Is Dem Leadership Collapsing? + The Fate of the SAVE Act

Summary

Ruthless Podcast – Episode Summary
Episode Title: “Is Dem Leadership Collapsing? + The Fate of the SAVE Act”
Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook

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EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast dives into mounting dysfunction inside the Democratic Party’s congressional leadership amidst the ongoing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown. The hosts, in their signature irreverent and ruthless tone, dissect how Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are managing unprecedented leftward pressure, why “moderate” Democrats are a myth, and how these dynamics are affecting policy on immigration and government funding. They also explain the high-stakes debate over the SAVE Act (election integrity legislation) and why real solutions in the Senate are harder than viral talking points suggest. In addition, there’s a wide-ranging interview with Georgia Senate candidate Buddy Carter, plus some trademark Ruthless games and laughs.

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Dem Leadership Collapse & The “No Moderates” Thesis

Timestamps: 00:00–24:00

Key Points

• The episode opens with a blunt assessment of Democratic Party leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, who the hosts say are “basically driving their party directly into a ditch” (Josh Holmes, 00:00).
• Multiple hosts argue there are no real moderate Democrats left; “There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat. There just isn’t” (Josh Holmes, 00:31).
• The leadership’s problems stem from appeasing the party’s radical left, causing repeated crises — from healthcare to immigration policy – with little to show for it but internal discord.
• Spanberger’s Virginia as prototype: Abigail Spanberger’s so-called moderate campaign is lambasted as cover for radical left governance, particularly on immigration enforcement and redistricting (Comfortably Michael Duncan, 04:25). Her administration refused cooperation with ICE and immediately pushed significant tax hikes.
• The hosts highlight a high-profile Northern Virginia scandal: a 19-year-old illegal immigrant sexually assaulting girls in a high school, with local (Soros-backed) prosecutors refusing to cooperate on enforcement.
• The pattern is painted as national: “They're literally in every metropolitan area throughout this country” (Josh Holmes, 06:22).

Notable Quotes

• “You shut down the government over a healthcare crisis that you then forget about, then you shut down DHS. And what do you get for placating the radical left in your caucus? Nothing.” (Josh Holmes & Duncan, 00:44)
• “It’s all an act because these lunatics in their party are dragging them around, forcing them to act like theater kids.” (Duncan, repeated at 00:10, 12:15, 18:02)
• “They have hollowed out whatever seriousness was left within the Democratic Party. Burned it like bone marrow.” (Josh Holmes, 12:29)

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DHS Shutdown: Dysfunction in Leadership

Timestamps: 24:00–44:00

Key Points

• The shutdown of DHS is heavily criticized, especially amid escalating security risks from terrorism and border chaos.
• Democratic tactics are framed as shortsighted: trying to “win” on optics by funding only parts of DHS and leaving out controversial agencies like ICE and CBP.
• Ashbrook: “Democrats will not allow those people to be investigated and deported. It makes no sense.” (22:15)
• Host contempt for grandstanding over policy: “Who gives a f*** whether you win it or not, just reopen it, right?” (Josh Holmes, 17:21)
• The hosts argue Dem leaders can’t cope with activist demands and are losing the center, noting abysmal polling with independents (Smug cites Harry Enten stat of minus 61%, 09:48).

Memorable Moments

• “They want to keep winnowing this thing down. So Republicans… have said: nope, you either fund it or you don’t. Like, you’re either funding our Border Patrol, our Homeland Security, our ICE and everything else, or you’re not gonna get off the hook.” (Josh Holmes, 20:57)
• Ashbrook retells stories demonstrating the tangible costs of lax enforcement, warning that Democrats’ priorities endanger citizens’ safety in favor of ideological “theater.”

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GOP Dysfunction: Senate Infighting and the Mullen-Paul Clash

Timestamps: 44:00–56:00

Key Points

• The show pivots to Republican infighting, particularly a viral blow-up between Senators Markwayne Mullen and Rand Paul at a DHS confirmation hearing (26:54).
• Paul confronts Mullen about past remarks on the infamous Paul neighbor incident. The hosts are dismayed at the focus, with Holmes calling out the “Days of Our Lives” nature of the exchange in the middle of national security crises.
• Duncan: “Republicans are not currently meeting the moment” (30:57), stressing these distractions undermine the ability to contrast with left-wing excess.
• The group calls for more “normal human being… well-adjusted adult” behavior to defeat Democrats by offering clear alternatives rather than airing dirty laundry (32:04).

Quote

• “The Department of Homeland Security needs someone to lead it. President Trump picked Mark Wayne Mullen... We need to get things done, brother.” (Duncan, 30:43)
• “We can't fucking do it. If today's hearing is any indication, we can't fucking do it. That's really depressing.” (Josh Holmes, 32:04)

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The SAVE Act: Voter ID, Filibuster Fights, and “The Tool Bag” Debate

Timestamps: 56:00–1:02:00

Overview

• The SAVE Act, Republican election integrity legislation (with voter ID and proof of citizenship), has passed the House. In the Senate, it's facing a filibuster blockade.
• Most Senate Republicans are united but can’t force passage thanks to Democratic opposition and filibuster rules.

Key Discussion Points

• Democrats’ opposition to the SAVE Act is depicted as purely “if Trump wants it, we hate it.” (Josh Holmes, 43:43)
• Voter ID is a “90/10 issue” according to the hosts, with broad public support—even from Democrats (Duncan, 43:43).
• The episode features an in-depth breakdown (led by Holmes) of the filibuster, the “talking filibuster," and why progressive (and some conservative) influencers misunderstand Senate rules.
  • Holmes warns that eliminating the filibuster would backfire and enable sweeping left-wing laws in future Dem majorities (51:15–55:17).
  • Smug and Duncan discuss the temptation to “just make Dems vote on voter ID over and over.”
  • Ashbrook emphasizes the filibuster’s unique protection for political minorities and why even many Democratic Senators won’t end it (52:51–60:09).

Memorable Quotes

• Holmes: “The founders built this country in a way to protect against that kind of thing. If you eliminate the filibuster... they could put Sharia law on the floor of the f***ing United States Senate and George Soros and Zora Mamdani can pass it on a 51 vote threshold.” (52:51)
• Duncan: “If you want 28 tax increases and open border and people sexually assaulting high school students, then vote Democrat in November because that is not an aberration.” (Josh Holmes, 23:40)
• “Soundbites are great, but if you want to know how to shape the future direction of your country... you ought to know.” (Josh Holmes, 60:23)

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King of the Hill: Never Trump Pundit Hypocrisy

Timestamps: 1:04:00–1:13:00

A highlight for regular listeners: the “King of the Hill” game. This round features Max Boot vs. Steve Schmidt, with the panel reading and lampooning outrageously hypocritical or overwrought tweets from each.

• The judges (Duncan and Smug) weigh in, with Boot prevailing due to the theme of hypocrisy—pro-war until Trump, anti-war the moment Trump starts one.
• Duncan: “The whole game is predicated upon the hypocrisy of these Never Trumpers.” (68:17)
• Smug: “It is sort of fitting that Never Trump has been reduced to, like the reunion tour of an 80s hair band... Come to our show, buy the T shirt.” (68:02, 68:14)

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Georgia Senate Race Candidate Interview: Buddy Carter

Timestamps: 1:17:04–1:33:45

Candidate Profile

• Buddy Carter, Republican Congressman, makes his case as most electable challenger to Democrat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate race.
• Stresses local roots, support for Trump’s America First policies, tough-on-border stance.
• Cites personal story—“My grandfather was a sharecropper... my father worked shift work in a paper mill. I was the first one to go to college in my family.”

Key Points

• Carter outlines Georgia’s “red” roots, blames low GOP turnout and bad candidate baggage for 2020/2022 losses.
• On Ossoff: “He does not represent the values of the state of Georgia... When the percentage is that high, even if you disagree with it, you had to vote to say, my people want me to.” (81:05)
• On differentiating from primary rivals: Cites his experience (mayor, state legislator, Congress), absence of “baggage,” and polling showing him tied with Ossoff, with others trailing.
• On motivating GOP turnout: Emphasizes his ability to draw out “low propensity” MAGA midterm voters.
• On immigration: Tells stories of Georgia citizens killed by illegal immigrants, ties this to his harder-line border stance.
• Personal touch: Last meal would be his wife’s spaghetti. If he had another profession, would be a professional golfer.

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Listener Comments & Community

Timestamps: 1:38:00+

• Show closes with trademark limericks and jokes from the audience, blending inside political jokes with camaraderie among the hosts.
• Reminder to listeners to participate in “Hack Madness,” Ruthless’ annual “bracket” competition for worst political journalists (“hacks”).

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FINAL TAKEAWAYS

• Democratic leadership, according to the hosts, is paralyzed between activist demands and the realities of governance, leading to spiraling dysfunction.
• Republicans, however, aren’t entirely capitalizing—Senate infighting and lack of discipline are called out repeatedly.
• On the SAVE Act: Despite overwhelming public support for voter ID, institutional and procedural dynamics in the Senate, including the filibuster, make passage unlikely. The hosts argue against blowing up Senate rules for policy wins, warning of long-term consequences.
• Georgia’s Senate race is spotlighted as a linchpin for 2026, with candidate Buddy Carter making the case for electability and steadfast support for conservative priorities.

Audience Guidance: If you’re looking to understand the right’s view of Democratic struggles, conservative skepticism about moderation in the Democratic Party, insider takes on policy and political process, and the GOP’s 2026 Senate battleground strategy, this episode offers both raw analysis and political theater.

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SELECT NOTABLE QUOTES

• "There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat. There just isn’t." – Josh Holmes (00:31, repeated 07:16, 23:40, 61:53)
• “You have to be a relatively normal human being, a well-adjusted adult, in order to provide contrast with that [Dem dysfunction]. We can’t f***ing do it.” – Josh Holmes (32:04)
• “If you want 28 tax increases and open border and people sexually assaulting high school students, then vote Democrat in November because that is not an aberration.” – Josh Holmes (23:40)
• “The founders built this country in a way to protect against that kind of thing. If you eliminate the filibuster... they could put Sharia law on the floor of the f***ing United States Senate and George Soros and Zora Mamdani can pass it on a 51 vote threshold.” – John Ashbrook (52:51)
• “Republicans are not currently meeting the moment.” – Comfortably Michael Duncan (30:57)
• “It’s all an act because these lunatics in their party are dragging them around, forcing them to act like theater kids.” – Michael Duncan (00:10, 12:15, 18:02)
• “This isn’t f***ing a show. This is real stuff. We’re at war. Treat it like that.” – Josh Holmes (34:56)

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For further details, policy breakdowns, and more candidate interviews, visit ruthlesspodcast.com

Transcript

[Josh Holmes]

Chuck Schumer and Akeem Jeffries basically driving their party directly into a ditch.

[Smug]

They're in a lose, lose situation right now and they're just spiraling down.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

It's all an act. It's all a plot. It's all an act because these lunatics in their party are dragging them around, forcing them to act like theater kids.

[Smug]

Yeah, I mean, I think the problem is though, you know, they might rhetorically run as moderates, Abigail Spamberger or the like, but the reality is they're captured entirely by the radical left.

[Josh Holmes]

There is no such thing is a moderate Democrat. There just isn't.

[Smug]

So you shut down the government over a health care crisis that you then forget about, then you shut down dhs. And what do you get for, for placating the radical left in your caucus?

[Josh Holmes]

Nothing.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Nothing.

[John Ashbrook]

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[Josh Holmes]

I've worked at Coca Cola for 21 years. We're delivering Dr. Pepper from our brand

[John Ashbrook]

new facility in Dallas, Texas.

[Josh Holmes]

We're really proud to still make Pepsi products in America. You don't need a college degree to work here, but I put four kids

[Buddy Carter]

through college by working here.

[Smug]

This is a great place to work with great people and great American brands.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Grocery stores, conven stores, restaurants, they all depend on us. We deliver great paying jobs.

[Josh Holmes]

We deliver beverages people love. We deliver for our community. Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

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

[John Ashbrook]

It's time for our main event.

[Josh Holmes]

Good Thursday to you. Welcome back to the Ruthless Variety Program. I'm Josh Holmes along with comfortably Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook. Left to right across your radio dial. As absolutely is always the case here at the Ruthless Friday program, a lot of fun and interesting stuff going on in Washington D.C. look, the broad guidelines of Things to be concerned with are all the same, right? Iran dealing with that Department of Homeland Security still shut down. You know, in every story is some permeation of all of that. You got primary season coming up. Democrats have had their own version of this in Illinois this week. But I think the biggest. I think the biggest component is just how fist fucked the Democratic leadership is in terms of trying to deliver a message about what it is that they're doing here. We've talked a lot about how the full game for Democrats at some level is to try to do the Abby Spanberger routine, which is just try to pretend like you're something you're not for long enough to get people to vote for you or at least to dispirit enough Republicans to not participate in the process to try to win some elections. And then you get elected and you're like, ah, I'm Zora, I'm done.

[Mark Wayne Mullen]

Right?

[John Ashbrook]

That's their strategy, right?

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, that's what happened in Virginia. And you can see it now. I mean, there's headlines everywhere about Northern Virginia and all the illegal immigrant issues that they're having with sexual assaults, assaults against children, murders, all this kind of thing. That has all happened on the watch of Spamberger because the first thing that she decided to do was to not participate with the federal government in any of the illegal immigrant enforcement.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

So that's the thing is the Democrats after the recent election of Abigail Spanberg were like, here's the example, here's what we're going to do. This is the prototype. Let's put this in production coast to coast. It's the Trojan horse. We say, wow, you've got a moderate candidate, Abigail Spamberger. She's no mum, Donnie. Because their elections were at the same night, same time. Yeah, they're like, she's no mum, Donnie. It's a moderate. You know, Virginia wants a moderate elect Abigail Spamberger. Abigail Spamberger gets elected day one. Like, the first thing she does is, I will roll back any election security and I will make sure Virginia does not cooperate with ICE on any enforcement whatsoever. Those are like the first two things. And then she's like, and by the way, I'm gonna redistrict this place to make sure that 10, 1, no Republicans have a voice, even though they're half the population.

[Josh Holmes]

And here's 28 tax increases.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

But here's the thing is they were hoping that, okay, put this in production coast to coast, run the Trojan horse play the other night in Virginia. You start seeing voters are a Little

[Josh Holmes]

pissed off about this.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

A lot more Republican voters turned out and it's looking like already people have wised up to this kind of shenanigan. Because what Holmes also mentioned and alluded to is there's a specific case in Northern Virginia of where at a high school you had a guy who was

[Smug]

sexually assaulting a 19 year old illegal immigrant who was sexually assaulting girls in the hallway.

[John Ashbrook]

He's an adult and there are 13 year old girls. We're talking, he's doing this again and

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

again and again and again and again.

[Smug]

And Northern Virginia also has this Soros funded prosecutor, Descano who's made a whole. We, we need to like do a deep dive on the guy at some point because he's a lunatic.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, it's also indicative of a larger problem that you have in your communities, in your states.

[Smug]

Yeah, these are all over the place.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, they're literally in every metropolitan area throughout this country. But it's come to the fore because you're talking about a very purple state, one in which Governor Youngkin ran and you know, he had a Democratic legislature to deal with. So there wasn't a ton of like conservative reforms, but you certainly weren't backsliding and there were little simple things like, I don't know, enforcing the law.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

And that's the thing is, so under Spamberger, this gentleman not only is not going to be given over to ice, but Democrat prosecutors are working on just releasing him from custody of being like, no harm, no foul, it's fine, continue sexually assaulting women. And that has enraged a lot of voters. And we need to focus, this is going to be a recurring theme. We need to focus on how the problem is with illegal immigration and DHS in this country is a Democrat problem.

[Josh Holmes]

It's an issue.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Let's not take our eyes off the ball that this is something Democrats are doing.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I mean, look, well said. We've talked to everybody, both personally and through these airwaves lawmakers. Hey, dude, you gotta get focused here. Like Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security at a time of war with a country that is notorious for proxy battles and is the lead state sponsor of terrorism nationwide. It's the most insane thing of all time. Talk about that. Talk about the fact that you've got governors now who run as moderates that decide. The first thing I'm going to do is make sure that if an illegal immigrant is jailed in my jurisdiction, then I'm not going to cooperate with the federal government to get them deported. There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat, there just isn't. But they're getting pinched on both sides of this.

[John Ashbrook]

That's the thing.

[Josh Holmes]

Because it's not enough to just govern like Zoran Mandani and campaign like Bill Clinton. What you also have to do is deal with this thorny leadership issue which is Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries basically driving their party directly into a ditch. And typically when you are a party leader, I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat, you look around the corner and you try to paint a big picture, not always popular within the party activists, but what you're trying to do is give yourself the best opportunity to appeal to the most amount of people in an upcoming election and then do good work along the way. And clearly there's a right flank, left flank, depending upon what you're dealing with in any given election. But you try to have the broader view because all your membership who was elected, you leader has to deal with the granular grassroots stuff on the day to day basis to make sure that their own seats are held, that they get elected. So you have to be strategic enough to understand that you can't do the real stupid stuff, but at the same time you have to give voice to the concerns that people are dealing with. And it's a trick. And what has occurred to me by watching what it is that Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are doing is they don't have a fucking clue what they're doing. Not one clue. They don't have any idea. They march. We're a month into a shutdown of Department of Homeland Security at a time of war and they have literally less than any idea how to get out. And it we have what, three, four terrorist attacks in the last two weeks?

[Smug]

Yeah, I mean, I think the problem is, is though, you know, they might rhetorically run as moderates, Abigail Spamberger or the like, but the reality is they're captured entirely by the radical left as far as they're governing works. And so their reward for that is leaders not showing leadership, but kowtowing to AOC and the squad. And that whole liberal left is the liberal left just hates them more. And the voters that are on the fence. We played the Harry Entin clip on the Tuesday show. They're minus 61% with independent voters.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, right.

[Smug]

And so like they're in a lose, lose situation right now and they're just spiraling down.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, in the problem that you have when you were a leader of your party with Some responsibility, hypothetically, you're supposed to have responsibility, is that there is a tension and a balance between a choice of doing what is necessary for the country and what the grassroots, most partisan, most base instinct of your primary electorate looks like. Schumer and Jeffries have provided no choice between. Because it's one in the same.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Right?

[Josh Holmes]

It's one in the same. And what's happened is that they just get left holding the bag. Look at clip one. You think our leadership needs to look like if you were elected to the United States Senate. Yeah. Well, first of all, I've made it clear that I would not support Chuck Schumer as leader of the Democratic Caucus. Because I think right now what I'm hearing from voters all across the state of Illinois is that they are fed up. They're fed up with what's happening in Washington. They're fed up with, you know, think business as usual and the status quo and feeling like no matter who's in office, their lives aren't getting better. And I can say that they are telling me very clearly that they are looking for fighters and not folders. Okay. I mean, this is important for a lot of reasons. One, it is the signal that Chuck Schumer's career is over, whether he wants to recognize it or not. But two, when you provide no responsibility whatsoever and you try to become something you're not. Chuck Schumer's trying to become Zoran Mamdani because he's scared of aoc. He guides his conference off a cliff. They shut down the government for 40 days in the fall over health care. What happened to that, by the way? I thought we had a healthcare crisis last October. That's why we shut down the government. What happened to that? Has anybody done anything about that?

[John Ashbrook]

No, certainly Democrats haven't done anything.

[Josh Holmes]

Has there been a single discussion since that government shutdown about healthcare?

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

No. It's all an act. It's all a plot. It's all an act because these lunatics in their party are dragging them around, forcing them to act like theater kids. Because the grassroots of that party is a bunch of theater kids.

[Josh Holmes]

They have hollowed out whatever seriousness was left within the Democratic Party. Burned it like bone marrow. I mean, it was just absolutely trashed in this last year and exposed for what it is. That is a theater kid operation. They're just going through these things. We have to shut down the government because of these rising healthcare premiums. We're so concerned we're gonna shut down until Republicans do something about it. All right, well, 40 days you destroy whole elements of the economy, make sure that people don't have paychecks for six weeks, all this stuff in the fall. And then as soon as that's done, it's over, it's on to the next. And then we look at Minnesota, we're like, oh, no, some woman tried to drive over an ICE agent. So now I'm outra because she got herself killed. And so the Department of Homeland Security needs to answer for that. I'm gonna shut down the government again. And we're like, well, maybe just this one agency I'll shut down. So they shut that thing down without any sort of idea of what it is that it would take to reopen all of that. Meanwhile, you go to war and there's no answers.

[John Ashbrook]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

They have got nothing.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. Part of their problem, Buddy, I think, is that for the last 20 years, Democrats have had a COD lock on the mainstream and a one channel for distribution of what it is that they think should be discussed. And we've talked on this show extensively about primaries in Democrat Senate races that have been overlooked by mainstream media, where Democrats like Schumer get the candidate they want. Like, you know, a perfect example is what happened in North Carolina a few years ago with Cal Cunningham beating this woman named Erica Smith.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

And Talarico too.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, well, what I was going to say, Bud, is that, like Talarico is one example where they use the old way of operating. You call Stephen Colbert and he does some cooked up thing for Talarico and they get Talarico over Jasmine Crockett. Well, the map is pretty doggone big. And they cannot control every conversation in every state today the way they used to, as evidenced by the conversation we just watched in that clip.

[Smug]

Right. Perfect. Encapsulated by the clip we just watched, which is Juliana Stratton, who's now their nominee in Illinois for Senate. And this is replacing Dick Durbin, who's like a reliable vote for leadership. He's in leadership in the Senate, they're number two.

[Josh Holmes]

He's been in leadership since I've been born. Forever.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Forever.

[Smug]

And the woman who is most likely going to replace him doesn't even want to vote for Schumer.

[Josh Holmes]

Right.

[Smug]

So you shut down the government over a healthcare crisis that you then forget about, then you shut down dhs. And what do you get for. For placating the radical left in your caucus?

[Josh Holmes]

Nothing.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Nothing.

[Josh Holmes]

Nothing. And that's the thing that they have not come. They're just trying to save their own jobs at this point. It has nothing to do they're doing real damage. And God forbid we have any more terrorist attacks here with the Homeland Security Department that is shut down with people going without paychecks at tsa. I mean, Eve has been to an airport, can report back on the problems that these people have created, but for what? I mean, literally the last time I looked, they're like, well, ICE agents shouldn't have masks on. Oh, really? Do you know why they have masks on? It's probably because you doxxed them and their families. And two of them were attempted assassinate to be assassinated in Dallas, and there was two more in Arizona.

[Smug]

In Minneapolis, they were putting up fencing in the streets, stopping cars and taking down their license plates so they could track the ICE agents in the community.

[Josh Holmes]

And they're like, no, no, we want to see your faces. Oh, do you? I mean, I understand what it is that you're attempting to accomplish, but that's basically their demand for allowing the American people to be safe from terrorist attacks is to make sure that we can dox ICE agents.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Think about that.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, dude, what a wild thing. So you go over to the house side with Keem Jeffries. It's no better. It's actually in some ways worse in that Hakeem Jeffries is just dumb as a stump. Chuck Schumer at one point, 20 years ago, had his shit together. Like, he figured he was a pretty shrewd political operator psychopath from an ideological standpoint, but, like, he understood politics. This guy doesn't understand shit from Shinola. He's just like the next in line.

[Smug]

Temu Obama.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

So Axios did this thing Inside Dem's new gambit to win the DHS shutdown fight. And that in and of itself, I understand this is a Capitol Hill publication, but what does win look like?

[John Ashbrook]

Dude, this is the most. Please continue. Because this makes me so angry.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Seriously, it's ridiculous.

[Josh Holmes]

It will win.

[John Ashbrook]

Win? Win what?

[Josh Holmes]

In whose eyes? Who gives a fuck? Whether you win it or not, just reopen it, right? I mean, all you have to make sure of is the people you're paying 40 grand to try to keep your people safe at the airport continue to get a paycheck. The people who are spending day and night as law enforcement trying to ensure that the homelands of this country is safe. Get a paycheck that they can feed their families, that you have some information sharing amongst the FBI, the CIA, the Department of Intelligence, like, all of that stuff, they just shut it down. But no, we knew we didn't win because it has to be perceived that's the key.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

That's the key. Because to them it's about optics. Because they're all theater kids.

[Josh Holmes]

Theater kids. Theater kids. So House Democrats are launching a Hail Mary push to effectively end the Department of Homeland Security is now month long shutdown.

[John Ashbrook]

Jeez.

[Josh Holmes]

By funding all of its sub agencies except ICE and Customs and Border Protection. Why it matters. This is according to Axios, Democrats are feeling the heat as federal workers miss paychecks and dhs. See, this is the thing that they. It's only because it's unionized that they are feeling heat. They don't give a shit whether you're unsafe. It's all of a sudden they've got a core constituency that's upset. So now they're on it. DHS warns of airport closures. They hope their planned discharge petition will at the very least deflect blame onto Republicans.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Think about that again. It's all. They're trying to deflect blame. This is just all an like people's lives are at risk. People are not able to put food on the table for their families while trying to keep us all safe because of the optics. For Democrats, because they want to show their theater kid base that, oh, we'll do an act for you guys.

[John Ashbrook]

Dude, I've got a great idea. Okay. How about we reopen dhs, keep everybody safe. And then in return, Axios and ABC News and some of these news sources, they just write a headline that says Democrats win dhs.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Seriously, like that's what they.

[John Ashbrook]

And then they can pocket that and we can be safe in the meantime. Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Congratulations. Here's your medal.

[John Ashbrook]

Right?

[Josh Holmes]

Right. It's in a box of tricks. You just, you're good. It's so pathetic. But listen to this quote. It's not forcing any change, said Representative Don Beyer of Virginia. In the meantime, we're making people hurt. The long lines that can't make us more popular. We're on the right side of ice, but not the rest. So here's what's going on with this. And anytime you hear a Democrat talk about, well, we wanted to try to open up Department of Homeland Security, just not ice. Yeah, well, it's the same thing that they did. And the reason why we were critical of the initial decision to fund every other agency in the government except for the Homeland Security Department is because they just want to keep winnowing in to the thing that they don't want to do. And what is it that they don't want to do? They don't want immigration enforcement in this country. Straight up, you saw for four years precisely what it is that they want. An open border. No interior enforcement whatsoever. A ragtag group of illegal immigrants, terrorists and everything else coming across the border with no real fear of being charged, held or deported.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

And that's the whole game, is they get their open border and then when they're in power they say, what open border?

[Buddy Carter]

There's no crisis at the border.

[Josh Holmes]

They want to keep winnowing this thing down. So Republicans, I think smartly in this case, not smartly before, when they let the other agencies, 11 agencies, go through without Department of Homeland Security. But in this case, what they've done is said, nope, you either fund it or you don't. Like, you're either funding our Border Patrol, our Homeland Security, our ICE and everything else, or you're not gonna get off the hook by us allowing you to say that there's no political vulnerability here.

[John Ashbrook]

Right, dude. And just to put a finer point on it, we started this show with a concrete example. A 19 year old adult illegal immigrant who's here in this country, who walking the halls of a high school.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Roping 13 year olds and Democrats. Price of admission is that this guy needs to get back in the halls of the high school. Yeah. We cannot allow him to be deported from this country. And like, under what circumstances we're just like, can't we just deport criminal illegals? Why? Why is it. And by the way, it's not just a 19 year old walking around high schools. There are people from the other hemisphere who walked across the border during the Biden administration who are living here in silence, waiting for their moment to attack us.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Clearly.

[John Ashbrook]

And Democrats will not allow those people to be investigated and deported. It makes no sense.

[Josh Holmes]

It makes no sense. But. So Jeffries is now on this. Right. Because they want to get out from underneath the Department of Homeland Security cudgel that they're very clearly seeing TSA lines and everything else. So they plan to we fund everything else. And Hakeem Jeffries is sending dipshit letters to all of his members saying, let's do this thing. You know, there's a little question about what you can do from a funding standpoint about Border Patrol and ICE in terms of the big beauty and what that funded. So there may be a little malleability there, but basically they're caving and they're looking for a pathway off. At the same time, they are maintaining this position that everything that to do with interior enforcement of immigration in this country is wrong. Well, it looks a lot like the last four years. It looks a lot like the Biden administration and it gives you a little indication when somebody like Abby Spamberger runs for governor as a moderate Democrat and then governs as Zoran Mandani and doesn't want to ship a guy who is sexually assaulting 13 year olds in a high school to wherever the hell, but not here. How they would govern.

[John Ashbrook]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

And this is why we braise all of this is because it is indicative of this midterm choice. A lot of frustration left, right and center about everything that everybody's dealing with. And there's a political malaise that happens when your party is in power and generally speaking, they're doing the things that you want them to do. Let me just remind you that if you want 28 tax increases and open border and people sexually assaulting high school students, then vote Democrat in November because that is not an aberration. What is happening with Abigail Spamberger in Virginia is defined by the comments of Chuck Schumer and Akeem Jeffries in Congress. This is what they want to do. They just don't want you to know about it. They will run as though we're stable. We're doing all of these things. Dude, they're not. They're psychopaths. Like if a Democrat got control of the House of Representatives one, they're going to impeach Trump. Two, they're going to ensure that Department of homeland security, the ICE in particular, is never funded. So your 19 year old grabbing ass on 13 year olds is the least of your problems. You're gonna have MS.13 roaming the streets again like they were for the last four years. I mean this is a big problem, but I don't think anybody's really cut to the quick on this. It's like, well, we have to message our big beautiful bill. We gotta do the talk about the tax cuts and all. Yes, that's true. More importantly, point out what a bunch of fucking lunatics you're running against. They won't even support their own leadership because they think they're cucked despite the fact that the cucks are Zoran Mamdani. Like it's wild to me.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. The other thing that occurs to me, just listening to you talk about this and about their insanity on ice, dude, if this were actually about a political win for Democrats, okay, this is the way the article is framed, that they're looking for a political win, they got one. Okay. Trump fired his Homeland Security Secretary, Christy Noem. She's out of a job, right? Okay. He's Moving on to somebody else. If it was about a political win, they got it for them. I really worry. It's not about a political win. It is about allowing who came into this country during the Biden administration to run amok.

[Smug]

Yep.

[John Ashbrook]

They just. They want that to happen.

[Josh Holmes]

They do. But we can't get out of our own way. And I think one of you. It was Duncan and Smug, I think last episode that was like, well, let's just stop fighting each other. Like, we're by and large on the same wavelength here. Let's stop fighting each other. Let's get a clear and consistent message. And every time I think that that sort of resonates within the White House and Congress, something dumb comes up. So you mentioned Kristi Noem getting fired. She did. It's an opening at the Department of Homeland Security. Good friend of the program, Mark Wayne Mullen, Senator from Oklahoma is nominated. It's a Republican held Senate. Republican chairman. What happens when they have that confirmation hearing recently?

[Rand Paul]

Senator Mullen, if you have time to listen, you were confronted by constituents that were angry because you voted against my amendment to stop all funding for refugee welfare programs. Instead of explaining your vote to continue these welfare programs for refugees, you decided to transfer the blame. You told the media that I was a freaking snake and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted. I was shocked that it would justify and celebrate this violent assault that caused me so much pain in my family, so much pain. I just wonder if someone who applauds violence against their political opponents is the right person to lead an agency that has struggled to accept limits to the proper use of force. Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. And while you're at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.

[Mark Wayne Mullen]

If you recall, back in your back in my house days, we actually did have this conversation because remarks that I made. You were in a room. I simply addressed that. I said I could understand because of the behavior you were having, that I can understand why your neighbor, by the neighbor, did what he did. As far as my terms as a snake in the grass, sir, I work around this room to try to fix problems. I've worked with many people in this room. Seems like you fight Republicans more than you work with us. I did address those remarks. I did explain your gimmicks by the amendment you put forth. And as Far as me saying that I invoke violence, I don't. I don't think anybody should be hit by surprise. I don't like that. But if I do have something to say, everybody in this room knows I'll come straight to you. I'll say it publicly, and I'll say it privately, but I'll never say it behind your back. So for you to say I'm a liar, sir, that's not accurate.

[Josh Holmes]

All right, so Rand Paul, who is a good friend, worked on his best friend, his wife, Kelly. I love their family. They've been good, like, personally good to me. I love them. I don't always agree with their politics, but the idea that you have a shutdown Department of Homeland Security, that you have this interior problem of which ICE is literally custom made to take care of while kids are getting sexually assaulted. You have multiple terrorist attacks. Multiple terrorist attacks and a war against an enemy notorious for being the lead state sponsor of terrorism, and you turn that fucking hearing into a commentary about a perceived slight on a colleague, about your own battle with your neighbor. Are you fucking kidding me?

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

So it's. I mean, and I was shocked to see it in the first place because Rand typically is like, I'm the policy guy. You know what I mean?

[Josh Holmes]

Totally.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I'm a libertarian because I believe xyz and here's the lines of the Constitution, you know, that's his thing. I'm honestly. So. I'm not friends with Rand. I don't know Rand. I was surprised. I was surprised. I didn't think he'd be the guy who's like, well, you did this to me in the war. Because they're colleagues. They're both. They're colleagues. They've clearly worked together for years on getting conservative things done in the Senate. And to be like, today's the day I'm gonna bring up old shit is the wildest thing. It's like, dude, number one.

[Josh Holmes]

What?

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Number two, the Department of Homeland Security needs someone to lead it. President Trump picked Mark Wynne Mullen. He's got faith in him. We need to get things done, brother. Like, this is the shit you talk about afterwards.

[Smug]

Well, I think it's indicative of the larger problem we've alluded to here earlier on in the show, which is like, Republicans are not currently meeting the moment. They're not what this is. I can't think of a clip that more summarizes it than that.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I can't either. I mean, the idea that 330 million Americans care about what somebody said about you in an interaction with your neighbor. I just. I, like, I can't even imagine how that passes through your ears. And I understand he's emotional about it because there was a lot of people who made. It was a horrible event.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Like. And he has been the subject of significant political violence. I mean, he was there at the baseball game when shots ran out, almost killed Steve Scalise. This guy, this lunatic that was his neighbor. This guy's clearing him up, nearly killed him by breaking his ribs and everything. I understand he's emotional about all that. What the fuck does Mark Wayne Mullen have to do with it? Like, he said something that was sort of odd color that offended you, and now 330 million people need to rely on your making that right, Making your feelings right.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

That's the thing.

[Josh Holmes]

In order to ensure that we have a functioning terrorist prevention network in the United. Like, I don't give a. And so you look at all the disgusting shit that you get on the Democratic side, which is predictable and it's sliding fast. And all you have to do is be a relatively normal human being, a well adjusted adult, in order to provide contrast with that. We can't fucking do it. If today's hearing is any indication, we can't fucking do it. That's really depressing. Like, it's really fucking depressing.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Here's. Here's my pro tip to RIM Paul. So I'm not a senator. I've never been a senator. Here's what you do in this situation. You find out it's Mark Wayne Mullen, you know you're gonna be there to ask some questions. You shoot him a text, you say, grab a bottle of bourbon. Good shit. The good, good, really good stuff. It's gotta be the good expensive shit that I like. Bring it over to my place, let's

[Josh Holmes]

chat, hash it out.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Kick that bottle. Get over that shit. Because you know how I mean, you know, half our audience is men. They know. This is how it works. If you've got an issue, you grab a couple of drinks and then when you leave, you find out we've gotten over it.

[Josh Holmes]

Chances are we have more in common.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

And you got a good bottle of bourbon out of it, dude. That's it. This is how you solve problems.

[Josh Holmes]

I just don't know how this spills out as, like a craze of our lives.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Because the thing is, is that, Rand, this is in your capacity as a United States senator, representing not just the people of Kentucky, but on the federal level. A lot of Americans are counting on you, right? Now you got to worry about other shit at your other time. This is your day job and it's a big job.

[Josh Holmes]

Nobody gives a fuck about your like political animus, right? I mean, good Lord, Kristi Noem. There's something to ask questions about.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I'll make a deal. I'll make a deal.

[Josh Holmes]

How is it that Markway Mullen amongst the most squared away senators in the world is now the target? Because he said something mean. What is this, fucking junior high?

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I will. Senator Mullen can grab a good bottle of bourbon, meet here at Ruthless hq.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Mics will be on Senator Paul, roll up two.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's work it out.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

We'll get it in under two hours. Everyone is gonna be on the same page and we're gonna be going forward to get the job done.

[John Ashbrook]

I'll do it.

[Smug]

I think we could do that. I think we'd be good.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I'm being dead serious. We can do it.

[Josh Holmes]

I think so too. And I'm being genuine and serious about. And I know you are too, but like, I like Rand. Personally, I like Rand. His wife Kelly is absolutely amazing. My wife and I have gotten to know them over the years. Johnny and I, you, we worked.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Like a good guy. I just don't understand how we've gotten to this point, particularly when there needs to be a clear contrast drawn with what it is the Democrats are doing. You got to do something about it. You can't. You can't let this thing slip into a Days of Our Lives, you know, Young and the Restless. This isn't fucking a show. This is real stuff. We're at war. Like, treat it like that. Anyway. All right, so that's enough for that. Got to remember we got hack madness coming up. It's the biggest thing that we do all year long, other than maybe the Thanksgiving episode. This is it. This is like a close number two to it. Hack Madness is where we choose 64. And then we have a playing game. So technically, like 65 of the worst journalists in all of D.C. and they're hacks. And you vote by interacting with Smug's X account and choosing who you think ought to move from one round to another. But we're going to be doing the full selection show on Friday. And if you go to RuthlessPodcast.com, you can navigate there and find the hack madness form to fill it out yourself and compete against all of the other listeners and who's going to win this bad boy.

[Smug]

Yeah, that's sort of my favorite part of hack madness as it's progressing along with all of the rounds. You go to ruthlesspodcast.com it'll be there in the navigation will say hack madness. You can fill out your bracket and then there's like a leaderboard and so everybody who submits a bracket, you know you're going to get a score round by round and so you can see where you are relative to other listeners of the show, how you are round by round relative to us. We're going to submit our own brackets as well. It's a little competition, it's fun. And if you you win, we're going to have some free merch for you.

[Josh Holmes]

Send some gear.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Send some gear your way.

[Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

All right. When we come back, we're going to talk to save act. I know an awful lot of you have been paying attention to this. We're going to give you all the up to date stuff on that right after this.

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[Josh Holmes]

Okay, so look if you've been online at all, you have been consumed by, inundated by discussion of the SAVE act, which of course is an election integrity piece of legislation that requires such far fetched and crazy ideas is showing a photo ID at your place of voting. Things like making sure that when you register that you're actually an American citizen.

[Rand Paul]

Wow.

[Josh Holmes]

Wild, wild.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Literally. Somalia does this.

[Josh Holmes]

So. But because Trump wants to get on board and because Democrats are in perpetuity in a cycle of emotion over the post 2020 election situation, they can't see the forest through the trees. They've never liked voter ID in large part because, I mean, look, I'm not saying that they're saying it. If you can't show a driver's license when you go vote, what are you wait, you're waiting for somebody to cheat or at least you're providing the opportunity and they say it's racist. Now, the good news between 2020 and now is there's a whole bunch of states, including nine of the 11 states that are up for the United States Senate this year that have done reforms on their own. They require things like photo id. There's ban registration reforms in an awful lot of states throughout this country. But if you notice each and every one, I'll just point back to Georgia. We've had a lot of, in that timeframe when they were forming Georgia voting laws, talking about how Brian Kemp, the governor of Georgia, was called like Bull Connor.

[Smug]

Yeah, right.

[Josh Holmes]

And this was, this was, this was

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

the start of the whole, like, that's not Jim Crow, Jack, that's Jim Eagle. Right, right.

[Josh Holmes]

Joe Biden went down to Atlanta to call these people the worst filthy racists on the face of the planet. What proceeded to happen. But the largest minority turnout in Georgia's history, the very next election, after they had passed all this. So it's all nonsense. It's not. There's not a single piece of evidence to merit a Democratic claim, other than the fact that they want to keep the door open for malfeasance in some ways. Now, Trump wanted to add the transgender component to it in large part because there's nothing else moving through the United States Senate. This is an opportunity to do what voters had asked them to do, which is to make sure that kids, children, I mean literal children, I'm not talking about young adults, literal children can't be subjected to gender mutilization, that men can't play women's sports like, stuff that again, is.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

This is where we're at, bro.

[Smug]

90, 10 issues.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it's a compilation of 9010 stuff. Well, Democrats, Chuck Schumer in particular has said over our dead body will we allow any of this to happen. Thing sails through the House, gets to the Senate. A lot of discussion because Democrats have in block, including Fetterman, I might add, said that they are not going to vote for the SAVE Act. Okay. Well, I mean it lifts the masks a little bit. But there was a big development this week in that to vote to get on to the House passed bill, it required a simple majority in the United States senate of which 51 out of the 53 Republicans voted to proceed on that. There was one, Lisa Murkowski, who said, no, I have no idea. I don't get it. I don't, I can't defend it. I have no idea. Thom Tillis was absent. But 51 other Republicans said we'll get on the bill. And so they're on it. And this week they're going to be discussing the SAVE act in all of its glory. Now a lot of discussion about whether or not this thing can get passed and whether it can get done. And look, a lot of this remains to be seen. The White House is clearly, I listened to Carolyn Levitt yesterday on Fox talking about the president isn't letting this go. He's going to keep pushing for it. They're going to keep trying to find votes. God bless him for doing it. Eric Schmidt, good friend of the program offering amendment package to try to get this aligned with exactly what it is the White House thinks is workable. Some discussion about mail in ballots in states that have had long term mail in stuff, whether some accommodations that could be made to get this over the finish line. But I think by and large Democrats are like we don't care what the substance is. Trump likes it, we hate it. Isn't that basically the upshot that's the

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

heart of so much of their nonsense? Because the thing is that like this has been nationally polled and we're talking like 80% of Democrats across this country support it. This is just straight up Democrats in the Senate opposing Trump because that's all they know how to do.

[Josh Holmes]

That's it. That's the only thing. So there has been on the online right and some in a paid influencer category of people who have been generously compensated to make this their cause celeb a lot of traffic on it. It's not to diminish the importance of it. It's extremely important. In fact, Trump says this might be the most significant piece of legislation during my term. I don't disagree if people don't have faith in their voting systems. I don't know what we're doing here. So it makes sense that this is put in high import. But there's been a lot of weird speculation about how you can get this done in the United States senate that requires 60 votes to break a filibuster to get this thing done. And I just thought it would make a little bit of sense to provide some overview for the audience about exactly what it is that they're talking about, because people talked about, you know, eliminating the filibuster. Something that I in particular think is, like, one of the dumbest ideas that you could ever come up with. Perhaps I'm biased in that I was a chief of staff in the United States Senate during the Obama era, and if you look at, like, France, Great Britain, Ireland, our country would look a lot like that if we didn't have the filibuster. In the era of Barack Obama, we stopped everything. I mean, everything that this guy tried to do. Legislation. You wouldn't recognize your country today if there was no filibuster in the era between 2009 and 2016.

[Smug]

There's a reason why they had to do Obamacare through reconciliation.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. I mean, you wouldn't recognize your country. So I'm biased on that front. But then there's a talk, like, the talking filibuster. Mike Lee has been a big fan of this, and he's got a whole bunch of people that he is associated with over the years who are like parliamentarian experts. Like, they get this stuff and they understand the nuances of it, which I respect, because, I mean, you know, when we worked in Senate leadership, that was our job is to try to figure this stuff out that nobody else had to think about. They could go on talk radio and talk about all the things that they could do. But, like, we need.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Can you explain to me what the hell that is?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. So basically, as if you're a Senate leader, you have a bag of tools that is given to you because you know the rules and you got the parliamentarian on how you enter into consideration of any bill, how you can limit amendments to ensure there's no poison pills attached to it that would ruin the entirety of the legislation itself and make it not worth passing, and then ultimately end debate on the bill, call it for a vote. And the cloture rules, like, obscure stuff like filling the tree, limiting amendment. I don't need to get into all of that. But the point is that this tool bag is available that Senate leaders of both parties have used. And if you do it well, what you can do is get in and out of a legislative debate by either passing something in good order or making it very clear to the American people where people stand. No muddy water. Like this is where everybody is on this piece of legislation. The talking filibuster takes the tool bag and throws it out the fucking window. It basically means you get on a bill that's been passed by the House, you have no ability to limit amendments whatsoever. So if you're concerned at all about.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Someone could. So this bill, as it's been passed from the House, gets put on the Senate floor and anyone can roll up and put any amendment, anything. If I'm a senator, I could roll up and say we're gonna build a giant catapult to fire illegals from North Carolina across the border. It's going to cost a trillion dollars. And I could. Seriously. You're being serious? I could just put that on there.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, you could authorize it. You can't fund it, but yeah, you could authorize it. If you. If you could get 51 votes for it.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Oh, so every amendment needs to get every.

[Josh Holmes]

Every amendment has to be adopted. A catapult might be something worth considering. Maybe a counter for what the Democrats have in mind, which is like an open border policy.

[Smug]

Yeah, but Democrats could offer amendments too. Stuff like war powers to limit what Trump can do.

[Josh Holmes]

There you go.

[Smug]

They could put Obamacare subsidies back.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Need 51. So any amendments need 51 is the rule.

[Smug]

Yep, yep.

[Josh Holmes]

So you take a look back. Right. War powers is a good one. Does that have 51 votes in the United States Senate? It might. It might. Can you imagine for a president, United States, who's conducting a war in Iran, for the Congress to put handcuffs on them and say, nope, can't do it. Like, what a disaster. Secondarily, the tariff situation as we've been covering here for nine months, Trump uses the tariff and economic policy as a larger foreign policy negotiates under it. We're seeing this week with Besant meeting with the Chinese and whatnot, how that has all kind of come to fruition in terms of the agreements they ultimately come up with, how that affects our foreign policy. I mean, it's a three dimensional deal. What would pass the United States Senate unquestionably is a complete elimination of the administration's ability to levy tariffs completely. So it would take that whole thing. Isn't one of the cornerstones of Trump foreign policy out and attach it to a fucking SAVE act if you were to just eliminate the tools of a majority leader altogether. We talked about Obamacare. If you want to subsidize insurance companies, as Democrats said they wanted to do, that probably has 51 votes in the United States Senate. Right. You can make a real argument with Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. You can get damn close to reinstating Roe v. Wade in this country with 51 votes. Now all of a sudden, that's a part of your election integrity package that you're gonna send back over to the House. And the point is that Mike Lee makes is that you could just continue to process all of these amendments, clean it up later, and eventually you get to a point where Democrats wear themselves out. They voted on everything they want to vote about and they just want to stop. And then you could vote and you

[Smug]

think you just win a war of attrition on a 51 vote threshold.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the theory of the case with the talking filibuster.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

So what's the whole. What is talking filibuster like? They can stop votes as long as they're talking.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, so the way that it's phrased makes you think of like, Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Right? Or like the old Strom Thurmond filibustering the Civil Rights act, and that as long as you stand there, they can't pass anything. But as soon as you sit down, they're gonna pass it. Which of course is like never really going to work. But. But the way it works in practice is that every time that one of these amendments comes up just resets the dial. Gotta vote on it. Then you get a whole new crew with a whole new batch of amendments. And you can do this in perpetuity.

[Smug]

And each of those amendments prompts a new round of debate.

[Josh Holmes]

Yep.

[Smug]

Right. And is it 36 hours? Or they can limit that or how does that part of it work?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, well, there is a limit, but you can't ultimately close out the bill without the tool bag that I was talking about earlier. So it just continues forever. Can you imagine anything that Democrats would want more than to end the Trump administration with a perpetual nine month debate about nothing in particular, but not allowing him to do anything on his agenda? That's what this ultimately is. It's not a question of whether or not the majority leader isn't sufficiently committed to the SAVE Act. The question is upon tactics. Do you want a Department of Homeland Security

[Buddy Carter]

funded?

[Josh Holmes]

Like, do you want the President to get a cabinet and a staffing confirmed by the United States? Because all that stuff doesn't go on. If you have this other thing where they're just introducing amendments and talking for eight long months and I don't think that's ever been sufficiently explained to anybody. Certainly we haven't taken.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

So they have to talk non stop kind of.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, because that was the whole

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

thing with the filibuster is like as long as wasn't like if Cory Booker keeps talking, they can't have a vote or some shit like that.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, but that's the Mr. Smith goes to Washington type component of it. As long as there is a Democrat who wants to talk and there's what, 47 of them and you have to keep introducing amendments along the way. Like there's no real end. That's what they do in the United States Senate. Like it'll never get to an end of it ever.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, you made some great arguments against this. Let me tell you what concerns me about eliminating the filibuster. It would be a great tragedy if it was gone. And then somehow Democrats take the Senate and they negate everything that this president was elected to do. I want a third term for Donald Trump. Okay. I want him to be president for a very long time. My concern is not today. My concern is 10 years from now when Zoran Mamdani defeats Chuck Schumer in a primary and he is then the senator from New York. And then all of a sudden Zora Mamdani in all of his wisdom and everything he wants, and everything George Soros wants is funded and paid for and passed at a 51 vote threshold. You think I'm being crazy with what I'm about to say, but they could put Sharia law on the floor of the fucking United States Senate and George Soros and Zoram Hamdani can pass it on a 51 vote threshold if you eliminate the filibuster. It is literally the only thing that is protecting us from the tyranny of what people like Soros and his idiot son want to use to eliminate everything that we've built in this country. And we know there are two things that Demo, we talked about for 20 or 30 minutes at the beginning of the show about the two things Democrats care about most. One, not deporting illegal immigrants who are here in this country. Two, not asking for proof of citizenship so they can vote. We know what Democrats want to do. They want to reshape the country in the way that the hard left sees it should be. We cannot let that happen. The founders built this country in a way to protect against that kind of thing. And I. Look, I think people should present an idea. I think that the SAVE act is brilliant because it exposes Democrats politically, but also it pushes for something that has to happen in this country. And I'm just saying that if it can't happen in the Senate, you got to go to the states. You got to win this in the states. And what do we have? 36 states that have voter ID. 10 or 9 or 10 of the 11 most important battleground Senate states demand voter ID. We have to win on this fight. And if you can't win it in the Senate, we have to win it in the states. You cannot destroy the one thing in the United States Senate that is protecting us from Zorin fucking Mandani's insanity in Washington. Look, it's coming.

[Smug]

I agree with you. I think Mike Lee and his allies, though, and I'm kind of dubious on this being reality, but their argument is, well, we do the talking filibuster. It's a war of attrition. We don't actually have to nuke the filibuster. Filibuster. In order to do that. I ultimately think it ends up, like, they're gonna have to push for that eventually when this strategy.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, that's where it is. That's why I said, you know, the jerk off in a cup filibuster. Like, the whole point is, in order to get anything done, you need to eliminate the filibuster. It's not like you can just reform little pieces of it.

[Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

And, you know, I mean, you saw.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Can we clip that Josh Holmes. To get anything done, we have to eliminate the filibuster.

[Smug]

Well, he's saying that's their argument.

[Josh Holmes]

That's their argument.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I'm taking it out of context.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, you should. You should.

[Smug]

Hell, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

But I mean, I think we have a pretty recent history lesson of what happens when you try to make tweaks that you say are little components of allowing filibuster to not apply in certain circumstances. Right. Well, federal judicial nominees probably shouldn't apply. Okay, well, we rolled that up real tight and shoved it directly up the ass of Barack Obama and Harry Reid and have a 6.3 majority in the Supreme Court as a direct result of that little thing. And the whiplash of that is real. It's real. Now, if that's a risk you're willing to take for the SAVE act, so be it. But I will tell you, it comes around. And when it comes around, you get fucked three times as hard. And you certainly, if you're going to do it better. Make damn sure that anything that you want to do legislatively after you've eliminated a filibuster can pass the House with flying colors. What, in this legislative environment, in the Trump administration, can pass the House with flying colors. Is there anything? Is there one thing? Is there one thing? Is there a single fucking thing?

[Smug]

I would just make them vote on voter ID over and over and over again.

[Josh Holmes]

I would, too, but that's the political thing. And that is where I think that this is ultimately gonna land. So I understand your disappointment. And I am, too, with the unwillingness of a Democratic Party not to get something like the SAVE act done, but the idea that a realistic solution is to eliminate the filibuster, to pass this piece of Common Sense 9010 legislation, and then you turn around and the House of Representatives can't pass a resolution on mom and apple pie. And the Senate is basically just given the green flag at the Daytona 500. Democrats in perpetuity to remake our country, which they would love to do legislatively with expanding Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, making us an entitlement state, taxing everybody at 70%, adding Puerto Rico and D.C. and fucking, maybe even Cuba to the states that they call Senators. Like that's real. That's gonna happen. So don't like, not think of that when you're considering all the arguments. And I just think it's. Look, I understand and appreciate all of the arguments in opposition. Cause I agree, like, Democrats may just do it, but there's a price to be paid for it. And we showed them last time what the price was that had to be paid for it.

[John Ashbrook]

I don't think they can do it. I don't think they have the votes. Everybody just sort of glibly says, oh, Democrats will do it. I don't believe that. Because this has been put to a test in the United States Senate before. Remember Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema voted no, but there were other Democrats who voted yes and were hoping no. I know this because I have heard it with my own ears from people who talk to them. They were only Sterno buddies. Yeah, There are a lot of people in the Senate who talk.

[Smug]

I know.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, and there are at least eight Senate Democrats who do not wanna get rid of the filibuster. And there's a reason for that. It empowers a senator to be able to enforce control over the chamber as a nobody from some state that is not considered. And if your state is not considered, you have the authority to stand up and say, look, stop. I'm sticking up for my constituents. No senator who understands the power of their job that that conveys will eliminate their own power. It turns a senator into a statewide elected House member. There's no difference. You just have more constituents that you have to figure out how to get to vote for you again the next time. That it would fundamentally turn the United States Congress into two of the exact same chambers, just one with longer terms. Right. And that's the reason why there are Democrats who would not support it even if they voted one way.

[Smug]

The last time they were using Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin as a heat shoot.

[John Ashbrook]

I think it is so easy to just say, oh yeah, Democrats are going to do it. Democrats are going to do it. I don't buy it. They don't have the votes and so we cannot do it for them.

[Josh Holmes]

I think, look, the most important part that we're trying to provide you, the listener, is a little bit of context.

[Smug]

Oh, nuance.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, I mean, nobody does this. Everybody's like. I mean, we went on some. We went on some shows where it's just like, it hurts your fucking head to listen to the arguments not laid out in their proper context. So we felt like the need to just give you people who worked in this line of work who understand, you know, sound bites are great, but if you want to know kind of how to shape the future direction of your country, which I happen to think is pretty important, you ought to know, you

[John Ashbrook]

know, and it's, it's like what John Kennedy says all the time. Look, if you saw what I have seen, if you, if you have had the conversations and I, that I have had, I. I know that you would think about this the same way that I think about it, because guy like John Kennedy comes from it. He is a base Republican. He is a normal person who happens to be very funny, but he is the kind of guy who represents his state in the way that in the great tradition that the founders wanted somebody to represent their state. Right. That's what you envision. And, and I just think you gotta trust a guy like John Kennedy. You gotta trust people who are like you, who talk like you think like you, who are seeing things. Nobody has the time to actually dig into all this stuff because you get normal lives, you know, And I just, I think a guy like that. And there are more guys like Kennedy in the Senate than you think, even if they aren't quite as colorful. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Anyway, so that's our SAVE Act. We're gonna keep you updated on how that progresses. Ultimately, how it progresses I think is a little bit of an unknown at this point. Is there going to be a Democrat who's like, ah, 90, 10 doesn't feel great to me. I don't know. I doubt it. And there's no such thing as a moderate Democrat these days. We come back your comments from last episode right after this. Okay. When you like and subscribe to the Ruthless Variety program, we read all of your comments and get back to the very next episode. Our question today from Tuesday was fantastic. There was a lot of comments to do that. We always start with a voice.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, first one from clamor23. Clamor23 as a limerick. Ah, yes. Larry Sinclair. What a tale. I know this won't make the show, but being that today is St. Patrick's Day, I give you gentlemen at the Ruthless podcast, the gift of a limerick. Glamour23 writes, There once was a man named Larry who had an acquaintance called Barry.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Oh, my God.

[John Ashbrook]

They met at a bar, went out to a car, then Larry went down on old Barry. Clever.

[Josh Holmes]

23.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I know this won't make the show.

[Smug]

Yeah. Oh, ye of little faith. You write something like that, you're gonna make the show.

[John Ashbrook]

But you know what? He knew. He knew what he had. That's why he put the number 23 after his name. It's the Michael Jordan.

[Josh Holmes]

Larry went down on old Barry.

[Smug]

Just a little St. Patty's Day fun.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, God. That's my favorite comment that anybody's read in a very long time. All right, comment two. Dougs rocks.

[Smug]

Comment to. Jim Glass has the inevitable role of having to follow that limerick. I would not want to have to do this. But he writes, the new supreme leader holds a press conference, and with tears in his eyes, I don't like girls. The members of the press gather around and embrace him as they move him towards the elevator and press the button for the roof.

[Josh Holmes]

It's pretty good. That is good, boy. Our people have brought 10 of 10 stuff.

[Smug]

Yeah, it's good.

[Josh Holmes]

Comment three, smuggles.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Comment three is from Ann Henry and writes, the law of averages dictates that a certain portion of the population has the intelligence of a baked potato. I want to thank Joy Reid for taking up the slack for the rest of us.

[Smug]

Good.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, man. Very, very good. All right. Because it's Thursday, it's game time, and we always like to play our signature game on Thursdays. King of the hill, fellas. I think I'm a reigning champion with maximum boot. Who am I facing today?

[Smug]

Ashbrook. He's the challenger. Who do you have?

[John Ashbrook]

The old fat man.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, you're playing him against me.

[John Ashbrook]

Wow.

[Josh Holmes]

My own guy.

[Smug]

This is going to be a good court because it's ruled by comfortably smart.

[Josh Holmes]

You know what? I'm so tired of the whining about the judiciary.

[Smug]

It's going to be a great court.

[Josh Holmes]

Smug, I think he I think is eminently fair. That's what I do. Everyone here.

[Smug]

Well, that's what I'm saying. He's the best judge and I am bailiff. Let's go ringside.

[John Ashbrook]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. It's time for king of the hip. In the red corner, fighting from from his deck in Utah, the old fat man, Steve Schmidt. And now in the blue corner, fighting between the covers of his own book and current champion of the world, maximum boots.

[Josh Holmes]

Part of the reason why I love Schmidt it to be played whenever possible is that intro.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

The old fat man is it might

[Josh Holmes]

be the most dying. It really cracks through the ceiling. All right, so I got Max Boot recall prominent neocon, pro war everything right up until Donald Trump showed up. And then he's just anti everything that Donald Trump is so thereby reversing everything he had previously held as a core conviction in exhibit 12. You'll see exactly this. What he's doing is retweeting Aaron Rupar, which is an interesting choice for anybody who sees themselves in a little bit of a nuance or certainly anything off the right side. But the Rupar. If I could summarize just for a moment, it's about Cuba. And there are some comments that President Trump made this week about how that regime basically is just, you know, falling by the wayside. Anyway, he's got thoughts on that. His thoughts are, I am sure the war in Cuba will be a great distraction from the war in Iran and the closed Strait of Hormuz.

[Buddy Carter]

Incredible.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

These people really just do believe in nothing like stunning.

[Josh Holmes]

Just the most outrageous proponent of war on everything right up until Donald Trump is the one doing the wars and then which case, it's just horrible.

[Smug]

Ashbrook, what do you got?

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, exhibit seven, please. And Steve Schmidt is not retweeting anyone, but he is tweeting his own merch store and lets people know at 2:30 on a Saturday afternoon. Make sure to get your gear for the next no Kings day protest on March 28th. Check out the no Kings collection at the warning store. And then he has an array of T shirts offered.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Are they running back that no Kings bullshit? Really?

[John Ashbrook]

I have no idea.

[Josh Holmes]

I think he's maybe I Wonder if

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

he's just like making this shit up to sell merch. If he's like, yeah, everybody, March 28th.

[Josh Holmes]

It's like nobody's talked about it since. And he's like, yeah, no kidding. He's coming up.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

He's like, I got a bunch of shirts left over, so let's just do this on the 28th.

[Smug]

It is sort of fitting that Never Trump has been reduced to, like the reunion tour of an 80s hair band,

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

you know? So good. That really is.

[Smug]

Come to our show, buy the T shirt.

[Josh Holmes]

Just really trying to string it together.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I mean, listen, that's. That's. That. That was a strong take. And this whole game is predicated upon the whole hypocrisy of these Never Trumpers, essentially. And, boy, as strong as that, play on. Just trying to grip for some leftover merchants from Schmidt. I gotta give round one to Max Boot, boot, maximum boot boot. It's the spirit of the game is the hypocrisy.

[Smug]

Okay, Ashbrook, round two.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, exhibit eight, please. Steve Schmidt with a picture of Donald Trump underneath simply states, donald Trump has launched this war to cover up his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

It's really pathetic.

[Smug]

Smart to save that for round two, which is.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, that is. That is smart. Is a similar genre in that the boot take was the COVID up of. The COVID up of the COVID is all of this. The COVID is never about, like, actually doing the thing. It's the COVID up. So I have to kind of try to play this strategically in some ways because that's a pretty strong take, but I've got several to choose from. Okay. I find this fascinating, and I don't. And we'll see if the judge and jury appreciate the hilarity of it as it strikes me. But Exhibit 13, today, America's foreign policy establishment is morphed from a set of state bureaucracies into a royal family such as the Tudors or Hapsburgs. Foreign policy is molded in the hands of the court clique, a small, exclusive network.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Amazing take.

[Josh Holmes]

Which is incredible to me from a Boot perspective, who is literally the living embodiment of a foreign policy establishment for, like, the first 20 years of his otherwise horrible career.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Yeah, he is. The existence of that failed foreign policy blob. He's like a creature of it. And listen, honestly, I think that's a better take, but this is gonna be me thinking, the audience deserves a round three. I want you guys to fight for. That was a great take. That was a great take. And I think. I think, Ashbrook, that Was a little mediocre. I mean, if you're playing Schmidt, dude, like, do it justice, you know, when Holmes. But Schmidt, he's bringing a game, but he's giving.

[Josh Holmes]

He's getting.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

You're limping out.

[Josh Holmes]

He's getting the W. No matter.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

But I'm gonna give you that round in the hopes that you can rise to the occasion.

[Josh Holmes]

I can appreciate the entertainment value.

[Smug]

That's the thing. He's doing it for the audience.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, I can appreciate it.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

This is true love of the game.

[Smug]

Good judge, as I've said.

[Josh Holmes]

No Jesus. This fucking guy. Your bailiff, on the other hand, I feel leaves great bailiff.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Best in the game.

[Smug]

Just hyping up my boy.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Just incredible.

[Josh Holmes]

He's like the. Remember the dancer from the Mighty Mighty Boss Stones who just did the running man behind the guy who was singing? That's what Duncan. Best gig in the band.

[Smug]

Every group needs a hype man.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Okay.

[Josh Holmes]

All right. I love this for all of the similar reasons why they loved my Last take, exhibit 10. So what he's doing is tweeting out an article about a Pakistani air raid on Kabul, Afghanistan, and he said, here's a war Trump could work on stopping if he weren't so busy waging his own war.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Amazing.

[Josh Holmes]

Now, what's so fucking amazing about that take is that this is a guy who had nothing short of. Of a cheerleading skirt and pom poms on for any kind of war. You could imagine Afghanistan and Pakistan for 15 long years, and the idea that he is somehow now concerned about what's happening in Kabul in terms of violence, and Trump could do something about it because he's doing something is the wildest

[Smug]

Max boot peace pundit.

[Josh Holmes]

But it's like the wildest heel turn. You couldn't have picked a locker location. He was less concerned about bombardment than Kabul, Afghanistan.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

How much he had to wrestle with himself to be like, end a war to write those words must have been just so difficult.

[Josh Holmes]

He's like, oh, I don't want

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

hurts.

[Smug]

Ashbrook, you better deliver.

[John Ashbrook]

Exhibit one, please.

[Smug]

Oh, he's confident.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

I joined Don Lemon Blue sky to react to the escalating situation in the war with Iran, including the resignation of Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism center and was a top aide to Tulsi Gabbard because there was, quote, no imminent threat to the United States. This is the guy who was the press secretary for Purple Fingers in the war in Iraq, and now he is with Don Lemon talking about the war in Iran and how that's a Terrible thing to happen. And I just think that it's very, very funny that Steve Schmidt is.

[Josh Holmes]

I love this tweet.

[Smug]

Cause it has everything. It has anti war from neocon Bush people who did the Iraq war. It has the tagging of Don Lemon. And not just Don Lemon, Don Lemon, blue sky. Hilarious. And then on top of that, it has a very familiar trope, as we see in liberal media, which is when somebody leaves the Trump administration under terms that are not exactly friendly, they're heroic. And now we have to have an interview about how brave they are. It has all of those parts of what I think makes a phenomenal tweet.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, thank you, bailiff. I'd like to hear from the actual judge.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

That's the thing is, I didn't think it was that phenomenal at all. It feels like such a shtick, you know, like, throw in Don Lemon and dude, I know Schmidt had way better material. I think the disappointment here is with Ashbrook. I don't think Schmidt deserves the blame of not rising to the occasion. I think Ashbrook just completely dropped the ball. When you have Steve Schmidt, dude, that's just like the cheat code, you know what I mean? It's like unplugging your little brother's controller from machine. Like you should be.

[Josh Holmes]

I love. He's grinding the ax on the last decision, right? If you want to know how we arrived here, just listen two weeks ago. I feel like.

[Smug]

I feel like this ruling has nothing to do with Steve Schmidt.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

It's just about. It is just an ex crime.

[John Ashbrook]

I ruled against this judge, and so therefore he's ruling against me.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

And so I think it's clear the victory goes to maximum boot.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, that's clear.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Pathetic play of Schmidt.

[Josh Holmes]

Back to back boot for the first time in three, four years, comes back off the bench and is now put two in a row together.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

What a run.

[Smug]

I disagree with you, Smug. But like a loyal soldier, I will support you.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

That's a fair bill.

[Smug]

I'll support you like Joe Kent should have supported our president.

[Josh Holmes]

Fair. All right. So in our never ending effort to provide you real information about all the candidates that you're going to have to vote for in one form or fashion, both in primaries and general elections in this extremely critical 2026 midterm, we are going to the great state of Georgia. You've already heard from Coach Dooley, who we had an interview with earlier this month. But now Buddy Carter joins us. This episode is brought to you by Cologuard. Do you know what's really scary not screening for colon cancer. When you turn 45, the Cologuard test is non invasive, requires no special prep or time off work, and shifts right to your door in just three simple steps. Cologuard takes the scare out of colon cancer screening. If you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about the Cologuard test. Cologuard is available by prescription only. Learn more or request a prescription [e-mail] screen well, in our ongoing efforts to provide you interviews with all of the candidates that are ultimately going to matter in 2026, we've got our next installation. It's a big one. It's a great state of Georgia reminder. Our map. If we could pull that up, fellas, RuthlessPodcast.com map. If you go to that site, you click on any of the states, your state, whatever, you can see interviews from all of the candidates. We got done with Texas earlier this month. I feel like that was instructive. Still got a runoff to do. So if you're from Texas, you haven't seen that. You can click on it and get up to date on how that runoff's gonna go. But we gotta go to the great state of Georgia, which in honestly, I think in the last 10 years, it's basically been the harbinger of not only the national electorate, but certainly control the United States Senate. And in that vein, we're going to welcome Congressman Buddy Carter. How are you, sir?

[Buddy Carter]

I'm wonderful and I am so excited about being here, but I have to tell you, I'm not as excited as my staff is.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm glad to hear that.

[Buddy Carter]

They are big, big fans.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm glad to hear that. Well, you've gotten yourself in a big one here.

[Buddy Carter]

Yes, and I'm excited to be in that big race because it is important. Look, Georgia is my home. It's where I've lived all my life, where I intend to live the rest of my life. And I care about our state. You know, if I have the opportunity to share my story with you, you'll see that I've lived the American dream. And one of the reasons I've been able to do that is the great state of Georgia, which I love and I just cherish the opportunity to represent them in the United States Senate.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it's become a very competitive state in recent years. It used to be. Well, at least for a period of time, it was thought to be a red state that we had firm control over. Obviously, 2020 proved that you could go Blue in a hurry. And you got two Democratic senators, John Ossoff, who ultimately, if you win this primary, you're gonna be going against this cat. What do we think of this guy?

[Buddy Carter]

Well, you know, you gotta give the devil's due. He's a sharp fellow, he's articulate, he speaks well, but he does not represent the values of the state of Georgia, and that's the problem. And if I may, I would push back a little bit about Georgia being a purple state or even, and, you know, certainly not a blue state, but we're still a red state. I believe 2020 was an anomaly. We should have never been in this situation. Georgia's a 50 plus one state. You have to have 50% plus one in order to avoid a runoff. And what happened was when President Trump was. When the race was stolen from him, we had two runoffs in the Senate, and both of them, you know, people stayed at home. They were disenchanted with the. With the election process. They stayed at home and didn't get out. And this is what happens when you don't get out and vote and you get two Democratic senators in a red state. And I would submit to you, that's what we've got right now. Two years ago, we had a great guy, Herschel Walker, who we all love, but at the same time, it's a difficult task. A lot of baggage there, and unfortunately, it didn't work out. So we got an opportunity this time, an opportunity that we need to take advantage of and get rid of someone who does not represent the values of the state of Georgia and instead have someone in there who has supported President Trump and will continue to support President Trump and help him deliver on his America first policies.

[Smug]

It is a huge opportunity, made all the more huge by the fact that Chuck Schumer's been walking his conference off a ledge, a radical left ledge. And Jon Ossoff feels like he's just along for the ride. And there's no daylight between the radical left and this guy who's up in a huge swing Senate state. It's remarkable to me that he hasn't found more daylight, especially on stuff like this DHS defunding that they're all doing well.

[Buddy Carter]

And I think a lot of that has to do with fundraising right now. I think he's probably going to eclipse about 50 million by the time that we get our candidate up. And that's a big lead for him to get. But in order to get that, he's got to have the funding from New York, California, Illinois, the blue states. And people say all the time, you know, oh, he's getting money from there. Well, what does it matter? It still spends in Georgia, and that's the key. And I think he understands that and he needs that, but it's not going to work. I can tell you. The people of Georgia get it. They know he does not represent them. I mean, look, this guy, you know, just one example on a social issue has to do with voting against prohibiting biological males and girls sports.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, it's got to be 95. 5 in Georgia. Yeah, yeah, right.

[Buddy Carter]

And yet he votes against it. I mean, how can you do that? He's got two daughters. Yeah, I, I, you know, I don't get that at all. I would think when the, the percentage is that high, even if you disagree with it, you had to vote to say, my people won't be rational.

[Josh Holmes]

Do you represent your people or not?

[Buddy Carter]

Exactly.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, totally, John.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. So, so I'm wondering, you spent some time here, traveling around the state, and obviously Georgia is a gigantic state. It's a diverse state. You got big cities, you got small towns, you got people who live outside of both of those situations. I'm wondering what you're hearing the most from voters out there. Is it the economy? Is it security? What is it that's on their minds?

[Buddy Carter]

Both of those things are primarily on their mind. The economy is important, and it is something that is improving. I would submit to you that President Trump and the policies that he is, is implementing now that are taking effect now. You know, everybody wants to point to last year. Keep in mind that last year we were still under the policies of the Biden Harris administration. You don't turn a ship on a dime. It takes a while. Now, we're coming under the policies of the, of the second Trump administration, of the Working Families Tax Cut Act. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, increased childcare tax credit. Save Georgians over $5,000 a year in taxes, something that John also voted against, that I voted for and that we need. So the economy is improving. Up until just recently when we had the conflict in Iran, gas prices were down significantly, and that was important. And they'll get back down again as soon as we get this resolved. And it will be resolved quickly, I can assure you. But the point is that things have improved and the economy is going to continue to improve. We had a hearing two weeks ago in the Ways and Means Committee, the Tax Committee in Congress. As you well know, the IRS was saying that the average tax return this year is up 10.5%. That's more money in people's pockets. And that's what President Trump has delivered on, more money in people's pockets. And then you look at security, and already he has secured that border. And remember now, Georgia is, in terms of the number of states that have illegal immigrants, Georgia is number six. We have the sixth most illegal immigrants in our state than any state in the country. So it is a big issue in our state and very big. And unfortunately had some, some. Some tragedies.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, totally.

[Buddy Carter]

You know, Lake and Raleigh, I mean, look at this. You know, Lake and Raleigh, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, our flagship university, that was studying to help people to be a nurse, and she was killed by an illegal immigrant. In my hometown of Savannah, Georgia, just a couple of weeks ago, we had a beloved teacher, a special education teacher at one of our great elementary schools there who was killed by an illegal immigrant who was fleeing ICE resisting arrest and had a traffic accident and killed her. I mean, those are the kind of things that we're talking about here. But President Trump, about securing that border has cut off that flow. We actually have more people deported here in the last quarter than we had who were coming in. And that's important.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, no, definitely. So we have a pretty practical audience. They like W's. Yeah, right. I mean, there's a lot of different folks who view primaries in different ways. I happen to think after 20 years of doing this, it makes the candidates stronger. Now it can go sideways on the party writ large, depending upon the outcome and whether you elect somebody that's unelectable. You got three opponents, at least three opponents here in this. I'm sure you have some observations to make.

[Buddy Carter]

I do.

[Josh Holmes]

Thank you for asking about why it is that you're.

[Buddy Carter]

Glad to share them with you.

[Josh Holmes]

Best position to win a general election. Because our people care about that. Right. It's all results.

[Buddy Carter]

Exactly. And that's what we have to keep in mind. You need to keep the main thing. The main thing, the main thing is to get rid of Jon Ossoff. That's why we are working our ass off to get rid of. Because we need to replace Jon Ossoff, replace him with someone who is going to support President Trump in his America first policies. Why am I that someone? Because I've been to doing it. I've been doing it through his first administration. I've done it through the first year and a half of his second administration. I'll continue to do it when I get over in the Senate. You need someone who can win. The latest poll shows that head to head against Jon Ossoff, statistically, we're tied. The other candidates are three and five points behind, but we're tied. We're the ones who can beat him. We're the one who can go toe to toe with him and out debate him. I will never embarrass you. I don't have baggage. And baggage is important. I get it. I know we're Republicans. We don't want to beat each other up. But at the same time, if you don't think that the Democrats are going to take advantage of that, I would point you back to two years ago with Herschel Walker. You know, we can tiptoe around it all we want, but you want to put your best player on the field, the one who's going to give you the best chance of winning. And I would submit to you that we're that player. We can win. I can win the general election. I will replace Jon Ossoff.

[Smug]

So I want to ask you the $10 million question of a Trump midterm, and this is the one we dealt with it in 2018, is how do you get the lower propensity MAGA voters who don't typically turn out midterm elections or election special elections where Trump's name's not on the ballot and get them to turn out in a midterm in a state as critical as Georgia because we know that a majority runs through win in places like Georgia.

[Buddy Carter]

It does. And I would submit to you, in 2020, have we won that Senate race, It would have changed the trajectory of this country, you know, because the Democrats took over and they had the trifecta and they were able to do the things that obviously hurt our country and injured our country so much. But we do need to get those low potency voters out. We need to have a strong turnout. And that's why you need someone at the top of the ticket who is going to draw the people out, who's going to support everyone else down ballot. Now, we've got some important races in the state of Georgia this year. We got a gubernatorial race, lieutenant governor, attorney general, all of the, all of the offices in the state of Georgia. And that's going to bring a lot of people out as well. There'll be a lot of interest and there'll be a good turnout. But you better have somebody at the top of the ticket who can turn people out. Who we are going to make sure beats John Ossoff.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. I'm giving the opportunity for it is like the shit talking portion of the program. You're a classy guy, buddy. We've known and watched your career, career for a long time. And so, you know, this is, it may be a little uncomfortable, but these are the choices that people make. We had Coach Dooley in here earlier, made his pitch. We're going to have Mike Collins in. If you look specifically at Collins or Coach Dooley, like, how do we match up? Where are the deficiencies in the opponents?

[Buddy Carter]

Well, first of all, against Eric Dooley, you know, he's voted once in the last 20 years. If he were running in the state of Tennessee, he wouldn't be eligible. They have a rule that you have to vote in at least three times in the last five elections in order to qualify to run. And, you know, nice guy, everything and I'm sure an intelligent guy, but at the same time, it's not, he doesn't have the experience. I've been a mayor, I've been a state legislator. I've been in Congress for 12 years. I'm not going to apologize for staying in this fight. The man in the arena, as Teddy Roosevelt said, you know, you certainly, Derrick Dooley has not been the man in the arena. There's no question about that. But I have been and I've been fighting the fight. I understand local government, I understand state government, I understand the federal government. I'm the one who can go over there and help President Trump. I'm the one who can go over there and represent the values of Georgia. You go to Mike Collins, colleague. There's no question about that. But you got baggage. I'm sorry. Two ethics complaints right now against him and significant, and that's with the House of representatives bipartisan committee. Three Republicans, three Democrats to vote 60 in both of those. One of them includes, you know, paying an intern a girlfriend or whatever and not working. The other one is misappropriating $400,000 of taxpayers money. That's pretty serious. So, you know, there's baggage and there are other things as well. But again, I would just emphasize that I've got the experience, I've done the job and I'll continue to do the job.

[Josh Holmes]

Listen, he's certainly paying attention to his oppo binder.

[Smug]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And you do have a positive message and I, I appreciate that because you need a little bit of both in states like Georgia. Sure. You need to understand offense and defense. We have three questions that we ask everybody that comes in here that our listeners pay particular attention to.

[Buddy Carter]

I understand that. To say that I've been prepped for. This would be.

[Josh Holmes]

You got good staff.

[Smug]

I like that.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

You got good staff work, sir. All right, so the first one. If you can plan your last meal on earth.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

What would it be?

[Buddy Carter]

There's no question about it. My wife makes the best spaghetti. She does? She. And she tells me it's an easy meal to make, and it's quick, but it's just delicious. I love it.

[Smug]

Is that a meat sauce or is that a meat.

[Josh Holmes]

It's a meat sauce.

[Buddy Carter]

No, it's a meat sauce.

[Smug]

Okay.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah, it is delicious.

[Josh Holmes]

Sort of a ragu.

[Smug]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Are we doing just beef? We're doing beef and veal or.

[Buddy Carter]

No, just beef. Just beef.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

Poor man's meal.

[Smug]

If you'd like to share the recipe, I'm interested. That's all I'm saying.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay. Yeah. Anybody who chooses the last meal, you're like, okay, what is it? Yeah, I need an answer to that. All right, so second question. Look, most people that arrive in your lot in life, you've obviously been very successful in your career publicly. You take a look back in your life, and you've been exposed to certain different aspects of. Amazing. All your constituents come in, in all different lines of work, and assuredly there is something that comes up through your life experience. You're like, man, I would have been really good at that. If I have a second life to live. I wish I would have done that.

[Smug]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

If you think about that, like, where does that come with you?

[Buddy Carter]

You know, I. I love sports. I grew up in sports, and, you know, it was. Whatever the. The season of the year was, that was a sport for me, but I. I truly do love golf, and I. I wished I'd had the opportunity to.

[John Ashbrook]

To.

[Buddy Carter]

To devote more time to it.

[Josh Holmes]

He's a golf. If you played Augusta.

[Buddy Carter]

I have not played Augusta.

[Josh Holmes]

He's a congressman from Georgia.

[Buddy Carter]

I know.

[John Ashbrook]

They gotta get that, right?

[Buddy Carter]

Unbelievable.

[Josh Holmes]

It's incredible. They're not even allowing you on the damn.

[Buddy Carter]

I know.

[Josh Holmes]

Every time I see Kemp, I'm like, what are the chances?

[Smug]

He's like, don't even ask.

[John Ashbrook]

He's like, you guys aren't getting on.

[Josh Holmes]

You're not getting on. Yeah. Okay. Well, if you figure that out out, let us know. So golfer. Maybe. Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah. I mean, can you imagine? You get to travel all over the country, play the greatest courses. They're always in the best of shape, you know, and what a great sport, and it's such a mental game.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

You know, it really is.

[Josh Holmes]

It's only funny games till you're sweating over a six footer for like a million bucks.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah. And we actually, I want to give a shout out because in Pooler, my wife was a basketball coach.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh.

[American Petroleum Institute Announcer]

Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

We had three sons and she coaches and she coached Brian Harmon in basketball. Yeah. Brian lives down from you. Yeah, absolutely.

[Josh Holmes]

In fact, last time I think I was, I was down there, I saw Brian Harmon.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

One of the. The Pappy event.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Down there after he'd won the. The British.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Incredible. Well, you Savannah.

[Buddy Carter]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

10 of 10 stuff. Really beautiful, beautiful area. It is, it is.

[Buddy Carter]

It's my home. It's where I've lived all my life until a couple years ago we moved to Saints time and so.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's a great spot, too.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

All right, so third and final question. You know, it, it. Thrill of victory, agony defeat. You know how we described it too, with Jordan and Mickelson and, you know, it's not that you don't like losing or it's just like what motivates you to get to the next level.

[Buddy Carter]

You know, I do think it is the. Just to. To avoid the agony of defeat. I mean, I, I've been very successful, as you say, and, and really, you know, know, look, my grandfather was a sharecropper. He didn't own land. He worked land. My father worked shift work in a paper mill. It's interesting, in this race, you got three guys, three sons. One's the son of a legendary football coach, one's the son of a congressman, and I'm the son of a shift worker in a paper mill.

[Smug]

Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

You know, and I was first one to go to college and my family opened a business and very successful with that. You know, it's just the drive that, that gets you up and gets you going and, and you want to succeed and you don't want to lose. And. And I don't want to.

[Josh Holmes]

To lose. Yeah.

[Buddy Carter]

And I'm not going to lose. And we're going to win and we're going to take the seat back in the state of Georgia. It's going to re. It's going to belong to a Republican, as it should, who's going to represent Georgia and Georgia values.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, I like to drive. Buddy Carter, if people want to help you out, they're listening to this. Where do they go?

[Buddy Carter]

Yep. Buddy Carter dot com.

[Smug]

That's it.

[Josh Holmes]

That's it. Simple, straightforward, very thoroughish. Yeah, yeah, own that one. I can tell for a while. Buddy Carter, thank you so much for coming on in Good luck out there.

[Buddy Carter]

Thank y'. All really appreciate this. This has been fun.

[Smug]

Thanks for coming. Thank you.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay.

[Xtandi Announcer]

Wherever Bud goes, his harmonica goes with him. It's a pocket full of soul. Now he's living with prostate cancer. He asked his doctor about Xtandi and zalutamide. Xtandi, 40 milligram tablets, treats men with prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and responds to a medical or surgical treatment to lower testosterone. Xtandi may cause serious side seizure, a brain condition called press allergic reactions, heart disease that can lead to death, falls and bone fractures, swallowing problems or choking that can lead to death. Stop Xtandi and get medical help at once. If your face, tongue, lip or throat start swelling, tell your doctor at once. If you faint, have a seizure, quickly worsening headache, decreased alertness, confusion, vision problems, chest pain or discomfort or shortness of breath, Xtandi can cause harm to an unborn baby or miscarriage. Use birth control during and three months after Xtandi. Common side effects include muscle and joint pain, feeling unusually tired, hot flashes, constipation, less appetite, diarrhea, high blood pressure, bleeding, falls, fractures and headache. Talk to your doctor and visit xtandi.com

[John Ashbrook]

I do like this guy. I love his story about the humble roots. I think he's got a great message and I think he's going to be competitive here down the stretch. Very important race. We got to get rid of Jon Ossoff. Georgia has no business. We with two Democrats representing them in the United States Senate. I think he's got a good shot.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. I mean, look, this is vitally important that we have the most electable Republican. Ossoff is no easy out. He talked about it himself with the amount of fundraising that he's done. But this is a guy who has also been like, yeah, open borders are great men and women's sports. I mean, there's no left wing thing that doesn't come up. But he's not like cosine. There's no triangulation with John. He's basically like, no, I am the left wing lunatic that you all thought I was authentically. So I just can't imagine that he doesn't meet the end of his electoral prospects. But you can only do that you got a squared away Republican candidate, which is what we're trying to sort out here. So if you go to ruthlesspodcast.com map, you can click if you're from Georgia, if you're interested in Georgia, you can click on Georgia. Now. You can see not one, but two interviews of the three that we're going to be doing. Mike Collins is going to come in and complete the triumvirate on that one so you can judge for yourself. And in May, you're going to have to cast a ballot which is going to be incredibly consequential. So thank you for listening to that. Remember Hack Madness tomorrow. Hack Madness, one of our favorite times of the year. We have every minute.

[Smug]

It's like Christmas Eve.

[Josh Holmes]

It really is. You go to RuthlessPodcast.com and navigate Gate over to the Hack Madness bracket. Fill out your own, compete against everybody else. And remember, these things are going to be going live on your.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

Yep. Voting is going to be live very soon.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, we'll get it on up there. Friday, it's a big day. Set your calendars like plan your day around it. It's a real event.

[John Ashbrook]

Sure is smug presents but does not judge. So there will be a fair process. You can win. You actually can win.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm going to put some thumbs on scales, I think because I have some favorites in this field. I've seen basically what it is that the competition committee has put in as criteria this year. I think it's going to produce a very different bracket.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

It's an incredible crop. We're an embarrassment of riches for liberal hacks and this is going to be an incredible tournament.

[Josh Holmes]

So look forward to all of that tomorrow. With that, fellas, I think we did it.

[Comfortably Michael Duncan]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much to Rep Carter and thank you you to the listeners. Remember, if you have not yet, go to the YouTube and hit that subscribe because it's more fun in video. So until next time, minions, keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs. We'll see you on Friday. Stay ruthless.

[Josh Holmes]

Sa.