Truth in the Barrel: "This Week Unfiltered w/ Denver Riggleman" | December 19, 2025

Hosts: Amy McGrath & Denver Riggleman
Episode Theme: Candid, cross-partisan discussion of the week’s biggest political stories, including Trump’s flamboyant holiday speech, congressional gridlock on healthcare, foreign policy saber-rattling in Venezuela, critical infrastructure cyber-attacks, and a blend of bourbon-fueled camaraderie.

Episode Overview

Amy McGrath and Denver Riggleman—both military veterans from opposite sides of the political aisle—dive into the turbulent political news of December 2025. They unpack former President Trump's “cheerful” holiday speech, critique Congressional handling of health insurance subsidies, share alarm over a rising cyber threat known as Salt Typhoon, and trade barbs and banter over end-of-year holiday and whiskey traditions. Their goal: to “speak the truth,” challenge ongoing chaos in Washington, and find common ground over bourbon.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s "Cheerful" Holiday Speech

• Absurd Claims & Fact-Checks:

  • Trump claims he brought "peace in the Middle East for the first time in 3,000 years" ([02:06]).
    • Amy McGrath: “He brought peace to the Middle East on the same day that we had the dignified transfer of remains of two soldiers who were killed in the Middle East back to the United States.” ([03:09])
  • Trump touts bringing "$18 trillion" in investment—a figure Denver calls “impossible” in the context of the US’s $28-30 trillion GDP ([02:40]).
  • Trump boasts about reducing drug prices by “100%, then 5, 6, 700%”—math Amy immediately points out as nonsensical ([05:12]).

• Critical Responses:

  • Denver: “Are they paying us to take them?” ([05:12])
  • Amy: “Correct me if I’m wrong… prices can only go down 100%, and after that point, it’s zero. Right?” ([05:14])

• Tone and Delivery:

  • Both hosts note the speech’s rushed, negative energy. Amy points out Trump’s conclusion: “He ends it with... ‘Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God bless you,’ and then he frowns.” ([15:12])
  • Denver: “It’s like the frown, like he just all of a sudden filled his pants.” ([15:12])

Memorable Quote:

"I think smart people are critically attracted to stupidity... it's like going to a zoo... you want to see the monkey that flings poo, right? You know you shouldn’t... but you still want to see the monkey that flings poo."
— Denver Riggleman ([03:22])

2. Congressional Gridlock & Health Insurance Spikes

• Blame and Reality:

  • Speaker Mike Johnson blames Democrats for upcoming insurance premium spikes, contradicting legislative history.
  • Amy: “Democrats were the ones that, you know, shut down the government so that people could have, you know, health insurance be affordable.” ([07:04])

• Healthcare and Political Math:

  • Denver predicts a significant Democratic upswing in 2026-2028, arguing MAGA is losing favor among independents—“if independents are plus 20, plus 25 for Dems… that’s a huge number” ([10:06]).
  • Rural red districts, heavily dependent on ACA and pre-existing condition protections, risk losing coverage if Congressional Republicans let subsidies expire ([28:17]).

• Sharp Critique of Republican Strategies:

  • Amy: “Republicans haven’t had a plan to make it better, haven’t done anything other than say, ‘well, Democrats, it sucks, and I want to try to kneecap it and… blame Democrats for it.’” ([25:52])
  • Denver: “You have this bizarre thing happening where stupidity wins—and stupidity is terminal. There’s no way out of it.” ([28:17])

Notable Quote:

"It’s not Democrats anymore. It’s this is MAGA and S for sane."
— Denver Riggleman ([10:06])

3. Military "Warrior Dividend" Gimmicks

• Token Bonuses vs. Real Support:

  • Trump’s $1,776 “warrior dividend” payments to military families, which both hosts see as superficial (“hokey”), motivated more by optics and loyalty than substance ([13:09]).

• Call for VA Investment:

  • Amy: “You want to help veterans? How about fully funding the VA?” ([12:18])

• Military Reactions:

  • Denver (on the $1776 bonus): “It’s also trying to buy off the military… it’s actually sort of a loyalty quotient… there’s dudes and gals around the table at the O Club or the Enlisted club going, WTF?” ([13:13])

4. Escalation with Venezuela & Foreign Policy Chaos

• Contradictory Rationale:

  • US naval activity in the Caribbean and threats to Venezuela yield a cacophony of justifications: oil, drugs, “regime change” ([16:21]–[19:50]).
  • Administration figures contradict each other; Amy calls out Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Defense Secretary statements, and Trump’s own rambles.

• Underlying Motives:

  • Denver: “My guess is if you look at [Trump’s] biggest donors... are all going to be oil companies.” ([16:41])
  • Denver: “MAGAs inherently nationalist… and if you are starting wars when you said you’re the peacekeeper… I don’t think he’s getting a Nobel Peace Prize anytime soon.” ([16:41])

5. The "Salt Typhoon" Cyber Threat

• What Is Salt Typhoon?

  • A massive Chinese cyber campaign targeting US telecommunications, enabling potential disruption or interception of American communications ([33:37]).
  • Denver: “If you can attack critical infrastructure, you can actually just demolish a country and take it to its knees…” He details how even brief communication outages cause societal breakdowns ([33:37]).

• Worries about US Readiness:

  • Funding and staffing cuts at CISA, FBI, and other cybersecurity arms have left the country increasingly vulnerable—something both hosts consider a severe threat ([36:31]–[36:59]).

Memorable Exchange:

"When you fire the experts or you go after them... Who’s going to stand up to this bully and say, ‘you’re an idiot, you gotta step down?’... They’re all freaks."
— Denver Riggleman ([37:44])

6. Policy Whiplash, Petty Distractions & "Insane" News

• Travel & Surveillance Proposals:

  • New Trump administration proposal to require even travelers from allied countries to provide five years of social media history and ten years of email for visa-free entry ([39:52]–[41:31]).
  • Amy: “Now we’re giving border agents total discretion to deny entry based on, you know, political views…” ([42:23])
  • Denver: “They’re dumb as a box of hammers. There’s no way to do it.” ([41:56])

• Supreme Court & Agency Independence:

  • The Supreme Court may allow presidents to fire heads of independent agencies at will, risking the politicization of impartial government functions ([42:47]–[43:26]).

• Font Wars:

  • The State Department switches back to Times New Roman due to claims that Calibri was “too woke.”
  • Denver (deadpan): “This administration should be using Comic Sans as their very good actual font... I’m really worried about Arial.” ([44:48])

7. Heartwarming & Lighthearted Segments

• Fishmas:
  Kentucky’s “Christmas for the Fishes” program uses recycled Christmas trees to create reservoir habitats for fish ([46:41]). Inspired pun from Denver: “It’s Fishmas.” ([46:41])

• Holiday Traditions and Spirits:

  • Bourbon and Irish creams discussed, with Amy sharing her McGrath’s liqueur gift ([39:09]).
  • Denver fantasizes about using drones to catch Santa as a new “Christmas tradition” ([47:00]).

• Holiday Movie Preferences:

  • Denver loves "Die Hard" ("Damn it, yeah, it is Die Hard.") ([48:27])
  • Amy prefers "A Christmas Story." ([48:43])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Smart people are critically attracted to stupidity… it’s like going to a zoo… you want to see the monkey that flings poo...” — Denver Riggleman ([03:22])
• “Correct me if I’m wrong… prices can only go down 100%, and after that point, it’s zero. Right?” — Amy McGrath ([05:14])
• “If you have an IQ above moron, you have a tough time grasping this policy issue…” — Denver Riggleman ([31:33])
• “It’s not Democrats anymore. It’s… MAGA and S for sane.” — Denver Riggleman ([10:06])
• “We’re now giving border agents total discretion to deny entry based on, you know, political views. This is freedom Soviet style in America today.” — Amy McGrath ([42:23])
• “This administration should be using Comic Sans… I’m really worried about Arial.” — Denver Riggleman ([44:48])
• “It’s Fishmas.” — Denver Riggleman ([46:41])
• Amy’s summary of the podcast’s purpose: “Let’s just tell the truth, folks. Tell the truth.” ([11:50])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Trump’s Holiday Speech: 01:35–15:29
• Venezuela Crisis & Foreign Policy: 15:48–23:54
• Healthcare Debacle & ACA Subsidies: 23:54–32:20
• Salt Typhoon Cyber Threat Discussion: 32:20–37:44
• Rapid-Fire “Insane” Headlines: 39:52–45:24
• Christmas Traditions & Final Banter: 46:41–51:22

Episode Tone & Takeaway

True to the show’s name, this episode is unfiltered, irreverent, and alternatingly grave and lighthearted. The hosts leverage their military expertise, deep policy knowledge, and whiskey-fueled frankness to cut through political spin and highlight the absurdities and dangers of the current political moment. Both lament the prevalence of “stupidity as policy,” agree chaos-as-governance is untenable, and share a common hope for honesty, competence, and a return to decency—even if it “takes bourbon and a miracle.”

Final words from Amy: “Let’s just speak the truth. That’s what this is all about.” ([50:56])

For more: TruthInTheBarrel.com