Biden Struggles As His Presidency Comes To An End

Summary

Ruthless Podcast - Episode Summary: "Biden Struggles As His Presidency Comes To An End" (January 7, 2025)

Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook

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Overview

In this episode of the Ruthless Podcast, hosts Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook critically examine the declining effectiveness of President Joe Biden's administration as his term nears its end. They delve into Biden's perceived incompetence, controversial actions, and the promising return of Donald Trump to the White House. The discussion also explores the strategic legislative agenda planned by the incoming Trump administration, emphasizing unity within the Republican Party and the challenges posed by media narratives. Additionally, the hosts share lighter moments discussing holiday traditions, providing a well-rounded and engaging episode for listeners.

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1. Biden's Declining Presidency

The episode kicks off with a strong condemnation of President Joe Biden, highlighting his perceived lack of competence and leadership.

• Michael Duncan (00:00): "Everyone knows Joe Biden, dementia patient. Fewer Americans are familiar with Joe Biden. Complete and utterly asshole."

• Josh Holmes (00:28): "It's supposed to be like everyone's having a good time and relaxing and then he out of nowhere just goes off the handle."

The hosts argue that Biden is struggling to maintain relevance and manage his legacy as his presidency winds down.

• Michael Duncan (00:34): "This is Joe Biden's like, old man shouts at cloud moment to end his presidency where, like, he's so desperate for relevance and for some sort of legacy."

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2. Critique of Biden's Symbolic Gestures

Biden's decision to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to controversial figures like Hillary Clinton and George Soros is heavily criticized by the hosts.

• Michael Duncan (12:14): "He decided to award people like Hillary Clinton and George Soros... The Soros thing's hilarious because it's no shortage of why the American people lost patience with his administration."

• Josh Holmes (12:14): "It's like the Met Gala of all the..."

The hosts view these gestures as symptomatic of a flawed administration, pointing out the irony and inappropriateness of honoring political adversaries.

• Michael Duncan (14:32): "And the Soros thing's hilarious because ... he was like awarding him to people... So unlike Obama, who reciprocated, Biden did not reciprocate at all."

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3. Transition to Trump Administration's Legislative Agenda

Anticipating Donald Trump's return to the White House, the hosts outline the ambitious legislative plans set to be undertaken by the incoming administration.

• Comfortably Smug (25:59): "We're gonna be live from Freedom Plaza on Inauguration Day, January 20th."

The proposed "mega MAGA" bill aims to overhaul key policy areas, including taxes, immigration, energy deregulation, and federal spending.

• Comfortably Smug (25:59): "The bill would use reconciliation process ... The most optimistic timeline for a mega bill passage is late spring, April or May, which really means June. It could even take until fall."

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4. Strategies for Passing Legislation

The hosts discuss the strategic considerations behind passing a comprehensive bill versus splitting the agenda into multiple smaller bills.

• Josh Holmes (25:59): "It's gonna require ... Speaker Johnson was elected in the first vote as speaker ... we saw so many folks in the media and Democrats hoping they're like, oh, no, Republicans are divided. Nope, they didn't get their wish."

• Michael Duncan (30:58): "There's going to be a constituency for the border components here and there's going to be a constituency for the tax package... forcing everyone to not make perfect the enemy of the good by putting them all in the same thing..."

The consensus leans towards pushing a unified bill to harness momentum and facilitate smoother passage through Congress.

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5. Leadership and Unity within the Republican Party

Highlighting the importance of cohesive leadership, the hosts praise the administrative efforts to minimize internal conflicts within the Republican ranks.

• John Ashbrook (39:46): "Susie Wiles has put out an edict to say that there is no drama on her watch, that she doesn't want people using that platform as a way to springboard themselves and their image and their character ahead of the President and his agenda."

• Comfortably Smug (43:08): "Susie's doing this as chief of staff. Put the blinders on like a racehorse. Look forward. You're just running for the finish line here..."

The emphasis is on maintaining unity and focus to effectively implement the Trump administration's agenda.

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6. Managing Media and Internal Conflicts

The discussion underscores the necessity of avoiding public infighting to prevent derailing legislative efforts. The hosts advise lawmakers to handle disagreements internally and resist media provocations.

• Comfortably Smug (34:42): "...don't have those conversations externally right now... don’t lock yourself in to, 'Over my dead body.'"

• Comfortably Smug (35:48): "As a constituent ... the budget itself is just a framework and a vehicle in order to get all these other things done... which is why you voted for President Trump in the first place."

The strategy focuses on shielding the legislative process from media-driven conflicts to maintain momentum.

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7. Lighthearted Segment: Christmas Tree Traditions

Breaking away from intense political discourse, the hosts share personal stories about taking down Christmas trees, adding a relatable and humorous touch to the episode.

• Josh Holmes (44:35): "I tossed the whole damn thing down. Interesting... she did it."

• John Ashbrook (47:08): "We cannot throw ornaments away...but as soon as Christmas is over, we take the tree down..."

These anecdotes provide a welcomed respite from the heavy political analysis, showcasing the hosts' personalities and camaraderie.

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8. Concluding Remarks

The episode concludes with reflections on the discussions, promotions for upcoming live events, and encouragement for listener engagement through questions and merchandise.

• Josh Holmes (51:03): "Gentlemen, again, thank you so much to the Minions... Stay ruthless."

• Comfortably Smug (51:54): "Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret..."

The hosts reinforce their commitment to their political agenda while maintaining an engaging rapport with their audience.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Michael Duncan (00:00): "Everyone knows Joe Biden, dementia patient. Fewer Americans are familiar with Joe Biden. Complete and utterly asshole."

• Josh Holmes (00:28): "It's supposed to be like everyone's having a good time and relaxing and then he out of nowhere just goes off the handle."

• Michael Duncan (12:14): "He decided to award people like Hillary Clinton and George Soros... The Soros thing's hilarious because it's no shortage of why the American people lost patience with his administration."

• Comfortably Smug (25:59): "We're gonna be live from Freedom Plaza on Inauguration Day, January 20th."

• Michael Duncan (30:58): "There's going to be a constituency for the border components here and there's going to be a constituency for the tax package... forcing everyone to not make perfect the enemy of the good by putting them all in the same thing..."

• Comfortably Smug (34:42): "...don't have those conversations externally right now... don’t lock yourself in to, 'Over my dead body.'"

• John Ashbrook (39:46): "Susie Wiles has put out an edict to say that there is no drama on her watch, that she doesn't want people using that platform as a way to springboard themselves and their image and their character ahead of the President and his agenda."

• Josh Holmes (51:03): "Gentlemen, again, thank you so much to the Minions... Stay ruthless."

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Conclusion

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast provides a comprehensive and incisive critique of President Biden's administration while setting an optimistic tone for the incoming Trump presidency. The hosts effectively balance sharp political analysis with relatable personal anecdotes, making the episode both informative and engaging for listeners. The emphasis on unity within the Republican Party and strategic legislative planning highlights the podcast's focus on pragmatic conservatism, appealing to its target audience of next-generation conservative thinkers.

Transcript

[Michael Duncan]

Everyone knows Joe Biden, dementia patient. Fewer Americans are familiar with Joe Biden. Complete and utter asshole. Which is. Which is who he is and has been his entire political career. But there is this fiction that Joe Biden is. Oh, he's old Uncle Joe. He's a nice guy, loves his family. He's a bad person. He always has been. He's not like at a podium being grilled by anybody that he would need to be that angry.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

As a response.

[Josh Holmes]

It's supposed to be like everyone's having a good time and relaxing and then he out of nowhere just goes off the handle.

[Michael Duncan]

This is Joe Biden's like, old man shouts at cloud moment to end his presidency where, like, he's so desperate for relevance and for. For some sort of legacy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

That he feels like he has to overcompensate for the fact that they forced him off the ticket that the Democrats face planted on election day. Donald Trump, this guy, he says he's a threat to democracy, is going to be president United States again. He failed. He failed horribly. And he's trying to salvage some sense of his pride.

[Comfortably Smug]

I don't have to tell you Americans are ready for what's next. Moving beyond the hardships of inflation and economic anxiety towards building a future, a better future for our families. Ensuring greater access to more affordable energy that powers daily lives. Reliable energy that fuels innovation and economic growth, and the abundant energy that keeps our nation safer and more secure. It's all within our grasp. We'll do this together, building a brighter future for us. Powered by America's oil and natural gas resources. You can learn more about all of [e-mail] Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Michael Duncan]

Just a catching strays over here.

[Comfortably Smug]

You're in for a hell of a show.

[Josh Holmes]

Keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs.

[John Ashbrook]

It's time for our main event.

[Comfortably Smug]

Good Tuesday to you and welcome back to the Ruthless Variety Program. I'm Josh Holmes along with comfortably smug Michael Duncan. John Ashbrook, left to right, across your radio dial. As always, fellas, great to see you. Big 2025. We're well underway. How's everybody doing?

[Josh Holmes]

Terrific. I mean, people, you can feel how excited they are. We're right around the corner from President Trump returning to the White House. It's like everyone's in a great mood. There's really good energy going in this year.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. And I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge our profound courage in producing this show today. Spaghett's out there in Herndon, got Up at, you know, four in the morning before the snow even started. So he could make it in here to the studio.

[Comfortably Smug]

Did he really?

[Michael Duncan]

He did. And we're all in here, and the city is shut down. There's snow all over metropolitan Washington, D.C. but not U.S. stopping. No, no, we're here.

[Comfortably Smug]

I will say I'm as popular as AIDS in my house.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Seventeen days without the kids in school. Yeah, yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's running. Emotions are high.

[Michael Duncan]

When I told my wife I had to, you know, come in and lay down a recording, it was like I signed up for the draft or something. Wasn't super popular, you know?

[Comfortably Smug]

Smash. How are you doing, pal? Pretty good.

[John Ashbrook]

I shoveled the driveway a couple of times.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Made sure that I was in here for the recording. Because I cannot wait for the next weeks as we anticipate President Trump's return to the White House.

[Comfortably Smug]

I was kind of hoping for the sweet release of a heart attack that they've talked so much about. You know? What is that? Yeah. I mean, look, you're Indian. You must be a doctor. What. What. Why is it that when you're shoveling your driveway, is that, like, the most prone time for heart attacks? I don't really understand.

[Josh Holmes]

Personally, I've always had an easy time shoveling the, you know, the driveway when.

[Comfortably Smug]

I had to do it.

[Josh Holmes]

No, it's not that tough a job. The thing is, when you're born in Denver, I thought I remember you being from Minnesota, so you should be used to this. These coastal elites, they just don't know how to handle it.

[Comfortably Smug]

But you know what I'm talking about.

[Josh Holmes]

Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, every time there's a big snow, they're always like, be very careful, like, there. It's a high propensity for heart attacks. Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, I think it's a combination of a couple of things, Josh. I think it's.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, good. I'm glad we have somebody who read a medical journal.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. I think it's. You're overexerting yourself, number one, and you're doing it in the cold, and so you're breathing in capillary. You know, you're breathing in super cold air.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Which isn't great for the pulmonary situation.

[Comfortably Smug]

Cardiovascular system.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. Yeah. It's not. It's kind of a shock to the system, so. And people you're bending over.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, you're using muscles that, you know, when you get to our.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, I understand a bird, but a heart attack seems like it's.

[Michael Duncan]

So. Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

My advice is always, you know, the Best offense is a good defense. Before the snow arrives, you should salt that driveway to be in with.

[Michael Duncan]

Mm. Common misconception.

[Comfortably Smug]

Common misconception.

[Josh Holmes]

You get the thick rock salt from Home Depot and it takes care of.

[John Ashbrook]

I'm a smug here.

[Comfortably Smug]

Now, when you get more than 6.

[Michael Duncan]

Inches at a dust at a dusting. You're right.

[Josh Holmes]

No, no, no. Y'all thinking. I mean, I cover that thing like it's a saltine cracker. Like, that driveway is cold.

[Michael Duncan]

But when you get. When you get over 8 inches or like a foot, all you're doing is you're creating a slurry underneath that snow.

[Comfortably Smug]

Best case scenario. Best case scenario. Yeah. The best case is a slurry and you're out there first thing in the morning shoveling.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Worst case scenario is that your slurry becomes ice and then you're shoveling and you basically just create a hot rink. Well, I don't know. Either way, look, we're hardest working men in show business.

[Josh Holmes]

That's right.

[Comfortably Smug]

And thanks to Spitz. I had no idea you made that kind of commute. How about that? Well, I mean, look, he had two weeks of marinara to get him going, and so, you know, he's already fired up and ready to go. We got a great show for you. Biden is struggling a bit to close out his presidency. You've seen all the mayhem that they've got going on. But we'll give you a little better read on that. We're gonna give you a readout on what the speaker of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and Trump are all talking about in terms of what this agenda looks like and the pace of play and everything else. We got a little variety for you along the way. Way. So let's get right into it. You want it, fellas?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Comfortably Smug]

So I just have to play a clip to begin with and then we can just sort of react to it. Clip one, if you don't mind, Spaghett.

[John Ashbrook]

Think what he did was a genuine.

[Comfortably Smug]

Threat to democracy by being the oldest president. I know more world leaders than any.

[Michael Duncan]

One of you ever met in your whole goddamn life.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, apropo of nothing. He's just mad as hell.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. What I love about that clip is everyone knows Joe Biden, dementia patient. Fewer Americans are familiar with Joe Biden. Complete and utter asshole. Which is. Which is who he is and has been his entire political career. But there is this fiction that Joe Biden is. Oh, he's old Uncle Joe. He's a nice guy. Loves his family. He's a bad person and always has been. And also what I love about this clip is that it seems like a very casual environment. There's a piano playing over the top. Our apologies if maybe that was hard to make out, but there was ambiance in the room. Ambiance. It's like, this is a very casual thing. He's not, like, at a podium being grilled by anybody that he would need to be that angry.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

As a response.

[Josh Holmes]

It's supposed to be like everyone's having a good time and relaxing, and then he, out of nowhere, just goes off the handle.

[Michael Duncan]

This is his. This is Joe Biden's, like, old man shouts at cloud moment to end his presidency where, like, he's so desperate for relevance and for. For some sort of legacy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

That he feels like he has to overcompensate for the fact that they forced him off the ticket that the Democrats face planted on election day. Donald Trump, this guy, he says he's a threat to democracy, is going to be President United States again. He failed. He failed horribly. And he's trying to salvage some sense of his pride.

[John Ashbrook]

I wish. I wish they would have asked him which world leaders, because in Joe Biden's mind, he's probably thinking, like, Gorbachev, Ho Chi Minh, people from his era who he had maybe met on some junket Lennon.

[Josh Holmes]

And here's the thing is exactly. Exactly how many of those world leaders he's talking about did he meet when Hunter had business in China?

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, exactly.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, we finally get the photos. Once that the Democrats have lost, they're like, also, we're gonna release photos of Joe and Hunter Biden smiling next to President Xi on one of Hunter Biden's business trips that taxpayers paid for him to fly over with Joe Biden.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, the whole thing, we were all lying about that.

[Josh Holmes]

Like, right. Like Duncan said, like, this whole myth of, like, nice Uncle Joe. This is such a corrupt family of terrible people. And the American people finally get an inkling from the media findings, like, okay, well, let's just see these pictures now that we know he's not gonna win again.

[Michael Duncan]

There's nothing that gets the Deep State to find religion like Donald Trump becoming President United States again.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, dude, it's so. It's so funny to watch. And the other thing that came out, I guess, over the break that I just. I roared about was all of a sudden, every publication in America decided to join what the Wall Street Journal had done in July to say, like, well, as it turns out, he Was not lucid.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know what I mean? All of a sudden like the New York Times and everybody else is like, okay, so let me level with you for a moment. He wasn't running the country, you know, and we're like, well, it's sort of information that would have been helpful to the average American last year.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, when they were trying to reelect this cadaver. Can you imagine, can you imagine if he had not had that debate performance? They would have kept his ass on the ticket and straight faced to all of us and all the media would have gone along for the ride, calling us, you know, elder abusers and all these kind of things. When in actuality they all knew that this guy was completely out to lunch the whole time.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, right before the debate, the last, the message that the media was trying to push is they were like, watch out for these cheap face. They're gonna try to make Joe Biden. He's not losing that, he's old. That was their last attempt. And then we saw the debate with our own memory. Shit.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it's true. It's the way it went down. They were all prepared to elect him.

[Josh Holmes]

To a second term, which is just so insane.

[Comfortably Smug]

And then in December, like a month removed, month and a half removed from, from the Democrats defeat. They're like, yeah, no, they kept a very close circle because he wasn't awake most of the time.

[Josh Holmes]

It's unbelievable.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, thanks for the information guys, that's terrific.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the thing is like tell me.

[Comfortably Smug]

More about like the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. You know, I mean, it's like not relevant anymore. It's just completely useless information. But reporting Stan, they're like, oh no, no, we did all that.

[Josh Holmes]

We're not still talking about the 98 Vikings. That's a hell of a team.

[Comfortably Smug]

I know, it was a hell of a team. But anyway, so that event where he was doing all this, it's actually funnier than every event.

[Josh Holmes]

Goddamn life.

[Comfortably Smug]

It was a medal of freedom.

[Michael Duncan]

Right?

[Comfortably Smug]

Deal.

[Michael Duncan]

These are like lay up things to do at the end of the administration and he's fudgeing them up.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, he's like, God damn. It's like there's probably some reporter, like 25 year old reporter in a White House. I know more world leaders have you ever met in your goddamn life. You're like, they're like, yeah, we haven't been outside the country.

[John Ashbrook]

You're right, Mr. President.

[Comfortably Smug]

Anyway, what this was got a fair amount of attention last week because he awarded to people like Hillary Clinton and George Soros.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. It's like all the worst people are.

[Comfortably Smug]

Getting awards, except I want to pass for Denzel.

[Michael Duncan]

Denzel Washington.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the only, like, acceptable.

[Comfortably Smug]

I want to pass for that because. And I. Look, I realize he's probably a partisan Democrat, but I like my artists uncompromised by my political views in a lot of different ways. That guy's a hell of an actor.

[Michael Duncan]

Hell of an actor. Flight, Training Day. Courage Under Fire.

[Comfortably Smug]

I watch everything that he's in, no matter what.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. It's the best.

[Josh Holmes]

And Training Day was just something he should get the medal for. Training Day. Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

But, like, tossing one of those on Hillary Clinton is hilarious.

[Josh Holmes]

So funny.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, he's like, oh, yeah, here. Here you go. You got this. I wrapped this around your neck, you old bag. And then George Soros, who quite honestly is responsible for not only funding most of the Democratic Party through dark money efforts and disclosed efforts and everything else, now his son's involved and collecting politicians like postage stamps. Yeah, but. But he then, like, also didn't acknowledge somebody.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And I don't know who, if you guys remembered all of this, but.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

When Obama was doing this at the end of his presidency, he was like, let's give throw old Joe a bone and threw the metal of freedom around him. It's a big honor. Right. It's sort of a little bit abused here by Biden. A lot. Bit abused. But he didn't reciprocate at all.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[Comfortably Smug]

Didn't throw one back at him.

[Josh Holmes]

Nope.

[John Ashbrook]

Wild.

[Comfortably Smug]

Isn't that crazy?

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, this goes towards my theory that there is serious beef between Biden and Obama, like, for a long time. On the surface, I think they'd act like they're best friends, but it was Obama who told Joe, step aside. It's Hillary's go in 2016. And you know that Michelle Obama is friends with Hunter's ex wife. There's bad blood there. So, I mean, he gave it to.

[Comfortably Smug]

Hillary and not Obama.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the thing. It made it all the more apparent.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. He wouldn't even pardon Obama. He's not doing anything. He's just leaving him hanging.

[Michael Duncan]

Yes. Well, like.

[Comfortably Smug]

And the Soros thing's hilarious because it's no shortage of why the American people lost patience with his administration. Is that Soros, while part of funding all these Democratic efforts that Biden and Kamala and everybody else were very much engaged in, were funding all of these prosecutors that didn't actually prosecute crime.

[Josh Holmes]

And that's the thing, is, like, Here, I'm giving you an award for blowing our chances in this election.

[Comfortably Smug]

Thank you.

[Josh Holmes]

Because Americans were fed up with crime. Good job, George.

[Comfortably Smug]

Great job.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. And the whole reason Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the end of the Obama administration was like. That was like the Rolex at the end of your career. Right. It was the retirement party for Joe Biden. But of course, Joe Biden thought he should be the guy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

And that's why he ran. And he. Because he's just a stubborn old Irishman. I get it. And it's the whole reason why he refused to get off the ticket as long as he did. So of course it's not going to be reciprocated because it's like, well, Obama orchestrated the entire coup.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep. You know, it's also so like, you look at some of these other names, it's completely hilarious. It's like a. Like what you would imagine, a Democratic Medal of Honor. Freedom. Medal of Freedom. Anna Winter.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

They gave one to Bill Nye, who's. Who's not a science guy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Not a science. Very definitively not a science guy. And Ralph Lauren, it's.

[Josh Holmes]

It's basically like the Met Gala. Of all the.

[Comfortably Smug]

What is this people. Yeah, that's. I mean, that's what it is. Ralph Lauren, Anna Wintour, who's been making these garbage women's fashion magazines for so long. And like, if any of you have people in your life that read these things, not very many people do anymore, by the way. But, you know, there's some interesting stuff for women in there that they're sort of interested in fashion or whatever. But it's. It's all between these just mega partisan.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Articles where they're like, well, today we're profiling aoc, like a very thoughtful voice of the people. And they act as though these are, like, middle of the road things, and.

[John Ashbrook]

They'Ve completely left Melania out in the cold.

[Josh Holmes]

Yep.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, this. This woman is a fashion plate of fashion plates in the White House, and they never even give her the time of day. I don't know if you guys saw this over the break, but apparently Amazon is doing a documentary on her life and the things. Yeah, I actually, I hope it turns out well because I think it'd be very interesting to learn more about her background from a factual standpoint.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, anyway, he's not done stepping all over himself. Somebody put in his notes that he ought to have a thoughtful gesture, including just awarding all of his major donors Medals of freedom. So. Clip 2. If you don't mind speak outs.

[Michael Duncan]

Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday.

[Comfortably Smug]

Happy birthday to you. So here's the context. He's like, if you don't mind, I want to bring a kid up on stage and sing him Happy Birthday. If we wouldn't mind. Everybody just sing Happy Birthday.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like, oh, no, here goes Joe again.

[Comfortably Smug]

And they're like, oh, great. So the kid goes up. I mean, the moment of his life, he's standing with the President of the United States. He has literally less than zero idea who this person is. He doesn't know his name.

[Josh Holmes]

Also, parents, at this point, wouldn't you be aware. Keep your kids away from Joe. Yeah, you know, I think Ward has gotten out. Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

But imagine going through all of that and being like, you know what, Mr. President, we have to get this kid up on stage. Be a nice gesture. People can see how magnanimous you are. Sing him Happy Birthday. No problem. I'm not going to learn the kid's name. Yeah, I certainly want to know Happy Birthday.

[Josh Holmes]

Then he steps off the stage and he's like. And another thing, reporters, I got to.

[Comfortably Smug]

Tell you, then he loads into the reporter. I'm like, what a ditch. I mean, it's just amazing. Just incredible. So it, like, prompted us to think for our question of the day. Remember, you gotta, like and subscribe in order to do that. And then you can comment on our YouTube or anywhere you get your podcast. But we ask our question. Our question, what's your favorite Biden dementia moment? I mean, now that we've got four years, like, there's so many that come to mind. I think we're gonna probably do another segment before he stumbles his way or shuffles his way out the door, where we highlight some of the things that you said, and we'll definitely read a whole bunch of them. But I think I'd like to put it.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, one of my favorite is. And I brought it up to family over Christmas because people have forgotten about this one. Where's Jackie?

[Michael Duncan]

Where's Jackie? I was just going to say that's my favorite.

[Josh Holmes]

I can see ghosts.

[Michael Duncan]

What a horrible moment.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, she died two weeks ago, tragically. Mr. President. Thank you. And this is, in fact, her crowd.

[Michael Duncan]

But it's a good. It's a good point there.

[Comfortably Smug]

What's why they're here.

[Michael Duncan]

It's a good point because I don't want people to get recency bias here. Like, really take some time and think about it.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Go back to archive.

[Michael Duncan]

You got to go into the Archive. Because there's some crazy ones.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, so good.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And they're hard to find because the initial two years, like, the media didn't want to talk about them at all.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like we've talked about, they let our show for years. So you can go back and check all those out, but whatever you decide, we're gonna pull a few of them. We'll probably do a segment on it in addition to just sort of reading your comments. So make sure you do all that. Another psa, Big time. We're very excited about this. The whole city, as Smug has said, is very excited about the inauguration. Everybody's coming into town. You see a new wave of conservatives coming in here, and it's like, just got a lot of energy for people. Well, we're going to be a part of it, not surprisingly. You knew we would be, but I don't know that we even knew that we could do something like this. We're going to be live from Freedom Plaza on Inauguration Day, January 20th. And just a reminder, Freedom Plot, that's a straight look down Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol and where the parade goes by. We're gonna be doing all of that. We've got a lot more detail to share in the upcoming days, but wanted to give you a heads up that you know where you can find us and hopefully you know where you can find us on the YouTubes.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, it's gonna be a banger.

[Josh Holmes]

It's gonna be huge.

[Michael Duncan]

Huge.

[Comfortably Smug]

I can't wait. Yeah, I can't wait. And I'd like to. I'd like maybe your white jacket. Can that return your Iowa jacket?

[Josh Holmes]

I don't know. I mean, it's dc. I'd probably get robbed wearing that thing. But we'll see. Hopefully. Security's tight. On.

[Comfortably Smug]

Something strikes me there will be more security than usual.

[Josh Holmes]

And I hope so. I hope so.

[Comfortably Smug]

So we got all that going on. When we come back, fellas, you'll recall we did our man of the Year and the Minions voted and they've come back. I'm told, according to Wolf, that there was a clear mandate.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

On who has won the 2024 Ruthless man of the Year. We're gonna announce that winner when we come back to you right after this. I don't have to tell you Americans are ready for what's next. Moving beyond the hardships of inflation and economic anxiety towards building a future, a better future for our families. Ensuring greater access to more affordable energy that powers daily lives, reliable energy that fuels innovation and economic growth. And the abundant energy that keeps our nation safer and more secure. It's all within our grasp. We'll do this together, building a brighter future for us, powered by America's oil and natural gas resources. You can learn more about all of [e-mail] okay, fellas, exciting times. We wrapped up the end of the year with a question about the man of the Year. We all made our pitches. We all had, I thought, very good cases to make. And now we have the results because remember, unlike last year, this year we were just going to let people vote on it.

[Michael Duncan]

The man of the Year, an incredible brother, One of the finest bros that we know, I think, and that is Megyn Kelly.

[John Ashbrook]

She deserves it.

[Comfortably Smug]

She's so great.

[Michael Duncan]

Our man of the Year, a resounding victory. 42% in a four way race. That's a mandate.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, it was some big names. He had Elon, you had Mark Andreessen, I had J.D. vance.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, you had to, you had to get to a certain threshold in order to win that kind of thing.

[Michael Duncan]

It's a, it's a pretty big win for her. I know she has plenty of accolades and an incredible show, but the ruthless.

[Comfortably Smug]

Man of the Year is not something.

[Michael Duncan]

It's a real win for me, I would say too, you know.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, your name's not going on it.

[Michael Duncan]

It's just hers. I think it goes small underneath in italics. You know, nominated by Michael Duncan.

[Comfortably Smug]

We should have a big plaque somewhere for this. And I don't. Your role seems minimal here.

[Michael Duncan]

It's small. It's small, but it's there.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, you and you nominated. Just a quick recap. You nominate her not only because she's a great friend of the program who's done outstanding work over the last year, but there was a specific reason.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, I mean, I think what she did on the trans issue and defending women and women's sports and everything was really courageous. And I think, you know, she was.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, which is ironic. Now, her winning man of the Year.

[Josh Holmes]

That'S why I like it so much.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's why. That's why it's the best and that's why the minions are so fun.

[Michael Duncan]

And she would in particular appreciate that.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think, more than anyone.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, right.

[Comfortably Smug]

That is very funny. Yeah, that's very funny. Well, I love it. That's. Anyway, so a big win. Thanks for everybody to weigh in on that. I'm told there was like thousands of these things, right? Well, like thousands of responses. Many, many times. Yeah, many, many times.

[Michael Duncan]

But 42%, that's pretty good.

[Comfortably Smug]

Out of a four way race with those names.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Big win.

[Josh Holmes]

Big, big one.

[Comfortably Smug]

Do we have any idea who got second and third and fourth? Do we want to do that to anybody? Yeah, please tell us. Let's look. Elon Musk came in second. Elon was in second.

[John Ashbrook]

Way of the future.

[Comfortably Smug]

JD Was in third.

[Josh Holmes]

Mark Andreessen.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, you know, and look, not the same kind of household name he is in certain circles. But I can understand, like these other people are in the front of your newscasts every day.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, I would, I would say just like what everybody says at the Oscars, I'm just honored to be nominated.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, yeah, yeah. I mean it is an honor.

[Michael Duncan]

It's an honor to all of them.

[Josh Holmes]

Huge. Huge. And like we said, this election was a team win. It was the minions getting out and voting. It was a lot of people who stepped up when it wasn't easy to support President Trump and help get the big win.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. All great submissions. Thanks for your commentary. Let's get on to what's going to be next. Now. We talked a little bit about this last Thursday and gave you an overview of all that and where things need to go. We've had some clarity over the weekend and into today about exactly the way that the Speaker, Majority Leader Thune and President Trump are now thinking about it. And they've started to put some meat on the bone in terms of what's the agenda. Right. They're all on the same page of what the agenda should be. But these are big comprehensive things and you're dealing with Congress, which is never easy. But this is, according to Axios here on Monday, what's coming on the Hill. President Elect Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson plan to push for what could wind up as the biggest bill in American history, a mega MAGA reordering of taxes, the nation's borders, federal spending and regulations. Transition in Hill sources told Axios Washington will soon witness a furious multi trillion dollar legislative and lobbying fight that will likely dominate politics through late spring, possibly beyond. At stake, unprecedented spending to tighten borders and remove people here illegally. Certainly people voted for that.

[Josh Holmes]

Amen.

[Comfortably Smug]

Huge tax cuts, energy deregulation, plus presumably unprecedented spending cuts to help pay for it all. We're told the bill would include Trump's popular no tax on tips campaign promise. No surprise there's raising the federal debt ceiling could also be included. Republicans, who control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue in 15 days initially were inclined to split up the border and tax packages for a two track process. We're about to explain all that the one track plan is based on the calculation that one big Trump branded bill has a better chance of passage than splitting it up. It motivates people to vote for it. A transition source tells us the bill would use reconciliation process. We've gone over that. We'll do that one more time. Which allows budget related bills to bypass the Senate 60 vote threshold, only needing a simple majority. This is likely to take more, take longer than the storied hundred days. That's just something media always puts on like first hundred days as if there's a magic number to it. There isn't, but that's a thing here in Washington, which will end April 30th. The most optimistic timeline for a mega bill passage is late spring, April or May, which really means June. It could even take until fall. All right, I want to break this down for you all just a little bit. I don't think that this is as settled as Axios is representing here. In fact, our good friend Hugh Hewitt did an interview Monday with President Trump where he said, look, I'm not really committed to one bill or two bills or whatever so much as we're all on the same page for what we're doing and knowing that these things have to get done, like nothing is just going to be sidelined, like all of it needs to get done. So you can do it. One, you can do it two, however you want to do it. It's up to you all. Speaker Johnson, I think is heavily preferred doing the one big deal. Thune would like to separate the taxes from the border whatever stuff to try to do. Two, they both know their legislative bodies well and so presumably their difference of opinion is based upon their ability to get these things done and done quickly. So, you know, there's like, you got to listen to that sort of thing. Doesn't mean that one side's going to prevail or another. There was a whole lot of indication coming out of what President Trump had put on X and on Truth Social over the weekend about him favoring the one big bill. He sort of clarified that with you either way. Look, it's a good sign from my perspective that Speaker Johnson was elected in the first vote as speaker because there's dissension in the ranks, as there always is. And we know what a disaster that can become because of watching the McCarthy process two years ago and 15 ballots or 17 ballots or whatever. But Trump like saying, no, I want this, overcame a whole bunch of those things and people basically fell into line to get there. That's a great first step for anybody who's interested in getting this agenda done. Cuz that's really what it's gonna require in the end, don't you think, fellas?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I mean, I think you're dead on with that. Seeing that speaker vote go through. There were a couple holdouts and then after like a five minute chat, we're back to business. Got it done on the first ballot. And the other thing is, like, you saw so many folks in the media and Democrats hoping they're like, oh, no, Republicans are divided. Nope, they didn't get their wish. That's what they want more than anything. So when President Trump said that it doesn't matter whether it's one bill or two bill, I think he's right. I think the voter spoke loud and clear on election Day that President Trump's agenda is the one that America wants.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. And Washington can get so bogged down in these process conversations about are they gonna do it this way, are they gonna do it that way? And you said it smug. A lot of it is driven by the media who is hunting for conflict on the Republican side. All they want is Republicans fighting each other. And all President Trump is going to do is drive, drive, drive toward fulfilling those campaign promises he made last week.

[Michael Duncan]

I think the thing that strips all the oxygen out of the room for that sort of process story bullshit is momentum. I don't care if it's one or if it's two track. But whatever happens and happens first has to happen quickly and there needs to be progress. The ball has to move down the field. And as long as that's going on and the Republican Party stays on the same page together, like we're going to put points on the board. And like Holmes, you always say this, but like, you know, especially when it comes to the issue of taxes, like a lot of this is sort of baked in, you know, that like the American people are expecting it and like, we got to get it done. Because ultimately Donald Trump's going to be judged on how the economy is doing in two years when we have the midterm election. So, like, that's important. One other thing I would say though, and why I kind of like the idea of doing it all in one is like, what is the saying? A teaspoon of sugar makes the medicine go down.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

It's like there's going to be a constituency for the border components here and there's going to be a constituency for the tax package.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. It gives you something, even if you don't like the whole damn Thing, you know?

[Michael Duncan]

Right. And look, I mean, that may be in the House, it might be more one, in the Senate, it might be more or the other.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

And it's like you're sort of like forcing everyone to not make perfect the enemy of the good by putting them all in the same thing and being like, look, we got to get this done. We all agree we need to get this done, so let's get it done.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Yeah. It's really well said. One of the luxuries that we have here in the ruthless variety program is not only all of you listening in, but alongside of you in exactly the same way are the lawmakers, the Republican lawmakers and their stabs themselves. We've always, since the beginning when we were just audio only, have enjoyed a huge audience amongst people. We get notes every time people fly home about little comments about what we're doing and whatnot. So let me just take a minute to just address you, the staffer and the lawmaker here. One of the things that I learned when going through a process like this, and this is really ambitious, this is more ambitious than anything that I was a part of in terms of a legislative agenda for right out of the gates. But one of the things that you just brought up, Duncan, was the media and what they're trying to do is find dissension in the ranks here. And there's going to be things in the context of a literally economy wide country wide bill that are not going to be your favorite things in the world. And they may be things that you've actually campaigned on and talked about a lot. Do yourself a favor, don't have those conversations externally right now. Right. If it comes down to the end of it and you've got major problems and you need something changed, people are going to work with you to make sure that we get to the right. Because failure is not an option on this thing. And I know Republican leadership enough to know that they're gonna do everything that they can to try to accommodate everybody, to get to a majority status. And remember, we only have two votes to lose in the House of Representatives, so don't lock yourself in to. Well, what do you think about this idea that this committee wants to drop in there and you coming out and saying, oh, over my dead body. Because you may find out that the other side of the ledger is something that you literally. It's the reason why you're in politics itself. And if you're locked into over my dead body. Yeah, but that outweighs the over my dead body.

[Michael Duncan]

Don't deal yourself out.

[Comfortably Smug]

Don't deal yourself out.

[Michael Duncan]

Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

And don't give the media a reason to then take you as the whipping boy for why this thing is gonna be done. Because there are no heroes when you're trying to get something done. The only hero is the person who's the holdout who stops it and gets the status quo liberal agenda. That's the hero. And you'll see the people who are walking out saying like, I'm not voting for X, Y or Z if it doesn't do X, Y or Z. Those are the people you're going to read about in New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press and all the Hill rags. Those are the people. And the reason is they want, the media wants those people to be the face of the challenge in order to stop the momentum that you were talking about. And it limits your ability as a leader to go back to those people and say, I understand that you feel strongly about this, but these are three other things that you told all of your constituents are the reason you're coming to Washington and it solves exactly what it is that you said. So can we have a different conversation? Well, anybody would have a reasonable conversation, no matter how unreasonable you are, unless publicly you're locked into an over my.

[Josh Holmes]

Dead body position is keep family business and family do it. And especially for staffers, there can be this temptation with the media of them being like, I can get your principal so much attention, just give me a crown, give me a little bit. It's never worth it. You'll get five minutes of attention and then everyone remember for the rest of their lives, you can't be trusted.

[Comfortably Smug]

It totally is true. So the process is they got to pass a budget, a big budget bill that its enforcement under law only really sets the caps by which you're spending money. None of that actually goes into law. Like the stuff we actually spend is through the appropriations process, which is, I know I'm getting technical here, but it's entirely separate. So don't worry about somebody pass. They have a budget and it's like, well, this funds deficits for years. It doesn't fund a goddamn thing. Don't worry about that. What it does is provide you a vehicle to go in and do this stuff that Trump and Johnson and Dune are talking about. So as a constituent, and I know there's a lot of different advocacy outfits out there that are trying to get you ginned up about all of these things, the budget itself is just a framework and a vehicle in order to get all these Other things done. Which is why you voted for President Trump in the first place.

[Josh Holmes]

Exactly.

[Comfortably Smug]

So slow the roll. Right. Give these people a little bit of room to do this. But as they execute this, you're gonna see a whole bunch of committees coming up with the things like we talked about prior to the break, a little bit of, like, the electric vehicle mandate stuff. Right. Stuff that's not like taxes and the border that everybody else is talking about. But no less important in terms of exercising the Trump agenda here, there's gonna be a bunch of different things, bunch of different constituencies for maybe you have two or three people who are against it. The question for leadership is how they try to get people in under the tent with other stuff that they love more than that. And whether it's one bill or two bell, I don't care. But all of these guys are gonna need some room to work here. Trump understands that. I mean, that's why he was on Hugh talking about, I don't care, just get it done. Because he wants to give everybody the room in order to do it. Getting it done is the only thing that's important here.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, no, I think that's really well said. And I think that the infighting that we've seen in Congress in the past, if that can be reduced to something that's not a hindrance for getting these bills across the finish line, that's one part of the project. Infighting inside the Trump White House that we saw in the first term really stood in their way of accomplishing as much as they could have accomplished. And I know Susie Wiles, we talked about this before the show. I know Susie Wiles has put out an edict to say that there is no drama on her watch, that she doesn't want people using that platform as a way to springboard themselves and their image and their character ahead of the President and his agenda that he was voted to enact.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it's one and the same. Right. I mean, what she's doing internally is basically what we're talking about for Congress here. Like, don't take the bait, don't take debate, don't let other people.

[Josh Holmes]

And we saw her execute exactly that during the campaign. This was an insanely disciplined campaign, built to win, to get across the finish line.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. There weren't all these distracting leaks, and, you know, there weren't two camps fighting each other, even though the media tried to play it up.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, like, who, Susie in control or is Chris La in control?

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, they were both just right, no questions.

[Michael Duncan]

Cool. As a Cucumber, Right, Totally. And so I think they want to take that into the West Wing, which is going to be. And it's just gonna be huge, man. Because I remember especially, like, that first year of the Trump White House, the last time around, I got lunch with a guy from the West Wing, and I'll never forget this conversation because I was like, man, seems like everybody's at each other's throats over there. Like, what is going on? And he's like, duncan, what you gotta understand is about half these people are Democrats, you know, because it's just.

[Comfortably Smug]

Listen, it's a. It's a different coalition.

[Michael Duncan]

It's a different coalition. Yeah, I get it. But I think the first time around, so many people were new to Washington and new to this, you know, how this was set up. I just think. I think the Trump administration this time around has learned so many lessons on staffing and how to execute the agenda that I'm anticipating we're going to be very successful.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, that's right. Because in the last couple of years, we've seen the true colors of those troublemakers that started early on Scaramucci and the chick who's on the View. Like, they were the ones who were inside looking for the, you know, the big spotlight on themselves, not on the voters who put President Trump there. That's the reason he's there. He's fighting for America. This is a guy who cares about our country more than maybe anybody else in the entire country. And I am hopeful that people listen to what Susie is saying and they actually help the president.

[Josh Holmes]

And that's the thing is Chief of staff, that's a tough job. That's a lot of responsibility. I think most people don't even know what that is.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, hardest job in Washington, no question about it. I mean, look, the other thing is all those people you just referenced, they all still exist. And what's happening in D.C. and what will happen over the next 20 days that'll carry into the first hundred and beyond, is there are a whole bunch of people who are claiming to know everything.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, right.

[Comfortably Smug]

They're claiming to be, because they had one conversation with the president, that they know exactly the way, and they're the only ones that know, and they stir up trouble. My point is, to lawmakers, it sounds like Susie's doing this as chief of staff. Put the blinders on like. Like a racehorse. Put the blinders on. Look forward. You're just running for the finish line here, and. And you don't have to worry about all of the Chaos on each side, because up to this point, it's been fine. You've had a honeymoon period between Election Day and Inauguration Day where, you know, some nominees are your biggest trouble, that you've had to argue those kind of things. But your agenda is not. I mean, people largely know what people voted on. They know what Trump ran on and what he intends to do. That's great. That all stops on Inauguration Day, and immediately the shooting will begin from the outside. But if you have those blinders on, you're just focused on trying to execute it and not focused upon, you know, what somebody wrote about somebody or I heard, I was on a call this morning where somebody is like, well, you know, here's the thing. The House is just going to pass whatever Trump wants, and the Senate's just going to have to take it. Now, there may be some truth to that statement, but don't do that. Now, that's not the last thing you want to do if you're trying to get this stuff done is do that or the reverse of it. The Senate's just going to do what it's going to do, and the House just has to take it. Don't create the internal dynamics. That's the way you start ruining stuff. Pretty soon, you get a committee chairman, it's like, well, go fuck yourself. Right? I'm here for six years. You guys can go fuck yourselves. You know, I mean, that's the kind of thing that. That ends up happening when you have rhetoric like that. I think Thune and Johnson are really well positioned to work incredibly well together. They understand that politics is a team sport. And, you know, there's a lot of people around here in politics who never played team sports, quite obviously.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, and you can see that on the way that they sort of address, like, they never had a team sport victory anymore.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, it goes back to what Smug was saying about, like, keep that in the family. It's like, you want to know the number one sign of a failing franchise? You know, I don't care what sport you're talking about, but when stuff comes from the locker room out to public, and when stuff from the locker room gets out in public, you know, that's a dysfunctional team and that team can't win.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like, I mean, dude, that is such a good example, because all these championship teams you see who always win, it's like a code of silence. I remember when the Broncos had their dynasty going, they had a thing in the locker room where the offensive line, if anyone got their name or their photo in the paper. They had to pay a fine in towards it because it's not about them, it's about the team.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the kind of discipline like if we can have. Republicans saw what a big victory we had on election day. It felt good. Do you know why it felt good? Because it was one team, one dream. You keep that going. You keep. Listen. If we all stick together in this, we can't be stopped. We saw that on election day. Keep that energy going. Get this stuff done. It can be done. It will be done. If we all stick together.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, totally. Really well said. And Susie Wiles is entirely on that page. I mean, a couple of quotes from this article in Axios are just. They're just fantastic. She never tells others what she tells Trump if she disagrees with him. It's not done in front of anyone and it doesn't leak. That's the kind of leadership that you need. That's how you get this kind of really complicated stuff done. Because let's not be confused about this. For those of you who don't do this for a living, this is going to be really hard. This is going to be really hard.

[Michael Duncan]

Which is like why the role of chief of staff is so important. Because it's about managing the info flow of the principal. It's about keeping President Trump focused on where he can have the greatest impact, moving his agenda forward. It's about making sure the right people are in the right meetings, that there aren't unnecessary distractions that take the president off of accomplishing that goal.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep.

[Michael Duncan]

And that's why the chief of staff and somebody like Susie being in that position is so crucial to getting this stuff done.

[Comfortably Smug]

Incredible. Well, anyway, we're going to be covering this all the way through. Just wanted to give you a little. Little appetizer.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

A little teaser, you know, things to.

[Michael Duncan]

Things to look for an amuse bouche, if you will. Of course.

[John Ashbrook]

The feet. Michael Duncan, the abuse.

[Comfortably Smug]

Boosh.

[Michael Duncan]

Sorry, I'm cultured.

[Comfortably Smug]

You want a little variety, fellas?

[Josh Holmes]

Always.

[Comfortably Smug]

So this is something that we've talked about before on the program, but CBS News did a piece on this, so it provokes some thoughts. When do you take your Christmas tree down?

[Josh Holmes]

Good question.

[Comfortably Smug]

We may have differing views on this. Smug. What's your take on that?

[Josh Holmes]

So longtime listeners of the show remember my Christmas tradition of I would get a fake tree. Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

And puts it up in, like, Halloween.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. It goes up early, but the day after Christmas, it's going down the garbage chute. Right. Gone A new one every year? Yeah, new one every year. Don't want to store it. Don't want to worry about it. Get a cheap garbage one off Amazon for 30 bucks. Down the chute it goes. You know, this year was different, though.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. So my wife got a tree she liked and decorated it with all these decorations and such. I never put in that work. I'd usually have just someone decorate.

[Comfortably Smug]

I'm surprised to hear that.

[Josh Holmes]

And so I. You know, I was wondering during Christmas, I was like, I wonder when this tree comes down. Because usually I'm like, you know, the next day. But now that we have these, like, you know, fragile ornaments, I'm gonna break these things if I have to do it.

[Comfortably Smug]

Wait, you just. You don't even. Like, you just take the whole thing and throw it down with ornaments included?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I tossed the whole damn thing down.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay.

[Josh Holmes]

Interesting.

[Comfortably Smug]

A lot of memories made there.

[Michael Duncan]

So.

[Josh Holmes]

I wake up the day after Christmas. It's like, you know, 10:30, 11:00am I come downstairs, tree's already gone. Everything's already packed.

[Comfortably Smug]

No way.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, that solves the problem.

[Michael Duncan]

She did it.

[Josh Holmes]

She took care of it. Wow.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, she was a listener of the program.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Maybe she heard your.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. I mean, she, in horror, been like, I can't believe you're throwing the tree away. That's wasteful. But I was like, no, I don't.

[Comfortably Smug]

Have to worry about it.

[Josh Holmes]

Down the shoot it went. But, you know, I guess she's figured out if you take problems off of my plate, it's not a problem anymore.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's interesting. Okay. All right. Well, that may be one way to put it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

I'm not sure she would agree with that way of putting it. But you're only. You're the one that's here, so we'll take your word for it. Duncan, what's your.

[Michael Duncan]

I don't know. It's sort of a gut thing. I think it kind of depends on what day Christmas falls on.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it was a Wednesday this year, which is a little bit in between of things.

[Michael Duncan]

Right. So, like, how much time did you get after Christmas to still enjoy that tree?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, what we tend to do is start putting things away.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

The weekend after. But don't touch the tree.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

The tree's there for ambiance.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

It's going to be enjoyed after the kids go to bed, maybe you can have a cocktail with your wife. Maybe put on a roaring fire.

[Comfortably Smug]

Roaring fire.

[Michael Duncan]

Enjoy the tree a little bit longer.

[Comfortably Smug]

Totally agree with.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, so. So I don't Know, sometimes it might be seven days, maybe it's 10 days or what have you. But I'm of the opinion you put the tree away last, get everything else, you know, in the storage, and then finally the tree goes out and. And then the holidays.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. It's. Where am I? Ashbrick. What do you guys do?

[John Ashbrook]

Well, we cannot throw ornaments away. Like, smug. Because we've got, like, babies. First Christmas, second Christmas. We can't just. We can't just throw those away.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Now they're getting saved. I guess this is why, you know?

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, and then now my wife's got these ornaments. These ornaments that are, like. They're like expensive ornaments.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what I'm saying. It's crazy to me.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's crazy. I don't. We used to, like, make ornaments, you know, and, like, they were not. They're special things. And I ragging on my mom and pop about it. They were great stuff, but they weren't. Certainly weren't like porcelain.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, which is what I've got going on.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, it's not all porcelain. Some of them is like a handprint on a piece of paper that's tied with a ribbon. So you can't.

[Josh Holmes]

You can't.

[John Ashbrook]

You can't throw that stuff away.

[Michael Duncan]

But we.

[John Ashbrook]

We don't live in the past. As soon as Christmas is over, we take the tree down. We look when they're going to pick it up at the curb, and ours is gone.

[Josh Holmes]

No one's got their tree still up, right?

[Comfortably Smug]

No. I will tell you this. So in my house, it's not enough to have a tree. You have to have three trees.

[Josh Holmes]

You're kidding me.

[Comfortably Smug]

I have three fucking Christmas trees.

[John Ashbrook]

She loves Christmas.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right. So one of them's down, the other one's sort of, like, dismantled. I spent literally the entire weekend last weekend taking garland down and. And packing trinkets. And my wife is like. It takes us like, a calendar week of doing nothing else to put all the stuff up.

[Michael Duncan]

Do you have one of those huge segmented, like, canvas trunks? That's what we have for our ornaments. Where, like, they kind of go in, like, this. Ours looks like matrix.

[Comfortably Smug]

Ours looks like the kind of workstation that you would have in a mechanic store.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

With, like, you roll it and then there's like, 17 drawers.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And, like, you know, the fact that, like, an allen wrench isn't coming out of there, but it's like, you just little. There are places for the ornaments. I mean, this is an intricate thing. And my wife. I Give her credit. She does like 90% of this stuff. I'm like the hauler.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, I just take the stuff out of the.

[Michael Duncan]

Hey, the hauler's important.

[Comfortably Smug]

Holler's important.

[Michael Duncan]

If the back goes out on the hauler, whole holidays in jeopardy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, so that's a long way.

[Comfortably Smug]

Of saying everything now is done except that tree.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And it's probably going to make it, you know, midway through this week and then I'll probably.

[Josh Holmes]

Hey, it's the Valentine tree, everybody.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, I have a neighbor in the back that I swear to God, like two or three years ago, it was mid February. I could still see that thing through their windows.

[John Ashbrook]

I'm telling you. My dad has a buddy who left his Christmas tree up from Christmas almost until the summer. This was a live tree, by the way. This was in the 70s. It was a live tree still watering. He put it in his basement and he waited so long to get another tree the following year that he went down to his basement and he pulled that raggedy old tree and he put it up in his apartment.

[Comfortably Smug]

Wait, it was a live tree?

[John Ashbrook]

It was a live tree. So when he pulled it up the next year, it was nothing but seeds.

[Comfortably Smug]

Sticks and no needles.

[Michael Duncan]

Total fire hazard.

[John Ashbrook]

But it's such a great story.

[Michael Duncan]

We always, always get a kick out of that. That's great.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, it's fun to start the new year with all of you. Thanks for tuning in. Remember, like and subscribe. And remember, our question of the day was what is your favorite Biden dementia moment? There are tons of them. I want you to do your research because we're going to do a full thing on it. Check out our summer great merch. I hope everybody enjoyed the merch from, you know, Christmas. Tons of you ordered it. The napkins were a big hit. Yeah, but all this stuff seemed to be a big hit. So glad. I hope you're enjoying it. You got to let Wolf directly know if you have any problems. Yeah, because Michael, you can't. He's been working with his hands so much, he just gets emotional. If you have a problem with any of this. Anyway, with that, I think we did it.

[Josh Holmes]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, again, thank you so much to the Minions. We're up to about 80,000 subscribers. Lets hit that 100k number. So until next time, Minions, keep the faith, hold the line, and own the lives. We'll see you on Thursday. Stay ruthless.

[Comfortably Smug]

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[Michael Duncan]

Your carrier, just switch to T Mobile. You can keep your phone, keep your number and we'll help pay it off.

[Comfortably Smug]

Up to $800 per line. You can also use our savings calculator.

[Michael Duncan]

To compare our plans and streaming benefits against Verizon and AT&T.

[Comfortably Smug]

So switch and keep your phone, keep your number and keep more of your moolah. @t mobile.com up to four lines via virtual prepaid card.

[Michael Duncan]

Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit.

[Comfortably Smug]

Service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[E]

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