Truth in the Barrel: This Week Unfiltered — Episode Summary

Date: September 19, 2025
Hosts: Amy McGrath & Denver Riggleman
Episode Theme:
This week’s episode is a piercing look at the current state of American democracy, government overreach, agriculture turmoil, and alarming developments in both media and international policy. Amy and Denver wade unflinchingly into controversies ranging from Jimmy Kimmel’s firing and the fallout after the murder of Charlie Kirk, to the struggles faced by US farmers, the legality of recent military action off Venezuela, and the ever-shadowy Epstein files. As always, their bipartisan military backgrounds and unfiltered delivery dig into the heart of these stories, setting aside partisanship in favor of truth, transparency, and a healthy pour of humor.

Key Topics and Discussions

1. Jimmy Kimmel’s Firing and Media Censorship

Timestamps: 01:23 - 08:26

• Jimmy Kimmel Suspended:
  Kimmel was suspended by ABC after fact-based on-air comments about recent events, sparking an uproar over freedom of speech and government intervention.

• Government Pressure on Media:

  • Denver: “Nextstar wants a merger and they need FCC approval. They capitulated again. We have oligarchs capitulating to make sure that they have these massive deals.” (02:25)
  • Amy explains the Trump administration’s role in pushing the FCC to pressure media conglomerates, connecting it to Nextstar’s massive $6.2B merger in the works.
  • Brendan Carr of the FCC threatened ABC’s license, and media companies appeared to surrender to regulatory and executive demands to ensure their business interests.

• False Equivalency & Regulatory Overreach:

  • Denver critiques the use of “false equivalencies” in right-wing arguments, comparing the lack of similar threats against Fox News for inflammatory rhetoric.
  • “I’m to a point that... the 2026 elections may be the most important elections in my lifetime... At that point we have to look at the people who actually love freedom as being the resistance in this country.” (07:52)

2. Crisis in US Agriculture — Tariffs and Farm Bankruptcies

Timestamps: 08:26 - 16:39

• Farmers in Distress:
  • Amy: “US farmers right now are not okay. The tariffs are crushing the farms. We’re seeing higher farm bankruptcies now... than we had in all of last year.” (08:26)
  • Higher costs for fertilizer and equipment (much sourced internationally), Chinese boycotts of US soybeans, and catastrophic labor shortages due to immigration crackdowns are cited as causes.
• Policy Hypocrisy and Bailouts:
  • Denver notes this is “socialism for me but not for thee” (09:52), highlighting the contradiction between railing against socialism and accepting state bailouts due to harmful trade policies imposed by the same administration.
  • Both host and guest agree another farmer bailout is likely, with Amy saying, “We are causing a problem in which US taxpayers are now going to have to pay more money to fix the problem that we caused.” (11:42)
  • Denver laments, “Stupidity is terminal. It doesn’t matter if somebody’s just stupid, if what happens downstream has very negative consequences.” (14:32)
• Impact on Americans:
  • The consequences extend to food prices for everyday Americans. “Guess what? Your grocery prices, what are we seeing? They’re going up. So it’s affecting all of us.” (13:23)
  • Iconic American company John Deere expected to lose $600 million this year due to tariffs. (15:27)

3. Escalation at Sea — US Military Strikes Drug Boats Off Venezuela

Timestamps: 16:39 - 24:23

• Unprecedented Military Action:

  • The Trump administration has ordered three kinetic strikes against Venezuelan “drug boats” in international waters.
  • Amy: “This is highly unusual… not how drug cases are normally handled. They’re normally handled by the US Coast Guard.” (16:39)
  • Trump’s own words paint a chilling picture:
    Trump [clip]: “There are no ships in the ocean anymore… Probably stopping some fishermen too. If I were a fisherman, I wouldn’t want to go fishing.” (18:16)

• Legal and Ethical Alarm Bells:

  • Amy: “Is this law enforcement or is this war? What are we doing here?” (19:35)
  • She highlights the lack of legal justification: “Normally in the US military, we don’t just use force whenever we feel like it. There has to be a legal basis…” (21:10)
  • The chaotic approach is denounced as un-American and likely illegal under international law.

• Media Distraction and Lack of Substance:

  • Denver observes media focus on trivial stories rather than these grave developments:
    “They were talking about bird feeders with camera feeds... there was never a time they were approaching anything that had any substance.” (19:42-20:27)

4. Epstein Files and the Politics of Secrecy

Timestamps: 26:22 - 31:24

• Cover-up Continues:
  • Despite campaign promises, the Trump administration has not released the Epstein files, fueling speculation.
  • Denver: “Trump is in the Epstein files... It’s incredibly incriminating, circumstantially.” (27:19)
  • House efforts to demand release of the files are expected to result in a long legal battle, with executive privilege likely to be invoked.
  • Denver rails against enablers: “You brought up today, right, is there’s no baseline of fact or baseline of ethics that we can reach back into right now.” (30:28)

5. Erosion of Political Ethics and Rule of Law

Timestamps: 31:24 - 34:37

• Amy contrasts America’s tradition of leaders who respected democratic norms with the new “second Trump administration where he has filled these positions with unqualified people who are sycophants who will do whatever he says, even if they know it is wrong.” (31:55)
• Denver mourns the current Congress: “Do we trust any Congress where... congressmen and congresswomen want to have hearings on UFOs that come out of the ocean? Probably don’t.” (34:11)
• Both note the overwhelming sense of ethical and institutional decline.

6. Quick Shots & Notable Moments

Timestamps: 34:37 - 41:48

• Political Endorsements:
  • Denver appears in a TV ad for Abigail Spanberger (VA governor’s race); both hosts praise her and Mikie Sherrill (NJ governor’s race) for their service and leadership. (34:37–35:55)
• Government Shutdown Prediction:
  • Denver: “I do think you’re going to see a brief government shutdown. Yes.” (36:21)
  • Suggests Republicans seek to blame Democrats for political gain ahead of 2026.
• Lisa Cook Fed Smear:
  • President’s accusation of mortgage wrongdoing debunked; investigation finds she did nothing improper. Covered only as an afterthought by the media. (38:00)
  • Denver: “The media is complicit in this disinformation barrage and the metastasization of stupidity across our country.” (39:00)
• Kirkland Prosecco Recall:
  • Humorous safety PSA regarding exploding champagne bottles at Costco. (39:30–40:46)
• Stephen Colbert Wins Emmy:
  • Recognition of moments of levity and progress, even in dark times. (40:52–41:03)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Denver (on media capitulation):
  “We have oligarchs capitulating to make sure that they have these massive deals.” (02:25)

• Amy (on American democracy):
  “We’re seeing the media being weaponized, being almost taken over by federal government because they’re telling the media companies what to do here.” (05:08)

• Denver (political urgency):
  “The 2026 elections may be the most important elections in my lifetime.” (07:52)

• Amy (on farmer struggles):
  “We are causing a problem in which US taxpayers are now going to have to pay more money to fix the problem that we caused.” (11:42)

• Denver (on stupidity and national decline):
  “Stupidity is terminal... It doesn’t matter if somebody’s just stupid, if what happens downstream has very negative consequences.” (14:32)

• Trump (clip on drug raids):
  “There are no ships in the ocean anymore. I wonder why... Probably stopping some fishermen too.” (18:16)

• Amy (on the government overreach):
  “It’s just un-American to go, you know, executing people in international waters.” (24:23)

• Denver (on the state of Congress):
  “Do we trust any Congress where there’s congressmen and congresswomen who want to have hearings on UFOs that come out of the ocean? Probably don’t.” (34:11)

• Amy (on optimism):
  “I do think it’s going to get better. We need to continue to support and be the leaders we want to see in this country with courage.” (41:48)

Tone and Language

• Mood: Frustrated, urgent, but with moments of levity and camaraderie.
• Language: Direct, sometimes biting, unafraid of colorful bluntness (“stupidity is terminal,” “just can’t humor this bullshit”), yet leavened by optimism and a sense of patriotic responsibility.
• Balance: Both hosts bring in personal anecdotes, military insight, and direct listener appeals—keeping the discussion both expert and accessible.

For New Listeners

If you haven’t heard the episode, expect a bracing, honest conversation unafraid of deep dives and calling out hypocrisy on both sides. Amy and Denver offer unique insight into the convergence of politics, policy, and culture—with the clarity of military veterans and the empathy of public servants. Their analysis is rich, uncensored, and wide-ranging—with an occasional shot of good humor and reminders that hope, work, and ethical leadership still matter.

(Ad sections, intro, and outro have been omitted. See above timestamps for specific topics.)