Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: "New Low: Libs Push Anti-ICE AI Propaganda"
Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, J. John Ashbrook
Special Guest: J.B. McCuskey, Attorney General of West Virginia

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into two major stories:

• The emergence and viral spread of anti-ICE propaganda videos generated by AI accounts, specifically targeting events in Minneapolis and the broader discourse around immigration enforcement.
• An in-depth interview with West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey about the Supreme Court case (BPJ v. West Virginia) regarding the legality of transgender participation in women’s sports, reflecting on the broader cultural and legal impacts.

Throughout, the hosts provide a signature irreverent, combative conservative take on current news, with emphasis on exposing partisan double standards and media manipulation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Viral AI-Generated Anti-ICE Propaganda

Segment: [00:00–21:00]

• AI “Testimonial” Videos: The hosts open by lampooning Instagram accounts producing fake AI-generated video testimonials purporting to show regular Americans protesting ICE activity in Minneapolis. The most egregious examples feature phony clergy or ethnic stereotypes confronting ICE agents.

  • Holmes: “They're putting together AI testimonials from people who look like real people...” [00:00]
  • Ashbrook observes these videos hit “that dopamine that [liberals] really want,” appealing to their preconceptions. [00:16]

• The Demand for Manufactured Outrage:

  • Duncan points out: “The demand for outrage on the left far outstrips the supply of real outrage that they can point to.” [10:14]
  • The panel agrees these rage-bait clips are driven either by cynical mercenaries spotting a lucrative online market for “content” or by activists deliberately attempting to shape perceptions.

• Viral Engagement & Misinformation:

  • The fools who share these videos often believe these personas are real, providing comic (and cautionary) examples of gullibility:
    • "I constantly see him. He was invented yesterday. He's dumb." – Holmes [12:40]
    • Discussion of obvious tells: perfect audio, improbable camera angles, and exaggerated accents. [16:57]
    • “For senior citizens. We gotta make sure, someone's there to let them know when they're being surface[ed]” with disinfo. [17:32]

• Comparison to Tiananmen Square:

  • The left, including public figures (Kristof, Scarborough), circulating AI-generated images comparing ICE agents to CCP tanks at Tiananmen—hosts see this as classic gaslighting. [18:23]

• Impact & Reaction:

  • The consensus: such campaigns muddy the policy debate and serve to radicalize the left by giving them “main character” syndrome.
    • "You're the hero that's standing up to a brutal regime. And it's like, nah, you're actually just trying to stop these cops from arresting like a pedophile." [20:18]

2. Political & Media Landscape: Fraud, Minnesota, and the Money Trail

Segment: [04:21–28:51]

• Minnesota Scandal:

  • Hosts discuss recent headlines about massive welfare fraud tied to Minneapolis and the Somali community, implicating local officials and even Democrats’ national leadership.
    • “...millions in cash...flown by Somali Kirby on an MSP from MSP somewhere overseas…” [08:26]

• Democratic Response:

  • Democrats allegedly obfuscate and shift blame, fund opposition to ICE, and (according to the Ruthless crew) manipulate the narrative to avoid electoral backlash.
  • The fate of party leaders (e.g., Tim Walz) is tied to how much they can “muddy the waters” rather than provide a substantive defense.

• Money in Politics:

  • Questions raised about the DNC chairman being from Minnesota, and speculation that “bags of money” from fraud schemes may drive party dynamics.
    • “I think it's because both guys have a bag of money behind them that we do not understand yet…” – Duncan [26:48]

3. Media, Indoctrination, and the Left’s Use of the Internet

Segment: [24:41–25:07]

• The hosts argue the left views the Internet as a tool of indoctrination, likening the spread of misinformation via AI to leftist education tactics.
  • “...the left views the Internet...as a giant tool to indoctrinate people.” – Duncan [24:41]
  • “They want to use the internet in the same way to put the same bullshit into your heads…” – Duncan [24:41]

4. Democrats’ Rapid Hamas Narrative Shift

Segment: [30:24–43:13]

• Pivot on Israel/Hamas:

  • Noting a sudden about-face among Democrats and progressive electeds who had previously embraced pro-Palestinian or pro-Hamas rhetoric, now publicly condemning recent rallies in support of Hamas in New York.
  • The hosts see it as a poll-driven, election-year flip:
    • “Something happened over the weekend where you got a little bit of a shift...Is it a polling issue?...I don't know.” – Holmes [34:12]
    • Reference to coordinated PR, e.g., similar wording in DNC and Members of Congress’ statements [35:40]

• Cynicism and Political Calculation:

  • “They do it because they get away with it.” – Duncan [43:07]
  • Hosts argue this is about power, not principle, and warn listeners not to be fooled by the “surface” moderating.

5. Listener Segment: Absurd Fake Narratives

Segment: [43:55–48:23]

• Fans submit examples of the most absurd fake Democratic narratives, including:
  • The “black face of white supremacy” label for Larry Elder ([44:13]—multiple hosts)
  • “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” ([47:25]—multiple hosts)
  • Climate change “financial fraud” ([45:13]—Nick Adams)

6. Variety & Culture – Youth Hockey Brawl

Segment: [48:27–52:09]

• Comic relief analyzing viral footage of a massive youth hockey brawl in Pennsylvania, used to riff on “building men,” generational toughness, and contrasting with political absurdities.

7. Interview: Attorney General J.B. McCuskey, Supreme Court Case on Women’s Sports

Segment: [52:09–72:16]

Background:

• The Supreme Court case BPJ v. West Virginia will determine if the state’s Save Women’s Sports Act—barring biological males from competing in girls’ sports—is constitutional.
• McCuskey has led WV’s legal fight, facing an ACLU lawsuit.

Key Points & Quotes:

• Lawsuit Context:
  • “...we got sued by the ACLU, not the other way around.” – McCuskey [55:38]
• Importance of The Case:
  • “If we were to lose, a loss would render every single women's sports team in the entire country illegal.” – McCuskey [55:51]
• Common Sense and Bipartisan Appeal:
  • “We have the Constitution, we have the law, and we have common sense. Right. When you combine those three...even liberal justices, I believe, will agree with us.” – McCuskey [55:51]
• Impact on Women & Title IX:
  • “Every single time that a boy takes a podium or a medal, you're displacing a woman.” – paraphrasing Washington Post [57:22]
  • “Listening to these women...I was ready to fight for this law this morning, but after hearing those women speak today, I'm ready to run through a brick wall.” [59:25]
• Culture and Motivation:
  • On losing: “I hate losing a thousand times more than I like [winning].” [69:36]
• Role of Republican AGs:
  • “...the Republican attorney generals have really become the leading voice in America for common sense.” [70:11]

Behind-the-Scenes:

• McCuskey’s humorous recounting of teasing his Solicitor General about arguing the case at the Supreme Court [63:48].
• Personal backstory: Political family, campaign history, personal motivation.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I want to read another comment here from this AI Slop video from the Italian deli. Basta. I love it.” – J. John Ashbrook [17:40]
• “If you can't pay for it in real people... There's always AI.” – Josh Holmes [10:22]
• “We have common sense. Even liberal justices, I believe, will agree with us.” – J.B. McCuskey [55:51]
• “You don't have to give a fucking inch on this stuff.” – Josh Holmes, on standing up for law enforcement and against leftist narratives [21:22]
• “You have to understand how the left views the Internet. They look at it like it's just one giant tool to indoctrinate people.” – Michael Duncan [24:41]
• “I hate losing a thousand times more than I like [winning].” – J.B. McCuskey [69:36]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–21:00]: Viral AI anti-ICE propaganda analyzed and lampooned
• [04:21–28:51]: Minnesota welfare scandal, money in politics, Democratic leadership discussion
• [24:41–25:07]: Internet as a tool of indoctrination
• [30:24–43:13]: Hamas/Israel rhetoric pivot among Democrats
• [43:55–48:23]: Listener-submitted “fake narrative” examples
• [48:27–52:09]: Youth hockey brawl segment
• [52:09–72:16]: J.B. McCuskey interview (West Virginia AG, Supreme Court case)

Tone and Style

• Language: Sarcastic, irreverent, and hyperbolic; clear conservative perspective.
• Dynamic: Banter-heavy, mixing ridicule and serious critique.
• Audience: Geared toward committed conservative listeners, but accessible as a lively news and culture talk show.

Summary for the Uninitiated

If you want to understand how viral AI-generated "rage bait" is shaping the online discourse around immigration, why the conservative right is irate at the media and the Democratic Party, or what’s at stake in the current culture wars over women’s sports, this episode of Ruthless is a wild, both humorous and indignant journey through it all. The show's trademark mix of rapid-fire mockery and interviews with Republican insiders ensures that listeners leave with new talking points and a sense of the right’s current mood—defiant, mobilized, but still able to laugh at the absurdities of digital life and political twists.