Ruthless Podcast: "Minnesota Fraud: It's Worse Than You Think + Jayme Franklin Joins the Progrum"

Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, John Ashbrook
Featured Guest: Jamie Franklin

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, the Ruthless crew dives deep into the explosive reporting on massive daycare fraud within Minnesota—allegedly perpetrated primarily by members of the Somali immigrant community—shedding light on systemic abuse of the American social safety net and the failures of Democratic governance and media oversight. The show mixes sharp conservative commentary with trademark irreverence while also welcoming guest Jamie Franklin, known for the popular Sincerely American podcast and her leadership in creating a platform for conservative women.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Minnesota Daycare Fraud - An Unchecked Scandal

• Background:
  The team discusses Nick Shirley’s investigative reporting (“old-school journalism” [02:26–02:36]) which revealed extensive fraudulent daycare operations in Minnesota. State-registered daycares, mostly attributed to the Somali community, were receiving millions in taxpayer money with no children onsite or legitimate operations.
• Scope & Method:
  Shirley conducted on-the-ground checks (door-to-door), exposing facilities with no children or staff during business hours, darkened windows, and even misspelled signs ("Quality Leering Center" instead of "Learning" [13:57–15:14]).
• Consensus:
  The hosts assert that this is not an isolated incident but a symptom of systemic problems, likely present in other states and cities (Ohio, inner city areas [04:44–05:56]).

"You can't be a farmer in Minnesota and put a seed in the ground without the EPA... But if you're this operation entirely dependent upon government taxpayer dollars, you can't even walk up and check out the sign."
— Josh Holmes [15:14]

2. Political & Media Complicity

• Failures of Oversight:
  The show contends political leaders and legacy media are unwilling to scrutinize these programs out of partisanship or fear of being labeled racist, allowing abuse to fester [06:10–07:35].
• Journalistic Insight:
  While major networks ignored the issue, independent reporters like Shirley have amassed large followings through this hands-on work, suggesting a "path forward" for credible journalism [02:36–03:06].

"This guy is doing everything that the major broadcast networks refused to do over and over again."
— John Ashbrook [02:36]

• Democratic Party Critique:
  The hosts liken Democratic governance to old-school machine politics (Tammany Hall), with bulk disbursements of federal funds in exchange for dependable voting blocs, regardless of fraud [20:37–21:39].

3. Broader Social and Fiscal Implications

• Impact on Social Services:
  Fraud siphons resources from truly needy Americans, especially those reliant on Medicaid and similar programs. Real families and disabled adults sit on endless waiting lists while fraudsters exploit the system [07:35–09:11].

"You think about the American families who actually need this social safety net and the money isn't there because it's being stolen by foreigners."
— John Ashbrook [07:35]

• Taxpayer Burden:
  The scandal is framed within the larger context of America's ballooning national debt, with fraud as a major driver of fiscal imbalance [09:42].

4. Immigration, Culture, and Policy Debates

• Cultural Component:
  The show touches on the role of cultural assimilation, arguing some communities may import less scrupulous practices or see fraud as “normal” [30:29–30:46], and proposing stricter enforcement, including deportations [09:11–09:20, 23:46–24:21].

• Political Calculation:
  The system is, in the view of the hosts, designed to perpetuate Democratic electoral advantages: “if I put money here, I get votes out of it" [20:13].

• Rhetoric of Race:
  Any questioning of where money goes is met with accusations of racism (“The cheat code for fraud” [16:36]). They see this as a tactic learned from the left to shield wrongdoers from accountability.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Journalism:
  "[Nick Shirley] basically did what 30 or 40 years ago would be referred to as journalism, where you just knock on doors and ask questions, dude."
  — Michael Duncan [02:26]

• On Systemic Fraud:
  "It's gotten to a point where it is bankrupting a nation."
  — Josh Holmes [04:23, 11:43]

  "A system does what it's designed to do. The question is, do you understand what the purpose of the system is?"
  — Michael Duncan [20:04]

• On Social Impact
  "There are people who depend on Medicaid... always operated under the assumption that Medicaid was going to have some sort of jobs program... In reality people are just sitting on a waiting list for years and years and years."
  — John Ashbrook [07:35]

• On Media Response & Framing:
  “MAGA world zeroes in on Minnesota over fraud state. So it’s conservatives pounce.”
  — John Ashbrook quoting The Hill [28:38]

  "[The Star Tribune] excused the whole thing and said the actual fraud doesn’t begin to come close...as Republicans pounce."
  — Josh Holmes [29:05]

• On Political Machine:
  "This is Tammany Hall, Huey Long, daily Chicago old school shit..."
  — Josh Holmes [20:37]

• Irreverent Analogy:
  "Nobody ever sends their first dick pic and gets caught for it... You don’t just go from 0 to $8 billion in fraud on your first time."
  — John Ashbrook [26:19]

Highlighted Segments with Timestamps

• Introduction to the Fraud: [01:45–04:23]
• Nick Shirley's Door-to-Door Journalism: [02:26–03:27], [13:57–15:14], [18:15–19:26], [24:24–25:17]
• Systemic Critique (Cultural and Political): [05:56–11:43], [20:04–22:07]
• Media Framing and Deflection: [28:38–29:55]
• Calls for Deportations and Systemic Reform: [09:11–09:20], [23:46–24:21]
• Role of Culture and Immigration: [30:29–31:45]
• Role of "White Supremacy" and Leftist Tactics: [38:09–40:49]

Jamie Franklin Interview

Jamie Franklin (Host, Sincerely American podcast, founder of Conservatour) joins to discuss:

• Her conservative upbringing in the Bay Area as a child of Canadian immigrants (and first-time Trump voters) [48:15–49:12]
• Experiences at UC Berkeley during the rise of the campus left, including attacks for being openly conservative [49:28–52:10]
• Launching the Conservatour as a response to the leftward skew of women’s media:

  "There is just no space for conservative women. ...They are only pro-woman if you're a liberal leaning, progressive woman."
  — Jamie Franklin [53:05]

• The need for positive role models for conservative women—focused on style, family, faith, and substance [54:56–54:57]
• Her team’s authentic friendships as the foundation of their success [55:55–57:10]
• The myth that family and career are mutually exclusive for women, and how digital media can now empower stay-at-home moms [59:23–60:47]
• The growing divide between Gen Z men (moving right) and women (left), and how the movement can better reach young women [53:41–54:56]
• Plans for more events and engagement in 2026 [61:40–62:22]

"The conservatory is all about encouraging women to look their best, to be their best, Be the best in their career, be the best mom they can be... and it's just, it's really an empowering message."
— Jamie Franklin [54:56–54:57]

Tone & Noteworthy Exchanges

The Ruthless team's coverage is aggressive, sarcastic, and unapologetically conservative, blending policy critique with humor and blunt metaphors. Anecdotes, pop culture nods, and explicit analogies keep the energy high while underscoring their critiques. The Jamie Franklin segment adopts a warmer, mentorship-oriented tone, celebrating women’s achievements and the importance of authentic platforms filling the gap for the right.

Notable Moments for New Listeners:

• [13:57–15:14, 18:15–19:26, 24:24–25:17] — Nick Shirley's on-the-ground fraud investigations
• [20:37–22:07] — Comparison to historical political machines
• [55:55–57:10] — Jamie Franklin on authentic friendship and success
• [53:05, 54:56–54:57] — The mission and impact of Conservatour and Sincerely American

Summary

This episode delivers a scathing, entertaining, and detailed breakdown of an alleged multi-billion-dollar daycare fraud in Minnesota, using it as a lens on broader political and cultural decay. The team highlights the importance of accountability, media vigilance, and reform, then shifts to an inspiring conversation with Jamie Franklin about building authentic platforms for young conservative women. The tone ranges from fiery and irreverent to supportive and empowering—making for an engaging listen whether your aim is insight, outrage, or inspiration.