Ruthless Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Is Trump's Crime Crackdown Working? Libs Clash w/ Cops + Trump & Zelensky, Is There A Deal?
Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook

Overview

In this lively episode, the Ruthless crew takes on two major developments: the effectiveness of President Trump's federal crime crackdown in D.C. (and how the Left is reacting), and the dramatic summits involving Trump, Putin, Zelensky, and European leaders on the future of the Ukraine war. With signature irreverence and pointed conservative commentary, the fellas dissect media narratives, highlight the gap between political elites and everyday Americans, and torch both ideological enemies and laughable public figures in politics, culture, and sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s Crime Crackdown in D.C.: Real Relief or Manufactured Outrage?

• Video Deep Dives:
  • The hosts react to viral protest videos of D.C. liberals booing and heckling police, including jeers about “eating a salad,” and mock both protestors and “the Left’s” outrage.
  • “The left is losing their minds. They're like, how dare they talk back to Shamu.” (John Ashbrook, 04:20)
  • Discussion on how liberals supposedly oppose the crackdown simply because Trump supports it, dubbing the reaction classic "Trump Derangement Syndrome."
  • “Trump says, crime is bad. I must say, Trump is wrong. Crime is good.” (Michael Duncan, 05:09)
• Local vs. National Media Coverage:
  • The team compares MSNBC/left-wing national coverage (framing the crackdown as unpopular, unnecessary, or even criminal) to local D.C. news, which reports most residents, especially in high-crime areas, are relieved by increased police presence.
  • “The city has really went to hell. Some D.C. residents want police help.” (Comfortably Smug, citing WTOP, 09:11)
  • The difference between "on the record" residents (openly pro-safety/crime reduction) and anonymous quotes in the Washington Post (downplaying the problems).
  • Quotes from local business owners reveal intense frustration and fear over ongoing violence.
  • “He says, quote, I think that we need it. The city really went to hell.” (Michael Duncan, 11:12)
• Wider Policy Implications:
  • Trump's crackdowns and use of National Guard are described as a possible template for other crime-ridden US cities.
  • “Trump is going to show a model of we don't have to have our cities in decline.” (Michael Duncan, 13:08)

2. Trump-Putin-Zelensky Summits: Real Diplomacy or Media Farce?

• Media Narrative vs. Reality:
  • The panel roasts establishment and media coverage of the highly anticipated summit in Alaska between Trump and Putin, followed by Zelensky and European leaders in D.C.
  • The mainstream press is depicted as ignorant of Trump’s negotiating style and obsessed with optics (“platforming Putin,” “body language experts”) rather than substance.
• Trump's Negotiating Philosophy:
  • Trump’s philosophy is reaffirmed: keep everything on the table, never pre-commit, let the other side worry, and only reveal concessions in the room.
  • “Everything is always on the table till he gets in the room and he makes you shake his fuckin’ hand.” (Comfortably Smug, 41:03)
• Rubio v. Margaret Brennan Highlights:
  • Senator Marco Rubio (as Secretary of State) is praised for shutting down “humiliation-fetish” questions from CBS’s Margaret Brennan.
  • “Secretary Rubio has outperformed by like every possible metric…He doesn't take any shit from any media.” (Michael Duncan, 18:45)
  • Rubio explains that the purpose of the summits is real negotiation—not TV drama or pre-arranged walkouts for the cameras.
  • “Our goal here is not to stage some production for the world to say, oh, how dramatic. He walked out. Our goal here is to have a peace agreement to end this war.” (JD, as Rubio, 20:17)
• Substance over Optics:
  • The team notes that European leaders are coming to D.C. not because Zelensky needs ‘babysitting,’ but because “daddy Trump” is the power broker.
  • Emphasize that movement toward a peace deal, even without a final agreement, is progress, and condemn the pretense that “nothing is happening.”
  • “If you look at the six needles [sic] that we made peace…all at war. I didn't do any ceasefires.” (Donald Trump, 36:37)
• Contrast to Biden-era Foreign Policy:
  • The hosts contrast Trump’s “adult negotiation” energy, willingness to work late, and face difficult situations with Biden’s perceived absenteeism and process-driven approach.
  • “Now all of a sudden…Putin got in a plane and flew to American soil to meet with an American president because he wanted to discuss what the American President wanted to discuss.” (Josh Holmes, 26:27)

3. Culture War & Media: Mockery and Meltdown

• Comey and the Taylor Swift Obsession:
  • The crew ridicules Jim Comey reciting Taylor Swift lyrics in earnest as a sign of media main-character syndrome and liberal cringe.
  • “If you're an adult man and you're at a Taylor Swift concert…we probably gotta put you in jail. Your hard drive should be searched.” (Michael Duncan, 50:17)
• MSNBC Rebranding Fiasco:
  • The panel laughs at MSNBC’s rebrand as “MS Now” and the network’s separation from the NBC news division, noting this as evidence of the collapse of institutional media credibility.
  • “You could rebrand diarrhea all you want—it still looks and smells like diarrhea.” (Josh Holmes, 53:47)
• Sports Media DEI Flunks:
  • A viral ESPN segment in which a host confuses a Detroit Lions Barry Sanders jersey for a much-younger player (Shedeur Sanders) is lampooned as emblematic of “DEI hire” failures and the death of expertise in sports media.
  • “If you confuse Barry Sanders and Shedeur Sanders, you should go to jail.” (Michael Duncan, 66:01)

4. The “Fat Acceptance” Debate and Ozempic

• Wall Street Journal piece on fat activism & Ozempic:
  • Discussion about “fat studies scholars” and the rise of the “national association to Advance Fat Acceptance.”
  • Hosts mock the idea that modern anti-obesity drugs are a “problem” for professional activists.
  • “Ozempic is 100% making things worse for us, said Tigris Osborne, executive director of the national association to Advance Fat Acceptance.” (Michael Duncan reading, 59:10)
  • “We are going to make mediocrity acceptance…because you yourself are unwilling to be held accountable…we’re gonna make ourselves bow to yourself.” (Michael Duncan, 60:08)
• Broader Critique:
  • The fellas riff on America’s supposed “culture of mediocrity,” the role of health trends, and how both fat acceptance activists and extreme health influencers are treated as identity warriors.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On crime protests:
  • “They're like, oh, boo, go back. Be something else. And it's like, I don't know, you're fat.” (Josh Holmes, 05:04)
• On Trump’s negotiation:
  • “Everything is always on the table till he gets in the room and he makes you shake his fuckin’ hand.” (Comfortably Smug, 41:03)
• On Rubio’s media defense:
  • “Secretary Rubio has outperformed...he doesn’t take any shit from any media.” (Michael Duncan, 18:45)
• On the state of the media:
  • “You could rebrand diarrhea all you want—it still looks and smells like diarrhea.” (Josh Holmes, 53:47)
• On culture:
  • “If you confuse Barry Sanders and Shedeur Sanders, you should go to jail. National Guard. Lock her up.” (Michael Duncan, 66:01)
• On fat acceptance:
  • “Ozempic is 100% making things worse for us, said Tigris Osborne, executive director of the national association to Advance Fat Acceptance.” (Michael Duncan reading, 59:10)
• On Biden vs. Trump schedule:
  • “If you give Joe a melatonin, he's going to be catatonic for 18 hours.” (Comfortably Smug, 33:00)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• Opening banter/protest video breakdown: [00:00–07:00]
• Crime crackdown, media/local coverage, and model for other cities: [07:00–13:30]
• National Guard response and policy implications: [12:00–13:41]
• Putin/Trump/Zelensky summit—setup & media narratives: [15:24–18:07]
• Rubio dismantles CBS interview: [18:07–22:02]
• Nuanced take on negotiations & peace possibilities: [23:00–25:35]
• Levity in diplomacy—Zelensky’s suit joke: [30:13–31:54]
• Trump on ceasefire vs. peace deal: [35:37–37:11]
• Security guarantees/‘boots on the ground’ question: [39:30–41:21]
• Audience engagement: What’s the right US role? [41:53–43:02]
• Listener mailbag: prison meal jokes & Shawshank riff: [44:00–47:50]
• Cultural segments: Comey/Swift, MSNBC/MS Now, ESPN gaffes: [48:07–68:45]
• Fat acceptance and Ozempic, mediocrity culture: [55:25–63:07]
• Closing: sports media & legacy, Red Zone warning: [66:53–69:02]

Conclusion & Listener Engagement

The hosts close by returning to the question of the day:
What is the right role for the U.S. in brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine?
They invite listeners to drop their takes in comments, promising feedback on the next show—true to their interactive, community-building approach.

Tone: Fast-paced, sarcastic, irreverent, laced with biting humor and bro-to-bro references but underpinned by a consistent right-of-center political analysis.

For Ruthless first-timers: This episode masterfully blends political deconstruction, media mockery, and pop culture skewering for a thoroughly non-PC, inside-conservative perspective—perfect for listeners craving both policy arguments and punchlines.