Shadow President? Trump Takes Control As Biden Fades

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary: "Shadow President? Trump Takes Control As Biden Fades"

Release Date: December 5, 2024

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Introduction

In this episode of the Ruthless Podcast, hosts Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook delve into the evolving political landscape of the United States as former President Donald Trump asserts significant influence even before his potential return to office. Titled "Shadow President? Trump Takes Control As Biden Fades," the episode explores Trump's unconventional leadership style, his impact on international relations, the diminishing presence of President Joe Biden, and the broader implications for American politics and society.

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1. Trump's Assertive Leadership and Global Impact

The conversation kicks off with Michael Duncan introducing the concept of the "madman theory," highlighting Trump's unpredictable and decisive nature.

[00:00] Michael Duncan: "It's the madman theory of Donald Trump is that this is a guy who thinks outside the box. And not just that he'll actually do it."

Josh Holmes concurs, emphasizing Trump's commitment to his promises and the renewed attention from global leaders.

[00:08] Josh Holmes: "Yes, he will."

The hosts discuss Trudeau's meeting with Trump, interpreting it as a signal that the U.S. is reclaiming its global standing.

[00:09] Michael Duncan: "That's why Trudeau is meeting with a guy who's not yet in office. It's like, all right, well, now the US Means business again."

Josh Holmes makes a bold prediction about achieving world peace by June through a strategy of "peace through strength."

[00:38] Josh Holmes: "I have a bold prediction. I think by June, that we're going to see world peace. And it's the quintessential definition of peace through strength, 100%."

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2. Biden's Diminishing Influence and Trump's Shadow Presidency

Wesley Hunt raises concerns about Biden's perceived lack of assertiveness, questioning who truly holds power in the current administration.

[00:38] Wesley Hunt: "Now, there are a lot of people around this country who are asking, wait a minute. Who is actually has their hand on the wheel of the government."

The hosts assert that Trump's influence is growing, effectively positioning him as a "shadow president."

John Ashbrook elaborates on the public's readiness to support Trump's agenda, moving beyond economic anxieties to embrace a vision for America's future.

[01:01] John Ashbrook: "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."

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3. Personal Anecdotes and Endorsements

Josh Holmes shares personal experiences supporting Trump, highlighting his unwavering commitment despite challenges.

[05:22] Josh Holmes: "This is the original. And next. And let me tell you something. Every time you have a guest, if you want something, this is what you got to use, guys, because this is what got us through. This is what saved our country."

Personal stories, such as flying with Trump during the campaign and witnessing his relentless dedication, illustrate the deep personal connection and belief in Trump's leadership.

[06:31] Josh Holmes: "This dude is 78, 79 years old, and he did not rest. He campaigned every single day... he just giving orders and barking orders..."

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4. Corporate America's Shift and DEI Initiatives

The discussion shifts to corporate responses to political changes, specifically Walmart's rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

[21:34] John Ashbrook: "Walmart's staggering rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives last week. A victory for MAGA activists."

Josh Holmes criticizes DEI policies, advocating for merit-based assessments over government-imposed compartmentalization.

[22:01] Josh Holmes: "I'm putting pity on people of color. I don't want your pity. I want to work hard like everybody else..."

The hosts argue that DEI initiatives have led to racial compartmentalization, distancing from the traditional American dream.

[24:28] Josh Holmes: "Barack Obama had an opportunity when he was a president because the guy is half black and half white. Literally, he could have been the bridge to bring the entire country together..."

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5. Media Influence and the Role of Podcasts

The influence of media personalities like Joe Rogan is examined, emphasizing how podcasts have become pivotal in shaping political opinions outside traditional partisan lenses.

[35:43] Josh Holmes: "Rogan is an apolitical guy... Don't want to get canceled because you're a little bit on the edge."

The hosts critique the transformation of media influencers being "weaponized" by political agendas, reinforcing the shift towards more grassroots and unfiltered communication channels.

[38:17] Michael Duncan: "He doesn't look at things from a partisan lens. He is alt, right. Neo Nazi Joe Rogan."

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6. Political Strategy and Future Elections

Josh Holmes outlines strategic priorities for Trump's potential return, focusing on tax reforms and reversing Biden's policies through executive orders.

[46:17] Josh Holmes: "My top priority in the very beginning, Taxes. Yeah, let's get this tax bill done."

John Ashbrook discusses the importance of economic security, advocating for the expansion and codification of existing tax cuts to sustain the middle class.

[46:30] Josh Holmes: "The TCJA, we have to expand these tax cuts. We have to keep them going in, perpetuate and codify this thing."

The looming midterm elections are highlighted as a critical battleground to maintain Trump's agenda and secure legislative victories.

[46:58] Josh Holmes: "If we ignore that, we're gonna have a really rough midterm. But if we adhere to that, then we're gonna do just fine in the midterms."

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7. Audience Engagement and Humor

Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in humorous exchanges and personal anecdotes, maintaining an entertaining and relatable atmosphere. Notable moments include discussions about meeting celebrities like Johnny "Bones" Jones and playful jokes about political figures.

[29:03] Wesley Hunt: "He walks right through and met up with a bunch of other Adults, gray hair."

The segment "King of the Hill" introduces a playful debate among hosts, reinforcing camaraderie and lightheartedness amidst serious political discourse.

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8. Controversial Takes and Host Dynamics

In the "King of the Hill" segment, hosts present and critique each other's takes on conservative figures and political strategies, demonstrating internal debates and varying perspectives within the group.

[61:24] Comfortably Smug: "Trump is worse is never a good argument to justify bad behavior. Yes, Trump's horrible. That's why we oppose him..."

Michael Duncan and John Ashbrook professionally evaluate and challenge these takes, showcasing a balance between agreement and critical analysis.

[63:23] Wesley Hunt: "What I would suggest is that in future games, we zoom out on our exhibits upon the easel so that you can see time and engagement in each of the photos."

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9. Advertisements and Sponsorships

While advertisements and sponsorship segments are present, per the summary instructions, these sections are briefly acknowledged but not detailed.

John Ashbrook concludes with mentions of sponsors like Lumen, highlighting health and wellness products without delving into promotional content.

[50:04] Michael Duncan: "We abuse our bodies, which is all the more reason why we need to treat our bodies right when we can. And that's where Lumen comes in."

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with the hosts reiterating their commitment to the conservative movement, emphasizing unity, strategic planning, and proactive engagement in upcoming elections. Their discussions reflect a blend of political analysis, personal experiences, and humor, aiming to resonate with listeners who seek an unfiltered and assertive conservative perspective.

[69:42] Josh Holmes: "Till next time, minions, keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. We'll see you on Tuesday. Stay ruthless."

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Notable Quotes

1. Michael Duncan on Trump's decisiveness:

   "It's the madman theory of Donald Trump is that this is a guy who thinks outside the box. And not just that he'll actually do it." — 00:00

2. Josh Holmes on achieving world peace:

   "I think by June, that we're going to see world peace. And it's the quintessential definition of peace through strength, 100%." — 00:38

3. John Ashbrook on America's readiness:

   "Americans are ready for what's next... Building a brighter future for us. Powered by America's oil and natural gas resources." — 01:01

4. Josh Holmes on Trump's campaign dedication:

   "He just [is] the kind of person that we need leading the country for the next four years to get our country back." — 06:31

5. Josh Holmes on DEI initiatives:

   "I don't want your pity. I want to work hard like everybody else, and I want to be judged based on my merit like everyone else." — 22:01

6. Josh Holmes on executive actions:

   "President Trump on day one is going to sign 168,000 executive orders on day one, reversing Biden's policy. Boom. That's going to be the first shot across the bow." — 44:27

7. Wesley Hunt on voter engagement:

   "AFP volunteers made millions of voter contacts, which is absolutely mind blowing. They are the largest, most effective ground game operation in the country." — 40:34

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Final Thoughts

This episode of the Ruthless Podcast offers a comprehensive look into the shifting dynamics of American politics, spotlighting Donald Trump's enduring influence and the strategic responses from conservative leaders. Through a blend of serious discourse and engaging banter, the hosts provide listeners with both insights and entertainment, encapsulating the essence of the "Ruthless" approach to conservative talk.

Transcript

[Michael Duncan]

It's the madman theory of Donald Trump is that this is a guy who thinks outside the box. And not just that he'll actually do it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, he will.

[Michael Duncan]

He will follow through on the things that he says. That's why Trudeau is meeting with a guy who's not yet in office. It's like, all right, well, now the US Means business again.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep.

[Josh Holmes]

And the world's on notice. The world's on. I have a bold prediction. I think by June, that we're going to see world peace. And it's the quintessential definition of peace through strength, 100%. And you see meetings like this, you see the meetings with the call with the president of Mexico. You're watching the world line up right now because they know for the next four years, there's no free lunch.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Wesley Hunt]

Now, there are a lot of people around this country who are asking, wait a minute. Who is actually has their hand on the. On the wheel of. Of the government. Right. I mean, for months and months and months, people were wondering because they don't see Joe Biden because he's not assertive, who's actually in charge? Donald Trump wins. And everybody's like, oh, okay, Daddy's home.

[John Ashbrook]

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].

[Wesley Hunt]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Michael Duncan]

Just a catching strays over here.

[John Ashbrook]

You're in for a hell of a show.

[Comfortably Smug]

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

[Wesley Hunt]

It's time for our main event.

[John Ashbrook]

Good Thursday to you. Welcome back to the Ruthless Variety Program. We've added one here on the program, one of our absolute favorites, somebody who's going to be absolutely zero of a introduction to the Ruthless faithful. Wesley Hunt. How are you, sir?

[Josh Holmes]

Family, brothers, friends, Romans, countrymen, it feels so good to be back. You know, I've missed you guys for so long. Guys, it's just been a pleasure to be on this show multiple times. Last time we saw each other was at the convention, correct?

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I think that's right.

[Josh Holmes]

And that was a whale of a time.

[John Ashbrook]

That was a whale of a time.

[Josh Holmes]

And now here we are back yet again. Look at us, kindred spirits.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, you were here back in the day when we were in a conference table with the postage stamp TV behind us.

[Josh Holmes]

That's correct. And we're moving on up. Like the Jeffersons, brother.

[John Ashbrook]

This is the Jeffersons.

[Josh Holmes]

This is the Jeffersons.

[John Ashbrook]

This is just like the Jeffersons to.

[Josh Holmes]

The east side in D left's apartment. In the sky. In the sky.

[John Ashbrook]

Exactly.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, it's been around black people. I love.

[John Ashbrook]

Wesley Hunt. Josh Holmes, comfortably smug. Michael Duncan. John Ashbrook, left to right, across your radio dial, as always. Listen, thanks for joining us. This is always one of our favorite shows. We do a little ride along with Wesley Hunt. We've been known to get off the rails a little.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what we do. Yeah, it's kind of our job. And I think you all bring me in every now and then.

[John Ashbrook]

It's kind of more important.

[Josh Holmes]

That's kind of like the closer, you know, and I come in, we throw a few heaters at you. But at the end of the day, we are not going to keep this on the rails. We're going to do the right thing.

[John Ashbrook]

We're going to do the right thing.

[Josh Holmes]

For the watchers, for the listener. Well, the people have a good time.

[John Ashbrook]

The people demand it.

[Josh Holmes]

That's what they want. You got to give the people what they want. Provocative.

[John Ashbrook]

I think the difference though, Wesley, is like the first time you came in here, you were not that important and now you're super important, you know?

[Josh Holmes]

You know, I'm important to some people, but not to my two year old son.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it's the right.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, I got walk in the house and I've done a hit and I've been on TV and everything. Walking. He's like poop.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, right. No, nothing. Nothing humbles a man more than getting pooped on. That's it.

[Josh Holmes]

Change my diaper dog.

[John Ashbrook]

That's it.

[Josh Holmes]

You know what time it is? Do your thing. Dad, I'm like all of a sudden, I'm not that important anymore, brother.

[John Ashbrook]

God, it's so true. Your life is the same. Our lives are the same.

[Josh Holmes]

We're the same line, we're the same lives.

[John Ashbrook]

But you've been traveling all over hell and gone. The amount of work that you put in to help elect this president is really commendable.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, thank you.

[John Ashbrook]

You were there on day one, which we noted the last time you were in here.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

And. And you've gone through, been a surrogate, done all of the things that somebody who's, like, really working their tails to do.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

What is the crystal ball that you've brought us?

[Josh Holmes]

I brought a prop here, sir.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay.

[Josh Holmes]

And the reason why I was the first person in the country to endorse President Trump.

[Comfortably Smug]

I remember.

[Josh Holmes]

And this is the crystal ball that I used. It was November 17, 2022, and I said, President Trump will be our 47th president. And I went out there and did the right thing to support this guy. And now here we are. And I'm gonna leave this as a token of my appreciation.

[Wesley Hunt]

This belongs in the Smithsonian.

[Josh Holmes]

This is the original. And next. And let me tell you something. Every time you have a guest, if you want something, this is what you got to use, guys, because this is what got us through. This is what saved our country. Right.

[John Ashbrook]

We've got a lot of decision making, so this is good. This is good for us.

[Comfortably Smug]

Before you hand it off, could you. Could you look in there and give me some Powerball numbers?

[John Ashbrook]

Well, I was just gonna say, does it have stock tips or. We still have to rely on Nancy Pelosi's financial disclosures.

[Josh Holmes]

Way more accurate than this. Are you kidding me? And a few others, but definitely Nancy Pelosi.

[John Ashbrook]

Fair enough. So in all of your travels, ultimately, very successful.

[Josh Holmes]

What are your thoughts?

[John Ashbrook]

What are your takeaways?

[Josh Holmes]

I want the world to know that President Trump was given a mandate by the American people to turn this whole thing around.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And that night, when I looked up and we saw we had every single swing state that was won, we won the popular vote. It basically was a shot across the bow to let everybody know that America is back. No more shenanigans, no more foolishness. Let's get our country back. And to be a part of that for the past few years was actually pretty cool.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it had to be.

[Josh Holmes]

And, like, you know, a week prior to the election, I got to fly with the President a couple of times, and I've never seen a man more reinvigorated to save this country.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

This dude is 78, 79 years old, and he did not rest. He campaigned every single day. At one point, I was like, dude, I cannot keep up with this guy. I'm on the plane passing out, and he's just giving orders and barking orders and getting ready for the next rally, the next rally, the next rally. And I said, you know, this is the kind of person that we need leading the country for the next four years to get our country back. And to be a part of it for the past two years has been nothing short of Phenomenal. It's been an honor, man.

[John Ashbrook]

It's awesome. I mean, look, his engine is his superpower, his ability to keep doing that. Like, I remember that, like, growing up there was a defensive tackle, played for the Minnesota Vikings, Johnny Randall. Texas guy. Yeah, yeah. And like, they were like, he's, you know, 4 inches smaller than everybody else. He's 30 pounds less than everybody else. But he just kept going all the time. And he would just bend reality.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

And just make it his. And he was ultimately a Hall of Fame football player. But I think there's, like, some similarities. You look at Trump from beginning, from the day you endorsed him all the way through, and there was a reality that was set out before him that it looked like an impossible thing to crack. He just sort of bent through sheer force of will.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

The reality of ultimately, what became of Election Day.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. When you think about even just like this past year, I mean, we're talking about the Democrats switching out their nominee and then going through that rigmarole. And then we had. And then he gets shot. And this is in light of all of the indictments and all the lawsuits that they're going against. They're trying to take his property, his money, everything away from him. Then you go through the election with Kamala Harris and then. And he's this, he's that, he's all these things, and then he comes out victorious and all of this. And the crazy thing for me is this. Throughout all that time, we found out that Diddy had a thousand bottles of baby oil. Let's not forget that market history. It's crazy.

[John Ashbrook]

That was a revelation. It was a revelation. There was no question it was a revelation.

[Josh Holmes]

This is definitely a game changing year. But I will say, all jokes aside, to watch the transition of the entire country move toward him and to realize that, you know what? This is not about what the media says. This is not about what the mainstream media says. This is not about any kind of policies that's been a disaster for us for the past four years. This is a referendum on the country that, hey, enough is enough. Let's get our country back. And I think we are starting off on a very good footage coming up in the next few months.

[John Ashbrook]

Did you meet any of our people along the way? We had a lot of people out there early voting in the Ruthless Variety program, putting their shirts on, getting their stickers, showing us that they were doing the good work.

[Josh Holmes]

Speaking of this. So last weekend I had the honor and the privilege of going to the A&M ut oh, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

There you go.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it was absolutely fantastic. And so I'm hanging out with Andre Johnson, the Hall of Famer.

[Wesley Hunt]

Oh, wow.

[Josh Holmes]

Texans receiver. Great guy, by the way. So we're walking around the concourse to go to another box, and this guy walks up to me and goes, you're Wesley Hunt. And I said, who's asking? You're like, well, yes, maybe who's asking? He goes, listen, you aren't ruthless, man. You tell those guys hi. And they are awesome. They are complete badasses. Listen to them all the time. And that's literally how he knew me. Like, we're at Texas A and M Stadium, College Station. I got stopped because of you guys. It's incredible. It's incredible. It's incredible. So you're like, wesley's important. I'm like, no, I'm only as important as the friends that I hang with.

[John Ashbrook]

That's very nice. Very kind of you to share.

[Josh Holmes]

True story. It's a true story.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, we like hearing things like that. We like it. We'd be lying if we said we didn't. All right, so the point that you were making, like, this forced personality. Trump's not an unknown quantity to the world. And I think you've seen a lot of things happen since Election day that don't typically happen with somebody who's just been elected president who's months now a month and a half away from being sworn in.

[Josh Holmes]

Right.

[John Ashbrook]

Typically, the previous, you know, administrator, outgoing administration sort of settles up what they're doing, and then they turn over the keys. Not the case for this guy.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. And, like, one clip that I want to show. So Trudeau traveled. The president of Canada traveled to go see Donald Trump down at Mar a Lago. Even though he's not, you know, officially backing off. That in and of itself.

[Josh Holmes]

He knows who the boss is. He knows what time it is.

[John Ashbrook]

He knows what time it is. Right. Let's play a clip. Clip one, if you don't mind spaghetti.

[Josh Holmes]

And tonight, we're getting some new details about that Trump Trudeau dinner from two people who were at the table. We are told that when Trudeau told President Elect Trump that new tariffs would kill the Canadian economy, Trump joked to him that if Canada can't survive without ripping off the US to the tune of $100 billion a year, then maybe Canada should become the 51st state and Trudeau could become its governor.

[Comfortably Smug]

But more on that detail with the panel.

[John Ashbrook]

Peter, thank you.

[Josh Holmes]

Do you know how gangster that is?

[John Ashbrook]

There's so much that I miss about that.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, how Gangster. It is.

[John Ashbrook]

But also, like, I also. I love Brett Baer so much. That smile. Smile.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Which, like, look, he's a news guy, right? I mean, he does news, but, like, even news guys are like, we're back.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. We're so back. We're back. We're back.

[Michael Duncan]

It's what smug always says. It's the madman theory of Donald Trump, is that this is a guy who thinks outside the box. And not just that he'll actually do it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, he will.

[Michael Duncan]

He will follow through on the things that he says. That's why Trudeau is meeting with a guy who's not yet in office. It's like, all right, well, now the US Means business again.

[Josh Holmes]

Yep, that's correct. You know, and the world's on notice. The world's on notice. I have a bold prediction. I think, by June, that we're going to see world peace. And it's the quintessential definition of peace through strength, 100%. And you see meetings like this, you see the meetings with the call with the president of Mexico. You're watching the world line up right now because they know for the next four years, there's no free lunch.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. No.

[Josh Holmes]

And that's all we need to do as a country. We have the highest GDP in the world. We have the best minds in the world. We have the most innovation in the world. We should never capitulate who we are as a country to anyone else. And President Trump embodies that. And you're right. The idea that nobody has any idea what he may or may not do, you don't know. And that uncertainty is his greatest asset.

[Michael Duncan]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Soleimani thought he knew what he'd do.

[Josh Holmes]

Didn't work out. How's he doing?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, I think they're still finding.

[Josh Holmes]

Did he say salsa?

[John Ashbrook]

Last I saw size, he's a ragon. He had, like, three fingers on one hand. That was the only thing that would. You could.

[Josh Holmes]

You could identify that guy woke up dead, you know?

[Wesley Hunt]

But that's what. That's why Trudeau is going down to Florida to offer his services as America's Hat.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, that's right.

[John Ashbrook]

Yes. The old America's hat. Canada blast. Everybody loves that. Up north of the border. Growing up in Minnesota, I can tell you. But listen, we're gonna get into all of that, including, look, hostage implications, things that, like, we need to put a finer point on stuff that you care about a lot. We're gonna get to all of that. Remember, folks, you're getting, like, all of these Spotify raps. Like, you know, what's the downloaded, most downloaded podcast of the year?

[Wesley Hunt]

A lot of people have the Variety.

[John Ashbrook]

Program, and it's just coming in like one after another of the ruthless Variety program. Keep posting those things. We love to see them tag us on them.

[Michael Duncan]

We're very vain.

[John Ashbrook]

Because if we can't have Wesley here every week to talk about how great we are, we need you to help us too.

[Josh Holmes]

We can change that, though. Guys.

[John Ashbrook]

Careful.

[Josh Holmes]

Careful what you have. We'll take you on that.

[John Ashbrook]

Careful. We'll get to all of it right after this.

[Wesley Hunt]

This holiday season, millions of families across America will rely on credit card rewards to visit their loved ones. So why are D.C. politicians trying to pass a bill that would end credit card rewards, making it more expensive for families to be together? The Durbin Marshall credit card bill is a big government handout to corporate megastores that makes them more money, but eliminates travel rewards for you tell Congress to guard your card because Americans lose when politicians choose. Learn [e-mail].

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, so picking up where we left off, Axios had this piece which was interesting because it's true, and I find that noteworthy in and of itself. When you see mainstream publications, rarity. But Trump's shadow presidency clouds Biden's final weeks, no question. Let me read a little intro to this. President Elect Donald Trump's bombastic policy threats. Mar a lago missives in mere presence have become a driving force in markets and capitals around the world. Six weeks before his inauguration, only one man occupies the White House. But the norm busting assertiveness of Trump and his transition team and the rapidly fading relevance of President Biden have given the US something of a two headed presidency. Even as Biden officials have worked feverishly to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz credited Trump with bringing them to the table. No question about it. And then they go on to reference the tweet or the X post that he had about. They'll have hell to pay. Yes, and he's talking about the hostages that are still unbelievably in Gaza in the Middle east crisis that continues despite the fact that it's fallen out of the headlines. Let's put that graphic up, if you wouldn't mind. Graphic one. So that's his. That's his tweet and what he's talking about. Honestly, I'm not gonna read the whole thing, but I'm just gonna tell you this is the only thing that families of hostages have wanted since October 7th, when this whole thing went down. The only thing they wanted was the moral clarity out of a leader in the United States to say, like, nope, there's not two sides of this deal. You are terrorists. You've taken innocent people from their home, you return them, or you've got a real problem. And I'm going to assure to it.

[Wesley Hunt]

Yeah. Not only did Joe Biden lack that moral clarity in the wake of October 7th, there are a lot of people around this country who are asking, wait a minute, who is actually has their hand on the wheel of, of the government. Right. I mean, for months and months and months, people were wondering, because they don't see Joe Biden because he's not assertive, who's actually in charge. Donald Trump wins and everybody's like, oh, okay, Daddy's home. We have somebody in charge now, even though he hasn't been sworn in. And this is to your point, Wesley. It's like the guy gets in, we start projecting strength, and the world goes back to normal.

[Josh Holmes]

This is the language that these people speak in that region. Yep. I am someone that has deployed to Iraq. I spent two years in Saudi Arabia. This is not like the Judeo Christian background and the champagne problems that we have in our country. When I was stationed in Saudi Arabia back in 2010 through 12, they were still doing public beheadings and public behavings in the Middle East. So the idea that they are going to respond to diplomacy, that's not how that works in that region of the world. And a lot of Americans need to understand that. They respond to the strong man. They respond to the person that's going to say, if you do this, I am going to kill you. And then they have to make a decision, do I want to die? No. So I will let them go. Yeah. And while that doesn't seem like it's nice and it's sexy, that's how. That's how this whole thing works.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. Well, there's that great story that you tell about when Donald Trump was negotiating with the Taliban.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

Why don't you do it?

[Josh Holmes]

You do it far better than we could. So I actually heard this originally from Mike Pompeo a few years ago, after it got released and declassified and there was a meeting with the Taliban leadership. And it was Mike Pompeo, President Trump, translator, and a few others. And the leadership was sitting across from them. And President Trump looked at him and said, hey, look, I want to have a conditions based withdrawal. Said, okay, okay. Everybody nodded, they translated. And he said, but if you harm a single American, I'm gonna kill you. And translator's like, huh? And Trump's like, no, tell him. You tell him what I said. That's what I said. Translated, reached in his pocket and then pulled out a photo of the Taliban leader's home and handed it to him. And the leader said, well, what is this? He goes, you figure it out. And the meeting was over. For the next 18 months, not a single American died. And that is the mantra over President Trump. He just wants people to stop dying.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

One of my favorite clips of him was during a scene in town hall and asked him, what side are you on? Are you on the side of the Ukraine? Are you on the side of the Russian? He said, I'm on the side of people not dying.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And people don't die. When America is strong, you don't have to worry about us sending our sons and daughters abroad. When America is strong, you don't have to put boots on the ground. When America is strong, you don't have to prove. Exactly. It's assumed.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Like you do not want a Moab dropped on your head.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's 100% true. He's gotten that from day one. I mean, look, his four years are a testament to that.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's not a theory.

[John Ashbrook]

Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

We've already seen it before.

[Josh Holmes]

Right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yet for the first time, probably in living memory, for most of the folks listening to the show, absolute calm in the Middle East. Iran was bankrupted.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, any terrorists knew, well, if I poke my head out, I'm good as dead. Because Trump follows through on it and he doesn't need to put boots on the ground. He puts a bomb on their head.

[Josh Holmes]

That's right.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, yeah. Or in the case of Al Baghdadi, you use a dog and a robot and you blow out a wall, usually.

[Josh Holmes]

You go through the front door. You go to the front door crying like a baby.

[Wesley Hunt]

Remember the picture of the dog?

[Josh Holmes]

Don't cry.

[Wesley Hunt]

Remember when he put up the picture of the dog? It was the greatest thing.

[Michael Duncan]

Hero dog.

[John Ashbrook]

Hero dog. That's right. We did a whole segment on that. No, but it's not just in the foreign policy security side of things. I mean, look, this is. Again, we're talking about Axios here. Plenty of indications is business friendly agendas preemptively powering record highs. In addition to that, one dynamic more directly connected to Trump's return, Walmart's staggering rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives last week.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's go.

[John Ashbrook]

A victory for maga, active. A victory for the American People, let's not say MAGA activists like, this is. Look, you've been really outspoken on all this stuff, Wesley, and it is amazing to me how we had like a, gosh, 36 months. Nah, it's longer than that. Like a four year hiatus of our senses here in the United States where like, Brown v. Board doesn't mean anything.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

Plessy v. Ferguson is like the law of the land. You know, all of a sudden we've returned to what you look like is based on your station in life. And we just need to manage these compartments. And you don't have the American dream as the American people anymore. We just need to make sure that we manage from the federal government who gets to go where. And corporate America went along for the ride and they. And they helped lead the charge. And now all of a sudden they get these election results and it's like, oh, holy shit. I guess nobody wanted that.

[Josh Holmes]

It's not a good look. Nobody wanted that. And even people like me, because I feel that that is. You're putting pity on people of color. I don't want your pity. I want to work hard like everybody else, and I want to be judged based on my merit like everyone else. You often talk about my show, my family on this show, a lot. You know, my brother, sister and I all went to West Point before DEI was even a thing. And we were black then too, by the way. The entire time. Still blind.

[John Ashbrook]

The whole time.

[Josh Holmes]

The whole. The whole time. The whole time.

[John Ashbrook]

If you can believe that you carried.

[Josh Holmes]

A lot of water. If you can believe. Oh, my God. And I just. I just love. I always talk about my district too, because my district is a white majority district that I just won by almost 30 points. And President Trump would have won by 25 to 30 points as well. And they voted for me not because of the way I look. They voted for me because of the content of my character and what I've done for the district. How much of you think so much? It means so much more to me.

[John Ashbrook]

Can I ask you this? Because this is like, on my mind. We've talked about this a lot on the variety program. How much of the you think is generational on this? Because, like, we've talked several times with you about, like, we didn't grow up with that shit.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[John Ashbrook]

Like, all my heroes were black athletes, black entertainers. Like, I never thought once about whether Kirby Puckett represented me.

[Josh Holmes]

No.

[John Ashbrook]

Or whether Ken Griffey Jr. Was. That was just somebody I wanted to be.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

And then somewhere along the line I would argue the Obama administration.

[Josh Holmes]

There's no argument about it. That's where it happened. That is the line of deprecation right there. Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Where it just said everything back to, like, a 1960s set, where it's like, no, you don't understand. Everybody wants racial compartmentalization, and we're gonna help you do it from the federal government standpoint. And corporate America's like, that's terrific. I mean, is that your. Does that comport with your view?

[Josh Holmes]

That's exactly when it happened. And it makes me kind of sad, because Barack Obama had an opportunity when he was a president because the guy is half black and half white. Literally, he could have been the bridge to bring the entire country together and then never have these conversations again. But instead, he pandered to just the identity politics of it all. And I watched it, and I was just so disappointed because he did actually set us back. And you look at this last election, well, now we're moving forward again.

[John Ashbrook]

How much of that do you think gave your interest in becoming part of the political process?

[Josh Holmes]

I will tell you that. I mean, I looked at Barack Obama when I elected, and he said, well, here's a black guy that became the president, so why can't anybody become the president at that point? And then I got a lot of pushback on that. Well, Barack Obama, well, he's a Democrat, and Democrats like black people more than Republicans. And I said, that's bs.

[John Ashbrook]

You're like, have you seen?

[Josh Holmes]

That's not true. And so then when I ran in my district, I got a little pushback. Wesley, you're running as a black Republican in a white district. And I said, no, no, no, no. They're gonna hear my story, hear my passion, see my service, and I'm going to win. And I did, because I stopped playing those games. And you're right, it is generational. It is. And so many times people push this on their kids about how America used to be, but it's not that way anymore.

[John Ashbrook]

Doesn't need to be.

[Josh Holmes]

It doesn't need to be. It's not that way. And we grew up in a different area where we were having these kinds of conversations in middle school and high school. No.

[John Ashbrook]

Like, not even a little bit. That's why it's so jarring.

[Comfortably Smug]

No, to me, I think what really caused problems is the transition from what we all grew up with, of equality to equity.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Making it about revenge and division and divide and conquer. And when we just, you know, discuss this paradigm, like you said, of like, oh, well, Democrats are Actually, they like people of color and Republicans only like white people. And then you look at the way that they've crucified Clarence Thomas, who's probably, in my mind, may be the most inspirational living American right now.

[Josh Holmes]

Amazing. He's amazing.

[John Ashbrook]

No question. No question. But it's like now he doesn't believe in the stuff that is a requirement to be a hero in this country. And so, like, you know, the whole resetting of history and everything that we've dealt with in schools and everything else, it's been. It's been a disillusioning for people of a certain age.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

In this country.

[Josh Holmes]

And they, you know, when they did the Black History Museum, they left him out of it originally.

[John Ashbrook]

Isn't that unbelievable?

[Josh Holmes]

That's unbelievable. Like, that's not black history.

[John Ashbrook]

How would you ever think to do that?

[Josh Holmes]

I don't care what party he's affiliated with. That is absolutely. But some. That's not just black history. That's American history, which is the progress of America.

[John Ashbrook]

And that's the whole point. It's American history and that's the stuff that we grew up with. It's all American history and you ought to know everything about it. But it's just been so unbelievable. It's just delightful to see the huge gains amongst black Americans at Donald Trump.

[Josh Holmes]

One of three black men voted for President Trump in Texas.

[John Ashbrook]

How about that shit?

[Josh Holmes]

I take full credit for that.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Just checking out all this.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. Walking neighborhoods like, hey, dude, yo, y'all.

[Josh Holmes]

Know what time it is? I'd be like, y'all, you're good. Okay, we good.

[John Ashbrook]

But the truth is, like, it became pretty obvious and you could see, like, even if it broke beyond racial confinements of where narratives are pop culture and it got into pop culture and like, where I really have had a lot of fun over the last couple of weeks is seen it break into locker rooms.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, in like professional college sports. And what?

[Josh Holmes]

The Trump dance. Johnny Boss Jones did a Trump dance.

[John Ashbrook]

Which is typically for a Republican, like an impossible place to crack. Right. Where everybody, like you got a combination between your sort of left of center athlete that's more than happy to talk about everything and, like, be heaped praise upon LeBron style. Or you get the people who are like, you know, Republicans buy shoes too. So I'm. I'm just not going to talk about it.

[Josh Holmes]

That's why he's the goat. But.

[John Ashbrook]

And then, oh, yeah, dude, he is the goat. He is the goat. I mean, I've Jordan, by the way.

[Josh Holmes]

Not LeBron yeah, no, we could go.

[John Ashbrook]

For a whole show.

[Wesley Hunt]

But I want to ask you, Wesley, you mentioned Johnny Bones Jones.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Wesley Hunt]

You actually met that guy, right?

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, I did. I was in grad school at Cornell, and this was in 2012, and he was training up in New York. And Johnny Bones, you know, usually fights at about 205. Lean machine. He's fighting heavyweight now, but back then he was a lean killer. But I walk into a bar with a good friend of mine.

[John Ashbrook]

Did you look like you do now?

[Josh Holmes]

I looked better than I think.

[John Ashbrook]

Do you think he perceived you as a potential threat?

[Josh Holmes]

Not at all, actually. Wait till I get to the end of this story. It's walking through the bar, and Johnny Bones Jones is behind the bar serving drinks. This is Ithaca, New York. There's like zero black people, zero Cornell's like, you know, especially, you know, 10, 15 years ago. So I walk into the bar and Johnny Bones looks up, standing behind a bar, goes, black people at the bar. This is hilarious. And so I look around like, who is that? And I'm like, yo, that is Johnny Bones Jones. He goes, have a drink with me. And I'm not gonna tell him, no, no.

[Wesley Hunt]

Because he's Johnny Bones Jones, most dangerous living man alive.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Walk back, end up having a fun time, great time with him. Party with him for a while in Ithaca, New York. That is my Johnny Bones Jones.

[John Ashbrook]

Do you keep in touch with him at all?

[Josh Holmes]

Not at all. That's the last time I saw him.

[John Ashbrook]

When you saw.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, I died laughing, man, I was like, that is. That's. He's back.

[Wesley Hunt]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, he's back.

[Josh Holmes]

He's had a. He's had a crazy story, but he. He's back. And he is the most dangerous man alive.

[Wesley Hunt]

That's amazing. For so many years. I mean, that is. That's a long time to keep it up.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

[John Ashbrook]

It really is.

[Josh Holmes]

He's been through a lot.

[John Ashbrook]

It's been a roller coaster story. You want some variety?

[Josh Holmes]

I would love some.

[John Ashbrook]

So you know how we feel about Disney adults.

[Josh Holmes]

I can only imagine, you know, like, you're. You're the way I feel about.

[John Ashbrook]

Like you're a couple years from. From having to be forced upon.

[Josh Holmes]

Two years, two years away.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, but. But it's like a rite of passage for a parent. Like, you're gonna have to go eat that sack of shit.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. It's gonna be terrible. Right?

[John Ashbrook]

You gotta do what you gotta do. Like, hopefully you'll still be powerful enough where you're like, I could skip some of the lines.

[Josh Holmes]

But still, nevertheless.

[John Ashbrook]

But you never know. So. But listen, this exiled from the. This is from the Wall Street Journal. So it's a reputable publication.

[Comfortably Smug]

Good one.

[John Ashbrook]

Usually we get these things from like study finds or something like that. This is Wall Street Journal exiled from the happiest place on earth. Disney die hards now settle for mini golf and bowling. For the better part of a decade, social clubs were a near constant weekend presence at the company's two Southern California theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. There were more than 700 active social clubs in California at one point. Holy. According to club organizers with names that rift on the company's history. So they name these things after a whole bunch of like, Disney stuff. Oh, yeah. But, but I think the takeaway here is there used to be perhaps hundreds of clubs of adults that used to just go to Disney World, Disneyland and all of that stuff.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is, this is the crazy part. It's saying that it's not like they have the kids with them.

[John Ashbrook]

No, no.

[Wesley Hunt]

It'S not taking kids.

[John Ashbrook]

No, no.

[Comfortably Smug]

They quote adults.

[Josh Holmes]

It's adults.

[John Ashbrook]

They spend hours eating, drinking, taking selfies, staging ride takeovers, standing in line in.

[Michael Duncan]

Front of your children in which.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, that's exactly what's happening. Yeah, that's what's happening. Which members fill an entire boat on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride on every seat.

[Comfortably Smug]

All adults know kids. They don't have their kids with them.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, I'm calling the cops.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's the thing.

[John Ashbrook]

Maybe calling the cops.

[Josh Holmes]

So strange.

[Wesley Hunt]

Maybe you sink the boat.

[John Ashbrook]

I think that's right. Like, I think.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, you know, they're all liberals.

[John Ashbrook]

How do you. Have you ever met a Disney adult?

[Josh Holmes]

Me personally? Yeah. I don't hang around those vagrants.

[John Ashbrook]

I don't think I've ever met one of these people. Have you guys met one of these people?

[Wesley Hunt]

I will tell you. I came into contact with one.

[Josh Holmes]

Are you real? This sounds like a Covid experience.

[Wesley Hunt]

We took our kids to Disney World and we were checking into the animal kingdom and I had my daughter, who was maybe like 5 years old at the time, she was trying to swipe her band and some gray haired dude pushed her to the side and swiped his band and like, was. Was on his way.

[John Ashbrook]

No way.

[Wesley Hunt]

I couldn't believe it.

[John Ashbrook]

Pushed your child aside.

[Wesley Hunt]

I couldn't believe it. I was thinking, wait a minute, is he like a grandfather and his kid's choking or something on a donut?

[John Ashbrook]

Like.

[Wesley Hunt]

No, no, no, no, no, no. He walked right through and met up with a bunch of other Adults, gray hair.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, as we used to say, bizarre.

[Wesley Hunt]

I could, I mean, I was dumbstruck.

[Josh Holmes]

It's a mental illness.

[John Ashbrook]

It is, as we used to say in the variety program, charges. Seriously, charges. You bring charges about.

[Comfortably Smug]

This would be the greatest sting operation. You just, you just have the FBI at the end of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Be like, we're just doing a random search of Internet histories.

[John Ashbrook]

Do you think we get cash on this?

[Josh Holmes]

The whole boat's gone. The whole boat's getting car off jail.

[Comfortably Smug]

They're all going in the van. They're all going in the van.

[Josh Holmes]

Patty wagon school.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, the Pirates of the Caribbean's going right into the Patty wagon. But really, it's unbelievable. I mean, this is like, look, we got a lot of growing up to do as a country, and this stuff is not helping. It's on the way out, though, if.

[Comfortably Smug]

I can have advice for some of these parents. If you have to take your kids to California, to Los Angeles, you don't have to take them to Disneyland. The Richard Nixon Presidential Library.

[Josh Holmes]

There you go.

[Comfortably Smug]

20 minute drive. Your kids will have the time of their lives. They have the helicopter where he threw the peace signs out there. Have the kids take photos there.

[John Ashbrook]

They'll have a great time.

[Josh Holmes]

They'll have to peace sign everything.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

Wonderful place. That's the happiest place on earth for you.

[Josh Holmes]

It is not surprising. Richard Dixon Library. Not surprising.

[John Ashbrook]

Have social clubs arranged.

[Comfortably Smug]

They should. I bet you'd hang out with some great folks.

[John Ashbrook]

It's like at the Nixon Library.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's where you want to hang out.

[Josh Holmes]

That's where it's at, huh?

[John Ashbrook]

So look, one thing I wanted to ask you about because we know that you were, you were close in our close with Rogan.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

And you've done a show. Your friends, you guys talk about stuff and like, and never before in any previous presidential election has he played a piece, pivotal role. Like a lot of this, our, our audience automatically gets because they're here and they listen to us. But this really was a podcast election. I mean, it just changed the filter by which people got real information. They heard from people like you were in the middle of things and what people actually mean. They didn't need to hear from Nora O'Donnell, but. But increasingly Rogan, with this massive audience and people were, they're not like instinctive partisans, came to all the same conclusions over a period of time about, like, what's best for our country. Talk to us a little bit about that.

[Josh Holmes]

So when I, when I was on Rogan's show. We were talking offline after the show. Rogan has daughters. Yeah, I have daughters. And the reason why he left California and moved to Austin is because he feared for his children's safety. And so when I was on his podcast, actually, I was his second show after he moved to Austin.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, is that right?

[Josh Holmes]

So first it was Mike Tyson, then it was me, and then it was Kanye. I clearly was the best.

[Wesley Hunt]

Yeah, it's a lineup clear.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, clearly, if you're gonna pick one out of a lineup, you're gonna choose Wesley Hunt. Even before he was a congressman, let me tell you.

[John Ashbrook]

At least you had to. You went before Kanye. Cleaning up the space lasers would have.

[Josh Holmes]

Been tough, would have been rough. But this was pre space lasers. But nevertheless, always the more. I don't want any. I don't want any part of that.

[Michael Duncan]

But, I mean, having to follow Tyson ain't an easy act either, because I remember that episode Tyson was on there, talking about licking toads and how it strips the ego.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, yeah, we did a whole segment on that here in the program. Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Word. So I brought sanity to the show. Yeah, I was the buffer, you know, I mean, yeah, like. Like, I was. I was the. I was the. The meat of that sandwich right there, man.

[John Ashbrook]

He's like, yeah, but do you do any strange drugs that we can talk about?

[Josh Holmes]

It was actually during Silver October or something like that. So he actually wasn't drinking or doing anything.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, all right. No, but I gotta imagine, for a political answer. Yeah, you're learning. You're learning. So wait, hold on. I gotta imagine, you know, just being friendly with that whole crew, that this is an interesting spot to be, that these. These guys had no ambition of ever becoming a part of the political process. They've got their own stuff. They got ufc. They got. You know, they talk to millions of people every day about all kinds of different stuff, but, like, they got him, and they were central to it this time around.

[Josh Holmes]

And Rogan is an apolitical guy. A lot of these guys are apolitical. They didn't get involved in politics until politics really got involved with them, and they realized that they had to push back on this. He's more of a libertarian. Like, he just kind of stay out of my way. Let me do my own thing. Let me go hunt and eat elk and go kick people in the face. That's all I really want to do. Leave me alone. Then you start to see the infringement of the left that are eating away at our values and eating away at our freedoms. That goes First Amendment rights, Second Amendment rights, you name it. Now they're getting involved because the left forced him to get involved.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And that's why they're here.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. He doesn't look at things from a partisan lens. I mean, what I think Rogan's superpower is, is that he's just very curious. He's very intellectually curious, and he wants to hear all sides, right?

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Michael Duncan]

But, like, what does it tell you about the left that, you know, a guy like Rogan, I mean, he endorsed Bernie Sanders.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

That in a short period of time, he went from that and being willing to have anybody on and listen to any voice to. He is alt, right. Neo Nazi Joe Rogan. And like, that's what they've done. That's what they've done to.

[Josh Holmes]

During COVID He got weaponized during COVID too, right? Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

By asking questions.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, that's what the left has done to people like that. And they wonder why they say now, oh, we need influencers. We need podcasters with big voices.

[John Ashbrook]

It's like.

[Michael Duncan]

Like dumb. You had it and you threw it away.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, yeah, totally. It's got. They got to find themselves. Like, look, they don't have any ambition in continuing to be a political. Like, that's just not what they do. No, but it's got to be sort of a reorientation. And I imagine in the political business, it's interesting in that you can have different conversations. Like, look, you're not here to talk about, like, hey, what are you going to do on tax reconciliation?

[Josh Holmes]

And that's not why.

[John Ashbrook]

No, I mean, but you would never come here to do that.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's be real here.

[John Ashbrook]

But like that. But now that's the thing, is that people are gathering here for Ruthless, for Rogan, for Megan Kelly, for. To have a real conversation with people, regular people, to understand you're a real person, you're going to make decisions on their behalf that are based in, I don't know. Reality.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes, reality. American values. Putting this country first and savoring the posterity, saving our posterity and making sure that this country still exists for our children, our children's children. That's like. That's the values of the guy sitting up here right now. That's what we actually care about. And also, we want cool kids. Yeah, I want regular cool kids that don't feel like they have to get canceled. And I'll use. I mean, I'm a military guy, too, so I mean, off color jokes, having a good time, being human, being vulnerable is A part of all that not getting canceled because you're a little bit on the edge. No, we want to keep that because that's the innovative mindset of America. That's America.

[John Ashbrook]

That's it. That's what we were founded on.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

God, this guy just gets it.

[Michael Duncan]

He gets it.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, this guy gets it. All right, so we've got a number of different things we're going to get to with Wesley right after this.

[Wesley Hunt]

All right, so I just got to 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.

[John Ashbrook]

All right, so we touched on this on top of the show about the Trudeau meeting.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

Where he was like, hey, you know, stop shaking us down for 100B or you're going to be the 51st state. And also, I love that it's a straight up, though. Straight up. Larger than the United States. No.

[Michael Duncan]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

State.

[John Ashbrook]

Right.

[Wesley Hunt]

All of a sudden, oh, Canada will just be a state motto, like Ohio, the heart of it.

[Josh Holmes]

Right, right.

[John Ashbrook]

So, like, you know, I mean, they probably get, you know, two senators, maybe give them a couple representatives.

[Comfortably Smug]

My thinking was, I mean, why even make it complicated? Just let Alaska annex Canada, you know, make Canada Alaska again. Alaska.

[John Ashbrook]

So we don't even need to change.

[Comfortably Smug]

No need to worry about it.

[Josh Holmes]

None of it. We don't need Canada, eh?

[John Ashbrook]

You guys are dealing with us.

[Josh Holmes]

Whoa. It's Alaska, eh?

[John Ashbrook]

You got pretty tough politics down there. Hey, you probably just knock teeth out and take names times. It's crazy. So, but like, you know, I mean, you guys are dealing with pretty thin representation in the House of Representatives, a very thin majority.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, we are. We're fighting that right now.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, Canada thing notwithstanding. Like, if we took that out, we probably need to give him one. But even if you're dealing with a couple, you got some vacancies you're going to need to fill by the spring. Yeah, I feel good about those elections and how those will ultimately go.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

But, but tell me as you guys are all approaching this, first of all, it feels like a much more unified front than ever before for certainly since you've been here.

[Josh Holmes]

Especially for me, bro, I've been here for two years. Like dog years. Like 16 after that first week in Congress for me. I remember 16 votes.

[John Ashbrook]

Like he came in not far after that first huge speaker fight where he.

[Michael Duncan]

Was like, what the.

[John Ashbrook]

This is crazy. Why am I doing this?

[Josh Holmes]

I'm on the House floor rocking back, back and forth. If people are like, it's not usually like this. It gets better, I promise it gets better. I promise. I don't want, I don't want anymore. I don't want to do it anymore.

[John Ashbrook]

Two years away from his election, everybody's like, please run, please run. Can you please run again. But now it feels like a unified front and you've got House and Senate Republicans that are all very much enthusiastic about trying to get the President's agenda agreement. How much? Just look, I know the President is extremely focused on hitting the ground very hard and getting as much done as quickly as he can. But there's also the obvious machinations of Congress like for expectations setting. Clearly the Senate's going to work through nominees, try to pull through as many Cabinet.

[Josh Holmes]

That's why not made so many people so early as well.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Try to get these nominees through.

[John Ashbrook]

Yep. All that stuff. But in the House, you guys are going to be working on trying to build the basic building blocks of his economic agenda, his energy agenda.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

His border agenda, all the things that he run, ran and won on. Like what are we thinking in terms of a timeline? Like, I know you guys are going to put everything together as fast as you can, but I want to be realistic because there's a whole bunch of people who listen to the show who don't do this for a living and they don't understand, you know, why you can't just show up on day one up or down stuff. And there's processes in place. Like realistically, it's going to take much of this first year to get a lot of these building blocks in place. Correct.

[Josh Holmes]

So two things. It's going to take most of this year. Keep in mind the midterms are coming and traditionally speaking, we don't keep the House. No. Stranger things have happened. But we have two years that's been given to us by the American public. This is the mandate. We have all three right now. Does it happen very Often. And so we have got. We have to get to work on day one. I also want to talk about this. This is more macro. This government has been basically run via executive fiat. Unfortunately, that's not what our founding fathers wanted, but that's kind of what we have right now. It's up to the House at some point to claw back some of that power from the executive branch. But I will say this, this starts with leadership at the top. President Trump on day one is going to sign 168,000 executive orders on day one, reversing Biden's policy. Boom. That's going to be the first shot across the bow. Now, everyone else has to understand that we are in this position because of President Trump. We have the majority in the Senate. We have a slim majority in the House because of President Trump. It would behoove us all to get on board with what the American people voted for.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yep.

[Josh Holmes]

My top priority in the very beginning, Taxes. Yeah, let's get this tax bill done.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

It's a super important. I mean, everything else is built upon it. Because without a good economy.

[Josh Holmes]

You got it.

[John Ashbrook]

You don't have anything.

[Josh Holmes]

You got it.

[John Ashbrook]

Your leverage is entirely correct, fixated on whether you're taking care of the American people's pocketbooks or not. Everything else that you want to do is contingent upon your ability to make sure that people are economically secure.

[Josh Holmes]

Correct. And I'm talking about the everyday Americans that voted for President Trump. So the tcja, we have to expand these tax cuts. We have to keep them going in, perpetuate and codify this thing. And the reason why is because of this, people just can't afford to buy groceries and gas. This is actually real inflation has crushed the middle class home. This is why President Trump got twice here. This is why it's so well. This is why it did so well. So, look, if we ignore that, we're gonna have a really rough midterm.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

If we adhere to that, then we're gonna do just fine in the midterms. But it's up to us.

[John Ashbrook]

It feels good, though.

[Josh Holmes]

It feels much better than it did two years ago.

[John Ashbrook]

It hears from everyone, is like, no, we're all committed to this.

[Josh Holmes]

It feels so much better now than it did a couple years ago. I remember being in the conference meeting during the McCarthy saga in the very beginning. And I mean, we didn't have the votes getting out of Congress. I mean, getting out of conference. The first conference vote, Johnson's running unopposed. President Trump is supporting Johnson. Everyone's like, yeah, hey, hoorah. Hoorah. I'm like, this is how it was supposed to go a couple of years ago. I have ptsd because I could have avoided all that two years ago. This is how it's supposed to go. Yes. Especially when you're given a mandate by the American people.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. Well, it's like a locker room. Right. And a locker room's better when the team is winning. You got it, you know, always. And everybody feels united.

[John Ashbrook]

And you have the opportunity. Here's what guys like Wesley get, and I think Speaker Johnson gets. I think Senator Thune gets Majority leader there is that when everybody's feeling good, you then have the opportunity to actually anchor in the ties that bind and get the stuff done that you need to.

[Josh Holmes]

You are correct.

[John Ashbrook]

People aren't looking for a reason.

[Josh Holmes]

You are correct.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. People are looking for a reason to be happy. They're looking for a reason to do the things they ran on for a reason to support President Trump's agenda.

[Josh Holmes]

Correct.

[John Ashbrook]

And, like, what the American people ultimately wanted. That is that time. That is now.

[Josh Holmes]

It is now. Now. We cannot pull a James Winston and go out here and throw two pick sixes. Two pick sixes. He said, pray to God. Pray to God to deliver me from pick six. That was the best line. It was the best.

[Michael Duncan]

It's just classic famous. Jamis is an American legend.

[John Ashbrook]

He the best.

[Michael Duncan]

How can you not root for that guy?

[Josh Holmes]

You have to. He's funny and doesn't even know it, man. So we can't pull a James Winston. No pick sixes for the Republican Party.

[John Ashbrook]

No pick sixes. May God deliver us from the pick sixes. No question about it. Listen, Wesley, you are the absolute best. I can't thank you enough for spending as much time as you have with us.

[Josh Holmes]

Thank you.

[John Ashbrook]

We have a question. We always do for our audience, and I think you'll appreciate.

[Josh Holmes]

Shoot.

[John Ashbrook]

It's on the Canada front that we just discussed.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's go.

[John Ashbrook]

So, you know, I mean, look, if. If we did take over Canada and we made it a state or, you know, maybe even the Alaska thing where we had to. What would you name it?

[Josh Holmes]

Texas.

[Michael Duncan]

We could call it Cold Texas.

[Josh Holmes]

Next question. North Texas.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Next question.

[John Ashbrook]

The best part about the question is it assumes it's not. Not canon.

[Josh Holmes]

Didn't even cross my mind.

[John Ashbrook]

Anyway, I can't thank you enough. We're gonna get to your questions from last week right after this.

[Josh Holmes]

Thank you, brother. Good seeing y'all, man. Thank you. Yeah, you're all the best.

[John Ashbrook]

We want to thank our great Sponsor Lumen. And I know this is something that all of us have explored. It is a fascinating invention to sort of help and, like, look at the svelteness going on. We almost wouldn't think that this crew abused their bodies as badly as they do.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, we. We abuse our bodies, which is all the more reason why we need to treat our bodies right when we can. And that's where Lumen comes in.

[John Ashbrook]

Treat it like a temple, Michael.

[Michael Duncan]

I try.

[John Ashbrook]

Absolutely. So what is Lumen? Lumen is the first handheld metabolic coach. It's a device that measures your metabolism through your breath. Right. Smug.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's right. And it's so easy to use, I can't tell you enough. All you do is you wake up in the morning, you pop the cap off, you breathe in, you breathe out, and then Lumen does the rest of the work. It's literally as easy as just taking a breath. Lumen does the rest. It doesn't tell you this is your HRV and then walk away. Like a lot of these devices, it says, here's what your body's doing right now. It's either burning fat or it's burning carbohydrates. And now here's what you do. It doesn't just give you information. It gives you a plan so you don't even have to think about.

[John Ashbrook]

That's amazing.

[Wesley Hunt]

Yeah. And the thing I always wonder about information is what is the credibility of the person delivering it. You know, that it's credible from Lumen. Because the whole set of technology was concocted by PhD scientists.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

And I mean, like, this time of year, around the holidays, it's hard to, like, eat.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

You know, and you overindulge, and you're going to Christmas parties and things like that. Maybe you have a couple of pops. So it's nice to have something that can help you stay on track so you can make smart eating decisions when you can.

[John Ashbrook]

Or maybe if you have more than a couple of pops.

[Wesley Hunt]

A lot of pops.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. That's when Lumens it really proves its worth. So if you want to stay on track with your health this holiday season, you go to Lumen. Me ruthless to get 15% off your lumen. That's l u m e n me ruthless for 15% off of your purchase. Lumen makes a great gift, too, by the way, in case you're, you know, I mean, like, the brooch guy down here and you're, like, still looking for stuff.

[Comfortably Smug]

Woman beats a brooch.

[Wesley Hunt]

That's true.

[John Ashbrook]

I'm not sure that you want to give your wife a metabolic coach. But in the event that you've had that conversation and, like, the vacuum cleaner's off the table, Lumen's the thing for you. So thank you for everybody. Thank you, Luben, for sponsoring this episode. All right, so we love to read the questions of the day, and you always have such good responses, responses to these things. If you recall, on Tuesday, we discussed the Hunter Biden pardon, and the question was, like, why now? I mean, typically presidents, they do, like, the last day and they're out of there, and they, like, don't read the paper for the next 10 years of their life, and so they, like, don't care. But he did this at a very certain time. And we just asked you all what you thought, and I honestly, having read this, I think you kind of captured it in a way that I didn't even imagine. So thank you for that. To do this, you gotta like and subscribe. Like and subscribe. That's how everybody gets to know the Variety program. It's also how we read your comments. And to do that, we always start with a voice.

[Wesley Hunt]

So the first one comes from Daniel Reed and great friend of the program, Daniel Reed. And Daniel writes, why did Joe pardon now? Many reasons. One, practical. He's off on a junket in Africa. Minimal press. Two norms. All politics ends at the water's edge. Hopes not to get asked about it too much. Three, personal. He loves his son and hates his party.

[John Ashbrook]

That's a good 10.

[Wesley Hunt]

That is good. Four, political. If he did it on 120, Fallout could crowd out potential Trump crises. Drop it now and it can't bump an anti Trump story then.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, God, this guy. You know, Daniel's always been very thoughtful this stuff. There's things here.

[Wesley Hunt]

He's got number five, the kicker, Health. The real reason, so that Joe and Hunter would shut up about it.

[John Ashbrook]

It's a mental health. A mental health issue.

[Michael Duncan]

Do you. You think perhaps, you know, Jill or Hunter have Joe breathing into a Lumen like, device every morning to make sure he still has a metabolism? Can you imagine, like, taking a pulse real quick just to make sure he can get this?

[John Ashbrook]

I bet Hunter was on pins and needles every morning. Every morning at Thanksgiving, he's, like, just waiting outside of dad's room.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Wake up, dad.

[Comfortably Smug]

Hey.

[Josh Holmes]

Hey, dad. Dad.

[Michael Duncan]

What's your resting heart rate?

[John Ashbrook]

Wake up.

[Wesley Hunt]

He's probably got an apple watch so that he can dial into it and wake up in the middle of the night and double check that the heartbeat's still moving.

[John Ashbrook]

He's hacked his health metrics. So good. All right, Duncan, what else we got?

[Michael Duncan]

This one is from John Lukex. He says he pardoned Hunter because he's still alive now and may not make it to January 20th. And there's massive bad blood now between Jill and Kamala, so they can't take the chance that she wouldn't follow through with the plan.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, you mean like, he thinks he's going to not make it till January 20? Yeah, that is a morbid take. Morbid, dark, morbid take. I mean, honestly, after watching him wander to the bush in the.

[Comfortably Smug]

In the Amazon. Yeah, this.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I saw.

[Michael Duncan]

I saw him trying to walk on a beach. That gate didn't look strong.

[John Ashbrook]

He's like, no time like the present.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it's like Trump said, I've seen your swing.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, man.

[Michael Duncan]

Low club head speed.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, I like. I've sort of like the Amazon thing reminded me of how I've tried to. In my head, every time he walks off stage, he looks like the last guy in field of dreams walking into the corn, you know what I mean? Where, like, everybody collectively is looking at them like, where are they going? And then all of a sudden, he just vanishes. And you're like, oh, okay. Must be something. I don't know, right? It's just. It's. It's elderly. It's elderly behavior. And that's what we have for President United States. What do we have for comment 3?

[Comfortably Smug]

Comment 3 comes from Jan Hull. They write. Hey, fellas, for starters, anyone who demonstrates the narcissistic qualities Joe Biden displays, there is no love involved in this decision. He did this because he could, and no one can stop him. Why did he do it when he did? I think Jill took his bottle of little blue pills.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, my God.

[Comfortably Smug]

Refused to give them back until he pardoned.

[John Ashbrook]

Wait, hold on. There's a lot there. Can we unpack that for a second? Is there more?

[Comfortably Smug]

My question is, who will be next? I mean, are we sure those aren't Hunter's bottle?

[John Ashbrook]

Well, I mean, hold on. The idea that a man like Joe Biden has little blue pills I think is more than most of us can. I don't even wrap our minds with around.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. Nothing I want to wrap my head around.

[Michael Duncan]

That feels dangerous.

[John Ashbrook]

It does. In his condition, it feels like there's. I mean, that is an explosive situation for more reasons than one.

[Comfortably Smug]

Thank you, Jan. Is that horrific?

[John Ashbrook]

Thank you for ruining the mental headspace of the variety program. So we must play a game.

[Josh Holmes]

Yes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, let's play A game.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

And we've been looking forward to this, just with all the take, you know, in the last week. King of the Hill, we gotta do it today. It's gonna be fantastic.

[John Ashbrook]

It's so good in a post election environment because they've, they've already been broken. Recall if you're a new listener to the program, that this is something where you've got people who position themselves as Republicans or conservatives. They usually are both for the whole entirety of their career. And Trump broke them.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

And not only did they start, you know, just by opposing Trump, but then they reversed every one of their previously held beliefs that they masqueraded, like, as paid people to run campaigns and contributorships and write op eds and like they made a living for the bulk of their lives supporting, quote, unquote, conservative causes. And like Trump broke them to the point where they're just absolutely crazy. And so really, if you think about King of the Hill, the way to think about it is this is a mental health crisis that we're discussing in front of you.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. It's two contestants. It's three rounds. The best take is actually the worst take. And that's the one that wins.

[John Ashbrook]

And that's the one that wins.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

So I'm bailiff.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, I'm judge. And we have our two contestants.

[John Ashbrook]

We started the first two years with you being judged. So this feels like a return to norms, you know, Return to norm. I'm a bailiff. I run a ton tough court. I run a tough.

[Michael Duncan]

You don't actually run the court. The judge does, but.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, no, I do. But I. But I do. In my case, I do.

[Wesley Hunt]

My contestant this week is the reigning champion, Sherry Jacobus.

[Michael Duncan]

Nice. Nice.

[John Ashbrook]

It's almost a cheat code in this environment to have Sher Macheri.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, we'll find out.

[Wesley Hunt]

Smug.

[Comfortably Smug]

I. I'm bringing the publisher of the bull work, Sarah Longwood.

[John Ashbrook]

Wow.

[Michael Duncan]

This is a battle. This is like pay per view fight.

[John Ashbrook]

This, this is.

[Michael Duncan]

You're in for a treat.

[John Ashbrook]

Good.

[Michael Duncan]

Let's go ringside.

[Wesley Hunt]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. It's time for King of the Hill. In the red corner, fighting all of the bulwark.com Sarah Long, not well. And now in the red corner, fighting from her own Twitter account.

[Michael Duncan]

It's great.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, I mean, we've talked a lot about how this is awesome all the time, but like, when you do two of these a week for four years, you know, like, there's great content. We like to have a lot of fun. We would be doing this without Microphones. Yeah, if we didn't have this show. But every once in a while, like when he starts in with the ringside.

[Comfortably Smug]

Thing, I mean, it's amazing show business.

[John Ashbrook]

I just, I'm like, God, this is so great.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Wesley Hunt]

What good fun. What a clean fun.

[John Ashbrook]

What a great show. All right, so as the bailiff, I'll instruct the champion to provide his first exhibit, please.

[Wesley Hunt]

Yes, sir, Mr. Bailiff. The champion is now opening his. His exhibits. And Mr. Spaghetti, would you please place exhibit number seven on the easel? It can happen here. It is happening here.

[John Ashbrook]

What the hell?

[Michael Duncan]

Wow. And the happening is in all caps.

[Wesley Hunt]

It's in all caps. We're not really sure what she's referring to. Assuming it's something to do with Trump. Trump. It's something to do with Trump is actually Hitler. He is literally a fascist. Whatever the broken brain idiots on the left say, she is saying it here free of context as it appears on the screen. But her broken brain followers certainly understand the direction they're receiving from their leader.

[John Ashbrook]

Do we have any understanding of, like, was this a well engaged post? I don't know. We don't. We don't usually post all of that stuff.

[Wesley Hunt]

Your honor, I would be happy to bring you that answer at a later date.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay.

[Comfortably Smug]

All right, so that seems really general. I have a very specific one. Can I please get exhibit number one, Spaghetti? This is Sarah Longwell referring to Scott Jennings, who echoes a point Holmes made earlier this week. When we're talking about the pardon and how people in the White House should resign, namely KJP for lying repeatedly, Scott said that. Let's see if anyone's got enough self respect to resign tomorrow. Sarah Long will. Having zero self awareness says, imagine having so little self respect that you say this with a straight face while defending Trump on TV for a living.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, my God.

[Comfortably Smug]

While justifying Joe Biden repeatedly lying to the American people, saying, oh, I won't pardon Hunter, having his staff go out and say, Biden will not pardon Hunter.

[John Ashbrook]

Did anybody's immediate reaction to that being like, I'm so sorry, I missed that. I would have loved to have been a part of the dunk party on that.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, this is the thing is they. It's not only just a simple mental health crisis, but to have that lack of self awareness to be like, I'm gonna defend Joe Biden by being like, you're a hypocrite. How does that work? How does that even work?

[Michael Duncan]

So you are actually the hypocrite, not Joe Biden. Like, it's like they have zero self awareness, these people.

[Josh Holmes]

Huh.

[Michael Duncan]

So ultimately the decision, though, and they're very different, takes one stripped of any sort of context or mental faculties, containing a lot of capitalization unnecessarily or I'd like.

[John Ashbrook]

Judge?

[Michael Duncan]

Yes.

[John Ashbrook]

Can I interject for a minute? Is there any way in a close period of time to understand either a time of day or a engagement of such a thing? Like, do we have that? We may not have that available if that. I withdraw. But I just think that these kind of things for Spaghetti's purposes may be an important thing to look forward to because I think they provide context when you get something that is context free like this.

[Wesley Hunt]

So if it. If it please the court, what I would suggest is that in future games, we zoom out on our exhibits upon the easel so that you can see time and engagement in each of the photos.

[Michael Duncan]

Okay, I'll consider that in my chambers alone and render my verdict. But I think ultimately where I'm coming down here is the contextlessness. She's talking about fascism. She says fascism is happening in America. She says it in all caps. And for that reason, it. You know, this was a good take, Smug. But it's a take. A lot of the never Trump people have been pushing back on the Hunter Biden thing. This is just a class material from Sherry, My Sherry. She wins round one.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, all right, so we'll go to round two, and we'll go to the challenger. Comfortably smug.

[Comfortably Smug]

Could I please get exhibit three? So this is Sarah Longwell, and you may not have any idea where this is headed. She starts saying Trump is worse is never a good argument to justify bad behavior. Yes, Trump's horrible. That's why we oppose him. In fact, the worse Trump is, the more important it is to hashtag, resist.

[Michael Duncan]

Oh, my God, you got conservative going.

[Comfortably Smug]

Hashtag, resist doing anything that resembles Trump's conduct. Biden knows it's wrong. That's why he committed over and over to not doing it. So you think you know where this is headed? I was like, yeah, Biden is kind of an ass. No, it doesn't make him the same as Trump. It doesn't erase how singularly corrupt Trump's current appointments are. It's simple, simply wrong. And we should say so, lest we forget that right and wrong still exist and awareness of it matters in our President. Trump is actually the bad guy.

[John Ashbrook]

Trump. So Trump is really to blame for the Hunter Biden.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's why.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, right.

[Comfortably Smug]

They have to do this because Trump's bad.

[John Ashbrook]

It's an interesting Take.

[Michael Duncan]

And it's not a take that says, you know, I don't like these picks or these are unqualified picks, or I wish he picked corrupt.

[John Ashbrook]

No, she's saying assumes corrupt and it assumes corruption. It's like, of course we all know they're corrupt. Which is like the one thing nobody's accused. Not none of them.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, the only person being accused of corruption, this entire thing is Joe Biden and Hunter Biden.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, the dude who got the pardon for 10 years.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, she just throws corrupt.

[Michael Duncan]

Just throws a corrupt in there.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, Jesus.

[Wesley Hunt]

As bad as accusing him of. Of corruption is spaghetti. Exhibit 6 will demonstrate how this lunatic takes it to the next level. Trump can't wait to drag a critic into the streets and have, quote, his military shoot them for all to see. Cash Bannon Stone Flynn standing with him, approving the firing squad.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, that's.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. So this is a two round knockout.

[Comfortably Smug]

That's it.

[Josh Holmes]

Sorry.

[John Ashbrook]

Smug.

[Josh Holmes]

Sorry.

[Michael Duncan]

He just, he kept a nuke in his pocket to round two.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, wow.

[John Ashbrook]

I really wish T? Rek would continue. You know, he's kind of fallen off a little bit, but like, I would like to weigh that against all of the nuclear bombs.

[Wesley Hunt]

That might be the hottest take.

[John Ashbrook]

That might be the hottest.

[Wesley Hunt]

That's Sar Bomba.

[John Ashbrook]

That. That is un frickin ra real.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

I wish I had that imagination. I wish Project 2025 had that imagination.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, my God. My.

[Wesley Hunt]

Have his military shoot them for all to see.

[John Ashbrook]

And I love that she throws Ban and Stone and Flynn in there just to keep. You know, it's got to be like a. Maybe a algorithm.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Piece of it.

[Wesley Hunt]

She was a Republican.

[John Ashbrook]

She.

[Wesley Hunt]

She was a Republican at one point.

[John Ashbrook]

My God, what an amazing, amazing deal. Well, you know, not surprisingly, Sherry Mushari.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah. Reigning champion judge.

[Josh Holmes]

Had an easy decision.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, I mean, that's a fair one.

[John Ashbrook]

You cannot argue that easy decision on this one. All right, so remember our question of the day. If Trump decides that $100 billion that we're getting ripped off of by Canada is not going to be settled, he's considering making Canada 51st state. And if he does that, what would you name it?

[Comfortably Smug]

Great question.

[John Ashbrook]

Question of the day, what would you name Canada?

[Michael Duncan]

Land of syrup and poutine.

[John Ashbrook]

Walleye.

[Wesley Hunt]

There you go.

[John Ashbrook]

You know something?

[Wesley Hunt]

Muscalunge Stanley cup runners up.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, man, that's really. That hits the heart.

[Michael Duncan]

Special shout out to all of our listeners up in Alberta. We got a nice.

[John Ashbrook]

We do have a good crew of Alberta listeners. And I'm sorry, that we're having to do this to you because I know you, like, take a lot of pride in your country, but it is what it is. It is what it is.

[Michael Duncan]

Just some goofs.

[John Ashbrook]

Yep. Just some goose. We're having fun. That's what we do in the Variety program. Remember? Like and subscribe. Like and subscribe. That's how everybody gets to see this thing. That's how we read your stuff and check out our new merch while you're there.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Do we still have. We talked about in this episode, the charges?

[Michael Duncan]

I think those are still in the store.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

And what's the URL for that?

[Michael Duncan]

It is store. Ruthlesspodcast.com or just go to ruthlesspodcast.com you'll see it there in the navigation.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, in the navigation because we talked about Disney adults, and if you are standing against Disney adults, you need one of those.

[Michael Duncan]

And if you somehow missed the. The new merchants in the store from the Tuesday episode. We've got golf balls, folks, and we still have the napkins, and they're. I mean, they're flying off the shelves like, like hotcakes. I can't paint them fast enough.

[John Ashbrook]

No, no, Your. Your, your brush has been whittling.

[Michael Duncan]

I'm getting carpal tunnel.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

We're going to need to look at our health insurance for next year for my, my wrists.

[John Ashbrook]

We don't cover it.

[Michael Duncan]

Okay, I'm getting cobra.

[John Ashbrook]

But keep at it, old man. Keep at it. We got to get the people what they want.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

So check out all of that. And with that, thank you for joining us. It's a holiday season. Everybody's enjoying themselves. So we're having fun. You're having fun. Let's keep having fun together all the way through this thing with that smug. I think we did it.

[Comfortably Smug]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much, Congressman Wesley Hunt, and thank you so much to the listeners. Like Holmes said, like and subscribe. So until next time, minions, keep the faith, hold the line, and own the libs. We'll see you on Tuesday. Stay ruthless.

[Josh Holmes]

Hey, music fans, there are some great concerts headed this way. 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.

[John Ashbrook]

That's livenation.com.