RUTHLESS MAN OF THE YEAR

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary: "RUTHLESS MAN OF THE YEAR"

Release Date: December 31, 2024

The "Ruthless Podcast," hosted by Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook, elevates next-generation conservative discourse by delivering incisive analyses of current events. In the episode titled "RUTHLESS MAN OF THE YEAR," released on December 31, 2024, the hosts engage in a spirited discussion to select their "Ruthless Person of the Year," employing an interactive voting system reminiscent of "American Idol."

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Introduction to the Selection Process (00:00 – 02:32)

The episode kicks off with Josh Holmes introducing an innovative voting method where the audience can vote multiple times, mimicking the popular "American Idol" format. He explains:

Josh (02:17): "We are going to have the audience actually vote American Idol style on who they think the person of the year is."

However, the hosts humorously address potential voting abuses:

Smug (00:10): "Means you can vote as many times as a comment. So if you actually are a patriot, you just vote for whoever I say."

Comfort (02:43): "Imagine that you're going to the ballot box to vote as many times as you possibly can for that Democrat because you know the votes will be counted after election day and you can win."

Despite the playful banter, Josh emphasizes the importance of thoughtful voting, urging listeners to consider each nominee carefully:

Josh (02:59): "You’ve got to be thoughtful. You’ve got to hear everybody out."

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Nomination Criteria and Exclusions (02:26 – 06:37)

Josh outlines the nomination process, where each host submits a candidate for "Person of the Year." Notably, Donald Trump is excluded from nominations this year to encourage diverse selections:

Josh (01:26): "We submit one that we think is befitting of a Person of the year. The one disqualification that we have this year is that you can’t name Donald Trump."

The conversation shifts towards the audience's role in voting, with Josh reiterating the significance of genuine participation over automated voting:

Josh (03:19): "But really often I really don't like if you do it. This isn’t exactly a ballot box. Let’s just put it that way."

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Elon Musk: Champion of Free Speech (06:25 – 12:20)

The first major nomination presented is Elon Musk, lauded for his pivotal role in preserving free speech on Twitter. The hosts highlight Musk's battle against censorship and his commitment to open dialogue. Smug references past censorship issues:

Smug (09:34): "During the 2020 election, Twitter was locked down. The Biden administration collaborated with the DNC to deplatform conservatives, including removing references to the Hunter Biden laptop."

Michael Duncan adds context on how Musk's actions have shifted the power dynamics in social media:

Dunk (10:33): "Because of people like Elon Musk, they are no longer in charge."

The hosts commend Musk's bravery in the face of regulatory pressures and his dedication to protecting First Amendment rights:

Comfort (14:09): "He knows the consequences if people are not allowed to say what is on their mind."

Josh underscores Musk's impact on American democracy and his alignment with founding principles:

Josh (12:20): "He's willing to risk his immense fortune on the idea that people are allowed to say what is on their mind."

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Mark Andreessen: Silicon Valley's Conservative Vanguard (26:50 – 33:26)

Mark Andreessen, a prominent venture capitalist, is the next nominee, recognized for his courageous stance against perceived governmental overreach in technology. Smug elaborates on Andreessen's efforts to rally Silicon Valley leaders in support of Trump:

Smug (27:55): "Marc Andreessen... never seen someone with his level of moral clarity."

The discussion highlights the historical left-leaning dominance in Silicon Valley and Andreessen's pivotal role in shifting some of its support towards conservative causes:

Dunk (30:03): "Silicon Valley used to be almost uniformly on the left... Andreessen has the courage to stand up and do what is right."

Josh praises Andreessen's intellect and strategic influence:

Josh (33:08): "Marc Andreessen... has the courage to show the kind of leadership that he did this year."

The hosts collectively acknowledge Andreessen as a national treasure for his contributions to protecting technological freedom and conservative values.

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J.D. Vance: The Embodiment of the American Dream (33:29 – 46:21)

The final major nomination is J.D. Vance, celebrated for his authentic representation of the American working class and his resilience in the face of personal and political challenges. Smug defends Vance against media portrayals aimed at undermining his authenticity:

Smug (37:33): "The guy who wrote Hillbilly Allergy, they tried to say he’s some evil out-of-touch venture capitalist."

Josh emphasizes Vance's relatability and steadfastness:

Josh (39:22): "He did everything that I just discussed... he put on the uniform for this country."

The hosts share personal anecdotes illustrating Vance's genuine connection to his roots and his unwavering dedication to the American ethos:

Smug (40:11): "Vance isn't perfect. He's from Ohio, but he’s still a great guy."

Comfort adds a heartfelt endorsement of Vance's character and his embodiment of the American dream:

Comfort (41:00): "He is the American dream. Your circumstances don’t define you."

Vance is portrayed as a unifying figure who resonates with a broad spectrum of Americans, transcending political divides by showcasing strength of character and perseverance.

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Additional Discussions: AI Regulation and Financial Oversight (27:40 – 34:15)

Beyond the primary nominations, the hosts delve into pressing issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) regulation and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Smug critiques the Biden-Harris administration's approach to AI, warning against excessive governmental control:

Smug (30:03): "Absolute control of platforms, absolute control of technology... They want to take away all freedoms from Americans."

Megyn Kelly discusses the CFPB's overreach, likening it to Elizabeth Warren's agenda:

Megyn Kelly (34:01): "Basically, terrorize financial institutions, prevent fintech, prevent new competition, new startups that want to compete with the big banks."

The conversation underscores concerns about bureaucratic overregulation stifling innovation and infringing on personal freedoms.

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Conclusion and Call to Action (46:21 – End)

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reiterate their nominations and encourage listeners to participate in the voting process. They emphasize the importance of recognizing individuals who embody resilience, integrity, and a commitment to American values. Smug concludes with a rallying call:

Smug (47:18): "Keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. We'll see in the new year. Stay ruthless."

Josh reminds the audience to vote thoughtfully and engage actively:

Josh (46:58): "Vote early and often. You remember, just put it down there and subscribe and just do vote as many times as you want."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Josh (02:17): "We are going to have the audience actually vote American Idol style on who they think the person of the year is."

• Comfort (02:43): "Imagine that you're going to the ballot box to vote as many times as you possibly can for that Democrat because you know the votes will be counted after election day and you can win."

• Smug (09:34): "During the 2020 election, Twitter was locked down. The Biden administration collaborated with the DNC to deplatform conservatives, including removing references to the Hunter Biden laptop."

• Josh (12:20): "He knows the consequences if people are not allowed to say what is on their mind."

• Comfort (14:09): "He knows the consequences if people are not allowed to say what is on their mind."

• Smug (27:55): "Marc Andreessen... never seen someone with his level of moral clarity."

• Comfort (41:00): "He is the American dream. Your circumstances don’t define you."

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Final Remarks

The "Ruthless Podcast" delivers a compelling episode spotlighting influential figures who uphold and advance conservative values in a rapidly changing socio-political landscape. Through engaging dialogue and insightful analysis, Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook provide listeners with thoughtful perspectives on leadership, freedom, and the American spirit. The episode not only honors notable individuals but also galvanizes the audience to actively participate in shaping the narrative of American conservatism.

Transcript

[Josh]

We're gonna have the audience actually vote American Idol style on who they think the person of the year is, which.

[Smug]

Means you can vote as many times as a comment. So if you actually are a patriot, you just vote for Whoever I say.

[Comfort]

10, 20, 30, and imagine that you're going to the ballot box to vote as many times as you possibly can for that Democrat because you know the votes will be counted after election day and you can win.

[Dunk]

Unlike California, we will know the results immediately.

[Smug]

That's true.

[Josh]

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[Megyn Kelly]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Dunk]

Just a catching strays over here.

[Josh]

You're in for a hell of a show.

[Smug]

Keep the faith, hold the line and own the lids.

[Comfort]

It's time for our main event.

[Josh]

Boy, oh boy, are you in for a special treat today. It is the annual Ruthless Person of the Year nominees. We do this on an annual basis. We submit 1, all four of us submit one that we think is befitting of a Person of the year. The one disqualification that we have this year is that like you can't name Donald Trump.

[Comfort]

Yeah.

[Josh]

Because it's quite the obvious.

[Smug]

Yeah, right.

[Josh]

I mean, even time got the joke on that deal.

[Dunk]

Right.

[Josh]

You know, I mean, his rise and fall and rise again. I mean, it's a storybook situation.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Josh]

So if you like, you pick Trump, like, what are we doing for the rest of the 30 minutes?

[Comfort]

Right, right, right. So we're sort of calling it the Other man of the Year.

[Josh]

Yeah, yeah. It's like the other Man.

[Dunk]

I like that, I like that.

[Josh]

So, so we do all that. Here's the thing that we're going to do a little bit different this year. We're going to have the audience actually vote American Idol style on who they think the person of the year is.

[Smug]

Which means you can vote as many times. So if you actually are a patriot, you just vote for whoever I say. 10, 20, 30.

[Josh]

I mean, listen, I'm not gonna allow that. I feel like that is, that is first of all totally uncalled for, that you're stacking the decade.

[Dunk]

That's how JFK became president.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Smug]

That's how democracy works.

[Josh]

Second of all, like, look, you got to be thoughtful. You got to hear everybody out.

[Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh]

Listen to everybody's selections. We're going to have some clips that give you some thoughts about, you know, contextualizing. Why? Because it's a very important decision. But ultimately, if you like and subscribe and then you vote in the comment section. I mean, I kind of don't care if you do it a thousand times.

[Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh]

But really often I really don't like if you do it. This isn't exactly a ballot box. Let's just put it that way.

[Smug]

I would be impressed if Someone cracked over 100 votes.

[Comfort]

It's California rules. So imagine that you're a Democrat and imagine that you're going to the ballot box to vote as many times as you possibly can for that Democrat because you know the votes will be counted after election day and you can win.

[Dunk]

And unlike California, we will know the results immediately.

[Smug]

That's true, we will.

[Josh]

But we're gonna announce it on January 7th. Right. So we're gonna give you several days.

[Smug]

To do it one week from today.

[Josh]

Yeah. It's not like you need to do it. Like you can and do it.

[Smug]

I recommend doing it.

[Josh]

Definitely do it because you want to get in first of all. You want to like, sort of intimidate the other commenters into thinking that your choice is the best, which is important. But then you got to back in that thing too.

[Dunk]

This is like a Ron Paul straw poll.

[Josh]

Yeah, no, it's exactly right. That's, that's so good. If you know, you know, if you know, you know, if you know, you know. So on January 7th, we are going to announce the winner of all this. Well, we're going to present something I think you guys are just really going to enjoy.

[Smug]

This is going to be great.

[Josh]

You recall last year. Look, I, I, I think I won with my nominee. Who is the woman who basically saved her family and a whole bunch of people in villages after October 6th. Like October 7th. Yeah. And, and in on October 7th, she basically was under complete duress by out Hamas, whatever, and like literally rescued people by trying to bake cookies for people. And we had a bunch of like political figures that were up but like ultimately that won the day. So it's not always obvious, it's not always obvious who wins this thing, but like who does ultimately? Look, it's the ruthless person of the year. It's a big war. It's a big war. So we're get to all of that right after this. I don't have to tell you Americans are ready for what's next. Moving beyond the hardships of inflation and economic anxiety towards building a future, a better future for our families. Ensuring greater access to more affordable energy that powers daily lives. Reliable energy that fuels innovation and economic growth, and the abundant energy that keeps our nation safer and more secure. It's all within our grasp. We'll do this together, building a brighter future for us. Powered by America's oil and natural gas resources. You can learn more about all of [e-mail] okay, so we always start with the voice. And what I'm hoping to get out of the voice, fellas, you know how this usually works where you ask for a person and then he lists like 10 and then comes.

[Smug]

He tries to take everyone's pick.

[Josh]

He takes everybody's picks.

[Smug]

But after I've listed all these pics, he. Here's who I'm picking.

[Comfort]

Yeah, right.

[Smug]

Just one name.

[Josh]

So just sabotages, sabotages the entire. I'm hoping we don't do that here today.

[Comfort]

Well, there's no need to do it here today, Josh, because for my other man of the year, this is a world renowned figure. This is a man who has written code. This is a man who has built cars. This is a man who has launched rockets.

[Dunk]

Who could it be?

[Comfort]

He is Bill Gates, Henry Ford and John Kennedy all rolled into one. And his name is Elon Musk. And I think we should start with clip number one, spaghetti.

[Megyn Kelly]

I think it's the most important election of our lifetime. This is no ordinary election. The other side wants to take away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to bear arms. That they want to. They want to take away your right to vote effectively. You got 14 states now that, that don't require voter ID. California, where I used to live, is just, just passed a law banning voter ID for voting. I still can't believe that's real. So how are you supposed to have a good proper election if there's no id? It's just meaningless. And free speech is the bedrock of democracy.

[Dunk]

And.

[Megyn Kelly]

If people don't know what's going on, if they don't know the truth, how can you make an informed vote? You must have free speech in order to have democracy. That's why it's the First Amendment. And the second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment.

[Comfort]

Fellas, what I would like to say about this guy, and then I'll turn it over to your thoughts, is that the First Amendment is the most important thing in the history of mankind. It really is. And the media, in collusion with the bureaucrats in the federal has spent decades eroding that from the people who actually grant the federal government the power that it thinks belongs to them. And here you have a guy who launched a platform. Well, who restated a platform that gave regular people the chance to have their say, to share their voice, which was being shut out by the mainstream media and the government for so long. And I just don't think it's even. I don't think there's any competition. I think what this guy did for our country needs to be written about for years. Our grandchildren need to read about this so that they're not doomed to repeat what we saw over the last 30 years.

[Smug]

I mean, a great comparison is look at what the election was like in 2020 when Twitter was locked down. This has now been released in the Twitter files. But there was a team at the DNC specifically focused on trying to deplatform me. And you saw that across the board with conservatives, where if you said anything about, hey, the Hunter Biden laptop is real, which we now know is a fact, you were removed from Twitter.

[Dunk]

Yeah.

[Smug]

And that changed. Like Americans weren't allowed to have the information in 2020. That was different because of Elon Musk.

[Dunk]

And what they did, and I remember Smuggy telling me about this is they don't actually report your tweet about the Hunter Biden laptop. They would dig through all of Smug's old tweets and try to find a DMCA violation.

[Smug]

This meme is copyright.

[Dunk]

Yeah, some copyrighted material so that they could basically work the refs on a technicality to try to get your account locked up. Think of how psychopathic these people are. And because of people like Elon Musk, they are no longer in charge.

[Josh]

Can I add one addendum is going to hurt my cause for my man of the year. But I know a lot of rich people. It's one of the benefits of being where we've been, done what we've done over the years. I don't know any. Well, I shouldn't say any, but I don't know many that are willing to take existential risk. That's what he did. And it wasn't just the purchase of Twitter. That was a big deal and a huge component. And everything that you guys have talked about is 100% true. But going all in, as somebody who has multiple public companies has a lot of reasons for in opportunities for the liberal left to sort of like, yeah, completely kneecap him.

[Dunk]

A lot of Regulators to show up.

[Josh]

To show up on that stage with Donald Trump in the waning days of an election speak so clearly is not done in a corporate context. That is bravery, right? I mean, you can say it's hubris if you wanted to be less charitable about it. But he won. He put his money where his mouth was. I mean, he supported an effort that actually helped this president win. And I don't think you can really take that away from him at all. I mean, there's only a handful of people, you know, Miriam Adelson, maybe a couple of others that are people who put themselves in a position where they are going to take public scrutiny before what they believe in and what they believe is right. The rest of the business leaders are like, I don't know, which way is the. Which way is the wind blowing?

[Comfort]

Right.

[Josh]

Right. You know, Like, I don't want to get caught up on this.

[Comfort]

It's a great point, and it's a great segue to the second clip. Spaghetti. Will you play the number two?

[Josh]

You're fucked, dude.

[Comfort]

I'm fucked.

[Megyn Kelly]

If he loses, I'm.

[Josh]

It does seem that way.

[Dunk]

You can't just be like.

[Josh]

You can't just be like, yo, yeah.

[Megyn Kelly]

I'm like, how long do you think my prison sentence is going to be? Will I see my children?

[Comfort]

I don't know.

[Dunk]

Because it's not like you can say, well, yeah, I maxed out to him.

[Josh]

But, you know, I get.

[Megyn Kelly]

I have no plausible deniability.

[Smug]

Amazing.

[Josh]

No, no.

[Megyn Kelly]

And I've been trashing Kampala non stop.

[Comfort]

Oh, I know. Here's the eyes wide open. Exactly.

[Josh]

He did everything that I just discussed. Eyes wide open. It wasn't naivete.

[Comfort]

Right?

[Josh]

He didn't understand. It wasn't that he didn't understand what they could do to him. He understood perfectly.

[Smug]

He knew the personal risk, but it meant he did it in his country, saving this country, man.

[Josh]

Really good.

[Comfort]

Here's a guy whose family is from a completely different continent, but he believed in the principles that our founders built this country on to such a level that he's willing to risk his immense fortune on the idea that people are allowed to say what it is that's on their mind. He knows the consequences if people are not allowed to say what's on their mind. And he knows the consequences that he was facing. And I just think that this guy should go down in history as the closest thing that we have today to a founding father. Think about the founding fathers. You're talking about immense risk. And they were really putting their ass on the line. Yeah.

[Dunk]

Declaration of Independence. Life, liberty.

[Comfort]

Well, they were.

[Josh]

They were talking prison.

[Dunk]

Right. In our sacred honor.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Josh]

And that's what he's talking about.

[Comfort]

I mean, that takes real courage because. And there have been all kinds of stories that have come out in the last couple weeks about how Reuters was colluding with the Biden administration to stick it to him for all the stuff he's built for our country. And in the face of all of that, he said, no. Free speech is paramount. And I will tell you, if there is one absolute in this country that has to be protected at all costs, it's free speech. And thank God Elon Musk is willing to protect.

[Josh]

Listen, pal, that's a persuasive. Persuasive case. We're going to get to the rest of these things, and believe me, it's only going to get more complicated after this. You think you got a winner? I don't know. Wait till you hear from the rest. Right after this.

[Comfort]

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[Josh]

Okay, dunks, you're on the main stage here on the Ruthless Friday program. Your Person of the Year, please.

[Dunk]

Well, we started this episode by saying the obvious pick, the one who would usually get the award, would be Donald Trump. Man of the Year. Yeah, right. Well, for the other man of the Year, how about a woman? And not just any woman. A woman who defended women, a woman who made that the issue. Every time we were on her show, whenever she was talking out there to other people in the media, I'm talking about Megyn Kelly.

[Josh]

Yeah, buddy.

[Dunk]

And in thinking of who should be our man of the Year, and I think she would really appreciate the award, being man of the year.

[Josh]

Yeah, she would. She's one of the few.

[Dunk]

Yeah, I, I just, I go back to that clip of her on Bill Maher's show where she took on the audience. Let's play that clip. Spaghetti.

[Riley Gaines]

Almost equally important, maybe, maybe as important is the. What we're doing to our children with this trans insanity. I mean, this is almost my single issue. We are chopping off the healthy body parts of young children without 100%. We are doing that. Well, we are definitely doing that without any inquisition.

[Dunk]

That's what it is.

[Riley Gaines]

I don't, I don't either. Pay attention because I'm about to give you a truth bomb. Kids who are suffering from bullying or who have been sexually assaulted or who are going through normal puberty and feel uncomfortable in their bodies will say to their parents, I'm not sure, maybe I'm gender confused. They will send them into a psychiatrist or psychologist who are told by our organizations, the American Psychiatry association, all the others that run their licensing, you must afford Affirm is the only standard. And so the child gets told, you're right, you are secretly a boy, or vice versa. And the child gets put on puberty blockers into cross sex hormones which sterilize a child and deprive the child of any chance of sexual pleasure for the rest of his or her life. We're talking about 9, 10, 11 year olds who cannot give informed consent. Then they have body parts chopped off by a medical establishment and by parents who mean well but believe in these doctors. And they. And when they inevitably get past the awkwardness of puberty or what have you, and they want to turn around and detransition those who love bomb them on Reddit saying, come on in, the water's fine, abandon them. They are depressed, they have changed their bodies forever in a way that is irreversible. And we are all sitting back saying it's a remote issue. As Kamala Harris said, it's not remote. It's the issue of our time, both with respect to children and women's rights.

[Josh]

I just love her.

[Dunk]

She's the best fighter.

[Josh]

I just love her so much.

[Smug]

So heartbreaking. And it's all true.

[Josh]

Yeah, she's so. It's just like a perfect time for her to be able to do exactly what it is that she does, you know, where she cares deeply and is able unconstricted. So she does her own thing. Able to just discuss it.

[Smug]

Going into the lines, Dan, like the audience being like, oh, that's the truth.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Dunk]

And it's. And it's a brave thing to do. And it's particularly brave for a woman to do this, you know, and what I love about this and her making it, the central thesis is it goes to what smug always says, you know, for so long in this country, the left would tell you the sky is green. And they got off on the power of selling you that lie and forcing you to believe it and was trans rights or whatever. The left wants to call it the central issue of this campaign. Yes, it was, you know, it was in a way. And the reason why is because them telling you that lie unlocked everything else, in my opinion. And you know, there's been a lot of after action reports in this election. All this sort of stuff and talking about all the ads that ran on, you know, common is for they them, Donald Trump's. For you.

[Smug]

Yeah, great.

[Dunk]

Right. And the issue, it's not a phobia. It's not.

[Josh]

It's a much larger issue. You're right.

[Dunk]

It tells you what they think is important. Not your paycheck, not inflation, not energy, you know, not the border. They're focused on this stuff. And the fact that they're focused on this stuff tells you everything you need to know about the rest.

[Josh]

And also it was a permission structure. It's a. When they can straight face. This is real.

[Dunk]

Yeah. What else can they lie?

[Josh]

There's 75 genders that make up the American public and we have all kinds of different acronyms that we describe it as. When they can say that, they can say anything.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Josh]

Because if there's no truth to that, which you can see with your naked eyes on a day to day basis, what can you believe him on?

[Dunk]

Well, and we're the only country in the world still doing this.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Dunk]

Like the rest of the world has woken up and realized the pendulum swung too far. When you're talking about, as Megyn Kelly said, chopping off the healthy body parts of children. And the medical establishment is still suppressing this information. The New York Times did an investigation about a month ago about how the largest peer reviewed study on the mental health of people post transition, that it got worse and they suppressed it. They put it in a fucking footnote.

[Smug]

They said we can't let the study out because it might hurt the cause. What cause do you have if it's not supported by facts?

[Dunk]

Yeah. Mutilation, I don't know. Kids killing themselves, that's your cause.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah.

[Comfort]

What happened to trust?

[Josh]

Well, you know, what you do is you need a voice. She provided it. It's a hell of a submission. Also like a footnote. Riley Gaines, Incredible work from an athlete's perspective on the same topic. It was. I agree with you, dude. This is not the voting issue that Democrats think it is.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Josh]

Like they think it's about some kind of a. Well, I don't know. Not in my backyard. I don't understand any of that. It's a moral issue. Not the kind of moral issue that they think the moral issue in terms of taking care of people, making sure that they have mental health capabilities, and it's not subjected to a ideological movement that ultimately leaves them in a place where they're considering suicide at the age of 20 or 25.

[Dunk]

Right.

[Josh]

I mean, this is so good. That's such a good clip, dude.

[Dunk]

I think she just, like, more so than anyone in media, really has the finger on the pulse of what people are thinking. She's just so good at it, and she doesn't hedge for a second exactly what she thinks. And I think that's why listeners and viewers trust her, you know, as an arbiter of truth. And I just got to play this other clip here. Spaghett's clip number four.

[Riley Gaines]

There's not a lot of guys like this, not a lot of human beings like this with that kind of strength and resilience and ability literally under fire to stand up and say fight. It was inspirational. I believe President Trump is going to win in November. I've previously disclosed he will have my vote. And I am now one of the people who will walk over broken glass to make sure I cast my vote. And I know I won't be alone. I think now you are going to see formerly blue states rush to pull the lever for Donald Trump. I think my fellow Americans will understand how important it is to send a message loud and clear to the people who want to change our country that we won't allow it, that we are not going to lose sight of one another.

[Dunk]

Yeah, that's it.

[Comfort]

I mean, this was obviously in the wake of one of the most iconic moments in American history, instantly when President Trump raised his fist and said, fight, fight, fight, right after God spared his life when he turned his head. And I think she captured it almost as well as, if not better than anybody else. And she is a real treasure.

[Josh]

You know what I like the most about it? What I like most about it is she's traveled the sequence of events that many of us who ultimately pulled the lever for Donald Trump did where there are moments, obviously amongst the vast majority of people who did, where you're like, oh, man, I don't know. It was like, some of this stuff seems kind of crazy. And like, she had the moment with the. In the debate in the primary where he's, like, attacking her and, like, trying to get her to get fired. And she hated Donald Trump, and Donald Trump hated her. But ultimately, like, you know, I can sort of identify with a situation where that moment, all the way through the end of the election, you're like, I Don't care what I previously thought about it. I know what's right. I know the only way that this country is going to get any better than it is now is a binary choice. And this guy sounds like he knows what he's gonna do. And I'm all on board, you know, I mean, so it's not just. It's one thing to have a true believer of which I love, and I think it's terrific that you've been day one. But, like, what won Donald Trump this election was the Megyn Kelly's of the world.

[Dunk]

Yeah.

[Josh]

People who ultimately, I don't know how she voted in 2020, had never asked. I don't know how she voted in 2016 and never asked. But, like, there was clear conflict there. And she ultimately provided the best articulation that I've heard in a very, very long time for why you don't have any other choice. Like this, this guy is the guy. And she put a full throw and showed up in the waning days of the election to campaign for him.

[Dunk]

Right.

[Josh]

She was a critical component, in my view, with the millions of followers that she has and lending her voice in person to the President of the United States now.

[Dunk]

Right. And that's my. That's my pick.

[Josh]

It's really good, dude. It's really, really good.

[Comfort]

All right, so I just gotta point out that my friends at Americans for Prosperity made a huge difference this year. AFP volunteers made millions of voter contacts, which is absolutely mind blowing. They are the largest, most effective ground game operation in the country to defend and advance the conservative movement. But now that the election is behind us, the hard work of turning electoral victory into policy wins begins. And the grassroots army with Americans for Prosperity will again be in the thick of it. We have an incredible opportunity next year to get the country back on track, but it means we're all going to have to roll up our sleeves and get to work. If you're ready to join a winning team making a difference across the country, check out my friends at AFP and you can learn more at americansforprosperity.org.

[Josh]

All right, Smugglesworth, we're on to number three. What do you got?

[Smug]

So Ashbrook brought up the great point that Elon Musk played a critical role in this election. And you saw a lot of Silicon Valley also take the risk, because for so long, Silicon Valley was one of the bluest parts of the country. But we saw that change, and not just you saw that a lot of Silicon Valley began donating to Donald Trump. Donating to causes to support Donald Trump, but the ability for them to, at great personal risk, at great professional risk, come out and openly support Donald Trump. The tip of that spear is my man of the Year. It's Mark Andreessen. I'm going to let him explain it in his own words. Could we get clip number six, please?

[Josh]

But.

[Megyn Kelly]

And that's why this administration freaked us out so much, is because it felt like they were trying to become way more like China.

[Comfort]

See, I was not nearly as aware.

[Josh]

As I should have been about all these things.

[Megyn Kelly]

You're saying I didn't know this. I did know about the banks, and.

[Josh]

I certainly didn't know that they were.

[Megyn Kelly]

Cracking down on AI the same way they cracked down on social media. The AI thing was very alarming. We had meetings this spring that were the most alarming meetings I've ever been in where they were taking us through their plans. And it was like, what kind of.

[Josh]

Can you talk about it?

[Megyn Kelly]

Basically, just full government, full government control, like this sort of thing. There will be a small number of large companies that will be completely regulated and controlled by the government. They told us, they told us. They just said, don't even start. Don't even start. Startups, like, don't even bother. Like, there's just no way. There's no way that they can succeed. There's no way that we're going to permit that to happen.

[Josh]

Wow.

[Megyn Kelly]

Yeah. They said, this is already over. It's going to be two or three companies and we're just going to. We're going to. We're going to control them. And that's that. Like, this is already finished.

[Josh]

Oh, my God. When you leave a meeting like that, what do you do?

[Megyn Kelly]

You go endorse Donald Trump.

[Smug]

And that's the thing is he described in these meetings that he had, he described to Joe Rogan on his podcast that the Biden Harris administration invited in all these leaders in tech and said, okay, so here's what the deal is going to be. We're going to control this. We're going to control this. We're going to control this to the point where they said, this level of mathematics, no, the government's going to be in charge of that. We're not going to have. They're not going to allow types of mathematics to be taught.

[Josh]

I read something not long ago about that conversation where they reference history and they said, you know, about the time of the finding of the atom bomb, the atomic bomb. They stopped teaching physics at a level and stopped providing information to schools to teach people Physics that would potentially replicate what it is that they were doing. And they likened it to AI, that we can do it again.

[Smug]

They gave that threat right.

[Josh]

You think about how your government official, your bureaucrat views the world or our country in particular. We're going to stop teaching you pertinent information about this world because it doesn't benefit us.

[Dunk]

Yeah, it's chilling, it's wild.

[Smug]

And then the other side of the coin is China's not going to do that. China's going to be like, okay, they're letting us have this. It's like you think about the atom bomb races. If the US had surrendered and said, okay, Germany, you can have it. Instead, this government essentially was letting our business leaders, tech leaders, everyone know that what's going to happen when Harris comes to power is absolute control. Absolute control of platforms, absolute control of technology, absolute control of what's taught in schools. Everything is going to be under our complete control. They want to take away all freedoms from Americans. And so at great personal risk. Marc Andreessen, this is someone who's probably the most powerful venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. Invests in hundreds of companies.

[Comfort]

Brilliant guy, brilliant guy.

[Smug]

Absolute genius. Started in that scape. I mean the guy is, he's truly a genius. Probably the most intelligent person I've ever met in my life. Never seen someone with his level of moral clarity right here, where I know for a fact a lot of the people that he surrounds himself with in Silicon Valley cut themselves off to him for that. At great personal risk to come out and endorse Donald Trump so early and then to go and tell his friends that, listen, this is the risk, Elon, you gotta get on board to bring everyone in on the movement to do everything they can. They said, listen, Mark, put together this team of people.

[Josh]

Well, it's like David Sachs. David Sachs, yeah, Elon, we've had on the program. Yeah, right. I mean, you're right. And there was a, it was a fundamental change in Republican politics to hear from people, one in that line of work, but two in Silicon Valley.

[Comfort]

Right.

[Dunk]

Well, I think it's important, I think it's important to go back and look at the tape here on this whole thing. Silicon Valley used to be almost uniformly on the left, support Democrats. You know, Eric Schmidt, Google did like a whole tech incubator for Hillary Clinton's campaign. Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, founded a Democratic super PAC. Laureeme Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, started this venture capital fund, continues to this day, that funds left wing causes and buys up media Properties. I mean, there was like a high executive at the original Twitter that left to run Obama's 2012 reelect as the CTO, as you recall now. So, I mean, all of that has. Has happened. And it used to be that everyone in Silicon Valley. Yeah. And they might have a libertarian streak to them, but they support the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party is going to support these people out here in California, yada, yada, yada. Hillary Clinton lost an election and Democrats slowly and surely decided that they hated innovation and technology.

[Comfort]

Yeah. And, you know, it is New Year's Eve, but, like, it's still the Christmas season, and all I can think about is what a blessing to this country that we have men like him who have the courage to stand up and do what is right. I mean, like, all of the incentive.

[Josh]

To do the other.

[Comfort]

Exactly. Here you have one of the most brilliant minds that has ever walked the. The, you know, the. From the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, and Marc Andreessen, and he has the courage to show the kind of leadership that he did this year. I mean, that guy is a national treasure.

[Josh]

Yeah, right. I totally. You got one more submission. Great. Right? Yes.

[Smug]

And I think this is to underscore to people who didn't know until Mark made public how draconian this administration is and how draconian the Harris administration would be. Could I get club number five places?

[Megyn Kelly]

So, for example, we have this thing called the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, cfpb, which was the. It's sort of Elizabeth Warren's personal agency that she gets to control. And it's an independent agency that just gets to run and do whatever it wants. Right. And if you read the Constitution, like, there is no such thing as an independent agency. And yet there it is.

[Josh]

What does her agency do?

[Megyn Kelly]

Whatever she wants.

[Comfort]

What does it do, though?

[Megyn Kelly]

Basically, terrorize financial institutions, prevent fintech, prevent new competition, new startups that want to compete with the big banks. Oh, yeah?

[Josh]

How so?

[Megyn Kelly]

Just by terrorizing anybody who tries to do anything new in financial services.

[Josh]

Can you give me an example?

[Megyn Kelly]

You know, debanking, this is where a lot of the debanking comes from, is these agencies. So debanking is when you're. You, as either a person or your company, are literally kicked out of the banking system.

[Josh]

Like they did to Kanye.

[Megyn Kelly]

Exactly like they did to Kanye. My partner, Ben's father has been debanked.

[Josh]

Really?

[Megyn Kelly]

We had an employee who. For what? For having the wrong politics. For saying unacceptable things.

[Josh]

Tell them the truth, man.

[Smug]

Startup companies who made themselves known that they disagreed with Biden or Harris suddenly found themselves getting notices in the mail that your checking account is being closed. Here's a check with your funds, you're no longer allowed to bank. And then he also cites Mark Andreessen, further cites Melania in her book, described how her, hers and Barron's checking accounts were also closed. It got to the point where Barron's, Barron's, where these Democrat bureaucrats were literally taking away people's bank accounts. That already happened. And so for Mark to stand up and to lead the way for others to join him, for Elon to get on board, it saved this country.

[Josh]

Yeah, yeah. No, look, it's a great, it's a great nominee. It's a great nominee and one that people don't think of. Yeah, I'm glad you.

[Smug]

Because he's so humble. He never tries to take the credit.

[Josh]

Yep, yep. Well, you're a friend of his and you do something for friends. You talk to the friends, you highlight their stories. I appreciate that about you. Smug. Here's my nominee. It's gonna sound a little bit obvious in that my pick is J.D. vance. It's not because he's now vice president, president. It's because he put a common face in a common vernacular on an argument that Democrats were very, very successful at sort of demonizing and making it seem like it didn't relate to people. They caricatured Trump for eight long years and even post assassination attempt, they wanted to make it seem like he was just some rich guy who was only interested in his own point of view, who had no real concern for the American people. He just wanted, he wanted the office to get out from underneath the charges levied against him that he had, you know, some things that he want. He likes the plane, he likes all this stuff. And now to those of us who like, know this situation, that doesn't resonate particularly difficult, deeply, but for the vast majority of the American public doesn't pay attention to all of this on a day to day basis. It does, it does. It has a resonance. It makes people who maybe voted Biden, who are unhappy about Biden a little less interested in voting for Trump because his arguments kind of take hold. They're in the media every day. J.D. vance shows up and is skewered, personally skewered. They take on whether he's an authentic lower middle class person, which is a laughable.

[Smug]

The guy who wrote Hillbilly Allergy, they tried to say he's some evil out of touch venture capital.

[Josh]

Yeah, you got, you got Tampon Tim attacking him. Every day about like outrageous, you know, the most ridiculous.

[Smug]

Isn't he weird? He's got a wife and kids and family. Isn't that weird, guys?

[Josh]

But I'll tell you what, there are a couple of things that he did every week while he was on that ticket that personified what it is that America first means to real people. And he didn't let it go. They tried to bully him out of it. He did not let it go. It was who he was. And he just dragged it forward and forced you to see it with your naked eyes. For one, the ruthless variety program. Let's see this clip.

[Comfort]

That is such.

[Dunk]

Most secure fishing competition in history.

[Comfort]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

[Dunk]

Seriously, not that many fish, but let.

[Comfort]

Me see this guy.

[Dunk]

Yeah, he's a little cold. He may have been there.

[Josh]

He may have been. They actually got a frozen fish.

[Comfort]

You guys are so full of.

[Megyn Kelly]

When I saw it, I was like.

[Comfort]

That fish is not moving.

[Josh]

This is like the hanging chad of fishing competitions.

[Comfort]

No, this ballot's rejected. Oh, my God. As the sun rises above the trees, J.D. vance and the anglers of the Outbound celebrate a victory born of outright theft at the hands of the competition.

[Josh]

Now, now, Smug may not know the rule though, that when you catch a.

[Comfort]

Fish, you have to kiss it. Who won the competition?

[Josh]

Now, my friend, Just a dude.

[Dunk]

He's a good.

[Smug]

He's the most normal, cool dude ever.

[Josh]

A dude they tried to make Trump the other. They tried so hard to put him in a box of things that people couldn't relate to. And just by virtue of showing up every single day, he disabused people of that notion because he's not. This is not a guy who was born to be Vice President of the United States. He was born to honestly be in a troubled place.

[Comfort]

Oh, that's right.

[Josh]

Riddled with opioids, struggling to get his family on a day to day basis. And he just sort of persevered and got through it and never left it.

[Smug]

That's the American dream. He is the American dream. Because your circumstances don't define you. Your strength of character and your capability and how hard you're willing to work for it is what makes you in this country. And that's it right there.

[Comfort]

You know something, Josh? You said he never left it. And we filmed that episode in October when I went home to Ohio, Cincinnati area, which is where I'm from, for Thanksgiving.

[Smug]

Wait, where's Ashbrook from Noah?

[Josh]

Nobody knows that.

[Dunk]

I don't know. I think it's between Indiana and Pennsylvania.

[Josh]

It's Tri State area.

[Dunk]

Not sure.

[Comfort]

When I was there for Thanksgiving, naturally, everybody was like, oh, tell us about the. The fishing episode with JD Give us the real story. The first question I got about him was, can you tell he's from Middletown? First question I got, can you tell he's from Middletown? And the answer, like, within a split second was yes. You guys couldn't pick it up, but I.

[Dunk]

Okay, it's an Ohio thing.

[Josh]

You wouldn't get it.

[Comfort]

Maybe you could.

[Dunk]

To a trained eye of an Ohioan.

[Josh]

Ah, yes, The Middletown accent.

[Dunk]

A buckeye I've always recognized as another buckeye from afar.

[Comfort]

All I'm saying, dude. All I'm saying, dude, is that within.

[Josh]

J.D.

[Smug]

Vance isn't perfect. He's from Ohio, but he's still a great guy. That's it. Literally.

[Dunk]

The only thing I don't like about.

[Comfort]

It, what I'm trying to say is that that was the first question I was asked at Thanksgiving.

[Dunk]

And that's important to people who come from a place like that, that you're true to your roots. And so that, of course, not making it up.

[Comfort]

Within. Within a minute, I could tell J.D. was from Middletown.

[Dunk]

Right. And I get it.

[Comfort]

And it. It's. It's the truth. The guy. The guy is today who he was then. And it is just such a treat to have somebody like him in charge of our.

[Smug]

Another thing is, like, he was so cool and fun to hang out with. The most normal. I would never expect a U.S. senator.

[Josh]

Do we.

[Smug]

A successful businessman, to be the coolest dude.

[Josh]

We were recording and all of us were like, oh, shit, we gotta ask him questions. I thought I was just hanging out with my pals.

[Dunk]

Yeah, yeah. My favorite part was when his cousin made him take a photo of her with us.

[Josh]

Yeah, I know. And he. And he was like, oh, yeah, yeah.

[Dunk]

Actually, the.

[Comfort]

The one thing, his cousin Rachel.

[Josh]

Yeah.

[Dunk]

The one clip you don't have in here that is my favorite JD Clip from the entire election. Might be my favorite election clip overall was this hype video that went around of JD At a rally. And this is after Kamala and, you know, Tampon Tim called them unpatriotic. And JD Vance is up there at the podium and he says, I put on the uniform for this country. I fought for this country. I built a business for this country. And my running mate took a bullet for this country. Who are you to say we aren't patriotic? And it's like, run through a brick wall for this guy.

[Josh]

Oh, totally.

[Dunk]

You know what I mean? And that's the vibe he brought to the whole campaign.

[Josh]

He's one of us. Yeah, he's one of us. And that's, I think that's the reason why he contextual. I think that Donald Trump had a good chance of winning this election no matter what. When he delivered this performance, I knew he was going to win this election. This is clip eight, please. Spaghetts.

[Riley Gaines]

Thank you, Governor. And just to clarify for our viewers, Springfield, Ohio does have a large number of Haitian migrants who have legal status, temporary protected status.

[Josh]

Thank you, Senator.

[Riley Gaines]

We have so much to get to, Margaret.

[Dunk]

I think it's important because we're going.

[Riley Gaines]

To turn now to the other economy.

[Megyn Kelly]

Thank you, Margaret.

[Comfort]

The rules were that you guys are.

[Josh]

Going to fact check. And since you're fact checking me, I think it's important to say what's actually going on. So there's an application called the CBP1.

[Comfort]

App where you can go on as.

[Josh]

An illegal migrant, apply for asylum or apply for parole and be granted legal status at the wave of a Kamala Harris open border wand. That is not a person coming in applying for a green card and waiting for 10 years. That's the implementation of illegal immigration.

[Megyn Kelly]

Margaret, by all.

[Riley Gaines]

Thank you, Senator, for describing the legal process. We have so much to get to.

[Comfort]

Senator, those laws are on the book since 1990.

[Riley Gaines]

Thank you, gentlemen.

[Comfort]

We want to have.

[Josh]

Has not been on the books since 1990.

[Dunk]

It's something that they. Cut his mic, gentlemen. Cut his mic.

[Riley Gaines]

The audience can't hear you because your mics are cut. We have so much we want to get to. Thank you for explaining the legal process.

[Dunk]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh]

It was at that moment during that debate that not only so clearly communicated what America first was and how it actually, as Donald Trump had discussed, it does apply to you, however. You demonize Donald Trump. It was like, well, the country bumpkins got some facts.

[Comfort]

Yeah.

[Josh]

And none of you want to hear them.

[Dunk]

Right?

[Josh]

You're going to cut the mic.

[Dunk]

He perfectly illustrated that. He illustrated the whole problem we've had in our politics and our political media for so long. And that is they are. They willingly try to hoodwink the American people by saying, well, you know, that's just the legal process. Now. Now, moving on. No, no, no, no, no. I get the last word. And it's like, you liars.

[Josh]

Yep.

[Dunk]

You fucking liars. And finally, like, he, he said it and, and he, and he had the wherewithal to fight through it and not do the thing where it's like, oh, well, I guess I'll get him next time.

[Smug]

He wasn't Like Ronnie, like. Candy, please, please, please, Candy.

[Josh]

No.

[Smug]

He broke it down. They think they can stop JD Vance? Do they not know where he's been?

[Josh]

Yeah, well, yeah, that's.

[Smug]

You think you can stop him?

[Dunk]

Nora, please.

[Josh]

That's the thing in the alligator's mouth on the polling opened up at that moment, and Donald Trump never trailed again, in large part because they had castigated this guy as part of the same thing. That Trump was a fraud, a fake.

[Dunk]

Weird. This guy's weird.

[Josh]

Weird.

[Smug]

J.D.

[Dunk]

Vance. Come on.

[Josh]

And then for an hour and a half, he just dominates the shit out of the best Democrats could throw at him and comes off totally relatable. And then when news anchors try to intervene, he's like, no, I'm going to roll over that, too. And at that moment, I think that the country sort of decided like, no, what Trump is selling is what I'm buying. And that guy just told me exactly everything I needed to know about it. Yeah. That's why he's my man of the year.

[Comfort]

Great point, dude.

[Dunk]

For good picks.

[Josh]

Four good picks. For good picks. So, listen, have a lot of fun tonight. It's New Year's. Probably have too much to drink, you know, I hope you wind up in your home. If you got kids, listen, don't keep them up too long.

[Dunk]

And do yourself a favor, this isn't a sponsor, but I'm going to plug our advertiser. Take a Zbiotics.

[Smug]

Yeah.

[Dunk]

Oh, take a Zebiotics early here. You'll, you'll, you'll, you know, you'll thank.

[Smug]

Us in the morning.

[Josh]

Yeah, it's all going to start pretty quickly in January, though.

[Dunk]

Yeah.

[Josh]

So like one of those 72 hour hangovers.

[Smug]

No time for that.

[Josh]

You're gonna. No time for that.

[Comfort]

Catch a nap.

[Josh]

No time for that. So stay safe. Thank you for being with us in the Ruthless Variety program. These are our persons, people. Men of the Year. I hope you vote. Vote early and often. You remember, just put it down there like, and subscribe and just do vote as many times as you want. And thanks for tuning in. I think we did it.

[Smug]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen. Some great nominees, folks. Minions, get in there. Get voting. So until next time, minions, keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs. We'll see in the new year. Stay ruthless.

[Josh]

Hey, music fans, there are some great.

[Comfort]

Concerts headed this way.

[Josh]

Don't miss out on all the shows in your favorite venues like Deftones at Madison Square Garden, Eagles at the Sphere, and Foster the People at the Ryman Auditorium tickets are going fast, so don't wait. Head to livenation.com to get your tickets. Now that's livenation.com.