Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary
Episode Title: Dems Double Down on Violent Rhetoric After Third Trump Assassination Attempt
Date: April 28, 2026
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook
Episode Overview
This episode of the Ruthless Podcast revolves around the escalation of violent political rhetoric on the left, the third assassination attempt on Donald Trump, and the media's response—especially the behavior and narrative choices of mainstream journalists. The hosts blend dark humor with sharp conservative critique, recounting first-person experiences from the White House Correspondents' Dinner during the incident and providing cultural commentary about media bias, "journos," and left-wing activism.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Normalization of Violent Rhetoric on the Left
- The hosts repeatedly highlight the pattern of violent and extreme language from Democratic leaders and activist influencers and how this creates a dangerous environment.
- Quote (Josh Holmes, 00:13): "Violent rhetoric against, in particular, Donald Trump in this day and age cannot be ignored."
- Discussion includes a montage of left-wing voices ("someone has to do it") and reflections on how such statements go unchecked.
2. Assassination Attempt at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
- Two hosts (Ashbrook and Duncan) were present during the event. They recount the chaos and compare journalistic reactions—some filming, others following law enforcement’s orders.
- Memorable moment (Comfortably Smug, 04:12): "When Secret Service was climbing on all the tables with, you know, submachine guns and pistols drawn, my first thought wasn't content."
- Critique of journalists for “trauma-posting” and playing up their heroism online:
Quote (Comfortably Smug, 06:31): "He's filming the whole thing. And then I see him on television on Monday talking about how the journalists are processing the trauma of the event."
Timestamps:
- [03:35]–[05:14]: First-person recounting of the incident
- [06:11]: Journalists criticized for focusing on self-centered content
3. Journalists’ Reactions and “Content Culture”
- The hosts express mock disappointment that their friends didn’t prioritize content over safety.
- Criticism that journalists turned the event into personal spectacle, with selfies and drama.
- Quote (Josh Holmes, 11:13): "It is, in fact, a part of journalism that you film. What is the event that you're covering, not yourself…"
4. The VIP Divide: Who Gets Escorted Out?
- Commentary on the status symbolism of being escorted out by the Secret Service, and tongue-in-cheek complaints about not being important enough for protection.
- [12:57]: "A new stat symbol in Washington, D.C., is like, who gets escorted out during a live shooter deal and who doesn't."
5. Post-Incident “Journalist Locusts”
- Mockery of journalists raiding tables for leftover booze and food after the event was cleared.
- Quote (Michael Duncan, 15:15): "There's journals going like table to table... I was like, these people are locusts. They're not people."
- Rationalization that they “paid for the table,” but agreement that some behavior was shameless.
6. Security Failures and Overcrowding
- Discussion that the Correspondents’ Dinner has grown to an unmanageable size (~2,600 attendees), making security harder and contributing to incidents.
- [17:42]: "The White House Correspondents Dinner has absolutely zero business having 2,600 attendees."
7. Media’s Double Standard and The Manifesto
- Outrage over CBS/60 Minutes and Norah O’Donnell reading the shooter’s manifesto to Trump, just after the attempt.
- Trump’s heated response is played and analyzed.
- Quote (Donald Trump, 22:44): "You're horrible people. Horrible people... You should be ashamed of yourself reading that."
- Critique that similar manifestos (e.g., Nashville shooter) are withheld when politically inconvenient.
- [24:00]: "But they all came from trans shooters that shot up schools. Too dangerous."
Timestamps:
- [21:32]–[23:29]: Trump/Norah O’Donnell exchange on 60 Minutes
8. Media & Entertainment Figures “Normalizing” Violence
- Analysis of mainstream comedians and late-night hosts (Kimmel, Colbert) joking about Trump’s death—deemed dangerous.
- Quote (Josh Holmes, 34:04): "If you mainstream and normalize assassinations of the President, which is what that is... you're normalizing people."
- Comparison drawn: If similar jokes had been made about Obama, careers would be over.
9. Leftist Activists and Online Organizing
- Discussion about the role of online influencers (e.g., Hasan Piker) and Democratic leaders using militaristic metaphors (“maximum warfare”)—suggested this incites real-world violence.
- Quote (Michael Duncan, 37:26): "What he's talking about is attacking and killing the President of the United States."
- Hosts cite a pattern: when leftist violence happens, media downplays or rationalizes it; when there’s a narrative of right-wing violence, it’s blown out of proportion.
10. Mental Health Crisis and Political Violence
- The hosts suggest that a lot of left-wing violence is a manifestation of untreated or even encouraged mental health instability, further stoked by activist messaging and media coverage.
- Quote (Josh Holmes, 42:09): "Increasingly what we're seeing on the left is a real mental health issue... it's not political... it's this sense of hopelessness... schizophrenia and then... violent tendencies."
11. Obama’s Tepid Response
- The hosts deride former President Obama’s anodyne statement after the shooting, reading it as a cynical ploy to keep far-left support.
- [61:04]: (Mock reading) "We may never know. It’s incumbent upon all of us to reject the idea that violence has any place in our democracy."
- (John Ashbrook, 62:26): “He 100% knew the motivation behind this guy’s assassination attempt… because he does not want to lose that far left support.”
12. Rivalries and D.C. Media Party Drama
- Closing segment lampoons personal and professional drama among journalists and influencers at D.C. "elite" parties, including threats of fistfights between Michael Tracy and Jim Acosta.
- [71:10]: "Jim Acosta threatened to fight me tonight... at the Substack Party…"
- [72:54]: Joking suggestion to stage a charity fight at Trump’s hypothetical UFC "Fight for America."
13. Listener Engagement & Recap
- Regular “Question of the Day” engagement: this episode’s question—what’s the most outlandish defense Democrats offer when their voters do something violent?
- Responses read, riffed on, continuing the bantering, irreverent tone.
Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)
- Josh Holmes [00:13]: "Violent rhetoric against, in particular, Donald Trump in this day and age cannot be ignored."
- Michael Duncan [06:27]: "Number one way you could have helped law enforcement is to get live cameras in there scanning the situation…"
- Josh Holmes [14:58]: "And there was all kinds of selfies all night long about Chernobyl's [journos]...we got nothing but full bottles of wine here."
- Donald Trump/Norah O’Donnell [22:44]: "You're horrible people. Horrible people... You should be ashamed of yourself reading that."
- Comfortably Smug [34:45]: "You get the sense that the audience now for these shows do agree with violence. They like it, you know."
- Josh Holmes [39:42]: "The consistency on the left of normalizing violent rhetoric, violent rhetoric against, in particular, Donald Trump... cannot be ignored."
- Josh Holmes [42:09]: "Increasingly what we're seeing on the left is a real mental health issue…"
- Josh Holmes [47:48]: "Every single group of people was holding different foreign flags. They were all yelling at everybody, you should die."
- Michael Duncan [56:17]: "That thing echoing exactly what's in the manifesto of this psycho…"
- Josh Holmes [62:03]: "We may never know what caused it. The guy behind this sent a letter out which has now been broadcast..."
- Michael Duncan [63:09]: "Obama knows... I can't get left behind by where the party's at. I want to be like, you know, Barack still gets it."
- Josh Holmes [70:23]: "Let's not ignore the fact that literally every single left wing journalist who has been completely run out of town for being a complete maniac has made their home on Substack."
Episode Tone & Style
- Irreverent, sharp, and self-deprecating; frequent mixing of personal anecdotes with political commentary.
- Heavy use of sarcasm and dark humor, especially about journalistic pretensions and the D.C. elite culture.
- Banter between hosts emphasizes their camaraderie and outsider-insider D.C. perspective.
Conclusion
This episode mixes on-the-ground reporting from a high-drama D.C. event, strong opinions about the role of media in fueling political violence, and a critique of left-wing activism and its accommodation within elite culture. The hosts use the third Trump assassination attempt as a focal point to argue that violent rhetoric and normalization of violence by the left, and especially by the media, are both dangerous and underreported. The episode closes with tongue-in-cheek coverage of D.C. media infighting and listener engagement, keeping true to the Ruthless blend of hard-hitting commentary and humor.
Key Timestamps
- 00:00–02:37: Opening—violent rhetoric and "Dems' normalization"
- 03:35–10:49: First-person accounts of the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner
- 14:37–17:36: Journalists' post-event behavior and dinner’s problematic size
- 21:32–24:34: Trump vs. CBS/60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell
- 32:43–36:37: Media/entertainment industry jokes about political violence
- 37:02–41:20: Hasan Piker, leftist influencers, and progressive normalization
- 61:03–63:40: Obama’s response and pressure to stay leftward
- 70:06–75:33: D.C. media party shenanigans and question of the day
For Listeners:
If you missed the episode, this summary should provide a full picture—from the dramatic events at the Correspondents’ Dinner to the broader discussion around political violence, media bias, and the self-absorbed rituals of D.C. journalism. The episode is a blend of gallows humor and righteous anger, arguing that elite media and leftist activists dangerously minimize or encourage anti-conservative violence.