What This Journalist's Stunning Career Change Reveals About The Media

Summary

Ruthless Podcast Episode Summary

Title: What This Journalist's Stunning Career Change Reveals About The Media
Release Date: May 6, 2025
Hosts: Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook

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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 intriguing career shift of a Democratic journalist, Hannah Trudeau, and explore the broader implications of journalists transitioning into political roles. The discussion highlights systemic biases within mainstream media, the revolving door between journalism and politics, and the resulting impact on public trust and media integrity.

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The Revolving Door: Journalists Becoming Politicians

Hannah Trudeau’s Transition

The episode kicks off with Josh Holmes introducing Hannah Trudeau, a former senior political correspondent at The Hill, who has announced her candidacy for Congress in New Hampshire's First District. Holmes remarks, "What she said, I think reveals more about the modern state of reporters who are given a beat to cover Democrats than anything" (00:00).

Key Points:

• Hannah Trudeau describes herself as "a journalist who's tired of writing the same story about how Democrats keep losing to Republicans and failing us" (00:00).
• The hosts discuss Trudeau’s background and her rapid shift from journalism to running for office, questioning the authenticity and motivations behind such moves.

Notable Quote: Michael Duncan asserts, "sometimes we get tired of Dems losing, so we just have to run" (00:39), highlighting a perceived bias driving journalists to seek political office.

Historical Examples

John Ashbrook references Jay Carney and Nick Kristof as notable journalists who transitioned into political roles, emphasizing that Trudeau's move is part of a well-established trend rather than an isolated incident (20:25).

Notable Quote: Josh Holmes observes, "Jay Carney just pulled out that cover of Time magazine where Barack Obama had a halo over his head and was like, this is my... This is his resume." (20:38), critiquing the seamless transition from journalism to politics.

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Mainstream Media Bias and Lack of Diversity of Thought

Mainstream Media's Alignment with the Democratic Party

The hosts argue that mainstream media outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post are inherently biased towards the Democratic Party, citing their coverage styles and editorial decisions.

Key Points:

• The dismissal of The Hill as a niche publication with limited influence outside Washington, D.C.
• Criticism of NPR’s shift towards progressive storytelling, exemplified by bizarre headlines such as "Cannibalism, it's Perfectly Natural" and "Healthism is the Cousin of Diet Culture," suggesting a departure from traditional journalistic standards (25:16).

Notable Quote: Comfortably Smug emphasizes, "They do not deserve to be paid by the taxpayers," in reference to NPR’s controversial editorial choices (27:04).

The Lack of Countervailing Opinions

Josh Holmes points out that Hannah Trudeau’s statements lack genuine opposition, stating, "there is nothing countervailing. It is the absolute definition of the status quo" (15:00), reinforcing the notion that mainstream journalism fails to present balanced perspectives.

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The Impact of Media Bias on Public Trust

Public Perception and Media Manipulation

The discussion highlights how biased reporting and the lack of diverse viewpoints in mainstream media erode public trust and drive audiences towards independent and conservative media outlets like the Ruthless Podcast.

Key Points:

• The success of Fox News as a result of disillusionment with mainstream media.
• The role of independent media in providing unfiltered and unbiased news coverage.

Notable Quote: Josh Holmes critiques, "truth no matter what, and independent and fearless truth. And what's happened over the last 20 years is that journalism is only a version of the truth that fits like this progressive worldview" (31:36).

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Audience Engagement: Improving Trump’s Poll Numbers

Listener Feedback

The hosts engage with audience comments, discussing strategies to improve former President Trump's polling numbers. Suggestions include successful tariff negotiations, creating new jobs, and tempering international remarks to reduce backlash (35:32).

Key Points:

• Lowering tariffs to boost American products and job creation.
• Addressing international relations tactfully to maintain alliances.

Notable Quote: Michael Duncan responds enthusiastically, "like if she puts a camo hat on, she could probably get elected" (35:32), reflecting on the perceived superficial solutions to political challenges.

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Goat of the Week: Tennessee ICE Operations

Immigrant Enforcement in Nashville

The podcast covers a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Nashville, spotlighting the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s coordinated traffic stops and the resulting community backlash.

Key Points:

• Approximately 150 traffic stops conducted in Nolensville Road, South Nashville.
• Accusations of profiling and discrimination from immigrant advocates.
• A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper is highlighted for his role, symbolizing law enforcement efforts to enhance community safety.

Notable Quote: Comfortably Smug praises the trooper, stating, "This guy should be celebrated. This is exactly what you want in America" (63:12).

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Florida Man’s Triple Betrayal: A Case of Bigamy

Henry Betsy Jr.’s Offenses

The hosts discuss the arrest of Henry Betsy Jr., a Florida man charged with bigamy for maintaining three simultaneous marriages across different counties. The narrative explores his manipulative tactics, including leveraging dating apps to deceive and exploit recently divorced women.

Key Points:

• Betsy’s use of platforms like Bumble and Tinder to engage multiple women.
• Rapid escalation of relationships leading to joint bank accounts and subsequent domestic violence.
• The logistical and psychological stress of maintaining multiple marriages.

Notable Quote: John Ashbrook humorously critiques, "Like, what do you do on Valentine's Day? Oh, when they all want to go out to dinner and you want to buy the chocolates. You got to buy the flowers." (68:35), illustrating the impracticality of his deceptive practices.

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Conclusion

The Ruthless Podcast episode provides a comprehensive critique of the media landscape, spotlighting the problematic trend of journalists entering political arenas, the inherent biases within mainstream media, and the consequences for public trust. By examining specific cases like Hannah Trudeau’s career shift, the hosts argue for the necessity of independent conservative media in offering balanced and truthful reporting. Listener engagement further underscores the podcast’s role in shaping and reflecting conservative viewpoints.

Final Notable Quote: Josh Holmes concludes, "Can you relate? Do you think any one of these people, like, take a look at Ella Imhoff. Does she look like somebody who you're gonna hang out with on Friday night after a tough week of work?" (57:55), encapsulating the disconnect between mainstream media figures and the average American.

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Disclaimer: This summary is based on the provided transcript and aims to accurately reflect the discussions and viewpoints expressed by the hosts of the Ruthless Podcast episode titled "What This Journalist's Stunning Career Change Reveals About The Media."

Transcript

[Josh Holmes]

What she said, I think reveals more about the modern state of reporters who are given a beat to cover Democrats than anything. In that she says she describes herself as a, quote, a journalist who's tired of writing the same story about how Democrats keep losing to Republicans and failing us.

[Michael Duncan]

Think about that. So here's the thing is if you talk to a journalist, they'll tell you, listen, we are completely unbiased. We're saving demise, democracy, you know, just trying to bring the absolute truth to the American people. And here's the thing is, sometimes we get tired of Dems losing, so we.

[John Ashbrook]

Just have to run.

[Josh Holmes]

Like, think about that.

[John Ashbrook]

He's Donald Trump's number one enemy in Congress. Chicago Senator Dick Durbin. And now Dick Durbin has a new scheme, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, consumers have thousands of choices in credit cards, all with equal strong security. But Durbin's plan is less competition and less security. And that means more risk for your credit and your identity. Tell Republicans in Congress, stop Dick Durbin's takeover of your credit card before it's too late.

[Comfortably Smug]

Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please.

[Michael Duncan]

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

[Comfortably Smug]

It's time for our main event.

[Josh Holmes]

Welcome back to the ruthless Friday program. Good Tuesday to you. I'm Josh Holmes along with comfortably smug Michael Duncan. John Ashbrook, left to right across your radio dial. We're getting into a whole bunch of things here. A big show in front of you. I think if I'm just sort of distilling this down in one way or another, what I'm looking at is journos in the far left. There's a nexus.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, who'd have guessed? Who could have guessed?

[Josh Holmes]

That is once again sort of shown itself here to the outside world in very hysterical ways. I mean, very hysterical ways. And if you're looking at whether it's the first story we're going to cover about a journo who's like, I would say a second tier journo. Well, probably not somebody you've ever heard of.

[Comfortably Smug]

But of course there's a great history there of Democrats becoming journos, journos becoming Democrats. And we all knew all along that's the same thing.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, we play an entire game called Demer Journal. Because nobody knows.

[Josh Holmes]

Because nobody knows.

[Michael Duncan]

So good.

[Josh Holmes]

And so we've got one of those. Somebody who's running for office yet in the litany in the history of journalism becoming Democratic politicians or operatives. And then we've got this fabulous New Yorker story. It highlights. Well, I think it's Notable New Yorkers, which is. If you listen to the ruthless Variety program over any period of time, what you've come to notice is that we've sort of caricatured who is the modern left. Like, who is the Democratic Party. Well, look no further than the New Yorker. They've done it for you.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, it's like a cheat sheet for all of the worst people who run the party that fails all the time, you know?

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, totally.

[John Ashbrook]

And you'll see why when we show you all these photos.

[Josh Holmes]

And we're gonna have a lot of laughs. We've got some variety of. Go to the Week, which is our segment here. I love this one. And then there's some variety here. And I'm. This is a smug breakout.

[Michael Duncan]

A lot of good stuff.

[John Ashbrook]

You're gonna love it.

[Josh Holmes]

Smug. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you're just gonna love it. Smug doesn't even know what we're talking.

[Michael Duncan]

I can't wait. I can't wait.

[Josh Holmes]

But he's gonna be served up some. Some hot. Serving it up. Hot.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, let's start with the journos. All right, so what we're talking about is a Playbook Mansion, which is, of course, a failing publication here in Washington, D.C. politico, that is dealing with. They for years were founded by Jim Vanaheim, Mike Allen, all these things. It became like a tip sheet for everybody in Washington, D.C. who is interested in federal politics, White House, House, Senate. And it was a must read for many years. It's become less so. I think we can all agree on that. But they highlight certain humorous aspects of things, and it's unintentional humor in many ways. Well, this one is first in Playbook. Hannah Trudeau, the former senior political correspondent at the Hill. It's exploring a campaign for Congress as a Democrat in New Hampshire's first District. Now, isn't that the district where the current press secretary sure is.

[John Ashbrook]

Right?

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it sure is. It's, you know, it's a district that a Republican could win under the right circumstances, but over and over again, over the last few cycles, it has gone blue.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, well, Anna Marin writes in Playbook. Billing herself is a, quote, fourth generation Granite Stater who grew up working class. Okay, that's an interesting take. Trudeau tells Playbook she moved back home after Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas opened up the seat by announcing a Senate bid. Her byline last ran in the Hill on March 7. Also seems like the right cadence for a political reporter these days. March 7th. Probably not expecting anything anytime soon.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, I mean, it's just we've seen so many cases of this and the outrage that the left and journalists try to feign when you're like, you know, we have a game called Dem or Journal. They're like, oh, come on, that's a little out of pocket. We're not the same thing, guys. And then you're like, you go an article on March 7th to like a month later. Well, you know, I'm a Dem now.

[John Ashbrook]

I'm just running as an elector.

[Josh Holmes]

Just so happened I found a different calling.

[Michael Duncan]

This comes a surprise because I'm usually, you know, very unbiased kind of person. Now I'm running as a Democrat. You'd never expect it. You know, I never had these beliefs as a far lefty before today when I'm announcing.

[Josh Holmes]

But it's hysterically consistent which we're gonna get into that each and every. So we've talked about how journos in and of themselves may or may not start left or right. They may actually get into journalism for one way or another. But then you get into the college experience which of course every journalism school of any sort of award winning, sort of top tier teaches them. Left wing journalism.

[Michael Duncan]

Yep.

[Josh Holmes]

But then you get out of it and you're immediately in a newsroom with assignment editors and everybody else who begins to sort of school you in the ways of politics, which of course are not keeping an open mind to anything center right.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah. The understanding of newsroom politics is an understanding of DNC politics. You know, like it is a who is further left. Every single story, every single day is like a primary on the Democrat side.

[John Ashbrook]

It'S not, you know, like academia. And then being thrust into the D.C. media scene is basically just grooming for the future Democratic Party. It's just like a farm system. It is for radical left wing politics.

[Josh Holmes]

They see it as one of the same in many ways, which is, look, this is a critique. This is why you listen to the ruthless Variety program. We've dealt with these people for long enough to know that your mainstream sort of like establishment Democratic Party and journalism are all the same. Like they work together. Now you could get further left and there is a huge advocacy component funded by the Alex Soros's and all of that. They're in the progressive left that sort of envelop a little bit more of the left where you don't find any of that on the, on the right. But the mainstream reporter, if you're a Washington Post reporter or a New York Times reporter, what you've been brought up in and how you earned your slot in one of those two places is to basically be establishment friendly on the Democrat side.

[Comfortably Smug]

I would argue that in the off years, the odd years, non election years, I would argue that they are further left and that they are trying to move their party to the left. And then in on years, even years, they start talking more like establishment Democrats to try to drive up the vote. And here, here's an example, like, oh, this is a picture. So this is the, this is the Democrat. This is Hannah Trudeau.

[Michael Duncan]

This is the working class Democrat. So I mean, real quickly I just had some friends who work in research on the Republican side who are pointing out that like up until this announcement that essentially she'll be running, her accounts are basically just like Vogue photo shoots, like just covered in gold and all the Vogue fashion you could imagine. And now that she's gonna run as a working class Granite Stater, boy, those images.

[John Ashbrook]

Smug. I have something on that. Okay. And we can probably put it in in post. But I, you know, I noticed this as well, that in this announcement, a fourth generation Granite Stater who grew up working class. And you know, if you click on one of the top links on Hannah Trudeau, you'll be sent to an Instagram of this photographer, this photographer, Lena Nicole. Okay, maybe I have that right. Maybe I have that wrong. Another picture here of Hannah Trudeau. We can put this up in Post, but from this Instagram it says, I had the pleasure of photographing Hannah Trudeau, a political journalist at the Hill photographing. And it's a lovely photo tagged from Manhattan. Oh, New York.

[Josh Holmes]

Interesting.

[Michael Duncan]

As a working class Granite State, definitely.

[John Ashbrook]

One of the most unique homes I've photographed in the city.

[Comfortably Smug]

Amazing.

[Michael Duncan]

Wait, that was house amazing right here.

[Josh Holmes]

Fourth generation Granite Stater.

[Comfortably Smug]

This goes to the point I was making that in the odd years Democrats are in, the media are moving further and further left. In the even years, they try to act like normal people. And I would bet you that she's going to put on a camo hat just like Tim Walls. You didn't see a camo hat in that picture. Either of those pictures you saw earlier.

[John Ashbrook]

We're going to see duck hunting photos with the break action shotgun.

[Comfortably Smug]

She's, she's going to be talking about the season is something that matters to her.

[Michael Duncan]

I noticed her photo went from like a Vogue photo shoot, her profile photo, to like a childhood photo of her raising the American flag with her dad. And I was like, okay, here we go, here we go. It begins the whole thing that the Democrats have to do, like we saw this with the Tim Walls thing is they tried to dupe the American people into being like, I'm one of you. I'm not a nut job. I mean, our next segment's really going to highlight that.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, just calling that job. Just calling balls and strikes here as a journal.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Still unbiased journal, you know, But I think it goes to a larger point about the ethos of how you get information. One of the reasons why you listen to the Ruthless Variety program is what we're talking about is not a far separation from the base of progressive leftism and the base of what is modern journalism here in the United States. And they seem to have the same value structure where, like, can you imagine? First of all, this gal's title is a former senior political correspondent at the Hill. All right? I'm not here to denigrate the Hill. Hill is a fine publication, fairly niche. I'm guaranteeing you that most of you that are not in Washington, D.C. has never read an article from the Hill.

[Comfortably Smug]

It's called the Hill.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, the Hill is there to cover Capitol Hill and many little different nuances of it, but it's not like a formidable sort of breaker of. Of news in many forms and fashions. What it is is basically like they used to do the. What was the Hot List or whatever.

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

They do do that.

[Comfortably Smug]

They used to do. I don't think they do it not.

[Michael Duncan]

To get rid of it.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, it was unacceptable.

[Comfortably Smug]

The wokes killed it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, well, they hated it in the. In the turn in. What was it like, the MeToo movement, where they're like.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, they're the one damn thing they.

[Josh Holmes]

Did well objectifying people because they made, like here the hottest Capitol Hill staffers, which I found to be a great service in many ways. But this was something that they did away with.

[Michael Duncan]

Take Kennedy, too. He was like, boy from the grave. He still misses it.

[Josh Holmes]

Now, I'm not saying there are many, many talented journalists who got a start at the Hill, got a chance to get to know Capitol Hill leaders and report important stories. There are some that are sort of talented folks there now. But this is not somebody. This is not Woodward and Bernstein that we're dealing with here. And yet she is posing for, like, Vogue style.

[Michael Duncan]

I mean, it's something else.

[John Ashbrook]

I guess what I would say, just to take it even broader than that, Holmes is like, what does it say about the state of the Democratic Party in 2025 that to, you know, win in New Hampshire, their calling up, you know, a political reporter from Capitol Hill to parachute back into the state and like that's the future of the Democratic Party also.

[Michael Duncan]

Reporting on the Hill from Manhattan is wild. I mean there's so much about this that's just like the more layers you peel away, the more apparent it becomes that the Democrat party is like, okay, so now you have to live in proximity of Alex Soros penthouse to have a shot to Rosa office to begin with. Even if you're ostensibly a journo writing about Capitol Hill, you still gotta be Manhattan based.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Unbelievable.

[Josh Holmes]

What she said, I think reveals more about the modern state of reporters who are given a beat to cover Democrats than anything. And then she says, she describes herself as a quote, a journalist who's tired of writing the same story about how Democrats keep losing to Republicans and failing us.

[Michael Duncan]

Think about that.

[John Ashbrook]

That is the role of journalism.

[Josh Holmes]

She says, I'm used to disrupting the status quo in D.C. unquote. Really? I mean, to be honest with you, I've never heard of this person disrupting the status. In order to disrupt anything, don't you have to be sort of notable controversial at some level? Yeah, I've never heard of this person.

[John Ashbrook]

What is the countervailing opinion that Hannah Trudeau has published here?

[Josh Holmes]

But that's the point is that there is nothing countervailing. It is the absolute definition of the status quo. Cuz there's no real difference between what this person said they did for a living and being a Democratic politician.

[Michael Duncan]

So here's the thing is if you talk to a journalist, they'll tell you, listen, we are completely unbiased, we're saving democracy, you know, just trying to bring the absolute truth to the American people. And here's the thing is sometimes we get tired of Dems losing, so we.

[Josh Holmes]

Just have to run. Like, think about that.

[Michael Duncan]

Like that is such a, just like a mask off moment of being like, I was sick of rioting, Democrats lost that. I'm like, you know what, I'm just gonna be honest. I'm gonna do it myself.

[Josh Holmes]

I'm gonna cover you assholes making all these mistakes. And you know what? I'm just not gonna make those mistakes.

[Michael Duncan]

You're like, how many stories we have to write to try and help you idiots and you still can't do it. I'm just gonna run.

[Josh Holmes]

I've lived it, I've covered it and I know how to beat the odds. She said, a veteran of the Hill, an alum of the Daily Beast and Politico.

[Michael Duncan]

Well, I mean, that's the thing is she will, you know, do her best to beat the odds. No one expects, you know, a Manhattanite to get elected from New Hampshire, but she'll give it a shot.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, Hannah Trudeau, I mean, she can.

[Michael Duncan]

Report about Capitol Hill from Manhattan. Why can't she run for Congress in New Hampshire for Manhattan?

[Comfortably Smug]

You know, it's funny, she is not the first Democrat to be in this situation or the first journalist.

[Josh Holmes]

We've got a long list. We've got a long list. We're gonna get to all of that and reveal a little more about the state of the American media right after this. The Biden pill penalty is crippling the development of life saving drugs for cancer, Alzheimer's and other deadly diseases. It's already slashed funding for pill based medicines by 70%. Thankfully, President Trump is leading the fight to end the Biden pill penalty. President Trump's plan will unleash innovation, lower costs, and save American lives. Call Congress, tell them to stand with President Trump and include a repeal of the Biden pill penalty in the budget reconciliation bill. Okay, so, I mean, look, there's no. We talked a little bit about this, this Laney Hannah Trudeau and how she's migrated from a quote unquote political journalist to being part of the Democratic Party. So we thought that maybe this was a good opportunity to sort of like open the aperture and look a little bit about the revolving door. That is.

[Michael Duncan]

That is something, man. When there's now a journal revolving door of Dem politicians. Like, what that they try to give us such a hard time for? Denver journal. I think about it every time we come across these, we come across journals in the wild. And of course, Ash Brook starts chatting with his friends. He's like, where's the next Georgetown cocktail party? You know, let me know about that. And then these journals give me a hard time. They're like, smug. You always attack us. You hold us accountable. You say Denver Journal. You play that game. You and Duncan laugh at us. We're just unbiased people here.

[John Ashbrook]

That's exactly what happens.

[Michael Duncan]

Always happens.

[Josh Holmes]

Is there any rejoinder there, Johnny, or are we gonna let that sit?

[Comfortably Smug]

I have no rejoinder. Let it sit.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, I mean, look, it goes to the point that you've all known. I mean, we've watched the coverage of cbs, abc, NBC, obviously, mn, MSNBC and CNN over the course of the last election and how it's bled into this year. And you're like, oh, my God, like, this is a dying industry, as we've all covered. But, like, objectively speaking, you're not in a silo if you believe that this is like one of life's real outrages in terms of the information flow that gets to American voter, that gets to the public, which is of course the definition of why you have like network news or heaven forbid, NPR publicly funded news, which by the way, Trump administration is going to do away with at some level, at least the public funding of it. But you look back at. Remember Uriel Berliner.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

We were talking about when he talked about how there was just like a massive rigid, progressive ideology to quote unquote within his newsroom.

[Michael Duncan]

It's NPR. Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

And talked about how like 90 plus percent of the people were either identified as Democrats or had contributed to Democrats in a publicly funded news environment.

[Comfortably Smug]

Right. And he was run out of the building for having the temerity to say that there's zero variety of thought in this place and that we are headed for the dumps because everybody has the exact same point of view and we're writing stories that nobody cares to read. And I think that NPR deserves everything they're gonna get. They do not deserve to be paid by the taxpayers. I don't know if you guys saw the White house rapid response. Trump, 47 has a Twitter account. It is very good.

[Michael Duncan]

It's great. They are awesome.

[Comfortably Smug]

I would encourage everybody listening here to go back and look at that thread of some of the greatest hits of NPR stories.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, it was amazing.

[Comfortably Smug]

You wouldn't believe it. And you're paying for this.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

It truly is remarkable. But if you look at this revolving door that we're discussing, Hannah Trudeau is not breaking a glass ceiling here. No, this has been well established. Jay Carney. Anybody remember Jay Carney?

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Now he's like a master of corporate America, but he was a Time magazine reporter before he was tapped to be the Obama press secretary.

[Michael Duncan]

Amazing.

[Josh Holmes]

Do you imagine what it would take?

[Comfortably Smug]

You think there was a lengthy onboarding process? You think he was just like, no, no, no, no. Your politics, trust me.

[Josh Holmes]

No, no. Perfect fit, perfect.

[Michael Duncan]

He's like, how can I communicate the left's ideas? Listen, I've been a journalist at times. I'm going to have to get a lot of training for this.

[Comfortably Smug]

Like, feel free to vet me. I think what you'll find you'll be.

[John Ashbrook]

Quite pretty easy onboarding process.

[Josh Holmes]

He's like, here's a better way to tell the bullshit story that you guys are telling because I've actually put pen to paper on all of this. Nick Kristof, New York Times. Formerly a very well known journalist, he ran for Governor of Oregon, unsuccessful.

[Comfortably Smug]

Which party did he run as?

[Josh Holmes]

Well, it turns out, not to be surprised. The Democratic Party.

[Comfortably Smug]

Okay, okay. You never know. You never know.

[Josh Holmes]

One that really burned me because it came back to our efforts. When I was on Capitol Hill with Johnny, we were trying to kill Obamacare and we were throwing everything at the wall. But you recall at the time, Republicans were irrelevant. We had 40 votes, 40 in the United States Senate, in massive minority in the House. And so Democrats could basically do anything they wanted, provided they all stuck together. Well, there was a handful of journalists that were covering that debate on a day to day basis and they knew exactly what was happening. And the fair minded ones knew that we were making a lot of headway. The American people did not want it, were very concerned about being thrown off their plans, despite the President's promises that if you like your plan, you can keep it. Which turned out to be the lie.

[Comfortably Smug]

Of the total liar.

[Josh Holmes]

And all of this revolving around all that. And there was one reporter in the middle of it that was smart and she knew the specifics of the bill and would rely on it for much of her column to sort of make it more boring that you could buy. She ignored the process component and the politics of it and like just got like delved into the details of it, but always to the point where you could write a headline that we're sort of urging Democrats to get this done. Right. Despite the fact that like 60, 70% of the American people didn't want any part of it. She was always sort of. And I couldn't figure it out. I mean, we took every single run that we could think of at her and she was very nice, like a good, nice, agreeable, decent person. You felt like you were making a lot of headway and yet the end product was always the same. And about three months after Obamacare passed, well, she signed on to be the senior advisor to Barack Obama and I think a communications director for Joe Biden. That was Shayla Murray, who was at the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and others.

[Comfortably Smug]

Dam or journo? Nobody knows.

[Josh Holmes]

Nobody knows. But you know, you like in your mind, you think back, it's like how much of this was just like a job addition, like audition?

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, it was in an interview process. Like, what can I get past the editors of my publication to sort of like push the ball down the road? I don't know, but you probably have to ask Jen Psaki.

[John Ashbrook]

Do you, do you, before we get to Jen Psaki, do you think like in his interview, Jay Carney just pulled out that cover of Time magazine where Barack Obama had a halo over his head and was like, this is my.

[Josh Holmes]

That's his resume.

[Comfortably Smug]

My name is tv.

[Michael Duncan]

Here's what I can do for you guys.

[Josh Holmes]

This is what I can do because.

[John Ashbrook]

It is a job. It is a job audition.

[Josh Holmes]

For sure. It is. Well, if you're getting to the point, I mean, this is the major leagues. This is the highest point you can get in politics. You've never done a lick of work in either political communications or, like, an operative deal unless they have at some point settled on the fact that maybe your job experience is directly applicable.

[Michael Duncan]

And I mean, like, just think about it in this way. So it says this Hannah Trudeau, her Last article was March 7th. Now she's running as a Democrat. Do you think on March 6, when she was calling Republicans for comment, she was giving them a fair shot?

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, no.

[Michael Duncan]

Did something magical happen in 24 hours that transformed her from a completely unbiased defender of democracy, just the truth, nothing but the truth, into I'm running as a Democrat?

[Josh Holmes]

Well, the integrity of the job.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Smug. I mean, it's very important. This.

[Michael Duncan]

It's just insane.

[Josh Holmes]

Lady clearly takes that very seriously.

[Comfortably Smug]

So I have. I remember I mentioned the. All the NPR headlines. I have a few of those. Would you like to hear them now or should we wait till we get through? Jen Psaki.

[Josh Holmes]

No, I'd like to hear them.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, I'd like to hear him now.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

This thread was. This is the rapid account that Trump runs, right? The 47 1.

[Comfortably Smug]

NPR, Manny loves Cayenne. Plus five facts about queer Animals for Valentine's Day.

[John Ashbrook]

Come on.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is npr. You're paying.

[Michael Duncan]

You're paying for this.

[Comfortably Smug]

You're paying for this.

[Josh Holmes]

NPR ran a story titled Queer Animals.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, they're into it. They're into it.

[Josh Holmes]

What is that? Gay animals.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I.

[Comfortably Smug]

You know what? I didn't click through because I was afraid of what that might do to my algorithm. But I will tell you, take your word for it, it's not something I would have clicked if I came across it by happenstance. Let me read you another one. NPR ran a story titled, quote, cannibalism, it's Perfectly Natural, in which the author describes eating another human's placenta. No, you're paying for this.

[Josh Holmes]

No, like, just think about what a newsroom looks like to be, like, green lights.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. Can you imagine the pitch? Meeting with the whole editorial department?

[Comfortably Smug]

You're peg. And then 2022. This is just a couple years ago. NPR scrapped Its decades long Independence Day tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence on air to instead discuss equality.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

They subsequently issued an editor's note warning that the Declaration of Independence is a document that contains offensive language.

[Michael Duncan]

No, think about that. I'm just. I saw that.

[Josh Holmes]

That's for real.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, their account put that out. NPR or the Rapid. The Trump Rapid account had the screenshots and everything. Because I couldn't believe it, I went and I looked at it. Npr, they added an editor's note saying that, hey, the Declaration of, of Independence is racist and offensive. I'm being dead serious.

[John Ashbrook]

If journalism, if journalism thinks the Declaration of Independence needs a trigger warning, it's not going to make it.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just not going to make it.

[Comfortably Smug]

NPR educated the nation on the, quote, whole community of genderqueer dinosaur enthusiasts and quote, trans ceratops.

[Michael Duncan]

No way.

[Comfortably Smug]

I mean, like, you're paying for this.

[Josh Holmes]

Wait, dude, are you make. This is for real.

[Comfortably Smug]

This is real. I'm reading this.

[Michael Duncan]

It's not enough that they stop getting tax money. They need to be put in jail. Like, that's the thing. Like, we're way past the, like, you don't get any more checks point.

[Comfortably Smug]

NPR assigned three reporters to investigate how the thumbs up emoji is racist.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, my God.

[Comfortably Smug]

Here's another one. And I'll just close with this one. NPR reported on, quote, the cousin of diet culture known as healthism, which is the idea that we have to be healthy, as if it's a bad thing. Healthism. You don't want to be healthy. That's a problem. This is a publicly funded institution. It needs to be defunded. Yeah, they want to get money from the Ford C. Frick foundation or wherever they're getting money from. More power to them. But it shouldn't come from people who are out there busting their ass every single day.

[Michael Duncan]

That's the thing.

[Comfortably Smug]

And handing half of it to the government.

[Michael Duncan]

It's so offensive to know that your money is being stolen from you and to fund that kind of trash. Unbelievable.

[Josh Holmes]

I will say the fats have had a real shortage of messaging.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, right.

[Josh Holmes]

And if they can't, if they can't count on publicly funded airways, where are they gonna get it?

[Michael Duncan]

It's unbelievable.

[Josh Holmes]

You know, I mean, the fats need representation.

[John Ashbrook]

I think the only dinosaur my son does not know is the transceratops. I mean, he knows every dinosaur.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, you're raising him. Well, listen, there's more. John Avalon. You guys remember that guy?

[Comfortably Smug]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

So we, we toyed around with Doing like a full episode on this dude. He was an anchor at CNN who was supposed to be sort of like a dispassionate, nonpartisan, not terribly political guy who hosted a news program on cnn. But every episode that you ever did anywhere around him, and I did a fair share over the years, like he just had a very partisan point of view. Well, it turns out in 2024 he decided to file paperwork to run as a House Democrat. Got beat in a primary, by the way.

[John Ashbrook]

Hilarious. Even Dems don't like journeys.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, but we mentioned Jen Psaki. I mean, look, that speaks for itself. Lawrence O'Donnell. I don't know if you guys know he's alleged aide to Senator Moynihan along with, you know, I mean, there's a lot of people in that era and then Stephanopoulos, who's sort of like the.

[Michael Duncan]

Poster child for it.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, it was like the poster child. If you've never seen the amount of work that he put in to try to get President Bill Clinton elected and then immediately turn around and try to be a nonpartisan host of a news program on abc, you're crazy. Like that is. It's like the poster child for a next generation that doesn't actually know the backstory of who this guy is. But then you see him interview people every Sunday on from the Trump administration. You're like, oh yeah, of course. And if anything, he's gotten worse because he indoctrinated in a New York left wing view of news and information.

[John Ashbrook]

That's why I always think it's so funny when the media is like, Donald Trump is trying to silence his political opponents. And it's like, bro, you are his political opponent. You are on broadcast television.

[Josh Holmes]

You are.

[John Ashbrook]

What are you talking about?

[Josh Holmes]

You're it. You're in. And so like we've talked a lot about this on this show, about how there's a difference between reporting inconvenient facts that you'd prefer not to be out there and sort of harm your narrative one way or another. And that's like the basis of journalism. Truth no matter what, and independent and fearless truth. And what's happened over the last 20 years is that journalism is only a version of the truth that fits like this progressive worldview that can help spin to the American public something that benefits the Democratic Party. And that's. We just don't find it. That's why people are actually surging towards independent media. It's why like Fox News has got record ratings, because you can't, if you wanna know what's happening? You can't trust. I mean, they're all filing for office.

[Michael Duncan]

It's unbelievable. And again, the public has called them out on being biased for years. And these journalists have been saying the public is stupid, that, oh, you're in your own information silos. And it can't get any clearer than when they're just filing for office to run as a Democrat. Like, what more can they do to broadcast? Yes, we are insanely partisan.

[Josh Holmes]

Can we get one more look at Hannah Trudeau?

[Michael Duncan]

Just working class.

[Josh Holmes]

Just a working class gal. You know, she's just, I look forward.

[John Ashbrook]

To seeing her in camo and waiters upcoming campaign ad.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, she's, she looks like she's wearing a Christmas, like tablecloth.

[Michael Duncan]

Is that Manhattan?

[John Ashbrook]

It's the dress version of a doily.

[Josh Holmes]

It is. And just sort of humbly staring out the window anyway, so, you know, best of luck. Good news is for all of you, record numbers of people are tuning into programs like this and not getting their information from people like that. And for all of that, I'd like you to like and subscribe at this point. Make sure you become a part of our community here at the Ruthless Variety program. We will not let you down. If anybody files for office, it certainly isn't going to be comfortably smug. Who's got a rat sheet a mile long. And Duncan is way too outspoken. Ashbrook at the end never survive a primary. So I think we're all safe here. Yeah, I think we're all safe here. Anyway, up next, your comments from last episode. We asked, how does Trump get back to 50%? We were noting some polls from the previous week that had a lot to do with the economic condition and the perception of that in this community. And we're going to get to your responses right after this.

[Comfortably Smug]

Hardworking Americans know when it's time to roll up our sleeves and get the job done. Now is the time to unleash our.

[Josh Holmes]

Nation'S energy, to create jobs, secure our future, and make life better, more affordable.

[Comfortably Smug]

And full of opportunity for all Americans. That's the power of America's oil and natural gas.

[Josh Holmes]

Learn [e-mail] paid for by the American Petroleum Institute.

[John Ashbrook]

You did all the right things. You worked hard. You, you worked your way up and you invested your money in a 401k or other retirement plan. Your future is all set, right? Wrong. The retirement system as we know it is currently under attack from misguided policymakers in D.C. the Trump tax cuts are set to expire this year, renewing them will be a big fight in Congress. Right now, the tax code protects 401ks IRAs and other plans that help you save. Some people want to change that. Your representatives in Congress must protect the tax advantages that more than 100 million Americans rely on to save for retirement. You deserve policies that build on the current retirement system to secure your financial future, not jeopardize it. If Americans know one thing, it's resilience. To stay resilient, we need immediate action from our leaders. Head to helpusretire.org to take action and reach out to your representatives in Congress. Today Help Us Retire is sponsored by the Investment Company Institute, representing asset managers serving individual investors.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, are your comments from last episode. We talked a little bit about the poll numbers and how Trump gets back to 50 plus one, where he was early on in this term and has taken a little bit of a hit because of the economy, some perceptions of the economy. But we asked you, and we always get your best advice on how this Trump administration can get back into even footing. To do that, we always start with a voice.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, thank you, Josh. And remember, like and subscribe if you wish to opine. First comment comes from proud Florida boomer.

[Michael Duncan]

Let's go.

[Comfortably Smug]

And he writes, or she writes. My advice to improve Trump's poll numbers. Trump needs to succeed with tariff negotiations, parenthetically, lower tariffs against American products products asap and quickly create new jobs for the middle class. Bring back manufacturing, open the pipelines asap. Also, he should temper his comments about Greenland and Canada, which creates blowback from the leaders and people from those two countries who consider the comments insulting to them. And the Americans in the middle feel uneasy when our POTUS insults are allies.

[Josh Holmes]

It's interesting. You get a lot, you get a little bit of this in the polling. I mean, there is something, you know, what they call open ends, where you asked a question and then you allow people to speak. And not everybody selects to speak, but in polling terms, somebody does and sort of amplifies their view. And what you see in a lot of polling that I've been privy to over the last couple of months, that is a thing where people are, you know, they may be on board for what Trump's trying to do or not, but it makes them a little bit uneasy when we're trying, what they feel like is insulting people who ultimately are on our side. And there's not a lot that are on our side.

[John Ashbrook]

They don't, it doesn't feel like they're on our side. When I watch a hockey game.

[Josh Holmes]

No, they're definitely not. They're definitely not. And I. I mean, personally could take both sides of this argument, but I kind of understand where some.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, yeah, for sure. Well, there. And there's something different about, like, looking at, say, the Panama Canal.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

And it being a strategic thing that previous presidents have ignored, and that needs to be the focus of America's, you know, policy there. And then being like, I'm going to make Canada the 51st state. Like, it was funny.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

And we had a lot of fun in January and February, but, like. All right, let's get down to brass tacks here.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. What are we. What are you going to do for us?

[John Ashbrook]

Right.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[Comfortably Smug]

I will tell you. I. I think Greenland should be part of America. I think Canada should be part of America. There's no question. The Canadians have made so much money, they become so wealthy because. Because of our country, and they should be part of it. And I don't care what Toronto says. I don't care what Montreal says. The people of Alberta yearn to be free. And that country beats them down every single day because they, in the urban areas, hate the rural people. In Canada, there's so much energy. America has done so much for them. If they want to win another Stanley cup, they'll become part of our country.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, that has spoken like a true political professional, because I've read a lot about this situation, and the big fear of Canadian leaders, particularly on the left, who just won this election by the skin of their teeth, is that people in Alberta are going to take these overtures by the Trump administration more seriously than the rest of the country and see the election results as a dismissiveness of their concerns about liberal rule. And there may be some fractions beginning to appear. Fractures, I should say. Beginning to appear. There. That worth keeping an eye on?

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. If the Quebecois get to do their own thing, Alberta should be able to get to do its own thing, too.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

That's what I think.

[Josh Holmes]

Fair enough. Let's go to comment to Dunks Runks from Susanna Lewis.

[John Ashbrook]

If we start hearing about actual really good trade deals, one right after another, the market will soar and so will Trump's numbers. If the Ukraine war ends, if Israel finishes taking out Hamas, he'll get a little bump, but not as much of one as if the economy gets ripping.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, that's totally right. Just that's what we covered. And I couldn't agree with you.

[John Ashbrook]

Got to get some W's on the board.

[Josh Holmes]

That's exactly that. Exactly right.

[Michael Duncan]

All right, Smuggles, this comes from long letter. And they write, he needs to keep doing what he's doing. This -15% bullshit is coordinated to demoralize us. We're at the peak of the struggle between leftists and Trump. They're going to run out of steam soon and all we need to do is hold the door. And I feel like, you know, some of the economic news we got, like the jobs numbers beating expectations has kind of gotten these numbers moving back in Trump's direction already. So I think like the second comment, he gets a trade deal announced, this market's primed to just take off.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, we've talked about this for several weeks. I mean, the most significant development, two developments that can happen are you get a couple of deals in the door and you get tax reform passed and you've got an economy that you just can't ignore.

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Rocking and rolling and that, that's the most important part. But if you just, if we're just sitting pat, everything gets a little bit more complicated. No question about it. Anyway, so our second story, this is.

[Michael Duncan]

This is really good.

[Josh Holmes]

It relates to the first in many ways. The New Yorker, a publication that none of you, not a single one of you, subscribes to or reads on a frequent basis, but still exists in large part because of its constituency in New York and California that subscribes by the dozens and allows them to do things like this. They have published a story of inside the living rooms of notable New Yorkers. This next segment describes to you better than anything we can say about the modern democratic left. It is truly remarkable. Smug. I'd like you just sort of set the stage for what it is that we're dealing with here.

[Michael Duncan]

So I started reading this. This is the most bananas thing the New Yorker is saying that like, this is just notable. We're just going to have some notable New Yorkers. Their description of a living room is just deranged. I'm just going to read it direct. What aspects of living are meant to be done in a living room? Exactly. Not eating, which takes place at least theoretically, in the dining room or in the kitchen. Not sleeping or having sex, which takes place in the bedroom. And unless you live in an old East Village tenement, I won't even mention bathing. What the living room is for, ostensibly, is gathering. It's the most public facing of a home spaces. And as such it bears a particular burden, kind of showcasing to others who the occupants are like.

[John Ashbrook]

We're doing critical living room query by pointing.

[Michael Duncan]

They're like, how have we lost touch with regular merits let's do a breakdown.

[Comfortably Smug]

Was this written by E.E. cummings?

[Josh Holmes]

The Quilt you drape on your couch, the paintings you hang on your wall, the tchotchkes you select for your mantle, all are about as important to your adult self conception as the heavy eyeliner and chunky boots are to an emo teens. Which is to say very.

[Michael Duncan]

Also, they're like the New Yorker's authors are like, you know when you're just like hanging the painting in your living room, I like to have a Rothko in mind. That's normal, right? Most Americans have Rothkos, don't they?

[Josh Holmes]

If you're having a hard time conceptualizing what we're going for here, imagine how you live and what your house looks like and you know, your living room, which look the description, it's not far off. I mean there's a lot of us in the Midwest where the kitchen is an open space and you just sort of gather there in addition to a living room. But the point is this is supposed to define the house that you're in. In many ways that is correct. I'm not going to quibble for one moment with the New Yorker's characterization of that. But what they found from the notable New Yorkers, you won't be surprised to find out the most liberal people on the face of the planet is remarkable, really remarkable. Why don't we start out with Reverend Al Sharpton. He was a very notable New Yorker in his Upper east side palace. Here we have the Reverend Al standing in a very, it's just the, the vest of a three piece suit standing there looking serious, solemn to me.

[Michael Duncan]

The most telling thing about. For our audio listeners, I'm going to describe it. You can already know. This is probably what his living room looks like. It's Al Sharpton standing in a room with one photo. It's a photo of Al Sharpton.

[Josh Holmes]

A painting of Al Sharpton on Al Sharpton's wall.

[John Ashbrook]

Okay, so what I love about this is there's another view you could go for, maybe a window in the background. Maybe you could see some skyline or something. And you just have to imagine the stage direction from Al, from Rev Al.

[Josh Holmes]

He's like, no, no, no, no.

[John Ashbrook]

I need the picture of myself behind me. There's like what? There's like a doggy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, that's what caught my attention because it's a 4x4 dog playpen with crystal water dishes and food dishes and a basket full of toys and a plush bed.

[Josh Holmes]

No dog though.

[Comfortably Smug]

No dog?

[John Ashbrook]

No dog didn't make the cut.

[Josh Holmes]

That would that would complicate the. The depiction.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, the austere aesthetic.

[Josh Holmes]

Well, he has to keep that pretty beast anonymous because you wouldn't want to unfairly make them in Target. But that's what Alf Sharpton is. How about Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, aoc as we've come to know her, She's East Elmhurst, New York. What do we have here, fellas?

[Comfortably Smug]

She's knitting a scarf.

[John Ashbrook]

I mean, come on, really?

[Comfortably Smug]

Winter is coming, old man. She is preparing as she normally does with her tube socks and French bulldog at her side. This is Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, just thinking about how she might one day run for President of the United States.

[Josh Holmes]

Dude. The amount of preparation, for those of you who've never been a part of PR or any sort of photo shoot or anything like that, the amount of preparation that goes into a photo like this, it's heavy makeup. It's trying to depict you in a way that you just absolutely need to be depicted. And someone like the New Yorker goes over the top where they make full magazine photo spreads of it. What she has done is decided to lay on a couch and knit.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, right.

[Josh Holmes]

As if she's just sort of like an old grandmother.

[John Ashbrook]

Right. It makes no sense. I mean, this is the most social media hungry, clout chasing member of the Democratic Party. And you want me to believe that she walks into her apartment in the. In East Elmhurst and she takes off her shoes and then she gets out her knitting gear? I just don't believe it.

[Comfortably Smug]

No, I don't believe it.

[John Ashbrook]

She, like goes live on Instagram every night. Yeah. Like, are you kidding me?

[Comfortably Smug]

But it looks like a candid shot. Old man, are you sure this isn't real?

[Josh Holmes]

The only. The only person that I have come across who included someone who would be considered family in any sort of definitional way. Alex Soros.

[John Ashbrook]

Yes. This is my favorite. You have to subscribe to the YouTube. You have to see this because it's absolutely beautiful. Okay, so let me just set the scene here. Alex Soros, the son of George Soros, who's now in charge of his Democratic investment empire, is lounging with his legs crossed, with his hand raised, holding the hand of Uma Abedin.

[Josh Holmes]

All very straight faced.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

It's all like an almost a Mona Lisa.

[John Ashbrook]

Like, it's very strange for a man to be sitting that way while ostensibly in some sort of physical relationship with this woman who he has on display. It is not a masculine pose.

[Michael Duncan]

We should. We should draw the green line because she's like Facing away from him while you know, also his legs are crossed and folks will recognize this. His like, you know, penthouse condo from. It's essentially just like a trophy case of elected Democrats where they all have to come kiss the ring and stand in front of the skyline.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean that's what's happened. He collects them like baseball cards. As we've said, any single Democrat who has been of any sort of consequence over the years, he summons them, has, he's been, they've been summoned, he rings the bell.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, this is the other thing I love about that room in particular. We put that graphic back up please, is you've got Alex Soros. This is a man who has been so weird. Millions, millions upon millions of dollars to elect every far left DA in the country to defund the police. And he lives in a glass citadel hundreds of feet above the city he's ruining. It's like this photo is like the photo of a fucking Bond villain.

[Josh Holmes]

Yep, it's so good. But also what if you look past all of these, not a smirk, not so much as a, just an element of joy. I mean these are the notable libs that you ever are ascribing to. Not a single one of them looks like they're having any fun whatsoever. I do love the Huma Abaddon component to this by the way, which is, you know, like the ostensible like articulated reason for Alex Soros is to try to usher in this progressive left governing of everything from local crime enforcement all the way up to the federal government, the President, United States. And then he's holding hands sort of auspiciously with the woman who's maybe most responsible for not electing Hillary Clinton.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, right.

[Michael Duncan]

Like for, for some of our younger listeners and viewers, they might not know the laure on Huma Abedin who was, she was essentially Hillary Clinton's right hand woman, you know, worked for Hillary and when her husband Carlos Danger, also Anthony Weiner. Anthony Weiner, former congressman from New York, former, you know, incarcerated individual for child sex crimes.

[Josh Holmes]

Unspeakable crimes.

[Michael Duncan]

Huma was married to Anthony Weiner. Yes, While Huma worked for Hillary Clinton. And while they were investigating Anthony Weiner, they found out that he was using Puma's laptop.

[John Ashbrook]

And so some of the Hillary Clinton emails that there was, the whole Investigation over in 2016 appeared on, on this laptop that had been accessed by Anthony Weiner. This is no joke. One of the reasons why Hillary Clinton did not become President of the United States is because of Uma and because of Carlos Danger.

[Michael Duncan]

It's Incredible.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, just go back through the history of when the FBI reopened the discussion in the waning weeks of the 2016 election. The reason they did so is because they had an investigation into Anthony Weiner and exposing his parts. And when they had that investigation, they found, lo and behold, a whole bunch of emails that had to do with Hillary Clinton that she vanished, that were not any longer vanished.

[Comfortably Smug]

I just look at that picture and wonder what Alex Soros is searching for on Huma Abedin's computer.

[Michael Duncan]

So I want to read. Keep that image up there. This is from friend of the program Jarvis Best on X. Jarvis Best wrote, loved this picture of me, a heterosexual, and my wife, who I love being physically intimate.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just. It is so unrelatable. That's what the case is with all of these things.

[John Ashbrook]

You're just a notable New Yorker.

[Josh Holmes]

It's the most inauthentic, unrelatable bunch of shit that you've ever seen in your entire life.

[Comfortably Smug]

Speaking of unrelatable, my friend, I think we should go to graphic five.

[Josh Holmes]

Let's go to graphic five. Like, who's the resident expert on Ella Emhoff. We know her by relation to the former Democratic nominees. Husbands daughter.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. Stepdaughter of Kamala Harris.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah. And this is super relatable, unquestionably. Who wants to take this one?

[Comfortably Smug]

Well, it says she's a textile artist in the Lower east side. And there is all this thread over. You can see sort of on the left side of her apartment shelves. It makes you think, leads you to believe that she's headed straight to the loom where she is going to weave together some fabrics and carry out her occupation as a textile artist.

[John Ashbrook]

Unless she's running the most successful shop in the history of Etsy, there is no way a textile artist could afford a place in the Lower east side.

[Comfortably Smug]

To me, dude, like, her saying she's a textile artist, it reminds me of me and my brother joking that we were raking leaves and therefore we were conducting fall foliage mitigation.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, but just look at she, first of all, she's standing on her fucking couch.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Like, I don't know. I guess that's a pose.

[John Ashbrook]

Just a very natural pose you'd find me in any evening.

[Josh Holmes]

I'll just. Let me just say it.

[John Ashbrook]

Say it.

[Josh Holmes]

If anyone that I grew up with had this situation going on in the fam, they'd be devastated. Yeah, they'd be devastated. Like, this is. This is the kind. This is the kind of problem that you, you know, you get a week before thanks giving. They're not going to make it. They're not going to show up. And they hate their family. They're. They're like completely tossing you all under the bus. And they've got a bunch of left wing reasons to do so. Like, just look at the problem that is Ella Imhoff here. I mean, standing on the couch. She's got a crop top on. I don't know what you call that. Those are like 19. Those are the shorts that I used to wear as a kid. 1995, probably.

[John Ashbrook]

Board shorts, right?

[Josh Holmes]

Like a board short. And she's holding a Jancos.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, Jenko's.

[Michael Duncan]

Bring them back.

[Josh Holmes]

A stack of books the likes of which I fear for the dog's health, in all honesty, because if any one of those topples over, you got like 40 pounds of books coming down on you that would take out that little mutt. No question about it. And then there's a bunch of stuff here. I still come back to what you highlighted at the top. A textile artist. I mean, is she printing T shirts? What is she doing with a textile artist?

[Comfortably Smug]

That's what I can't get over is the con job that they expect us to believe that they caught her in weaving sessions. You know, like she is just sitting in a sewing machine 23 hours a day. And then this was the one hour when they caught her candid. Spending time with her pup.

[Josh Holmes]

Extremely notable.

[Comfortably Smug]

Just insane. She's a wealthy socialite who lives a life that nobody else in this country lives. And she's larping as some kind of a worker.

[Michael Duncan]

She's at her loom when the New Yorker knocks. Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. I was just tell artisting.

[Comfortably Smug]

Just changing out the needles in my sewing machine.

[Josh Holmes]

Busily making garments for working classes.

[Comfortably Smug]

Making garments.

[Josh Holmes]

Who's the last one here? Anna Sorokin.

[John Ashbrook]

Oh, Anna Delvey. This is Anna Delvey.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, who is this?

[John Ashbrook]

So this is the Manhattan socialite con woman who like, conned all of these rich people out of a bunch of money for this, like, art gallery project she was going to be doing or something. It was like this whole scam thing. You'll see here in the photo on her right ankle is actually her monitoring.

[Josh Holmes]

No, My God, no.

[John Ashbrook]

Which I just love that they included her.

[Josh Holmes]

It's off to the eyes on that. Right? That's good.

[John Ashbrook]

And she's wearing some sort of like. What is this? It's like a fur.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah.

[John Ashbrook]

Coat sort of off the shoulder.

[Michael Duncan]

Shaw.

[Josh Holmes]

Some sort of shawl off the shoulder.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I guess What I love most about this is she did a great service to America by conning a bunch of left wing dupes out of their money. And in fact I would suggest perhaps that she might be the least felonious person they portrayed. Amazing.

[Michael Duncan]

Amazing.

[Josh Holmes]

That's the best part of it. So you've got like, look, I'm not an interior decorator, but you know, the, the shot is I guess ostensibly out the window because it has a viewpoint of New York City over the river and that, you know, I guess that's cool. There is a very ill shapen sofa.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

In front of it that's sort of like cast off to, you know, one side of the wall in large part because you get one of those apartments that are the leftover apartments, they can't square off, that they do like a 1 1/4, 2/4 apartment turn and then she's got one foot on that, not a single picture on the wall. And then it looks like in the bottom part of the photograph there's just some debris.

[Michael Duncan]

Assorted debris.

[Josh Holmes]

Assorted debris. You know what I mean? Like if you're gonna do like a New Yorker thing and you're going to be a part of like the Alex Sorkin sort of like billionaire class of puppeteers that are the modern, most influential New Yorkers, I'm not sure this is it. Like this feels like you're gonna. If she, if she is a con artist, this feels like a pretty bad start. Like you got a lot of talking to do to get through this.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, this is part of her rehabilitation tour, I think.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, she's like, well, I'm not that rich.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, she's on the other side of it. Right. Like the con had been revealed.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh, it already been. And honestly, hence the ankle bracelet, you.

[John Ashbrook]

Know, I would rather billionaires give their money to her than to Alex Soros, that's for sure.

[Josh Holmes]

So this isn't just to make fun of the New Yorker or who they see as, you know, significant New Yorker, like power players of the next generation so much as it is to sort of codify what we've been talking about here for the last year and a half on the Ruthless Variety program, which is the modern Democratic Party, is that. Yep, that's what it is. And you can get the, you know, every once in a while discussion about the working class. And they'll talk a lot about like, oh, the Republican Party is for billionaires voting public, notwithstanding policy, notwithstanding all that. Like this is what they talk, but this is who they are and that's who they answer to. And so, like, the reason we highlight all of this is can you relate?

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

Can you. Do you think any one of these people, like, take a look at Ella Imhoff. Does she look like somebody who you're gonna hang out with on Friday night after a tough week of work?

[Michael Duncan]

They're like, if she puts a camo hat on, she could probably get elected. Yeah.

[Josh Holmes]

I mean, it's true. It's true. So anyway, we gotta get to our question of the day, which is a confluence of these two things. In the first, we were talking about journalists becoming Democrats. And the second, we're telling you exactly what your modern day Democratic Party looks like. They are one of the same. This is. This is one of the same. The. The Christmas tablecloth that our first victim was wearing. And then everything else is totally. And by the way, all with the same straight face, like, no joy type. You notice that?

[Michael Duncan]

Yeah, I mean, I mean, I can't sell. Right?

[Josh Holmes]

That's the thing. It's like, no fun here. No fun to be had. So our question is, as journos start to get dispersed and we see a bunch of them now doing substack and everything else, what do you think their new job ought to be? Is it running just straight Democratic politics, as many of them have now chosen to do, or is it something more entrepreneurial? Marrying Alex Soros, for example, perhaps opening an onlyfans.

[John Ashbrook]

You know, what is fate's worse than hell?

[Josh Holmes]

Like, what is it? That's our question to all of you, is what do you think they ought to do with their lives? Clearly there is some talent there, not relatable to the general electorate or any of us. But how best. Maybe it's a textiles situation.

[Michael Duncan]

Textile artistry.

[Josh Holmes]

Yeah, textile artistry. Interested in all of your thoughts? When we come back, we're going to get to our goat of the week. Plus, there's a Florida man who is in a lot of trouble with the law. We're going to talk about all of that right after this. The next phase of our plan is to pass tax cuts for everybody.

[Comfortably Smug]

President Trump won on a promise to cut taxes to keep American businesses competitive. So why are some Republicans pushing to raise taxes? Our tax rate is already higher than Communist China. The current basalt plan is a tax hike on American business. And when business taxes go up, workers and families pay. Tell Congress, make the Trump tax cuts permanent. Stop the basalt assault.

[Josh Holmes]

Okay, go to the week, fellas. This is a great news segment. I love it. And it just, it highlights just sort of one individual who sort of stood out to Us as being like part of the cause of the conservative movement, but somebody who, who not necessarily is top of the food chain. Sometimes they are, sometimes they're not. But this person in particular and immigrant rights groups report ICE activity in Nashville is the story, which is sort of how we got onto this story. And the story is Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers conducted roughly 150 traffic stops in Nashville this weekend during a public safety operation with the federal authorities. But immigrant advocates called the stops a form of profiling and discrimination. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Oh boy, Imagine that. Niche property. Yikes. I mean it's got it. I mean, sure, Soros has something, something to do. I mean you can't fund that in.

[Comfortably Smug]

Tennessee probably, you know, maybe in Texas, not Tennessee.

[Josh Holmes]

I know you can't do that in Tennessee anyway. Describe the situation on Facebook. Quote in the early hours of May, four advocates and organizers in the community confirmed what appears to be a coordinated operation between Tennessee Highway Patrol and the and ICE to stop and arrest community members driving on the Nolensville road in South Nashville. The organizers said they documented roughly 100 people who were detected obtained by law enforcement. Adding to. The first traffic stop started around 10pm so they were basically doing traffic stops. I don't know what like the thesis behind any of it because of course the news article provides none of it. You know, you don't have, of course they don't. You don't have any context to why it is that people were doing. But it turns out it came up with some results, which is why this is now being discussed. Meanwhile, one agent smoked a cigar outside the facility where families continued to show up Sunday seeking answers about their loved ones. Can we play clip one? Here's this cat. He's standing outside of his Homeland Security car.

[John Ashbrook]

The victory cigar.

[Josh Holmes]

And he's smoking a cigar after a job well done. They found this absolutely abhorrent.

[Michael Duncan]

He's put in hours making the community safer, probably getting a bunch of illegals, which is why this Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition sounds like he's upset. He's getting illegals off the road. Making the country safer, making the community safer. Enjoying his cigar. I mean, that's just like that's it. That's a good day. You put in a good day right there.

[Comfortably Smug]

He's putting his life on the line. I mean, let's get real. This guy is actually putting his life on the line line to take criminals out of our society. And he doesn't get. He, he's not allowed to smoke a cigar when he gets A criminal Out. I mean, get out of here. Like, this guy should be celebrated. This is exactly what you want in America because these are the types of heroes who actually stick up for us when all of the weak kneed ice cubes out there are just like.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, I guess what I find so interesting about this whole article is we just accept the premise of this Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Like, the article is just writing up how they describe the situation on Facebook, calling these, you know, stop and arrest community members. Just some community members.

[Michael Duncan]

Just like community members, Maryland man.

[John Ashbrook]

They're just arresting members of our community. It's like, what the fuck?

[Josh Holmes]

Like, well, I mean, we're gonna see a new candidate for Congress in Tennessee and it's whoever wrote that one, you know, I mean, no context whatsoever. But anyway, to the good man who was smoking a cigar after a job well done, you're our goat of the week. Congratulations, pal. This next one's a doozy.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah, it sure is.

[John Ashbrook]

Right up our alley.

[Josh Holmes]

I cannot wait to hear Smugs deal on this Florida man's triple betrayal. Three wives, three counties, one big lot. This is. According to ndtv.com, a Florida man has been arrested for having three wives in three different counties at the same time while keeping each one of them in the dark. According to ABC Action news, Henry Betsy Jr. Is now facing felony bigamy charges after the women found out that they were married to the same man after having been played. Henry targeted recently divorced targeted recently divorced women on dating platforms like Bumble Tinder and presented himself as a charming, attentive individual who is ready to settle down, quote, looking for a beautiful woman who understands the ups and downs of life, is trustworthy and no games, unquote. Read Henry's dating app bio. After meeting the women for the first time, Henry escalated the relationship quickly and tied the knot within weeks. Post wedding, Henry insisted in a joint bank account and revealing relationship true colors, often indulging in domestic violence.

[Michael Duncan]

Jeez, why that?

[Josh Holmes]

Henry was arrested in Seminole county last year after one of his wives, Tanya, filed a police report and submitted evidence of multiple marriages. He has since filed from divorce from Ms. Tanya. Well, yes, one would. And is now seeking an annulment from his marriages to Ms. Michelle and Ms. Brandy.

[Michael Duncan]

Okay, incredible story.

[Josh Holmes]

Incredible story for so many reasons, not the least of which is the modern degradation of society. And what we have here is a gentleman who has decided.

[Michael Duncan]

So for the first, when I'm listening to this, I was like, why would you. Why would you want to keep getting married? This doesn't seem like the best plan. But then when it's like, okay, he insists on joint checking accounts. Okay, now I see the game. Yeah, now I see the game.

[Josh Holmes]

Cash involved.

[Michael Duncan]

Like, I don't. He had me until the whole domestic violence thing. Like, he had a good thing going. Like, that is the most SEO online dating profile ever. Looking for a beautiful woman who understands the ups and downs of life is trustworthy, no games. And, you know, like, that's, that's not a bad pitch. And he knows his target. It says going after recently divorced women.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah. Getting him on the rebound.

[Michael Duncan]

Like, he knows the dude is sitting there under the hoop, just waiting for it. Has the right play, goes right in, matter of weeks. So he moves fast. Gets the joint checking account man on a mission, you know, to be clear.

[Josh Holmes]

The ups, first date, the downs. When I asked for your checking account. Yeah, that's. And that's the ups and downs of life, as anyone could attest. But this gentleman, I'll be frank with you, has got a lot more tolerance for managing situations than I ever would. He had three different wives in three different counties, not countries. Yeah, counties. That means they were all within shouting distance at the same time. You imagine trying to schedule that situation.

[John Ashbrook]

Well, imagine your wife being like, hey, I want to go to Applebee's for dinner. And you have to cross the county line and you're just sweating bullets the whole time.

[Josh Holmes]

Run into my other family.

[John Ashbrook]

Yeah, I mean, like, the stress involved with this. I say this as a married man, and I love my wife very much. The idea of doing it two more times at the same time is an insane proposition. That is more busy than a full time job. Like, this seems like a very inefficient strategy to go out and get money. That's what I'm saying.

[Comfortably Smug]

Yeah.

[Michael Duncan]

Like, there's got to be easier ways to make money.

[John Ashbrook]

Find a side hustle, dude. Like, I don't know, put in 60 hours a week. A marriage is a full time job. Doing three of them full time is psychotic.

[Josh Holmes]

Full time. And the idea, the mere proposition that you would take upon yourself, not only the scheduling of three different families, but, like, the heartache in, in, in like stress. I mean, you must be sociopath also.

[John Ashbrook]

Like, what? All right, think about it this way. Let's just get really practical here. Like, what do you do? What do you do on Valentine's Day? Oh, when they all want to go out to dinner and you want to buy the chocolates, you got to buy the flowers. Like, how do you schedule that sort of Thing. Do you make reservations at three restaurants all in the same?

[Michael Duncan]

See, that's the complex. I don't think. I don't think he's the kind. He's not in these situations to be spending the money. Oh, like he's not buying spending their money. Yeah, that's the thing.

[Josh Holmes]

You still got to coordinate the gift no matter what. I mean, look, I've got a situation where I've got a birthday, our anniversary and Christmas all within like a 35 day period of time. And like from my standpoint, that's the most stress I can encounter on an annual basis. This guy triples.

[Michael Duncan]

If you're a recently divorced woman fishing on Bumble and Tinder, you're probably not expecting a lot. Like the guy probably hasn't been. Yeah, he doesn't even show up on Valentine's Day.

[John Ashbrook]

Women, you deserve more.

[Comfortably Smug]

Do you think he's taken money from one girl's checking account and using that to buy the Valentine's gift for the second?

[Josh Holmes]

Maybe it's like, maybe it's like a.

[John Ashbrook]

Multi level marketing situation here. Yeah, you know, is there a bigger mess?

[Michael Duncan]

You're just a multilevel marketer.

[Josh Holmes]

It's just Don Lapre Don, he's got a pyramid going on. He's just using part of the checking account to pay off the last bit.

[John Ashbrook]

Of obligations that he's first wife is like your first investor. She gets paid first.

[Michael Duncan]

You want to know who the victims are in this story? The real victims is the ex husbands, man.

[Josh Holmes]

Oh my.

[Michael Duncan]

Because they're probably getting taken to the cleaners. They lost half for a woman who falls for a dude on Bumble and opens a checking account with him within weeks and he's having to give half his money to her, man. That's the victim. That's the sad part of the story. Those guys deserve more.

[Josh Holmes]

Those guys deserve more. Well, here's to looking out for all of you out there. That's a good one. That only the Ruthless Friday program would highlight the take you'll only. Hear, hear.

[Comfortably Smug]

First and only.

[Josh Holmes]

Remember, our question of the day is what should journos be doing with themselves?

[Michael Duncan]

Be ready for boarding planes to El Salvador. That's my vote.

[Josh Holmes]

It looks maybe like getting on Bumble and Tinder because that might be an obligation that could satisfy some of the needs that you have standing in front of your window with barren landscapes on the walls. Anyway, fellas, I think we did it. You gotta like and subscribe to the Ruthless Variety program. Great show, fellas.

[Michael Duncan]

I think so. Absolute banger of an episode. Gentlemen, thank you so much to our listeners. We love seeing our subscriber count go up. So if you have not yet, go to the YouTube, hit the subscribe button, get on board. So until next time, minions, keep the faith, hold the line and own the libs. We'll see you Thursday. Stay ruthless.

[E]

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