Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Left-Wing Media Goes Totally Berserk After Charlie Kirk
Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook
Podcast Description: Ruthless is a “variety progrum," providing sharp, irreverent conservative analysis—often with biting humor—on the news of the day and how the media shapes narratives.

Overview

This episode centers around the aftermath of the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, with the hosts dissecting the media’s reaction—particularly the ways in which mainstream outlets (ABC, MSNBC, CNN, etc.) have, in their view, distorted or sanitized the attacker's motives due to ideological bias. The hosts also criticize the left’s approach to violent acts by those on their own side, address the recent Luigi Mangione legal developments, and lampoon the broader media environment with their classic mixture of ridicule and pop cultural asides.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Media Reactions to the Assassination of Charlie Kirk

• The hosts open by lambasting ABC News’s portrayal of the Kirk assassin, mocking the network for focusing on the shooter's personal relationships instead of the political motive.
  • Michael Duncan (06:04): "What the fuck? …What an absolute idiot."
• The fellas argue these portrayals are tone-deaf and minimize the gravity of the crime.
• The concept of "public dysphoria" is invoked: the idea that news coverage is causing collective confusion and distress because of its detachment from reality.

2. Specific Criticism of ABC & Matt Gutman

• Josh Holmes (11:49): Reads Gutman’s apologetic statement, only to critique, "No, you made it clear. And that's the problem...your interpretation presented to 2.3 million people was fundamentally divorced from reality."
• Michael Duncan is unforgiving:
  • (12:23) "He should resign or be removed… How is that like a normal takeaway? …The FBI needs to look at his hard drive."

3. Broader Patterns: Leftist Violence & Media Downplay

• The hosts tie recent leftist violence (including the CEO murder by Luigi Mangione) to a pattern: perpetrators are excused or lionized, particularly online.
• Discussion on the AI spouse of Luigi Mangione:
  • Guest (14:34): "I'm married to Luigi's AI. I'm not kidding… It's like the future of romance."
  • Michael Duncan reframes it (15:44): "That's not mental illness. You're not crazy, you're just evil. You're wrong."
• Core argument:
  • The hosts stress that the left uses “antisocial ideology” to excuse or minimize violent acts when the perpetrators are leftist.

4. The Internet, Social Isolation, and Cult-Like Dynamics

• Smug (19:19): "All that technology does or social media is just like hold up a mirror to ourselves. How you choose to interact with that technology still says everything about you."
• The hosts compare leftist online subcultures to cults, with “brainwashed” followers unable to answer basic questions or engage rational arguments.
• Host (22:22): “Any cult in the history of our country… the exact same approach that the leftists of today sound.”

5. Media “Obfuscation” and the Willful Blurring of Truth

• They accuse the media—especially MSNBC’s Brandy Zadrozny and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins—of actively clouding the facts on the Kirk case and others, likening it to denialism.
• Smug (38:31): “They're not satisfied by the parents being like he said he hated Charlie Kirk… All it is is a political campaign to obfuscate the reality that this is left wing violence and make it something more obtuse…”

6. Hack Madness & Media Personalities (MSNBC, CNN, and more)

• The Hack Madness bracket is invoked to identify the “worst” and most egregious journalists/commentators fueling misinformation, with Brandy Zadrozny of MSNBC as a top offender.
  • She’s accused of manufacturing narratives to distract from clear motives in the Kirk case and of doxing Trump supporters.
  • Michael Duncan (28:30): “This lady made her career by basically hunting down grandmas who supported Trump and tried to make those people scared…”

7. The Fault Line in Media—Cultural vs. Political

• The group draws a distinction: Political parties can be expected to try and shape narratives for partisan advantage, but the media should be more objective.
  • Josh Holmes (39:32): "We act as though this is just like, you know, par for the course. This is what you get out of the mainstream media. Didn't always used to be this way."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "That's objectivity when he said that line… this journalist has created this whole weird fantasy in his own mind that he's reporting out as news, which is the number one mistake you could make in journalism."
  — Michael Duncan, (08:25)

• “You’re not crazy. You’re just evil. You’re wrong.”
  — Michael Duncan, (15:44)

• Host (22:22): "You hear interviews with cult members who have the exact same approach that the leftists of today sound."

• On CNN's Kaitlan Collins and the “no motive” talking point:
  Josh Holmes (36:52): "How can you get to the end of the last six days… and be like, do you think right wing groups ought to be investigated? What the fuck are you talking about?"

• Host (42:04): (On Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s CNN performance): “What the fuck is she talking? Nobody knows. ...I've never heard somebody say so many words and actually communicate zero message.”

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [01:19–07:55] — Opening banter, Fox appearance, setup, and initial reactions to the assassination coverage.
• [07:55–13:03] — ABC News and Matt Gutman critique; deep dive into motive and media distortion.
• [14:05–23:26] — Luigi Mangione/AI romance, “delusional doesn’t mean ill,” political violence excusing, and social isolation discussion.
• [24:27–32:13] — “Hack Madness”: Critique of MSNBC’s Brandy Zadrozny and her media role as a “misinformation” reporter.
• [33:11–40:49] — CNN’s response to the Kirk story; grilling of Kaitlan Collins and broader discussion about media culture.
• [41:15–43:24] — Jasmine Crockett’s incoherent appearance on CNN The Arena.
• [44:52–56:07] — “King of the Hill,” a satirical battle for most outlandish former conservative commentator.
• [58:29–63:08] — Lighter/shenanigan segments: Cheating in stone-skipping competitions, defending greased pig contests, Florida woman punches gator to save puppy.

The Ruthless Tone

Throughout, the hosts are brash, caustically funny, and purposefully irreverent. Their rhetorical style leans heavily on sarcasm, hyperbole, and group crosstalk, always returning to a central claim: The mainstream media’s leftward capture is so complete that coverage can no longer be trusted, especially regarding leftist violence or “inconvenient” narratives for the left.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The hosts believe left-wing media both fails to confront the reality of violence from its own ideological “extremes” and actively invents distractions or excuses.
• There is a recurring theme of bewilderment at how quickly (in the hosts’ view) supposedly “neutral” journalists abandon objectivity, morphing into apologists for leftist radicals, and how this dynamic erodes trust in American media and public life.
• The “variety” aspect keeps the pacing brisk, leavened by games, inside jokes, and cultural detours.

For Further Listening

The conversation is best summarized as acerbic right-wing critique of mainstream news, with the episode serving both as a time capsule of a (fictional/future?) political moment and as a case study in Ruthless’s comedic, no-holds-barred analytical style. Recommended for those curious about the intersection of conservative media, political violence, and the culture war over information.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "You made it clear. And that's the problem." — Josh Holmes (11:49)
• “That’s not mental illness. You’re not crazy, you’re just evil.” — Michael Duncan (15:44)
• "They're not satisfied with any of that...all it is is a political campaign to obfuscate the reality..." — Smug (38:31)
• “It's as if on January 7, 2021…people showed up and all of a sudden, 'but what about the left wing activism?'” — Josh Holmes (36:52)

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode delivers a high-tempo, unapologetic critique of left-wing media’s handling of political violence, stuffed with cultural commentary, media criticism, and a steady stream of punchlines. The hosts pull no punches—if you want to know what conservative media elites are saying about “the narrative,” this is the place to start.