Ruthless Podcast: "Liberals’ Descent Into Total Madness"

Episode Summary
Date: August 22, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook

Overview

In this raucous Friday episode, the Ruthless crew—Holmes, Smug, Duncan, and Ashbrook—deliver their signature irreverent take on the week's news, focusing on what they perceive as a cascade of liberal political missteps, social media hysteria, viral protest moments, and media absurdities. The hosts blend hard-hitting conservative commentary with relentless humor, mocking high-profile leftists, protests, viral internet incidents, political fundraising tallies, and, of course, the latest outlandish behavior making headlines.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Elite Media, Manufactured Heroes & Fundraising Gaps

• Washington Post's Sandwich Guy Coverage (00:00, 28:48, 31:00):
  • Hosts lampoon the media's creation of heroes out of minor protesters, notably a man who threw a sandwich at a cop, suggesting this signals desperate times for the left.
    • "The leader of our movement is the guy who threw a Subway sandwich. That is rock bottom, man. That is rock, rock bottom." —Michael Duncan [00:00, 30:43]
  • They highlight that whereas liberals make icons out of trivial antics, the DNC raised only $13 million to the RNC’s $85 million—a framing of Democratic decline.
• Media "Echo Chambers":
  • Mainstream outlets are mocked for tailoring their stories to minuscule, insular audiences.
    • "They write articles for like 10 people." —Josh Holmes [00:08, 30:46]

2. Cleaning Up D.C. and Law & Order

• Union Station Revamp & Crime Stats (03:25):

  • The hosts credit Trump for cleaning up Union Station, formerly described as a "homeless encampment," and tout dramatically lowered crime/homicide rates.
    • "This is the first week in recorded crime statistics in the city… that there has not been a homicide." —John Ashbrook [06:24]
  • Mockery extends to journalists who downplay or misrepresent the realities of urban crime.

• Union Station Drinks, Lawlessness, and "Sharia Law" Bit (04:23):

  • Holmes and Ashbrook riff on the inability to get a beer in Union Station and juxtapose the illegality of alcohol with open-air drug use—a running joke setting up the show’s irreverent tone.
  • "Union Station, you can't get a beer, but you could probably get heroin." —Michael Duncan [04:46]

3. Protest Culture, Bullhorns, and Police Response

• Viral Protester Confrontations (07:28):

  • The crew dissects viral encounters between activists and law enforcement, poking fun at a protester’s cultural appropriation argument over a keffiyeh and her heavy-handed activism.
  • "The whitest lady you've ever seen in your entire life... wearing a Hamas rag." —John Ashbrook [08:53]

• Police "Chirping Back" (09:05):

  • Applauding police officers who stand up for themselves in confrontations rather than being "chew toys for libs with daddy issues."
  • "Thank God, because for so long... police are essentially like, you're the chew toy for libs..." —Michael Duncan [09:36]

4. Immigration Theater—"Heroic" Lawyers and Language Gaffes

• Immigration Lawyer Fails (12:27):
  • The hosts mock a viral video in which a self-appointed immigration lawyer insists he is "here to help," but can’t communicate due to not speaking Spanish.
    • "If you're gonna be an immigration lawyer, it would help if you speak Spanish." —John Ashbrook [13:38]
  • They frame the lawyer as grandstanding for social media and note immigrants’ confusion and discomfort.

5. "Karens Gone Wild": Rhode Island AG Incident (16:39)

• Deputy AG’s Arrested Meltdown:
  • The panel relishes the viral arrest of Rhode Island Deputy Attorney General Devin Flanagan, dubbed "white girl wasted" and acting above the law.
    • "Can you imagine? Like, they had to have thrown just an incredible scene." —John Ashbrook [19:13]
  • The absurdity is heightened by her belief that she could control police body cam protocols and aggressive claims of authority.
  • Discussion turns to the ineffectiveness of apologizing or expressing contrition in modern progressive politics—suggesting libs “run through the tape” and never admit fault.

6. Gavin Newsom’s Social Media Strategy and Party Leadership (25:18, 23:56)

• Analysis of Newsom's Attempts to "Go Viral":
  • Newsom’s social media gestures, hand signals, and podcast appearances are compared to attention-seeking protestors:
    • "He looks like he's doing the Macarena." —Michael Duncan [26:05]
  • The team argues Newsom’s efforts merely fuel conservative engagement and mockery, not actual support—“craving attention like the bullhorn lady.”
  • Launches into a question of the day: Will Newsom’s strategy work or is any attention (even negative) still good for a floundering party?
• Democratic Dysfunction:
  • Noted fundraising woes and lack of viable leadership ("Kamala's on a book tour about losing") [36:17].
  • "The contrast could not be better for Republicans." —Guest/Panel [38:25]

7. Media Critique—Washington Post’s Comedy Flop (51:08)

• WaPo’s Gen Z Video Fiasco:
  • The panel eviscerates the Washington Post’s attempt at "Gen Z comedy," calling it unwatchable and emblematic of mainstream media’s disconnect.
    • “The Washington Post is a daycare run by Jeff Bezos where the kids light his money on fire all day long.” —Michael Duncan [53:01]

8. Corruption and Cultural Excuses—Eric Adams Campaign Story (41:43)

• Cash-in-Chips Bribery Scandal:
  • Hilarious review of a NY campaign advisor caught handing a reporter a crumpled chip bag filled with cash, later brushing it off as a "cultural misunderstanding."
    • "It's not corruption, it's just Chinese!" —Michael Duncan [46:09]
  • Segment likened to Cuomo's infamous: “I'm not perverted, I'm just Italian" defense [49:16].

9. Outrage Moments & Potpourri

• Trump Penalty Overturned (32:13):
  • Hosts gloat over the appeals court’s rejection of a $500M penalty, characterizing it as vindication against political "lawfare."
• Miscellaneous Culture War/Law & Order Bits:
  • Includes ejected Navy recruiter in an F-15 (56:13), Padres security tackling a kid on the field (57:54), and the eternal wisdom:
    • "When children learn consequences, they don't become WaPo journos." —Michael Duncan [58:46]

10. Audience Engagement & Conservative Strategy

• Listener Feedback (39:54):
  • Readers call in and write with advice for GOP strategy, focusing on local elections, clear communication, and turnout—not resting on poll leads or registration advantages.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The leader of our movement is the guy who threw a Subway sandwich. That is rock bottom, man."
  —Michael Duncan [00:00, 30:43]
• "If you want to be an immigration lawyer, learn Spanish, bro. Like, pro tip. This one's on the house."
  —Michael Duncan [14:33]
• "The only thing they were trying to do... just leave. Just walk away. And they're like, no."
  —Josh Holmes [21:12]
• "Gavin Newsom’s a loser. His state has the plague right now... Newsom’s out here trying to stop Donald Trump? The guy can’t do anything when his state’s on fire."
  —Michael Duncan [27:09]
• "It’s not corruption, it’s just Chinese! That’s unbelievable!"
  —Michael Duncan [46:09]
• "The Washington Post is a daycare run by Jeff Bezos, where the kids light his money on fire all day long."
  —Michael Duncan [53:01]
• "When children learn consequences, they don’t become WaPo journos."
  —Michael Duncan [58:46]

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 00:00 — Introduction; WaPo's "Sandwich Guy" and liberal viral heroism
• 03:25 — Union Station, DC crime, and Trump’s "cleanup"
• 07:28 — Protester-vs-cop exchange and the spectacle of protest culture
• 12:27 — Immigration lawyer viral moment and liberal social media "performances"
• 16:39 — Rhode Island Deputy AG meltdown: Virality, privilege, and legal consequences
• 25:18 — Gavin Newsom’s social media tactics & Democratic fundraising woes
• 28:48 — Deification of "Sandwich Guy"; absurd media narratives
• 31:00 — Media narratives and DNC/RNC fundraising contrast revisited
• 41:43 — Eric Adams campaign advisor "cash chips" scandal
• 51:08 — Washington Post’s Gen Z sketch disaster and Bezos’ absentee stewardship
• 56:13 — Air Force ejection video, kid tackled at Padres game
• 39:54, 41:09 — Audience feedback and conservative GOTV/local politics strategy

Tone and Language

Laced with sarcasm, mockery, and inside jokes, the episode is fast-paced and highly opinionated, with a bombastic, irreverent conservative tone. The banter is informal, occasionally coarse, and loaded with over-the-top hyperbole—deliberately lampooning the left and the mainstream media at every turn.

Conclusion

Epitomizing its "variety progrum" reputation, this Ruthless episode is an energetic ride through political absurdity, protest spectacle, media self-parody, and the hosts’ giddy delight at Democratic missteps. While deeply partisan and satirical, the show offers insight into how right-leaning commentators view and exploit the viral flailing of their opposition—bolstering their own movement with ridicule, schadenfreude, and strategic encouragement for conservative listeners.