Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary:

"Another Dem Hoax Unravels + Rep. Steve Scalise Joins the Progrum"
Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook
Special Guest: Rep. Steve Scalise (House Majority Leader)

Overview

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast offers a classic blend of sharp conservative commentary, news analysis, and irreverent humor. The hosts dissect a recent Washington Post story they label as a “Democratic hoax,” lambast government “boondoggles” like the USPS electric truck project, and roast media missteps over Morning Joe’s absentee hosts. A major portion is devoted to interviewing Rep. Steve Scalise, who provides exclusive updates on House GOP priorities, including healthcare, higher education NIL reforms, and strategic outlooks heading into the midterms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Democratic Hoax” & Venezuela Drug Boat Story

Main Topic: The Washington Post’s report on a U.S. military operation targeting drug boats from Venezuela.

• The hosts denounce the Washington Post for sensationalizing an incident where SEAL Team 6 engaged foreign drug traffickers.
• They ridicule claims, reported as "blind sourced" in the Post, that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered unlawful strikes—alleging a campaign to paint him as a “war criminal.”
• Big picture: The hosts argue the vast majority of Americans support such military actions against drug smugglers, seeing them as acts of war. They accuse Beltway insiders of pushing irrelevant legal “technicalities” and failing to grasp public sentiment.
• Noted is a lack of confirmation from other major outlets—NYT, WSJ, AP—fueling the “hoax” framing.
• Key quote (Holmes):

  "If you’re intentionally coming into this country, try to harm our people, we’re gonna react to that. I don’t know why that’s a hard concept for people." (04:59)

• Michael Duncan’s recurring theme: the left’s attempt to “blur black and white issues” via “woke nonsense.”

  "Everyone is either a colonizer, a victim—and these are just, you know, these poor, downtrodden cartel members." (05:10)

• Martha Raddatz is cited as an unlikely but credible journalist who helped clarify details—affirming the military’s actions were legal (15:00–16:00).
• Ashbrook brings up the broader consequences:

  "This also funds a multinational human trafficking operation and organized crime in this country that is destroying communities." (20:49)

2. Media Critique: Morning Joe & MSNBC’s Absenteeism

Segment: Running joke about “nobody watching” Morning Joe, noting paid hosts’ constant absences.

• Free Beacon’s reporting: Scarborough and Brzezinski together hosted only 70 of 124 shows in 6 months.
• Willie Geist, regular fill-in, is dubbed “the real hero”—the butt of workplace comedy.
• Widespread laughter over the “truancy” of television’s political elite.
• Hosts mock MSNBC’s rebranding to “MS Now” and the irrelevance of its programming.

3. USPS Electric Vehicle Boondoggle

Segment: Biting sarcasm about the U.S. Postal Service’s failed $3 billion attempt to electrify its fleet.

• Only 612 trucks built (instead of 35,000), costing ~$5 million each.
• Hilarious visual descriptions:

  "Dr. Seuss would have [these] driving around Whoville." (32:18)
  "It’s got a five head, not a forehead." (32:08)

• Postal Service staff are roasted for customer service and inefficiency, especially around holidays.
• Joni Ernst’s critique and Hunter Biden jokes over contracting are referenced ("Hunter Biden is a major stakeholder in the glass company," 38:29).

4. Listener Q&A: “What Criminal Will Democrats Defend Next?”

A running gag: Audience replies range from “Disney Adults” to “Charles Manson was misunderstood.”

• Notable, tongue-in-cheek speculation that Dems may eventually defend Jeffrey Epstein.

5. Olivia Nuzzi Book Rollout and Media Ethics

Segment: Extended lampooning of journalist Olivia Nuzzi’s attempt at a confessional memoir.

• Nuzzi’s interviews (with Tim Miller) are panned as evasive and self-pitying when faced with tough questions about her conduct during a political sex scandal.
• Key quote (Josh Holmes):

  "She decided to roll it all back out in her own words and try to sell a book called American Canto, which is this big depiction of all of her experiences." (47:48)

• Nuzzi accused of embodying the “modern journalist”—self-important, lacking integrity or self-awareness.
• Ashbrook quotes the NYT’s negative review:

  "Amid the noise around Nuzzi... American Kanto itself drops with a soft, disappointing thud... not a tell-all, not yet a memoir, chapterless and scattershot. I mean, that's being generous." (58:07)

Interview Segment: Steve Scalise (House Majority Leader)

Starts: [63:13]

Topics Covered:

• Holiday Congressional Tempers: Scalise jokes about the necessity of Christmas break, referencing Schumer’s penchant for end-of-year crises.

  "He might not like his family; I want to be home with my family during Christmas." (63:42)

• NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) Reform in College Athletics:
  • Lawless “wild west” undercuts NCAA governance; bill proposes restoring schools’ self-regulation, student protections, and guardrails for agents.
  • The bill, supported by all major conferences and US Olympic Committee, is close to passage but faces Dem opposition on making athletes employees.
  • Scalise: “Putting structure in NIL… is something everybody wants.” (64:59)
• GOP Legislative Accomplishments & 2026 Outlook:
  • Retention and expansion of the GOP House majority depends on forward-looking “kitchen table” issues (affordability, healthcare, education options).
  • Scalise touts Trump’s “best salesman” status:

    "He would call five people an hour before the vote that were on the fence. And all five of them...voted yes." (74:20)

• Healthcare:
  • Upcoming "breaking news": Real plans to lower premiums and break Obamacare’s monopoly, increase healthcare choice, price transparency, HSA flexibility.
  • “Imagine if you said that [Obamacare subsidy] money can now be flexible to go anywhere and everybody’s going to compete for your business." (81:02)
• Energy and Regulatory Reform:
  • Enthusiasm about bipartisan permitting reform to lower construction and energy costs, speed up infrastructure, and counter predatory litigation.
• Redistricting & the Midterms:
  • Dismisses redistricting panic; expects a slight GOP net gain due to Dems overreaching and “leaving working people behind.”
• School Choice:
  • New federal tax credits for low-income parental choice in education; challenges Dem governors to opt in.
  • Scalise: "Low-income parents are going to finally start looking around going, 'Whoa, wait a minute, I voted for that Democrat 18 times. They're now stopping my kid from getting a better education.' Now it's personal." (90:52)
• Overall Tone: Scalise stays relentlessly forward-looking—with Holmes praising his resistance to “resting on laurels.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Josh Holmes (re: Cartel Engagement):
  "If you’re intentionally coming into this country, try to harm our people, we’re gonna react to that. I don't know why that's a hard concept for people." (04:59)

• Michael Duncan (on “woke” coverage):
  "These poor, downtrodden cartel members... just trying to earn an honest buck. Poisoning Americans." (05:28)

• Martha Raddatz via ABC, validating military operation:
  "A JAG officer was also giving legal advice. So again... the two survivors climbed back onto the boat after the initial strike… it was determined they were still in the fight and valid targets." (15:18)

• John Ashbrook (on “cartel” reporting):
  "This also funds a multinational human trafficking operation and organized crime... destroying communities." (20:49)

• On Morning Joe absenteeism:
  "One out of every three episodes? Joe Scarborough’s not on that show. Dude, wouldn’t you love… I’d love to try to make that argument." (27:07)

• USPS electric truck roast:
  "That thing doesn’t have a forehead. It is a five head." (32:08)
  "It's like something that Dr. Seuss would have driving around Whoville." (32:18)

• Olivia Nuzzi book panning:
  "I'm writing... about how I felt privately. About my private reaction, how I felt privately. Right?" (52:08)
  (Hosts groan and mock the non-answer.)
  "She spent a whole page telling everyone she’s dumb as hell. And there’s 300 more of them." (62:32)

• Steve Scalise (on Trump & legislating):
  "He is our best salesman, he’s our best closer, because he cares about getting his country back on track." (74:22)

• Scalise (on looming House priorities):
  "It’s not something you see today because it takes effect next year. Let’s wait till those governors have that choice to make. I know where my governor, Jeff Landry, can speak for—we gonna let those parents have that choice." (90:52)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Dem Drug Boat Hoax segment: 02:12–22:31
• Morning Joe/MSNBC absentee humor: 22:43–28:39
• USPS Electric Vehicle Boondoggle: 30:05–40:05
• Olivia Nuzzi discussion: 46:18–62:37
• Steve Scalise Interview: 63:13–91:58
• Closing thoughts & QOTD: 91:58–End

Conclusion & Tone

The episode is signature Ruthless: fast-paced, breezily irreverent, and deeply skeptical of mainstream media, woke ideology, and government waste. Holmes, Smug, Duncan, and Ashbrook banter with inside-joke familiarity while delivering sharp political analysis. Steve Scalise’s interview injects substance—his focus on policy detail and pragmatic optimism shines throughout. Even while skewering political opponents and media figures, the show keeps things lively and engaging, with plenty of zingers for the regulars and newcomers alike.

For further comedic takes, running gags, and the next Q&A, subscribe to the Ruthless Variety Progrum—you won’t want to miss the inside jokes about Disney Adults, failed EV projects, or the next media meltdown!