The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Why The Deep State Wants Pete Hegseth Out with David Rutherford

Summary

Summary of "The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Why The Deep State Wants Pete Hegseth Out with David Rutherford"

Released on April 23, 2025, "The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show" on iHeartPodcasts features an insightful and robust discussion with David Rutherford, a former Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and world championship performance coach. Rutherford, now the host of his own show, delves into the complex dynamics surrounding the efforts to remove Pete Hegseth from his position as Secretary of Defense, exploring themes of deep state interference, military morale, and political manipulation.

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Introduction

Clay Travis welcomes David Rutherford to the show, highlighting Rutherford's impressive background as a Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, and performance coach. Rutherford expresses his enthusiasm and honor in joining the podcast, emphasizing his commitment to delivering high-caliber discussions.

“When I first got asked by Buck to come and join the network, the first thing I'm doing is, is immediately going, oh, man, I'm. I gotta be side by side next to Clay and Buck. And I was like, man, I better bring my A game.”
— David Rutherford [01:23]

The Deep State and Military Morale

Rutherford addresses the challenges faced by the military in recent years, attributing declining morale not to an abundance of information but to a lack of inspirational leadership from previous generations. He underscores the importance of a meritocratic system in the military, where effort and skill determine advancement.

“The thing that holds the US military or any organization that's built around that, those concepts, the thing that holds those people together is meritocracy.”
— David Rutherford [05:27]

He criticizes recent policies, such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and mandatory COVID vaccinations, which he believes have undermined the meritocratic foundation of the military. These policies, along with prolonged and costly engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan, have led to disillusionment among service members.

“The endless wars. And for me and my friends, where it was is when you finally reach that point where you understand that Iraq, we went direct based on a lie, Right? And then the other one for me that just destroyed me was how we pulled out of Afghanistan.”
— David Rutherford [05:27]

Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Betrayal and Its Impact

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, highlighting the betrayal felt by those who served alongside Afghan allies. Rutherford emphasizes the moral and strategic failures of the withdrawal, which left thousands of interpreters and allied Afghans vulnerable to retaliation by the Taliban.

“We essentially betrayed tens of thousands of people and left them to the very organization we said we were going in to eradicate and we put them back into power. That's the type of morale destroying policy that will always impede recruiting.”
— David Rutherford [07:48]

This betrayal not only damaged the reputation of the U.S. but also severely impacted the willingness of individuals to join the military, as trust in leadership eroded.

Challenges Facing Secretary Pete Hegseth

The conversation shifts to the appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, with Rutherford outlining the formidable obstacles Hegseth faces from entrenched bureaucratic elements within the Pentagon.

“It's like an octopus. It has infinite number of tentacles that are woven in at all these different places.”
— David Rutherford [10:44]

Rutherford explains that Hegseth, despite being a warfighter with genuine support from many in the field, is up against a deeply entrenched system resistant to change. The Pentagon's vast $1 trillion budget and long-established policies make it a formidable challenge for any new leader to implement meaningful reforms quickly.

“So if you hear this, Sean, my good buddy who used to be in the network with Clay Buck, Sean Parnell. I love you, Sean. God bless you, man. I'm so proud of you. But if you hear this or Pete, this gets to you, get in the building, stay in the building, because that's where things will change.”
— David Rutherford [14:52]

Institutional Resistance and Power Dynamics

Rutherford delves into the nature of institutional resistance within Washington, D.C., describing it as a powerful, multifaceted adversary likened to a "Pandora's box." He discusses how deeply ingrained bureaucratic interests and the defense-industrial complex work to maintain the status quo, often at the expense of effective leadership and policy implementation.

“It's a Pandora's box or whatever that great saying was from the famous movie JFK. Right. It is. It's like an octopus.”
— David Rutherford [10:44]

He highlights the difficulty of purging entrenched interests, noting that individuals within the system may genuinely believe in their roles but ultimately hinder progressive changes aimed at revitalizing military morale and operational efficiency.

Media Influence and Public Perception

The discussion transitions to the role of media in shaping public perception and the strategic use of information to influence narratives. Rutherford criticizes mainstream media and traditional power structures for fostering distrust and manipulating public opinion.

“If you want to change the opinion, how do you do it? You plant information that begins to challenge what the cultural narrative is, which traditionally is a cultural narrative based on, you know, long term behavioral patterns.”
— David Rutherford [23:49]

He underscores the importance of independent media platforms, like his own podcast, in countering misinformation and providing a platform for truth-telling, which he believes is critical for mobilizing public support against deep state efforts.

Political Manipulation and Trust Issues

Clay Travis brings up recent attacks against Secretary Hegseth, questioning whether these are isolated incidents or part of a broader strategy to undermine his leadership. Rutherford agrees, suggesting that such attacks are systematic efforts to destabilize the administration from within.

“And they label us as extremists or conspiratorial or whatever. And that's always my favorite thing. The people who invented the term conspiracy theorists are the ones who call you a conspiracist.”
— David Rutherford [21:22]

He explains that attacking loyal and effective leaders is a tactic to erode trust and create chaos within the ranks, thereby weakening the administration's ability to implement its agenda.

Building Trust and Organizational Integrity

Rutherford emphasizes the critical need for building strong, trustworthy bonds within organizations and remaining steadfast in moral convictions despite external pressures. He advocates for surrounding oneself with loyal and capable individuals who can withstand internal and external challenges.

“The greatest lie ever told was the devil convincing you it didn't exist and that evil is out there.”
— David Rutherford [26:05]

He urges leaders to maintain integrity and focus on operational requirements over bureaucratic corruption, ensuring that their teams remain united and effective in the face of adversity.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

As the conversation wraps up, Rutherford shares his journey in the media landscape, detailing his transition from podcasting to motivational speaking, and eventually joining the Clay and Buck network. He discusses the importance of independent voices in media and their role in combating misinformation and supporting truth.

“My idea is that I just want to bring a little bit of common sense to a tsunami of information so that I can kind of consolidate and help contextualize, you know, the information that's going to protect people against that onslaught by that negative insurgencies.”
— David Rutherford [34:12]

Rutherford promotes his own show, encouraging listeners to engage with independent media sources that prioritize truth and factual reporting over entrenched political agendas.

“So if you want to change the opinion, how do you do it? You plant information that begins to challenge what the cultural narrative is... And then all of a sudden people start to go, oh, well, that must be true, because the experts are saying it.”
— David Rutherford [23:49]

Clay Travis concludes by expressing gratitude for Rutherford’s insights and reiterates the importance of supporting independent media platforms to foster informed and engaged citizenship.

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Notable Quotes:

• “The thing that holds the US military or any organization that's built around that, those concepts, the thing that holds those people together is meritocracy.”
  — David Rutherford [05:27]

• “We essentially betrayed tens of thousands of people and left them to the very organization we said we were going in to eradicate and we put them back into power.”
  — David Rutherford [07:48]

• “It's like an octopus. It has infinite number of tentacles that are woven in at all these different places.”
  — David Rutherford [10:44]

• “If you hear this or Pete, this gets to you, get in the building, stay in the building, because that's where things will change.”
  — David Rutherford [14:52]

• “The greatest lie ever told was the devil convincing you it didn't exist and that evil is out there.”
  — David Rutherford [26:05]

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Insights and Conclusions:

David Rutherford provides a compelling analysis of the internal and external threats facing the current administration, particularly through the lens of military leadership and morale. He articulates how deep state elements and entrenched bureaucratic interests work to undermine effective leadership and policy implementation, using Secretary Hegseth’s challenges as a case study.

Rutherford emphasizes the crucial role of meritocracy in maintaining military effectiveness and morale, critiquing recent policies that have eroded this foundation. His insights into the betrayal of Afghan allies highlight the long-term consequences of strategic missteps on military recruitment and public trust.

The discussion also sheds light on the manipulative tactics employed by entrenched interests to control narratives and delegitimize leaders who seek to implement genuine reforms. Rutherford advocates for the importance of independent media in countering misinformation and fostering an informed and resilient public.

In conclusion, Rutherford calls for a unified effort to support true leadership within the military and government, stressing the importance of integrity, loyalty, and meritocracy. He underscores the necessity of building strong, trust-based organizations capable of withstanding internal and external challenges, thereby ensuring the effective execution of policies that honor and support service members and uphold national security.

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For listeners interested in these discussions, David Rutherford can be found on various platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Rumble, Patreon, and social media under "David Rutherford Show" and "EAM FrogLogic." Engage with independent media to stay informed and support leaders committed to integrity and effectiveness.

Transcript

[Tudor Dixon]

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[Clay Travis]

I am very excited to welcome someone new to the Clay and Buck podcast family, and that is David Rutherford. He is a former Navy seal, he's a CIA contractor and world championship performance coach, and he is now the new host of the David Rutherford Show. David, thank you so much for joining me.

[David Rutherford]

Tudor, it is an honor and a privilege to be with you. When I, when I first got asked by Bach to come and join the network, the first thing I'm doing is, is immediately going, oh, man, I'm. I gotta be side by side next to tutor Dicks. And I was like, man, I better bring my A game. So it is a real privilege that. And I just can't thank you enough for having me on.

[Clay Travis]

Well, you're not new to this stuff. I mean, you've done a lot of speaking. You're a motivational speaker. You, you are a teacher. You have your own online academy, right?

[David Rutherford]

The Frog Logic Institute.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, so I was reading a little bit about that and I find it kind of fascinating because it's. You talked, I read that you talked about why you joined the SEALs, and it was really that you were kind of like getting into trouble. You had this sort of self epiphany, which I think is impressive too, which was, you know, I'm really good on a team. I need like the most skilled team in the world. I mean, being good on a team is not like, I must become a Navy seal. That's what you chose. And now you're kind of passing that on to other people, which I love.

[David Rutherford]

Yeah. Thank you. Having those God moments at my age, I didn't know that's what was taking place. And through that divine intervention, it was like, well, what are the things that I know I need? And I always knew I needed a team. And so I was like, all right, well, what's the toughest team in the world to go and be a part of? And it's the Navy seals. And so thank God there wasn't as much information as there is today. Like, you know, what event you got to go through and have to pass. And there's a billion books and all that stuff. So if there had been anything like that, I probably wouldn't have done it, would have been too afraid. But.

[Clay Travis]

Well, do you think that is why people aren't joining now? I mean, you make a great. I never thought about that before, but before we got on, you were saying how people who have served are not like super motivated to have their kids do it. They maybe they know too much, but now your kids can also research. Do you think that there's too much information out there?

[David Rutherford]

That's a really awesome question. No, because I believe that information is power. Right. Information is what enables us to make the most focused, well thought out decisions when we take those big risks in our lives. And so the more information, the better. I think the problem that we've been having in the military has nothing to do with that much information. It has to do with the generation that comes before is typically the group that inspires the following generations beneath them. Right. I just, I just was with a guy who drove me to the airport yesterday when I was leaving New Jersey where I was giving a couple speeches. And his, he. His whole dream was to serve in the military because his dad was a Vietnam vet, his grandfather had served in World War II. And then he. Well, his dad had said, well, you know, he was also a 30 year New Jersey state trooper. He said, here's what I want you to do. Try the police force first. And then if you don't like that, then go into the military. And so I think it's like it's correlated to this legacy or this idea to live up to something that's bigger than yourself. Now I know me and I know many, many, many of my, my g. What brothers and sisters that are so dejected by the morale and how it's attack on the morale that we've seen taking place over the last, you know, Eight, nine years. That's why I don't. I mean, if you were to ask.

[Clay Travis]

Is that because of all these policies that went into effect that was like, you know, you have to be. I mean, it just kind of changed. There were different requirements for women than men. There were loosening of the rules of, you know, what you could wear, what you could do. Was it because people started to feel like you weren't as much of a team? What do you think the real turning point there was?

[David Rutherford]

I think you're absolutely right. The thing that holds the US military or any organization that's built around that, those concepts, the thing that holds those people together is meritocracy. It's the recognition that if I give the best effort amongst my peers, who are all giving a similar effort or a focus, the person who exemplifies the best of the best rises, gets rank and moves forward. And that seemed to be reduced dramatically through whether it was the DEI policies or, I mean, the COVID shot. Like we're going to kick out 6,000 plus people because they won't take something that they don't believe they need. I think it's the endless wars. And for me and my friends, where it was is when you finally reach that point where you understand that Iraq, we went direct based on a lie, Right? And then the other one for me that just destroyed me was how we pulled out of Afghanistan. I mean, leaving, you know, all of the people that helped us in those that 20 year fight, just leaving them to get slaughtered by the Taliban, leaving 80 plus billion dollars worth of equipment that's now being used to train pretty much every terrorist organization in the world in Afghanistan. And then to know how we pulled out doing that. And now we' funding the Taliban $40 million a week. I mean, why would I ever want to take my. I have four beautiful daughters and my oldest is getting ready to go. Why would I ever look at her and say, you know what, I want you to go serve your country. Because what they're going to tell you is the truth. I mean, that's, that's a problem. I think.

[Clay Travis]

Well, you mentioned something I don't think a lot of people think about or maybe don't even know you talked about the people that helped you that were left behind. So I think that there, there are folks who look at Afghanistan and they think, well, we brought all of our people home and maybe. And I, I've had some conversations with folks who spent time over there, who served over there. They're like, look, there's all of these interpreters. There's all of these people who helped us and their lives are in grave danger because they helped us. And the, and the agreement was you help us, we, we take care of you. And we didn't take care of them, Is that what you're talking about?

[David Rutherford]

100%. I have several close friends that were part of the organizations that were doing civilian paid flights overseas, launching out of Uzbekistan, going in. Jared Hudson, the Pineapple Express crew. Right. That they were going in and they were leaving that wire, going out and retrieving thousands of our closest allies, our interpreters, our intelligence people, people that we trained, who fought alongside of us. And what you have to understand is we go over, we do a deployment, 90 days, six months, year deployment, we come home, we go through a training cycle and go back. Those people never are out of the fight. Every single day, they're fighting for their lives. And then the other component that you have to recognize is that Afghanistan is built on a real classic culture of antiquity. Right. Eye for eye, tribalism. And so if you're willing to die for me, I'll die for you. So the number one thing that affects them as betrayal. And so we, we essentially betrayed tens of thousands of people and left them to the very organization we said we were going in to eradicate and we put them back into power. That's the type of morale destroying policy that will always impede recruiting.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, it's a, it's almost a transactional society where if I'm going to be here, I need to. You need to be committed to something too.

[David Rutherford]

That's right.

[Clay Travis]

It's interesting. So Pete Hegseth, he takes over. He's the top guy. And everybody was very excited about this because they're like, this is a war fighter. He's going in, he's now the secretary of Defense. He's going to take care of our troops. It's just going to be a totally different feel. And we've seen an increase in people joining the army, but there have been these situations. We talked earlier about the, the reporter being on the, the phone call or on the, the signal chat. And you now you see they're starting to get rid of people. This Dan Caldwell was let go. You brought up something interesting that I don't think a lot of people would think of. I mean, there, regardless of what happens, people think you're dojing everything. You're going into these agencies, you're getting rid of these career politician or career bureaucrats. You're getting rid of a lot of the people that are against the swamp. Right. We've heard it for years where he, Donald Trump is going to drain the swamp. But the swamp is very deep. And the swamp. You said something earlier about like, well, there's not that many people that lie to get what they want in Washington jokingly. And, and I mean, that's true. And, and you don't know who to trust. It's a really, it's become kind of a very sick society, the bureaucracy of D.C. so what do you think Secretary Hegseth is up against?

[David Rutherford]

Oh, I mean, it's, it's a, it's a, it's a war. It's an enigma wrapped in a, wrapped in a Pandora's box or whatever that great saying was from the famous movie jfk. Right. It is. It's like an octopus. It has infinite number of tentacles that are woven in at all these different places. You know, my favorite description is always given by a gentleman named Mike Benz who exposed the, you know, the censorship industrial complex. Love that guy. Just a brilliant guy. And so what do you do? You need to revitalize the American public, the base that got you overwhelmingly in office. So you pick a face that they can relate to, someone who is on the ground, who fought the war, he's got the tats, he's a part of the warrior culture. You bring him in and what many people don't realize is how short of amount of time that you have to assemble the people that are going to help you walk into that building. And the Pentagon is no joke. I mean, at $1 trillion budget this year, you got to figure how deeply those people are entrenched in a mindset that's been established since post World War II.

[Clay Travis]

And just to step in for a second, when you say that, what you're talking about is, I mean, Donald Trump gets elected in November. He is then picking Cabinet secretaries into January and sometimes beyond. They're getting in, he's getting into office. They're immediately going into hearings, they're prepping for hearings, they're trying to get prepared at the same time. And that is brutal, brutal the prep for those hearings. So at the same time as you're prepping for hearings, you have to say, okay, I'm going to say that I'm getting confirmed. So I have to start interviewing staff and figuring out who's who. And that is all just a very complicated rush, quick situation where some snakes could come slither through the process.

[David Rutherford]

There is no, what is the famous quote is absolute power corrupts absolutely. Right? And people in D.C. they're always trying to move up that ladder. So think of all the people that have been working the system, however you want to describe it, either nefarious or genuine. A lot. Most of these people actually believe what they believe in and they think they're doing great work. But all of those people, all the five star or four stars, all the people that were writing policy at all these different think tanks, all the people that were part of the defense military industrial complex and all the defense industry, all the people in the Senate or the Congress that thought they had a shot at being the Secretary of Defense, and now all of a sudden he picks this. This what? This. This kid, this whatever. How people. The disgusting way they describe it. I'll tell you, some of my closest friends are really close with Pete and they all say the same is a genuine brilliant guy, right? This whole garbage that he's just some newscaster, it's ridiculous, right? He's a war fighter. And so they bring him in. Now all of those people are upset. And so what is the way that you remember these people are the world's greatest operators, right? Not only the intelligence industry, but the DoD. What do we do? What's their whole job is to tear down the enemy. And so if you get slated as the enemy, stand by, they're going to come at you every which way but from Sunday. And so, you know, my, my issue now is, is I love it. I love. He's out there shaking hands and lifting troops up and revitalizing the war fighter. But listen, if you hear this, you know Sean, my good buddy who used to be in, in the network with, with Clay Buck, Sean Parnell. I love you, Sean. God bless you, man. I'm so proud of you. But if you hear this or Pete, this gets to you, get in the building, stay in the building, because that's where things will change. When you understand how that building works, how the bureaucracy works, and you can attack the rot there, that's what needs to take place.

[Clay Travis]

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[Clay Travis]

We know that the president is very into making sure he's communicating with the people, that the people are seeing the active presence in the, in the government. And do you think that, that there is a balance that needs to be struck because you have Alina Haba out on the streets. You've got Kristi Noem out on the streets. And honestly, that's a question I had for you, too. What is your opinion of that? Because you've got the secretary of Department of Homeland Security out there going in and she's leading the raid. But she's not a trained, she hasn't gone through the academy. I mean, she's Not a trained law enforcement official. Is that dangerous? Is the, does the same thing apply there? And I hadn't really, I hadn't thought about this until you said this to me, but I'm like, man, if you are out of the office, is somebody doing stuff behind your back and is that the best place for you to be?

[David Rutherford]

No, I, I, I, it's all like, I, you gotta understand the there the morale was so pulverized beginning. I mean, you can go way back if you want. I mean, I've talked to many people back even in the Obama administration that could not get hired because however they answered their questions and their political views were kind of understood that they were pushed off and their resume was dropped in the drawer and never to be seen again. And so that took place over a long time. And the idea now that what we need is to rebuild that morale. I get it. I prove that that's good. But to what degree are you willing to sacrifice the OPER operational requirements against the rot, right? The deep state, the blob, Whatever you want to talk about at these people that are connected to, you know, whatever power or financial aspirations they're having, you got to focus there first. You know, with Kristi Noem, I understand what she's doing, you know, but the phone, just, the photograph the other day where she's holding the gun incorrectly, that blew up on X, man. And every single operator I knew, didn't knew, follow are just pulverizing like, hey, stop what you're doing and get in the building. That's where you need to be. Even the bus, like, God bless, you know, Cash and Pam Bondi. And you know, they're trying to say, hey, look, we're fighting against criminals. We're fighting the war. We're doing what we need to do. That big half billion dollar bus down in Florida, I get it. But man, let your deputies take, you know, get in front, show a different face. We've seen your face. Promote the other people that are loyal to let them do that type of thing. And we need those people in the office, in those places to figure out what's happened and how do we fix those solutions.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I thought it was, I mean, really, I hadn't thought about what you were saying until you said it. And then it started to strike me, like if the person is out of the office who is kind of plotting against them, and I know that sounds crazy, but that is how these agencies, how many people work because they are trying. There is, there are ladder climbers, there are people that are Angry. There. There's just. It's. It's not like a business. It's not necessarily the case that everybody's kind of working toward the same goal. There are people with their own personal goals. Right. So you have to sort of have eyes in the back of your head to see what's going on. And I've just noticed that in the last week, we've had these attacks. Well, in the last few weeks, you had the attacks against Pete Hegsa, saying, oh, he let somebody into this chat. You know, he's not. It's just like, kind of picking away at his character as a leader. And then there was a big expose on DHS and who's involved there. And I. You just made me think, to me, those things like, oh, that's just a hit piece, just an article. And then as you're saying this, I'm like, gosh, what if this stuff does add up? And that's how they boot these people out and that destroys the whole movement. And, I mean, that's. Maybe that's an extreme view, but you do have me thinking, no, it's not extreme at all.

[David Rutherford]

And that's what they want everybody to believe, is that when you go out and you get on your show, or I'm on my show, or whoever it is, and we start pointing this stuff out, they label us as extremists or conspiratorial or whatever. And that's always my favorite thing. The people who invented the term conspiracy theorists are the ones who call you a conspiracist. Right? So for me, what do I do is I look at. If I go in and I work with a sports team or I work with a business, and, you know, the first thing I do is I always say, all right, you know, how does your command structure look? Where. Where do we. Let's start there. And then what type of training do you have? And it's. And it's. Yeah, it's the operational execution. How does it work? How does the organization function? Right. Who. How do the directives or the policy get made? How do they become, you know, they're derivative of Congress or law or the President's executive orders? And then how do you execute those down the whole chain of command? And then how do you make sure that the orders are being followed? And then what is the reaction if the orders aren't? You know, and so we're sitting here focused on some, you know, reservists who didn't want to put up the President's picture as a main News story. And that's intentional, too. So. And all. You know, this is Tradecraft 101, right? And I think another awesome component of Mike Benz is he teaches us how this works. So, you know, I work for the Central Intelligence Agency for a little while. You know, just a blip, a little bit of time. But I got enough time in to realize this is how it works. So if you want to change the opinion, how do you do it? You plant information that begins to challenge what the cultural narrative is, which traditionally is a cultural narrative based on, you know, long term behavioral patterns. And then you attack that. Right? And then all of a sudden people start to go, oh, well, that must be true, because the experts are saying it. And then once it's somehow locked into the social consciousness, they come in and say, see, this is real. This is the deal. This is what's going on. This is a big thing. These people are incompetent. We need to get rid of them. Which then gives the people the, you know, the people around Caesar, gives them the go ahead or the green light to go start attacking. And what better way to attack? You pull away the people who are most loyal. You isolate the person who's at the top, and then, you know. Too brute, right?

[Clay Travis]

Yeah. No, I mean, I think that people forget that you're dealing with essentially professional mind benders. I mean, that's what they have been trained to do, is to bend your mind the way they want you to think. And this is what you go in there and you're working with these people, and you have to understand that. But the. The political world is so twisted compared to the regular world. I mean, just this week, I will say we. I've watched what hap. When, you know, we ran a race here in Michigan, and then you have people. When I ran. I've told the story before. When I first started, people said to me, pick the 10 people that are closest to you. By the end of the campaign, you might have five. And I remember thinking, that's a terrible thing to say. And then at the end of the campaign, I think I was like, okay, there's about three people I trust left in the world. Because you really do have. People just do terrible things and they lie right to your face and they manipulate. And these are not trained people. So that's why I think. I think about the people on the level of campaigning and state levels kind of stuff that are not trained to manipulate people's minds. And they're bad enough. I mean, this week, I will say this just cracks Me up, because there's a woman here in the state of Michigan, and she sends me. I put out a statement. You know, I was looking at the Senate race and the governor's race, and she sends me this tweet or she sent me a text with a screenshot of my announcement, and she said, I'm so excited. Can't wait. Like, totally support you. And then can I. Can I work for you? I have this organization that does this, and I want to work for your campaign. And then yesterday, someone goes out and tweets about me and says, you know, she doesn't. She shouldn't be running for one of these offices. And she openly comments on Twitter. Yes. All she cares about is getting her face out there. Some. Something like she's a, you know, media whore or something. And I'm like, do you think I can't see? But these are people who reach out to you, tell you I love you, I support you, I want to help you, and they actually hate you. I mean, you really don't know who to trust in this world. There's, like, there's no one loyal. Very few.

[David Rutherford]

Yes, Very few. Because there. There are. I mean, there are people. But you have to think about what are. How do we build those bonds to where we can trust somebody? And then the biggest thing is once people get a taste, right, a little bit of taste of what is it? A validation of how important they are, a validation of how they learn how to play the game. And then they're like, oh, man, this feels good. And maybe someday I can be a Chief of staff. And then someday I can find myself at the Pentagon or at the Agency or wherever their aspiration is, or next to the governor, or better even yet, maybe I can run for governor or run for this. And what happens is that desire overwhelms our sense of morality. It's the oldest thing in the human condition is how easily we can be manipulated. Right? The greatest lie ever told was the devil convincing you it didn't exist and that evil is out there. So, yeah, the hardest thing when you are aspiring to make real change is to stay true to that belief and then to have the appropriate fighters around you that can withstand the storm with you that, you know, and it's. It's very difficult. I commend you in every different way. I mean, you know, watching you go up against, you know, Whitmer was one of my favorite races to follow and pay attention to, but you were up against something and, you know, proof positive. We just. We just saw what a couple weeks ago that those guys who came up with the kidnapping case, right, their appeal was shot down pretty unanimously. And even after we learned that, you know, out of the 12 people that supported, like, most of them were FBI paid informants or worked for the bureau themselves. I mean, and you're just like, wait, what? How? This is the level of. This is the Machiavellian level that is considered the standard operating procedure in politics.

[Clay Travis]

We've got more with David Rutherford coming up next. First, let me tell you about my partners at Preborn. As we celebrate this holy season, let's take a moment to reflect on God's creation. You. In psalms, we learn that God knit you together in your mother's womb. His eyes saw your unformed body. He saw who you were created to be before you became you. Preborn Ministries wants to remind you that each one of you is made in the image of God. And life is sacred. Life is eternal. You may have come to earth as an unplanned pregnancy, but whether you are planned or unplanned, your life has value. And every day, your life is ordained by God. Please take a moment to thank God for life. And we invite you to remember babies in their mother's wombs. Their lives count, too. And last year alone, Preborn's network of clinics rescued over 67,000 babies from abortion. Your tax deductible donation of $28 sponsors one ultrasound and doubles a baby's chance at life. How many babies can you save? Please donate your best gift today. Just dial £250 and say the keyword baby. That's £250, baby. Or go to preborn.comdixon that's preborn.comdixon. this is sponsored by Preborn. Again, that's preborn.com. stay tuned for more after this.

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[Clay Travis]

There are no good results from Gretchen Whitmer and what she's done in the state of Michigan. And I say that in all seriousness. I mean, the numbers don't lie. The schools are terrible, the business, the jobs have left. There have been tens of thousands of jobs lost under her leadership, if we can even call it that. The energy grid is a disaster. I mean, you can go through measure after measure of what a governor should be taken care of. And she's failed at everyone, and yet she's on every list. For them to nominate US president or as their presidential candidate in 28, we. How bizarre is that?

[David Rutherford]

No, that's the standard, right? I mean, my favorite one recently, and this is one that this proves the sheer level of what if. It's a form of cognitive dissonance. But it's even bigger. It's sociopathic in nature, really, I think was when we watched Western LA burn to the ground. And for years and years and years, all the signs that this was coming, even there was a warning the week before for, you know, you've got the mayor over in Uganda or wherever she was. You've got Newsom out of pocket, whatever it is, the place burns down. Month or two later, he starts a podcast and he has Charlie Kirk and Steve O'Bannon as his first two people on the show. And he's like, hey, I'm actually center.

[Clay Travis]

Yeah, I know. Again, why do. Why does our side even let that happen? Because it gives him this weird win.

[David Rutherford]

I don't think it does. I think the American public is much smarter than everybody gives them credit for. I believe what you saw. You had this tremendous shift towards Trump. And these people are not Trumpers. They're not MAGA Die Hards. They're not in what the left calls. They're not in that. What they were is they're like, we're sick of the lies. We're sick of being gaslit. We're sick of what they're trying to spew to us of the old guard media, the senior citizens of media, like, calm. And, you know, they. They know it's a lie. So now they're pivoting to find their information on different places and different programs. And that's why, you know, our, our media now is thriving and podcast is thriving. And these independent voices like yourselves who was in the fight, saw the, the, the, the intense storm that the lies and how they attacked you and every other aspect. Well, well, you can speak truth to that, to people, and that's where people are gravitating towards I, you. And you don't have to believe me, but you just have to believe the numbers, right? Numbers don't lie. Math doesn't lie. And so what is Joe Rogan? It's something like 67 million unique downloads per month. What's Sean Ryan, my best friend Sean ryan show does 30, some like 32, 34 million downloads per month. Those numbers are so beyond what the old guard is doing. That scares the hell out of them. So what are they willing to do? They're willing to whip up their base into a. For a frenzy that, that now we're seeing what people burning down Teslas and, and, and attacking people and like it. It's. You have to stoke the fear in order to make the lie seem real.

[Clay Travis]

Right? Right. All right, well, so you're part of this, you're part of this new media. So tell everybody how they listen to your show or can they watch the show, tell us everything about it.

[David Rutherford]

For sure. You know, my whole intention was. And for. You know, I've been in podcasting since 2013. I started with a. A live online show called Navy SEAL Radio, which I do live every Saturday. It was a lot of fun, and then had the incredible blessing to my friend Marcus Luttrell. Reached out and said, hey, let's do a show. And I was part of a the Team Never quit podcast. And, you know, in 2016, after six months, we were actually nominated by itunes as one of the top 30 podcasts of the year. In the three years I was a part of it, I think we amassed something like 20 million downloads. We were one of the biggest shows in the world. Because of some family, personal things. I left the show to be home more. I met my new wife and had four daughters, and I was like, I can't commit at that level. So then I launched the Frog Logic podcast. Did that for several years. 2020, I was essentially canceled. Even though I was always motivational. My whole life, I hate needed to be open about my politics or to call people out. But then after that, it kind of. I'm not going to say it radicalized me, but it made me recognize that, you know, the Stuff that, you know, the stuff that I used to do in my old life, right when I carried a gun for a living, it seemed like that was being done to the American public on many different levels. And it's been proven in so many different explicit points that were. Is as egregious as anything that I'd ever seen. And so after I kind of got myself back together, my business had collapsed, everything was over. I kind of got back, got generating enough revenue to support my family. And just a couple months ago is when Buck reached out and was like, hey, Rut brother, hey, you got any interest of getting back behind the mic? And I jumped at it. Boy, I was so excited to, to as you know, to be a part of their network and how impact those men have and to work for Premier is just, it's such a blessing. And so my idea is that I just want to bring a little bit of common sense to a tsunami of information so that I can kind of consolidate and help contextualize, you know, the information that's going to protect people against that onslaught by that negative insurgencies. Those are the nefarious forces that are trying to convince people something that's not true is true, to get whatever ends necessary, do whatever they have to do. And so that's the whole pretense behind the David Rutherford show. You can find me everywhere on audio, Apple, Spotify, the iHeartNetwork. You can find a video on YouTube. Rumble, we've got a Patreon account. If you go on all social media, X, Instagram, Tic Tac, it's David Rutherford show at David Rutherford show and then on X it's D. Rutherford show. And then if you want to follow me, it's EAM FrogLogic.

[Clay Travis]

Awesome. Thank you so much. Thank you for being on today. It was awesome to talk to you.

[David Rutherford]

Well, listen, what you got to do for me is you just got promise now that I can get you on my show. Of course we can dig into how you're going to fight this thing this next time out because that's what I want to know.

[Clay Travis]

Of course, of course. Well, and I want to say thank you to everybody listening and you made me think. I always tell people you can download on Iheart on Apple, you go to the Tutor Dixon podcast dot com. But I never tell people that you can actually watch it on Rumble too. So we put our show out there on Rumble. If you, if you want to see the show at any time, you can check it out on Rumble. We are there every. Every episode is there. So I. I appreciate having you on today and I appreciate all of our listeners. Thank you all so much. Have a blessed day.