture, and misplaced political priorities—even as they call on conservative leaders to show more backbone and candor.

With expert border security insight from Chris Clem, the episode moves beyond grievance—proposing practical reforms and calling out the political incentives and narratives (on both right and left) that complicate real solutions. The pop-culture side is handled with a wink and a jab at America’s celebrity obsessions, while contributions from listeners ground the debate in community sentiment.

End message:
“Keep the faith, hold the line, own the libs.”
— Comfortably Smug (closing, 83:53)

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