Cope And Seethe: The Libs Are Not Well

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary: "Cope And Seethe: The Libs Are Not Well"

Release Date: November 26, 2024

Hosts: Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan (Comfortably Smug), and John Ashbrook

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Cope And Seethe: The Libs Are Not Well," the hosts of the Ruthless Podcast—Josh Holmes, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—delve into the increasing intolerance observed among liberals in the aftermath of recent political outcomes. As Thanksgiving approaches, the discussion centers around how political divisions are affecting personal relationships and broader societal interactions.

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Liberal Intolerance and Political 'Cope'

Initial Discussion on Social Media Intolerance

The episode opens with Josh Holmes highlighting a growing trend of liberal intolerance. He references a story from Twitchy about a liberal individual who publicly boasted about cutting ties with an elderly neighbor who voted for Trump [00:00-00:15]. Michael Duncan sarcastically muses, “It could be a wonderful story of how life is bigger than politics... But no, no, no,” highlighting the opposite reality where personal relationships are being sacrificed over political differences [00:15-00:39].

Impact on Personal Relationships

John Ashbrook labels the situation as "unreal," emphasizing the severity of the situation where political affiliations are leading to the severing of familial and social bonds [00:39-00:40]. The hosts critique the left’s behavior as hypocritical, pointing out how actions contradict tolerant rhetoric [05:03-05:17].

Social Media Strategies: Mastodon, Threads, and Blue Sky

The conversation shifts to the migration of conservatives from platforms like Mastodon and Threads to Blue Sky. John Ashbrook recounts how users like David Santa Carlo are actively harassing liberals on Blue Sky by attacking their political beliefs with concrete evidence like electoral maps [14:37-16:53]. The hosts view this as a strategic move to continue combating liberal ideologies "where they are" [16:33-16:53].

Notable Quotes:

• Josh Holmes [00:00]: “Wait till you hear what the libs are up to. Just wait till you hear about it.”
• Michael Duncan [05:03]: “It's the live laugh love of the liberal left.”

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Q&A Session: Preventing Democratic Sabotage

Listener Responses on Trump’s Strategies

The hosts read and analyze listener responses to their previous question about what Donald Trump should do to prevent Democratic sabotage reminiscent of the 2017 administration [17:57-25:14]. Sharon Penley's response advocates for enforcing the Presidential Records Act, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability [19:23-20:05].

Eric Johnson’s Insight

Eric Johnson suggests shining a light on governmental corruption and sabotage, urging the media and public to hold Democrats accountable through active measures like FOIA requests [20:05-21:51]. The hosts endorse these strategies, reinforcing the need for vigilance and proactive accountability [21:13-21:56].

Tad Schroeder’s Proposal

Tad Schroeder recommends legal actions to reclaim improperly allocated funds by Democratic consultants, urging the use of DOJ to audit and possibly reclaim these resources [22:08-23:52]. The hosts mock the bureaucratic inefficiency of Democrats while supporting aggressive measures to counteract their influence [23:52-24:22].

Notable Quotes:

• John Ashbrook [19:51]: “Members of Congress can put in a request for, like, specific departments and stuff to retain all records. None of it should be shredded.”
• Michael Duncan [22:23]: “It really is... Tammany Hall, like they never left.”

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Mob Activity in Sicily: New York Post Report

Discussion on Organized Crime

A brief segment covers a New York Post article detailing a Mafia intimidation tactic in Sicily, where butchered animals were left on a business owner's property as a threat [25:16-28:30]. The hosts humorously exaggerate the severity of organized crime, connecting it to broader themes of intimidation and control [25:33-28:30].

Notable Quotes:

• John Ashbrook [25:33]: “It says so I can start right now.”
• Josh Holmes [27:40]: “Holy cat.”

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In-Depth Interview: Mike Summers, CEO of API

Importance of Domestic Energy Production

Mike Summers discusses the critical role of domestic energy production in achieving American energy independence and national security [30:34-33:11]. He emphasizes how technological innovations like hydraulic fracturing have revolutionized the energy landscape, making the U.S. a net energy exporter [33:12-33:39].

Trump Administration’s Energy Policies

Summers highlights the Trump administration’s strategic appointments—Doug Burgum as Interior Secretary and Chris Wright leading the Energy Council—to advance energy policies that support domestic oil and gas industries [31:08-33:39]. He outlines a five-point roadmap aimed at securing American energy independence and reducing inflation [33:12-34:37].

Achievements and Future Plans

The discussion covers how the removal of the oil export ban in 2015 opened new markets for American energy, contributing to economic growth and foreign policy advantages [37:29-39:16]. Summers advocates for lifting current bans and supporting energy infrastructure projects like pipelines and high-powered transmission lines [48:30-50:09].

Critique of Previous Administrations

Summers criticizes prior policies that hampered energy sector growth, such as the Biden administration’s curtailment of oil leasing on federal lands [39:16-39:37]. He underscores the necessity of permitting bills that facilitate energy production to meet future demands [39:37-48:41].

Trade Associations and Advocacy

Josh Holmes lauds Summers for his effective advocacy and relationship-building skills within Washington’s trade association sphere [43:51-44:31]. He praises Summers as a pivotal figure in the energy industry, capable of bridging gaps between policy and industry needs [44:31-53:51].

Thanksgiving Traditions and Personal Insights

Summers shares his personal Thanksgiving traditions, including smoking a turkey and spending time with family, adding a relatable and human element to the discussion [44:42-51:19].

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Summers [31:17]: “Energy security is national security.”
• Josh Holmes [33:12]: “We do this better than anybody.”

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Conclusion and Final Remarks

The episode wraps up with the hosts encouraging listeners to subscribe, engage with their content, and participate in the community by sharing personal stories of liberal 'cope.' They reinforce the importance of their upcoming major episode on Thursday, promising strategic insights and comprehensive battle plans against liberal agendas [54:30-56:33].

Call to Action:

• Subscribe and Engage: The hosts urge listeners to like, subscribe, and check out their merchandise, including the specially mentioned napkins featuring a "Merry Christmas, America" design [02:12-03:16].
• Upcoming Episode Tease: They build anticipation for Thursday’s episode, promising a "horrific" look into liberal strategies and further discussions on energy independence [06:49-07:22].

Final Quotes:

• Josh Holmes [56:10]: “Happy Thanksgiving. We'll talk to you then.”
• John Ashbrook [56:33]: “Remember, you don't want to miss Thursday's episode. So like. And subscribe. Until next time, Minions. Keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. Stay ruthless.”

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Key Takeaways:

• The episode critically examines liberal intolerance in social and familial contexts, especially during political divides.
• Emphasis on proactive media strategies and legal measures to counteract Democratic sabotage.
• In-depth analysis of the importance of domestic energy production and the Trump administration’s role in advancing energy independence.
• Personal anecdotes and humor interwoven with serious discussions on national security and economic policies.

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Notable Moments with Timestamps:

• [00:00] Josh Holmes: “Wait till you hear what the libs are up to. Just wait till you hear about it.”
• [05:03] Michael Duncan: “It's the live laugh love of the liberal left.”
• [19:23] John Ashbrook: “Members of Congress can put in a request for, like, specific departments and stuff to retain all records. None of it should be shredded.”
• [31:17] Mike Summers: “Energy security is national security.”
• [56:10] Josh Holmes: “Happy Thanksgiving. We'll talk to you then.”

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the "Cope And Seethe: The Libs Are Not Well" episode, highlighting the hosts' perspectives on liberal intolerance, strategic responses to political challenges, and the pivotal role of energy policy in national security.

Transcript

[Josh Holmes]

Wait till you hear what the libs are up to. Just wait till you hear about it. So this first one. This first one, it comes from twitchy. Oh, so tolerant. Lefty. Dragged for bragging about ditching elderly neighbor who voted for Trump.

[Michael Duncan]

It could be a wonderful story of how life is bigger than politics. I could overcome this thing. And although I don't see eye to eye with this person when it comes to the election, I've invested so much time in building a personal relationship with somebody, there's something bigger than politics. But no, no, no, y. It's the opposite.

[Josh Holmes]

It's the opposite.

[Michael Duncan]

I'm gonna give up on all this stuff that I enjoy because this person voted differently than me.

[John Ashbrook]

Unreal.

[Michael Duncan]

They're just sick people.

[John Ashbrook]

They are.

[E]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please.

[Michael Duncan]

Just catching strays over here.

[Josh Holmes]

You're in for a hell of a show.

[John Ashbrook]

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

[E]

It's time for our main event.

[Josh Holmes]

Welcome back to the Friday program to Tuesday to you, Josh Holmes, along with comfortably smug Michael Duncan. John Ashbrook, left to right across your radio dial. As always, it's Thanksgiving week, and we're here to get you all fired up. We have the big episode happening on Thursday, which we've done annually for the last four years. It is a can't miss episode, but in this episode, we're seeking to sort of set the table a little bit.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Don't you think?

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, there's a lot of news going on, all the, like, picks that President Trump has been making, but it kind of feels like everyone's really looking forward to Thanksgiving, especially our Thanksgiving episode.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, you know, this is the time of the year after a presidential election where national news slows down just a touch after you get through the picks of a cabinet and, you know, all the outrage. Everybody's sort of like, reloading. They're trying to. If you're a lib, you're basically like crawling in a cave.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And if you're us, it's time to celebrate even more.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. And Holmes, you mentioned setting the table, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the fact that the Ruthless Variety program has a specific thing that can help you set the table.

[Josh Holmes]

It's exactly.

[Michael Duncan]

Right now it's Thanksgiving week. So, like, I'm not promising you that Amazon drone is going to put these on your dinner table for Thursday.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

But, you know, for Christmas as well, this might be useful for you to have. And of course, I'm talking of the Ruthless Variety program's napkins. Can we get a zoom in here?

[Josh Holmes]

First of all, well appointed box.

[Michael Duncan]

Can we get that?

[Josh Holmes]

Well appointed box.

[Michael Duncan]

You see that? That says Merry Christmas, America with Donald Trump's map.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, look at that.

[E]

Incredible. And folks, Michael Duncan took the time to hand paint every single napkin. He had his brush out. He had his water out.

[John Ashbrook]

Look at that one.

[Josh Holmes]

This is the second side of this. I don't know if you can see it.

[Michael Duncan]

Zoom it out a little there. You see if you can get the. That's the blue. That's where Kamala Harris won.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Happy holidays.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah. What's funny about these things? First of all, thank you for hand painting each and every one. Yeah, but I've seen, I've seen, as this happens frequently on social media, people just try to steal these. Like steal the design.

[John Ashbrook]

Have people already done that?

[Josh Holmes]

They've been trying to steal the design and, and, and like, say, how funny are these? Without crediting the ruthless variety program.

[Michael Duncan]

Do they know I've been there with like one of those jeweler's eyes?

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

Hand painting, you know, with the tiniest little brush. How dare they?

[Josh Holmes]

How dare they. How dare they. But look it, we're ready to celebrate. But we want to give you just at least some idea of why celebration is totally worthy here. And it's not. Just like everything we've covered over the last couple of weeks. Wait till you hear what the libs are up to. Just wait till you hear about. So this first one, this first one, it comes from twitchy. Oh so tolerant lefty dragged for bragging about ditching elderly neighbor who voted for Trump. Listen to some of this. Nothing says Joy love intolerance like ditching your family or friends over who they voted for, especially for the holidays. But lots of lefties seem to be determined to be the Grinch as we head into Thanksgiving and Christmas because they lost an election. The harpies on the View told their viewers to skip turkey this year. Joy Reid told people to stay away because their Trump voting relatives will turn them in. Turn them in.

[Michael Duncan]

Turn them into what?

[Josh Holmes]

Turn them in. But this is like, this is what we're talking about. They actually have to break their brains in order to get them to vote that way in the first place.

[Michael Duncan]

I think what I love about it is all of these people had a Kamala Harris yard sign in their yard. And next to that yard sign, of course, was that their, their, their creed? You know, in this house, no person is legal. Love is love. Except if my neighbor voted for Donald Trump.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, which is like the 2024 version of like the Pottery Barn gather.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, right side.

[Josh Holmes]

You know what I mean? Like you, you immediately know the person who put it up.

[E]

Right, Right.

[Josh Holmes]

You just, you can see them.

[Michael Duncan]

It's the live laugh love of the liberal left.

[Josh Holmes]

It's exactly in this house.

[Michael Duncan]

In this house.

[Josh Holmes]

So this one, however, breaks our hearts. And this is according to Twitchy, it's blown up on X because of its breathtaking cruelty. My elderly neighbor is maga and up until now we've spent a lot of time together. Dinners, coffee in the morning and beer at night. I just declined his offer to get together for Thanksgiving. He looked sad, but so did I. I'm sad because he voted free Hate.

[E]

Oh my goodness.

[Josh Holmes]

And the best part is. So this person comes from this handle with a Ukrainian flag and a blue heart, right?

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it's. And for folks, it's at loose underscore part name and shame damage.

[Josh Holmes]

Shame.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, I guess what I love about content like this and of course it's like, oh, look, the tolerant left, the hypocrisy. But even more than that, it's like here's somebody admitting, look, I've had dinner with this person. I go and get coffee with this person. And it could be a wonderful story of how life is bigger than politics. I could overcome this thing. And although I don't see eye to eye with this person when it comes to the election, I've invested so much time in building a personal relationship with somebody, there's something bigger than politics. But no, no, no.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

It's the opposite.

[Josh Holmes]

It's the opposite.

[Michael Duncan]

I'm gonna give up on all this stuff that I enjoy because this person voted differently than me.

[John Ashbrook]

Unreal.

[Michael Duncan]

They're just sick people.

[Josh Holmes]

They are once again setting for Thursday.

[Michael Duncan]

This is a great week.

[Josh Holmes]

Because your great revenge begins Thursday morning with the ruthless variety program and your battle plan on how you handle all this. I'm just so excited about it. But we're not done just getting agenda.

[Michael Duncan]

We got a jinya up. We need to know. We like, we know. And you need to know what the stakes are on Thursday because you may.

[Josh Holmes]

Very well have some well adjusted libs if to the extent that that exists in your life. But just know they're not. They've just been hiding it. And so we're going to give you what they really think. And just to try to prime the pump a little bit.

[E]

Great idea.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like the old choke on a six horse, you know, you gotta pull that sucker out.

[E]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Pump the Gas bulb a little bit. You know, make sure the fuel is ready to go before you ever take a rip at that core. So this is according to the New York Times. My mom voted for Trump. Can we let it go?

[E]

Oh, this is the mother.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Holy cow dunks. I think you may have been the purveyor of this one.

[Michael Duncan]

I did. I elevated this one in the Slack channel. The reason why is because I think it's just the saddest story here. This is from the Ethicist, which is like sort of like an advice column thing in the New York Times.

[Josh Holmes]

Would you imagine, first of all, imagine that. Just canyons of horseshit. I mean, imagine come into this.

[E]

Also imagine your mental space. If you're like, I need advice, I'm going to go to the New York.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's like it's just a landfill for dumb.

[E]

Right.

[Michael Duncan]

These people have been wrong about everything. So I'm going to ask them to intervene in my personal life, in my.

[Josh Holmes]

Personal life with somebody called the Ethicist.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. So let me, let me go ahead and start this one here. This is, you know, the submission asking for, for an answer to this important question. My, my mother, a two time Trump voter in Florida, has moved closer to us in a safely blue state. While I don what her vote was in 2024, it wouldn't have affected the outcome. I strongly oppose Trump, as do my wife and her family who live nearby. I'm troubled by my mother's support of someone I consider morally abhorrent and dangerous, especially when she voted in a former swing state.

[Josh Holmes]

Can we pause on this for a second? Can we pause on this for a second? She's moved closer to us.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

In a safely blue state. So, like, assuming they're doing what mothers do.

[Michael Duncan]

Yes.

[Josh Holmes]

She's moving closer to help take care of their family.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. So I can actually get to that point in here and then I'll go back to the previous paragraph.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, all right.

[Michael Duncan]

But in here they note just that fact. Holmes. I appreciate the sacrifices my mother has made to be near our family and our children, and our children love their grandma and she is the woman who raised me. Okay, okay, so that context does exist.

[Josh Holmes]

Holmes.

[Michael Duncan]

Let me, let me skip here back up because this is the most detestable part of it. With the result of the 2024 election, my wife and her family are directing their understandable, understandable, understandable fury at my mother.

[E]

My God.

[Michael Duncan]

My wife's sister said, quote, if she voted for Trump again, I'm completely done with her.

[Josh Holmes]

My Wife. Your wife.

[Michael Duncan]

Sister. What sort of cuck are you to let your wife's sister talk to you about your own mother that way?

[Josh Holmes]

Badmouthing your.

[Michael Duncan]

What a pussy.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, this dude. It's. First, it's a guy who's having this issue wonder of his own mother.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, just the sort of guy who goes and writes to an advice column about how. How he should handle this with his own mother.

[Josh Holmes]

This is also, like just the perfect mind of a progressive leftist.

[Michael Duncan]

Oh, unbelievable.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh. My wife's sister thinks that my family's abhorrent, and so I can't apologize enough for it, so I'm just not going to toss it.

[Michael Duncan]

So the long and the short of it, I'll just get here to the end of it. Ethically, this is what they're asking. Ethically, is it wrong for me to hold my tongue or to try to negotiate the peace even though I agree with the substance of my wife's family's position? If I try to protect my mother from vitriol, would I be betraying myself?

[Josh Holmes]

No way.

[Michael Duncan]

Or my wife and her family in order to preserve harmony and child care?

[Josh Holmes]

Child. There it is. There it is. Actually, the telling on itself was the last bit. It was like, I've already sold myself down the rip. I'm ready to do whatever I need to do to make sure that my family is uncomfortable with my existence. It's the child.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. My mom raised me and I use her for free childcare. But should I betray her because I'm such a cuck? My wife's family runs my life.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm ready to throw this old lady completely under the bus because she disagrees with my wife's sister's political.

[E]

I'll tell you what, I hope she rolls in with the red maga hat.

[Michael Duncan]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

Seriously.

[E]

And she is like, thank God for oil. Thank God for everything Trump has given us. Deport all the illegals and let's win America. I hope she just goes right in.

[John Ashbrook]

You know what?

[E]

There's also part of me that wonders whether this is a real genuine letter or whether this is fabricated by the New York Times.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, you think that this, like. No, these people exist.

[Michael Duncan]

No, these people definitely exist.

[John Ashbrook]

These are your friends. Ash, bro.

[E]

Yeah, I think I wouldn't. I wouldn't put them above fabricating something, but only they have the answer to.

[Josh Holmes]

Listen, I agree with you on that point. Except for the point that this absolutely, perfectly encapsulates 47% of this country.

[Mike Summers]

Yeah, right.

[Josh Holmes]

Of people who are like, I'm gonna vote live no matter what. And I am so irritated that anybody else would oppose my position. And so therefore I'm gonna excommunicate my family.

[John Ashbrook]

Were there any identifying details of this guy?

[Michael Duncan]

No.

[John Ashbrook]

Does he sign off his name or where he.

[Josh Holmes]

Does he have a handle?

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it's like, it's.

[Michael Duncan]

You'll love this mug. The whole thing is signed, name withheld.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Coward through and through.

[Michael Duncan]

Coward through and through. But what I think it does.

[E]

That'd be a fellow employee at the New York Times.

[Michael Duncan]

It does reflect the wider problem of their entire worldview. I mean, these are people who hate the American family. Their entire movement thinks it should be a morally repugnant thing to have children in the first place. So it shouldn't be a surprise that they're so willing to throw family under the bus for this ideology of progressivism.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, because the real concern here is whether or not the make work, paper pushing job that he goes to on a day to day basis will ultimately impact whether he has to drop his kid off at a daycare.

[Michael Duncan]

Right, right. Not that his own mother is willing to sacrifice, you know, the tail end of her life. The tail end of her life isn't spent on some cruise in Alaska. It's living near your ungrateful ass.

[John Ashbrook]

I'll tell you one thing I'm sure of.

[Josh Holmes]

Let it burn, folks. Let it burn.

[E]

That's a good point.

[John Ashbrook]

I'm that sink in. This guy's wife's boyfriend doesn't care what her sister thinks. Politically, I'll guarantee that.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. God, these people are the worst. I'm glad they're miserable.

[Josh Holmes]

Also, I've never asked. Not particularly interested in the answer. All right, so last thing. The Blue sky deal. Yes, boys, we talked about this last couple of episodes about how Blue sky had a migration of literally broken brain libs. But if you've heard of this, and I'm Grant, like I would say 95 to 99% of the people listening to this program have absolutely no idea what we're talking about because you live in a well adjusted world. But it turns out a whole bunch of people after the election were like, nope, the problem was X. Yeah, it's Elon Musk owning X. And so we're going to this place called Blue sky, which is like the next generation of what was the last one?

[John Ashbrook]

So they had mastodon. And then they're like, oh, we're all going to threads. The one that Facebook and Instagram had a spin off where it's just Twitter, but they call it threads. They're like, oh, we're all gonna go threads now. That didn't catch on either. And so now they're like, oh, Blue sky, this. This town. We'll make it work.

[E]

Yeah, they tried it with Mastodon, and all the normies corralled that social media service against a cliff and pointed spears at it until it fell over the cliff. And then they cut it up and ate it. Yeah, that's what happened to Mastodon. That's what will happen.

[Josh Holmes]

That was the end of it. Yeah. A big bang, so to speak. So the Atlantic, not surprisingly, right? I mean, they were the ones that said all kinds of unspeakable things about your soon to be president of gin, Donald Trump, in the waning days before the election. Now they've come up and said, the right has a blue sky problem.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, Dewey.

[Josh Holmes]

And what they do is they cite a bunch of psychopaths that have migrated over from X, formerly Twitter, to Blue Sky. But my understanding is you've gotten your nose under the tent here.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. So this guy on Twitter who's kind of funny, David Santa Carlo, was like, I've gone over to Blue sky, and I'm harassing the libs there. I'm like, he's replying to them with pictures of, like, the map of all the counties that Trump won and, like, God bless him, electoral count of Trump's victories. And it's just, like, ruining their days. And I was inspired by him. I was like, okay, minions, let's all hop over to Blue sky and just attack them where they are. Right? Like, yeah, it's conquered. We've conquered already. We've all won the election. Get in the boats like Vikings, and we will continue to attack them where they are.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, it's like going to a zoo just full of your political opponents. And they can't leave.

[Josh Holmes]

They can't leave. They made it.

[John Ashbrook]

It's like fish in a barrel. Because it's all just, like, broken brain. People with these takes of, like, I want everyone to know that this 1933 Germany and Hitler has just won. And so, like, it's so easy to find people and just reply to them with, like, Trump won and a photo of Trump and at least two to three hours of their day are now ruined and they're freaking out.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, you got a good insight into where our psyche is going into Thanksgiving, so we're gonna have a whole lot of that. Our best. Our question is, what's the best example of liberal cope? Is it changing your social media profiles? Is it disowning your mother? Like, what Is it? You tell us. And when we get to that, we're gonna get on the way back. Your answers to last Thursday's question right after this.

[E]

This holiday season, millions of families across America will rely on credit card rewards to visit their loved ones. So why are D.C. politicians trying to pass a bill that would end credit card rewards, making it more expensive for families to be together? The Durbin Marshall credit card bill is a big government handout to corporate megastores that makes them more money but eliminates travel rewards for you tell Congress to guard your card because Americans lose when politicians choose. Learn [e-mail].

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, so welcome back to the Ruthless Variety program. As always, what we like to do is read your responses from our question of the day. And, and where we left you last Thursday was the question of what should Donald Trump do to prevent the Democratic sabotage, the sabotage of his administration, much as though they did in 2017. I think Republicans are a little better prepared for it this time around, but there's nevertheless, the attempts continue. So we asked the question and you provided some terrific answers. You have to remember, you got to like and subscribe to get that done. So thank you for doing that and the hundreds of thousands of you that are now interested in listening to the program, we appreciate it very much. And we start with the voice.

[E]

And as you said, we always say like and subscribe. Like and subscribe if you wish to opine.

[John Ashbrook]

That's right.

[E]

And Sharon Penley has opined today, Sharon writes in answer to your question, what should Trump do on day one to stop the sabotage order? The retention and surrender of all records, correspondence, communications, documents, and the surrender of all government communications devices, computers and computer storage devices under penalty of law. Sharon does not mess around. And I think she's on to something.

[John Ashbrook]

That's right. And specifically on this point, Sharon is so correct, because I believe it was Chip Roy from Texas who, a couple of weeks ago, right after Trump won, sent out this tweet that got my attention. And I made sure a lot of people are aware of this. Members of Congress can put in a request for, like, specific departments and stuff to retain all records. None of it should be shredded. And that's step one of accountability. So Sharon is dead on.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, it's part of the Presidential Records Act. It turns out it's illegal for them to do that, but hardly anybody ever enforces it. So this is Sharon's great point. It should all be available to the American public and the Trump administration.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. And I would point out that there's A couple of FBI agents who got a settlement for the government while talking on their devices about how they're going to stop Donald Trump to be president. And, you know, that's the sort of stuff I would love also.

[Josh Holmes]

Weren't they doing. There's some Tom.

[Michael Duncan]

A little hanky panky.

[Josh Holmes]

It was Tom foolery. Yeah, well, we won't have it.

[Michael Duncan]

That's what they do.

[Josh Holmes]

We won't have it. The tomfoolery and shenanigan, none of it welcome in a new administration. Okay, what do we got done?

[Michael Duncan]

This is from Eric Johnson. Eric writes, shine a light on what government agencies are doing right now, showing corruption and sabotage is in the public interest. Get the media relentlessly asking question of those in government about what they're doing, what they're doing right before a transfer of power. It is difficult to call a transfer of power peaceful when those in power currently are doing everything they can to undermine and damage those who will shortly take power. It shows that none of these, quote, public servants actually care about the public. They only care about their own power. Thank you.

[Josh Holmes]

Nail on the head.

[E]

I agree with everything that Eric Johnson said, except that I know my journo buddies and I know they will never hold Democrats accountable. And so what I would challenge Eric and everybody else listening to this show to do. Now that you are the media, thanks to Elon Musk and others. Now that you are the media, we all need to hold Democrats accountable because the meat the mainstream media will not do it. You have to file those open records requests. You have to watch very closely. You publish it, and then we'll have justice.

[Josh Holmes]

I'll bring it here to the Ruthless variety program. We'll pull up private a platform.

[E]

That's exactly right.

[Josh Holmes]

Buddy in Arizona figured that out with a cop tape, right? That was good.

[Michael Duncan]

I feel like Ruthless should have its own, like, legal arm that does FOIA requests.

[Josh Holmes]

Wouldn't that be good?

[Michael Duncan]

What?

[John Ashbrook]

Not bad idea.

[Josh Holmes]

All right, so I. What do we got?

[John Ashbrook]

This comment comes from Tad Schroeder. Tad writes, Trump should come out now and announce he will review every nickel and likely claw back every century. Use the DOJ to pursue it. So if you got a check from this race to spend, hang on to it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

So, gosh, was it the New York Times who had an article this past weekend about, like, all these Democrat consultants were making money hand over fist from Kamala's campaign? Because, I mean, they ran through 1 billion plus 20 million debt that they're in. So, I mean, there were shenanigans aplenty Happening there.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, I think the biggest challenge that we've got, we read about this last Thursday, is that they have these big block grants that the way the Democrats operate it within the federal government appropriations is they take their agencies and basically give it to unaccountable actors in democratically aligned places. And then they're like, here you go. Spend it like you recall back in like the CARES act, all the big Covid money that went everywhere. The only thing they ever argued about was not the funding because they could spend to oblivion. It was where it went. Want to be block Granted, they wanted. And that's what they're trying to do.

[Michael Duncan]

Because they wanted no accountability.

[Josh Holmes]

Wanted no accountability.

[Michael Duncan]

And I, I would point out that in 2020, Dem governors like Gretchen Whitmer.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Tried to make the, you know, all the money that went towards like, you know, mail balloting and stuff. Their own firm to their own firms to Democratic firms.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean California didn't. Did the same sort of thing.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah. That's a lawless place.

[Michael Duncan]

You know what, it's just a block grant.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just, you know, just. What do they call it? State localities. Just need a little state locality money out there because it's just tough times out there. So.

[Michael Duncan]

It really is. I mean the Democrats run government like the old school spoil system.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

That operated in America like a hundred years ago.

[John Ashbrook]

Tammany hall, like they never left the.

[Josh Holmes]

Tammany Hall, Huey Long, you know, that kind of thing.

[Mike Summers]

Right.

[E]

But Tad is onto something because every Dem consultant spent more time on Zillow this cycle than they ever spent reading what voters actually want.

[John Ashbrook]

I think you're right.

[Michael Duncan]

A few more block grants and I can get a place in Rehoboth.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[E]

No question. All right, so I just gotta point out that my friends at Americans for Prosperity made a huge difference this year. AFP volunteers made millions of voter contacts, which is absolutely mind blowing. They are the largest, most effective ground game operation in the country to defend and advance the conservative movement. But now that the election is behind us, the hard work of turning electoral victory into policy wins begins. And the grassroots army with Americans for Prosperity will again be in the thick of it. We have an incredible opportunity next year to get the country back on track. But it means we're all going to have to roll up our sleeves and get to work. If you're ready to join a winning team making a difference across the country, check out my friends at AFP and you can learn more at americansforprosperity.org.

[Josh Holmes]

All right, you guys ready for some variety.

[John Ashbrook]

Yes, always.

[Josh Holmes]

This one is gonna set the program on fire. I'm not. I mean, this is. This is a Spaghett special. I know what he's doing, but here goes. This is according to New York Post, dead horse cows found on Italian business owners property in apparent mob move.

[E]

Oh, my barbarity.

[John Ashbrook]

It says so I can start right now.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, that's what I was hoping.

[Michael Duncan]

We're not even gonna read it.

[John Ashbrook]

You want to know how it was a mob move.

[E]

Yeah, keyword.

[John Ashbrook]

Italian business owner. I already know this story. He's like, oh, I'm just a respectable man in waste management.

[E]

Hey, the endless meat sauce at Olive Garden has to come from somewhere.

[Josh Holmes]

It sure does. It sure does. Although it's not franchised.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, my God.

[E]

Not franchise.

[Josh Holmes]

Not franchise. As one of our friends used to remind it, someone's got beef. According to New York Post, butchered animals left on the property of a Sicilian businessman.

[John Ashbrook]

There you go.

[Josh Holmes]

Gave an intimidated message straight out of the Godfather. A horse's head was placed inside a digger owned by a well known construction contract contractor in El Alto Fonte.

[Michael Duncan]

Yep.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, geez. This is getting worse all the time, fellas. Near the Sicilian capital of Palermo last week. According to reports, a butchered cow along with its dead calf were also found on the site. Police are investigating disturbing incident as a Mafia intimidation tactic, and they believe the victim may have been targeted after being made an offer he dared to refuse, such as paying protection money or following.

[E]

Mobile vapor is poetry.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, so. So listen, they're upset. They kind of had it coming.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I mean, it's a hell of a way to be. Like, try the veal. You know, like, he really meant it.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, I just think at this point in the year 2024, if you live in Sicily.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, you're just, you know, you're just calling it.

[Michael Duncan]

It's like. I'm just saying, it's like, it's. This sort of news is like a, you know, dogs, dog bites man situation. It's like, like Mafia doing things is sort of. Yeah, that's. That sunk cost when you live in a place like this.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Well, you're like, oh, my God, there's organized crime here.

[Michael Duncan]

I'm shocked.

[Josh Holmes]

Holy cat.

[Michael Duncan]

There's gambling at Rick's.

[Josh Holmes]

That's unbelievable.

[John Ashbrook]

It's like, at first I actually thought this was in the U.S. i was like, it's gonna say it's New Jersey or like Staten island, you know, because you always see the Italians and they got their problems in those areas too.

[Michael Duncan]

They Got their problems.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it's always, it's always the Italians, you know, you hear the story. Oh God, it's happening in New Jersey. We all know who's responsible for this.

[Josh Holmes]

Hold on. This is the, this is the kicker. You wanted the kicker. This is so good. The construction and garbage industries remain two of the most prominent businesses in Sicily. It's still plagued by mob activity according to the anti mafia investigation.

[E]

Get out of.

[Mike Summers]

God bless this paper.

[Josh Holmes]

Can I ask just an Italian question? Spaghetti. Feel free to speak of it for Thanksgiving. You don't do turkey, do you? Do you like a lasagna, maybe?

[Michael Duncan]

A turkey. Turkey tetrazzini.

[Josh Holmes]

What do you do?

[Michael Duncan]

You call me turkey lasagna.

[Josh Holmes]

A turkey lasagna. But it's got to be pasta based at some level. And you throw some marinara on top of that.

[Michael Duncan]

Absolutely.

[John Ashbrook]

So I, I've actually been to an Italian Thanksgiving. They have like a sausage that's like a spiral. Oh my God. It was spiral sausage. Yeah, it was in Brooklyn. I, I happy I was able to leave with a cannoli instead of a gun in my head.

[Michael Duncan]

Why, why are we so mean to the Italian?

[Josh Holmes]

But a happy Thanksgiving to all the Italians, nevertheless.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, you made it another year.

[Josh Holmes]

Enjoy, enjoy the ziti.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, Salute to those who didn't.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, we got a great interview coming up. This guy has been such a friend of the program. We love him to death. Mike Summers, CEO of API. Well, we welcome our old friend, somebody that you're all familiar with. You've heard him on the Ruthless Variety program several times. But more importantly, an old friend going back along ways. And he's doing a lot of incredibly important work and I might add, maybe one of the happiest men in all of Washington D.C. these days. Mike Summers, CEO of API. How are you, sir?

[Mike Summers]

Great to be with you for the third time, Josh.

[Josh Holmes]

Third time. Well, it feels like it should be more than that. I feel like we've maybe dropped the ball on that. Listen, if you're going to hear from somebody who not only knows the way to get things done in Washington, but then with like a heavy energy emphasis, there's no other place to go than Mike Summers. And it seems to me that we had an election that this was not a small issue. I mean, you saw Democrats who were like firmly committed to all kinds of crazy environmental policies moonwalking their way out of these things all the way through. It was like a pure offense. I feel like it has to, at least from your perspective, have been kind of a election deciding this Issue.

[Mike Summers]

One thing that we know based on all the data that we've seen so far, is that there was no question that energy was on the ballot this year, particularly in two of the most important swing states in Pennsylvania, where fracking was an issue based on all of the exit polls, and in Michigan, where the EV mandate, the heavy handed EV mandate from the Biden administration absolutely was an election decider for many, many people. State of Michigan. So in two of the most important swing states, energy absolutely was on the ballot. And then up and down the ballot in states and localities where there were energy issues, energy consistently won.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Mike Summers]

And that is good news for the American people, but it also, I think, gives this president a mandate on these big energy issues to get big things done quickly.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. And to be clear, he was crystal clear about where he stood on these issues. And Democrats basically had a bunch of positions. EV mandate. You mentioned Kamala saying basically she was gonna ban fracking and then be like, no. Through a spokesperson.

[Michael Duncan]

Right, yeah, yeah. Not her position anymore.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, she doesn't believe any of that.

[Mike Summers]

Well, the truth of the matter is, is that now I call it the fracking primary. You cannot get elected President of the United States unless you're for hydraulic fracturing. And the truth is that 90% of wells in the United States are actually fracked. So if you're for a fracking ban, you're actually for stopping development of our resources in the United States.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, and you've done such a good job of educating everyone about, not only is this, you know, how you feel, your gas tank and the price of heating, your home energy writ large in the United States, but as a national security issue. And like, I've seen your stuff on Fox, Fox Biz. You know, you go everywhere. Cnbc, you go everywhere to talk about this stuff, but it didn't seem like until this year, everybody just clicked in and got it. And it was like, yeah, we see all the problems. Maybe Ukraine had a piece of this in terms of Europe and their ability to operate without Russian oil, or, you know, Iran clearly plays a role in it, but you just sort of help crystallize this for everyone.

[Mike Summers]

That's what the American people have figured out. They figured out that energy security is national security. And when you're producing 13 million barrels of oil every single day, which is double what we produced just 15 short years ago, energy becomes a national security issue for the American people. The American people have figured out that if we don't have energy, we have nothing. And the entire manufacturing base of this country depends on the affordable, sustainable energy that the American oil and gas industry provides.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

So you said energy security is national security. And I 100% agree. There was one guy in that presidential primary that the Republicans had in 2024 that said that quite frequently, and his name is Doug Burgum. And, you know, he's not only going to be Interior Secretary, but also sort of an energy czar for the Trump administration. Looking sort of up and down the list here of how Donald Trump is assembling his energy team. You got to be pretty excited.

[Mike Summers]

Doug Burgum is one of the most important energy leaders that we have in this country right now. We built a relationship when he was governor of the great state of North Dakota, which is now the third largest producing state that we have. The Bakken region is a tremendous resource that we have, and he has been tremendously supportive of the American oil and gas industry. So to have a guy like that at the Interior Department and chairing the new Energy Council, this is very exciting. We recently just presented to Governor Burgum and the full Trump transition team a five point roadmap on the things that they should do to secure American energy independence and reduce inflation. So it's five simple things that this administration should do. It's kind of a travel guide for how we're going to secure American energy independence. A lot of these things they can do on day one. Some of them will require legislation, some of them will require regulatory action. But one thing we know is that we finally have an administration that is going to be working with us, not against us.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[E]

And Mike, a lot of people tend to think, just because of what they've been reading in the paper or seen on tv, energy is something that's produced overseas. It's produced in the Middle east, it's produced in Russia, it's produced in Ukraine. Anywhere but America. But our natural resources that we have right here in the US Of A Are second to none.

[Mike Summers]

Right.

[E]

You mentioned the Bakken region, but that's not the only one. There are so many opportunities domestically that Democrats have stopped us from tapping over the years.

[Mike Summers]

That's exactly right. And that's why it's so important that we have Doug Burgum there, particularly where they could stop production in the United States on federal lands and in federal waters. The Biden administration did. Leasing on federal lands is down 91%. This is the first year since 1966 that we've had zero lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico. These are all federal lands in federal waters. We need to make sure that we're producing on those lands as quickly as possible. And guess who's going to be in charge of that? Doug Burgum, former governor of the great state of North Dakota. This is a tremendous success for our industry and of course, for the broader energy security dynamic that we have before us. And then let me just add in, Chris Wright is probably going to be the best energy secretary that we have ever had. Somebody who has an intrinsic understanding of energy. He doesn't just know oil and gas, even though he's an oil and gas executive. This is a guy who knows nuclear, he knows geothermal, he knows the subsurface just about better than anybody else in the country. And to have him at the helm of the Energy Department is very, very exciting. Then you add the cherry on top. Lee Zeldin from New York, who was a great member of Congress, was there when I was chief of staff to the speaker of the House. This is a guy who has a great understanding of the political dynamics. Now, important energy was for this election. So you couldn't get a better energy team in my mind.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, that's great. Well, you certainly earned it. Look, I mean, when we started in this line of work summers, it felt like despite the obvious virtues the American people inhabit, based on what we have here and our ability to be energy independent, we were always playing defense on this thing. I mean, remember, it was like an annual circumstance where you had this left wing with environmental policies. If they weren't hampering you in the political argument, they basically lock it down in the regulatory state. They would do all these things and they were able to do it undercover, basically not telling the American people what it was that they were up to. You guys flushed all of that out. And I think President Trump flushed all of that out. Every one of our candidates, if I'm not mistaken, had a very clear mind about this issue set. And so there are several in this election that I feel like settled something. This feels like it settled something like Americans want to be energy independent.

[E]

Yep.

[Mike Summers]

And I will also say that There are really two big things that have happened in the last 15 years that have made the difference. One of them was just the innovation from the oil and gas industry. We discovered technology, primarily hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling that allowed us to find more resources than we ever knew that this country had. And that was not something that the government did. It is something that entrepreneurs in the oil and gas industry did. And it led to the revolution that we're in today, where we're actually a net exporter. Of energy, not a net importer, which is how the four of us grew up. And the fact that we've been able to export American energy has been a game changer for American foreign policy. But second, there was actually one big policy change that made a huge difference, and that was when we lifted the oil export ban in 2015, Congress made this decision that the Carter era oil export ban was going to go away. And as a consequence of that, there were new markets for American energy. And when we opened up those markets, guess what we found more resources. The same thing can be true for American natural gas. Now we need to lift this ban that the Biden administration has put into place that disallows new export permits for American liquefied natural gas. And the benefits of American natural gas. One, we're gonna clean up the rest of the world because the reason why the United States has been able to produce more in the United States while reducing emissions better than any other country in the world is because of the American oil and gas industry, which has.

[Josh Holmes]

Always baffled me, by the way, when everybody's like, oh, let's just shut it down here in the United States, you're like, okay, well, the world's gonna need it somewhere and you want it from that. Right? You know, they're like, basically the worst environmental standard you could ever imagine. Like, we do this better than anybody.

[Mike Summers]

We do. And we know the world's gonna continue to demand more and more hydrocarbons as the. As more and more people move into the middle class. And the only question that politicians need to answer is whether they want that oil and gas to come from the United States or whether they want to come from regimes that are hostile to the United States. That's why this is a national security issue. And we're excited to finally have an administration that recognizes that.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, you've been on a long journey. I mean, I remember the challenges during COVID when usage just went down and markets crashed, and you were sitting with the president, United States, trying to figure all that out and help sort of guide an industry and also just consumers through that era of time where you could have had, you know, a decade or more of just horribly priced, unaffordable priced energy, and yet here we are now. And then you get Biden showing up, he's like, first thing, let's get rid of the XL pipeline. You know, and, like, I can only imagine the pinball machine that. That felt like. Like I could tell what a man's smiling. Yeah. You know, it's like if you've gone through that and you've popped out the other side and man, it seems like it's working.

[Mike Summers]

Boy, it sure does. And I'll tell you, let's think about that Covid moment for a minute. So we had the entire world economy basically shut down. Kids weren't going to school, people weren't going to work. Everybody was working from their living rooms. And the world only declined in the amount of oil that it was using by 10 million barrels a day. So on average, we use about 100 million barrels of oil every single day. So just think about that. 100 million barrels of oil every single day.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, that's a lot.

[Mike Summers]

We only declined to 90 million barrels a day of use during the COVID period.

[Josh Holmes]

But the markets were pricing it as though it's like negap. Right now.

[Mike Summers]

I was about to open up swimming pools, put oil right. So it's, I mean, it's an incredible moment that we're in right now and we can seize this opportunity. So I would encourage your listeners to look at the API 5 point roadmap. It's on API.org it's five simple things that we can do for this president and we can get it done now to make sure that we have the energy future that all four of us want to have.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, none of this happens without a guy like you making relationships, your team making relationships, explaining very clearly what the stakes of this election and everything else are in terms of their economic futures. But it's nice to have it with a guy who has a sense of humor. That's right too. And like you've brought us a couple of things. First of all, anybody who shows up with this situation is going to have a nice time. On the ruthless variety. What is.

[Mike Summers]

Well, I'm pretty excited about this. This is a mid winter nights dram. This is a rye bourbon actually finished in port barrels made by High West Distillery in Park City, Utah. This is something that you're going to enjoy on your Thanksgiving episode.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, fantastic. On the episode. I think the a challenge you might regret what you asked for. That's good. And then, you know, we talked about all the excellent positions and I know you guys don't weigh into health care. So the appointment of Bobby Kennedy at rfk, he, he had some controversial things back in the day, back in the day to say about your, your industry. But President Trump I think was very clearly demonstrating what he is going to do and not going to do. And you've had some T shirts, we've.

[Mike Summers]

Had some T shirts made. So Bobby Kennedy was at the election night party and President Trump looked at him during his acceptance speech and said, stay away from the liquid gold, Bobby. And so I had some T shirts made for you guys that demonstrate the importance of our industry during this important moment in American history.

[Michael Duncan]

Trump can deliver a line like that.

[Josh Holmes]

So good. I'm going to wear this on Thanksgiving.

[Mike Summers]

You might have to put them in the Ruthless merch store.

[Josh Holmes]

It's so good. It's so good. So listen, I think you're looking around, and first of all, I can just say, as an aside, there's not a trade association anywhere close to politics on a federal level that doesn't actually just go and try to take notes from what these guys have done. Because it's about relationships, about clear communication. It's about making sure that members understand that they're going to have to invest in order to get people's attention on things. You've done this better than anybody. You've sort of become. I'm saying it, he's not saying it. He's kind of become like the king of the trade association world.

[Michael Duncan]

Kind of a big deal.

[Josh Holmes]

Because I hear from all of his peers and they're all like, how does this guy keep doing it? And I'm like, well, if you spend any time around him, like, first of all, impossible to hate him, you know?

[Mike Summers]

Well, there are some people that would argue with that.

[Michael Duncan]

I tried.

[Josh Holmes]

By way of background, Summers was in the House leading the Speaker's office. I was in the Senate. In the Senate, majority leaders, like, it's not supposed to get along, but we did.

[Mike Summers]

We had a historically good relationship.

[Josh Holmes]

Historically good relationship.

[Mike Summers]

But I think you have an idea for a new T shirt. A king of trade associations.

[Josh Holmes]

The king of trade association. Let's get the API people, print some stuff up. You can clearly turn these around quickly. So tell me, like, what's the Thanksgiving table gonna look like?

[Mike Summers]

So I'm pretty excited. This is the first year. It's just gonna be the five immediate Summers family members. My three kids are all coming home. Got one in LA who's coming back.

[Josh Holmes]

Anybody bringing home a stray significant other?

[Mike Summers]

No.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay.

[Mike Summers]

No.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay.

[Mike Summers]

This might be the last year where it's just the five of us, so we're pretty excited about that. I'm gonna smoke a turkey on the big green egg. I bought myself a bottle of Midwinter. Nice dram. And we're gonna have a great party.

[Josh Holmes]

And you should start that early, too. That's. We'll give you instructions on Thursday.

[Mike Summers]

I'll tell you my Day. Usually we start Thanksgiving on Wednesday.

[Josh Holmes]

Wednesday, yes.

[Mike Summers]

And I smoke a brisket on Wednesday. That's the first thing I do.

[Josh Holmes]

So that smoker's going.

[Mike Summers]

It's going.

[Josh Holmes]

Never really cools down.

[Mike Summers]

It never does.

[Michael Duncan]

It keeps it even.

[Josh Holmes]

225 all the way through the week.

[Michael Duncan]

It's like a kiln.

[Mike Summers]

And you know what I spend the day on, on Wednesday, I call old friends.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Mike Summers]

And, and I'm grateful for old friends. So it's a great tradition. I build a fire outside and I smoked some brisket and then a bird the next day.

[Michael Duncan]

Wow.

[Josh Holmes]

Imagine getting just over served on bourbon, smoking a bird and then calling old friends.

[Mike Summers]

I love you, man.

[Josh Holmes]

Everybody's like, you know, I really like summers, but I really like summers this year. This is a different.

[Mike Summers]

We'll bring everybody a T shirt.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, look, there's a lot to be thankful for.

[Mike Summers]

There's a lot to be thankful for.

[Josh Holmes]

And you all have got what is a historic opportunity not only for the industry, not only for energy independence in America, but for everyone to finally understand that you don't need to outsource your economic future to China. You don't need to rely on hostile countries in order for Americans to experience the everyday things that we had known and become accustomed to over the last 40 years. And it felt like that was slipping away for a long time. And it's back.

[Mike Summers]

Well, let's have a moment for the folks that were elected to the United States senate too. Dave McCormick from the Fracking state of.

[Josh Holmes]

The great Pennsylvania ran on this issue.

[Mike Summers]

He did. And is going to be a tremendous ally to this industry. Jim justice from the state of West Virginia, an energy dependent state. It's going to be a reliable vote for energy for many, many years. And then Bernie Moreno from the state of Ohio, another energy dependent state. This is a guy who replaced Sherrod Brown, who never voted with us on one little thing. And now we have an energy champion in Bernie Moreno. How exciting is that? Again, cherry on top. Tim Sheehy in the state of Montana, who understands how important energy is because he's a military guy. You know, you can't power your tanks with solar panels. You're gonna need hydrocarbons for decades and decades to come.

[Michael Duncan]

I'm sure Jimmy Carter had an idea of how to do that.

[Mike Summers]

Steel.

[Josh Holmes]

Put on a, put on a sweater and turn down the thermostat. That was the way to handle it.

[Michael Duncan]

I was actually telling Ashford right after the election, like, you know, Jimmy Carter, you know, we should have to put the solar panels back on the White House now. So it's become an annual tradition. Whenever we kick a Democrat out of the White House, we rip them back off, you know.

[Mike Summers]

Well, here's the thing. One thing that we recognize that the other side doesn't recognize is that we're going to need a lot more energy into the future. In fact, Goldman Sachs suggests we're going to need 50% more energy in the next 10 years than we use currently today. So we're going to need it all. We're going to need a lot of oil and gas and we're going to need a lot of alternative energies.

[Josh Holmes]

I was reliably told you just plug something into a socket.

[Mike Summers]

That's where it comes from.

[Josh Holmes]

That's right.

[Mike Summers]

We're going to need it all. And that's the future is we need a permitting bill that actually supports all sorts of energies. Because this AI revolution is here and it is, is only going to be draining our resources more. So we're going to need more.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, talk to me a minute about that. Yeah.

[Mike Summers]

So I mean, the key is, you know, a lot of people talk about I'm for all of the above energy, but what they say when they actually mean that is they actually want none of the below.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Mike Summers]

And again, we're going to need it all. So this AI revolution, have you driven through Loudoun County, Virginia recently?

[Michael Duncan]

Yes.

[Mike Summers]

The data servers, the data servers out there is going to require, require a lot of energy into the future and energy prices are going up. So while there's been a slight downward tick on gasoline prices now, energy prices, power prices are going through the roof. If you haven't looked at your power bill recently, you should. And the reason they're doing that is all of these new commitments that the utilities are making to green the grid. That sometimes makes sense. But when you're in a state that gets really cold or really hot, you're going to need a lot of natural gas to turn.

[Josh Holmes]

So like wind farms in places that don't have wind are not great, or like solar panels in place where the sun's not out is not great. So you're going to be able to build supplementary.

[Mike Summers]

And natural gas is almost always that right option. So in order to build these high powered transmission lines all over the country, if we're going to have that build out, you're going to need permitting bill that gets through the United states Congress in 2025. We have to get it done. That means pipelines, that means high powered transmission lines. This is about the future of our country and if we don't get it right, this country is not going to continue to thrive and succeed. And that's why I'm so excited about a new administration and a new energy council led by Doug Burgum and Chris Wright that actually understand how important energy is going to be to the American future.

[E]

You're telling me Mayor Pete didn't understand it? I mean, he spent seven and a half billion dollars to build eight stations for evs.

[Josh Holmes]

Did those even show up? I was like, it might have me.

[Michael Duncan]

Like they installed one of them.

[Josh Holmes]

Did they?

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

I think it's in our garage, actually, down in our parking garage. And it's, it's coned off, right?

[Michael Duncan]

Well, we just get enough spot.

[E]

Even in Washington D.C. even in Washington D.C. nobody uses the electric charging.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, you just get, you know, it's, it's the holidays, so we're all using them. You get an extension cord and then you plug an extension cord into the extension cord. Soon, sooner or later, then we have a whole grid just off one of those chargers.

[Mike Summers]

You know, Josh, as somebody who's, who's worked in Kentucky politics and the two of you as well, you remember Thomas Massie, still a member of Congress. I one time saw Thomas Massie driving down the road. And he drives a Tesla, but he had, being from Kentucky, he also has a bumper sticker on it that says powered by coal. That energy's got to come. Comfort.

[E]

Right.

[Mike Summers]

And most of the time, and for most people, even if you're driving an ev, it's, it's a, it's a vehicle that is powered by natural gas.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Mike Summers]

And that's going to be critically important for us.

[Josh Holmes]

We build Thanksgiving centerpieces out of coal in Kentucky.

[Mike Summers]

I thought that's what you got in your stock.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, that too, but it's for different reasons. That's for different reasons. Listen, you are the man. I can't thank you enough. First of all, huge friend of the program. You've been huge for us. Loved what we were able to do this summer at the convention. That was fun time.

[Mike Summers]

Let's do it again. We have an inaugural coming up.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, let's just keep on rolling with this stuff. I love it and this is incredibly important work. We like to laugh and have a good time, but I really mean it. There is no better advocate for American consumers in the energy space or anywhere than this guy, Mike Summers. Thank you so much for being here. Palace.

[Mike Summers]

Thanks, guys. Great to be with you. Stay ruthless.

[E]

Great to see you, man. I just love that guy. And it is so Easy to see why he has become the most influential voice in Washington trade association world.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. You know, it's not hard to figure out. You know, look, for those of you who are not aware of how this works, every business in the country of significance that has problems before the federal government is a member of some trade associates association in D.C. and they really range from effective and good and big and substantial, and you get a seat at the table, you can actually advocate for things that are happening. And with an understanding that maybe people are not in the world of work that they're in, can. Can get some insight out of. But like, you get a guy like this and you can see the huge chasm that are between what is good and what is like that. And this is a guy. We went through this on the. On the interview. Like, he's seen his industry through some of the most tumultuous times in the history of their industry and popped out the other side here in November of 2024, like, with exactly the hand of cards that you would have wanted five years ago before all their problems started. You know, I mean, that just tells you the relationship. Gay. It's like you've got to figure out how to make the best case. He also has the best argument.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Which I think helps a lot. But even if you have a really good argument, if you don't have the people who are capable of making it to the right places, you come up snake eyes.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, it's definitely easier to make that argument when, like, your industry powers the entire American economy, is critical to our national security and supports millions of jobs in all of these places.

[Josh Holmes]

It's true.

[Michael Duncan]

You know what I mean?

[Josh Holmes]

But as I was saying in the interview, like, you know, 10 years ago, 15 years ago, I remember being on Capitol Hill was nothing but defense out of those guys.

[Michael Duncan]

Right, right.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, they were like, nothing but like, oh, how do you levy another tax on this industry or stop another place from being opened up for exploration? And like, they're just playing a different game now.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. I mean, if you work in the Permian, you know, the Marcellus Shale.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Or Bakken, you should be very glad there's people like Mike Summers in this town fighting for you.

[Mike Summers]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

No question about it. Really. Just outstanding. So listen, we always ask her a question. Our question was, what's the best example of Lib Cope that you've seen?

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

This is a very funny deal. Do not hesitate. Like, right to.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Because I mean, there's no. I have like, seven that I'd love to Share. We've read a couple at the top of our show. It'll give you a little idea, but you've seen family members who've gone dark, you know, and like, just tell us about it. Yeah, because that'll help prime the pump for Thursday.

[John Ashbrook]

That's right.

[Josh Holmes]

So get in on that. Gotta like. And subscribe to the YouTube channel. Check out our merch while you're at it, including those incredible napkins that we showed you earlier.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, one thing real quick is Smug has said if we got to 100,000 subscribers on YouTube, he would take the Southwest.

[Josh Holmes]

No cruise. Wait, is that a real thing?

[Michael Duncan]

He said that he's not in the cruise.

[E]

I guess.

[John Ashbrook]

Southwest has announced that they're doing a cruise. So it's two of the most disgusting things possible to cruise. But if it gets us to 100k, I'm willing to do it.

[Josh Holmes]

Selfless act.

[Michael Duncan]

I think it's only fair if he's willing to do that and to generate content that the variety program helps underwrite some of that cost.

[Mike Summers]

Yes.

[E]

You know, and send a camera to boot.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, yeah. No, as long as I can send spaghetti with for you know what, It'll be a delightful few days and maybe.

[Michael Duncan]

All of our children as well, you know, so he can get the full experience.

[E]

Uncle Smug.

[John Ashbrook]

I was saying I'd be happy to. It'll be dessert for every meal. And I'll send him back with as much sugar and cappuccinos as possible.

[Josh Holmes]

It's nice for children to know hardship. Then they know really sort of why to apply themselves.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. And it's a life lesson of, like, this is why you don't fly Southwest.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, fellas, with all of that, can't wait to see you on Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving. We'll talk to you then. With that. I think we did it.

[John Ashbrook]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much, Mike Summers and API. And thank you so much to the Minions. Remember, you don't want to miss Thursday's episode. So like. And subscribe. Until next time, Minions. Keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. We'll see you on Thursday. Stay ruthless.

[Josh Holmes]

Hey, music fans. There are some great concerts headed this way. Don't miss out on all the shows in your favorite venues, like Deftones at Madison Square Garden, Eagles at the Sphere, and Foster the people at the Ryman Auditorium.

[F]

Tickets are going fast, so don't wait.

[Josh Holmes]

Head to livenation.com to get your tickets. Now that's livenation.com.

[F]

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