Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: It’s worse than you think in Minnesota + Daniel Cameron joins the Progrum
Date: February 13, 2026
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook

Overview

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast is a classic “Fun Time Friday”—an irreverent, high-energy romp through the week's most absurd, alarming, and hilarious political stories. The hosts hit on left-wing dysfunction in Minnesota, a bizarre STD outbreak, rampant blue-state fraud, and turn a comedic eye towards Irish and Italian stereotypes before featuring a substantive interview with Kentucky Senate candidate Daniel Cameron. The tone veers from laughter to outrage, blending lively banter with conservative critique.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Minnesota: Epicenter of Progressive Madness

• Fungal STD Outbreak:
  • Minnesota's been reported as having the “nation's largest known outbreak” of TMVII, a sexually transmitted fungal infection causing severe ringworm, per WCCO (06:03).
  • The hosts lampoon this as a consequence of “left wing psychopaths who don't like to take showers” (00:04; 09:49, Smug), drawing wild and comic parallels to "zombie apocalypse" themes and referencing the “Last of Us” cordyceps fungus (07:48–08:05).
• Link to Political Dysfunction:
  • The crew riff on how Minnesota seems to be the root of every national horror from money-laundering, DNC links, to importing “socialist activists” (09:37–09:58).
  • “Everything awful in this country is in Minnesota, is being done in Minnesota.” — Michael Duncan (11:22)

Notable Quote:

"This is essentially zombie apocalypse AIDS is what's happening here."
— Michael Duncan, 08:41

[06:03–12:13]: Minnesota STD Outbreak & Satirical Air Strikes Proposal

2. Dark Comedy over Blue-State Absurdities

• Double Luge Segment:
  • The team moves from fungal infections to a video of Minnesota’s double luge team, both roasting and weirdly admiring Olympic athletes willing to “ride another man for [their] country” (15:01).
  • “If you do that for America, you're a fucking patriot.” — Comfortably Smug (14:41)
• Attacking Political Figures:
  • Focus on Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s federal testimony. The hosts mock Ellison’s comparing federal law enforcement presence to the Boston Massacre (16:25).
  • Senator Josh Hawley’s grilling of Ellison is celebrated as an overdue moment of accountability (19:25).

Notable Quote:

“That's what accountability looks like. Of which you've had none. You helped fraudsters defraud your state and this government of $9 billion, and you got a fat campaign contribution out. You ought to be indicted.”
— Senator Josh Hawley (as quoted by Daniel Cameron), 19:28

[13:15–20:09]: Keith Ellison, Congressional Testimony, and Hawley’s Takedown

3. Blue-State Fraud and Portland Horror Stories

• Oregon Medicaid & Drug Fraud Unveiled:
  • The Real Clear Investigations report by Mark Hemingway highlights an illegal Venezuelan gang member who both sells fentanyl and runs a Medicaid-funded “addiction recovery” LLC, receiving $2.1 million in government funds (29:10–30:57).
  • The racket is described as “vertically integrated crime” (30:07), emblematic of how easy it is to defraud blue-state systems.

Notable Quote:

“He's taken Medicaid money in under one year. He gives people the fentanyl, and then... gets money from the state as a recovery [provider].”
— Comfortably Smug, 29:46

[26:28–32:34]: Portland Drug Dealer/Recovery Provider Medicaid Scandal

4. Lamenting Media Malfeasance & National Spread

• Failure of Local Journalism:
  • The episode calls out Oregon’s media for ignoring massive fraud stories, indicting the “left wing media complex” for protecting criminality (35:27).
• Nationalization of Scandals:
  • The hosts argue Minnesota and Portland are “the tip of the iceberg”—these schemes are widespread (33:59–34:23).

Notable Quote:

“These newsrooms that are full of left wingers have ruined this country. And until the media in this country starts to take some responsibility… it's only going to get worse.”
— Elliott, 36:06

[32:34–36:24]: Media Critique & Spreading Blue-State Catastrophe

5. Irish and Italian Stereotypes: Olympic Medals & ICE Detention

• ICE Detains Irishman:
  • An Irishman, Seamus Culliton, in ICE custody for overstaying his visa becomes a cause célèbre in left-wing media, but the hosts debunk this as a fake-news narrative; Seamus actually refused deportation and faced criminal charges back in Ireland (40:23–45:20).
  • The left thought this would expose racism but were undermined as facts emerged.

Notable Quote:

“They genuinely thought that anybody who wants a secure border is just a racist… turns out Seamus has got a few things going on in Ireland.”
— Josh Holmes, 43:45

Italian Medal Engineering Fail:

• Ongoing Olympic coverage lampoons Italian engineering after several medals literally break when athletes celebrate (“Made from Italian garbage”) (61:12–65:02).

[36:31–48:41]: Irish ICE Saga and Media Exploitation

[60:09–65:10]: Italian-Made Olympic Medal Meltdown

6. Olympic Absurdities, Norwegian Confessional, and Sports Psychology

• Norwegian Skier's Emotional Interview:
  • An Olympic bronze medalist from Norway uses his interview to publicly confess infidelity, sparking hilarious takes from the hosts about sports psychology and motivation (53:43–58:19).
• Philosophy of Motivation:
  • Hosts debate whether great athletes need internal turmoil or love to succeed.

Notable Quote:

“If you do that for America, you are a goddamn patriot.”
— Comfortably Smug on double luge, 13:44

[53:38–59:07]: Athletic Confessions, Cheating, and Olympic Follies

7. Exclusive Interview: Daniel Cameron, Kentucky Senate Candidate

[65:13 to End of Episode (~87:14)]

Race Overview & Motivation

• Daniel Cameron, former Kentucky Attorney General, is running for the open U.S. Senate seat.
• “We need a country that's built on merit, excellence, intelligence, and integrity.”
  — Daniel Cameron (67:31)
• Emphasizes track record: reopening churches during COVID, fighting vaccine mandates, standing up for “common sense constitutional rights” (69:05–71:50).
• Grassroots focus: highlights importance of dedicated local volunteers (73:40–75:44).

Lessons Learned

• Cameron reflects on differences between his gubernatorial and Senate campaigns, emphasizing the importance of broad, grassroots engagement and learning from electoral setbacks (73:40).

Key Platform Issues

• Economic Policy: Putting more money in constituents' pockets; low-cost energy and Kentucky’s advantages in coal/natural gas.
• Immigration: Supports strong border enforcement and opposes policies fostering fentanyl trafficking.
• Political Approach:
  • Takes a positive, unity-focused stance, refusing to attack fellow Republicans personally (82:08–84:14).
  • Addresses the “McConnell question” with candor, noting all Kentucky GOP politics pass through McConnell’s orbit.

Notable Quotes:

“Money doesn’t vote, people do.”
— Daniel Cameron, 76:44

“There isn’t a damn person in Republican politics in Kentucky [who didn’t work for McConnell].”
— Josh Holmes, 81:58

8. Listener Question of the Day

• Prompt:
  “What's the most obvious fake news story you've seen about illegal immigration in the last year?”
  Episode invites listeners to respond with stories from their local communities, emphasizing how national headlines often prove misleading upon scrutiny (49:04–50:23).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Everything awful in this country is in Minnesota, is being done in Minnesota.” — Michael Duncan (11:22)
• “This is essentially zombie apocalypse AIDS…” — Michael Duncan (08:41)
• “If you do that for America, you're a fucking patriot.” — Comfortably Smug (14:41)
• “That's what accountability looks like. ...You ought to be indicted.” — Senator Josh Hawley (as quoted, 19:28)
• “He gives people the fentanyl, and then... gets money from the state as a recovery [provider].” — Comfortably Smug (29:46)
• "Money doesn’t vote, people do." — Daniel Cameron (76:44)
• “They genuinely thought that anybody who wants a secure border is just a racist… turns out Seamus has got a few things going on in Ireland.” — Josh Holmes (43:45)

Important Timestamps

• [06:03–12:13]: Minnesota’s fungal STD outbreak riff
• [13:15–20:09]: AG Ellison testimony & Josh Hawley accountability
• [26:28–32:34]: Portland Medicaid/drug fraud revelation
• [36:31–48:41]: Irishman in ICE custody and debunked news stories
• [53:38–59:07]: Olympic bronze medalist’s on-air infidelity confession
• [60:09–65:10]: Italian Olympic medals “falling apart”
• [65:13–87:14]: Daniel Cameron Senate campaign interview

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their trademark blend of sarcasm, pop-culture riffs, and “take no prisoners” conservative analysis. There’s a sharp edge to their takedowns—whether of blue-state policies, national media, or even Olympic medal craftsmanship—but it’s balanced by a comedic tone and frequent self-deprecation. The Daniel Cameron interview notably shifts to a more earnest, policy-driven discussion, while maintaining the collegial energy and candor of the rest of the show.

Conclusion

This episode exemplifies the Ruthless Podcast’s brand of energetic, unvarnished conservative commentary: mixing humor, outrage, detailed accountings of political incompetence, and behind-the-scenes campaign insights. Listeners leave both informed and entertained, with plenty of ammunition to challenge “fake news” narratives and a clear sense of the candidates and crises shaping 2026 politics.