Ruthless Podcast

Trump green-lights the strike on Iran—and Washington instantly splits into two camps: strength vs. “what did you just start?”

So what’s the real play here… and do you trust Trump’s plan, or are we walking into the world’s messiest endgame?

The fellas—Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook—jump in fast, cutting through the spin and asking the questions everyone’s thinking but nobody on cable will touch.

In this episode…
Trump’s Iran strike and the nuclear clock
Why China and Russia stay weirdly quiet
DHS shutdown chaos vs. “big boy stuff” reality
A palate-cleanser that somehow gets even more unhinged

Special Guests: Senator John Kennedy + Brian Hook
🇺🇸 Kennedy on why Trump owns the moment—and why Capitol Hill can’t stop making it political
🧠 Hook on the 1979 origin story, proxies, missiles, and why “negotiations” so often turn into a time-buying trap
🎯 What “success” looks like when you’re trying to stop a nuclear breakout—not win a news cycle
🌍 The regional chessboard: allies, Abraham Accords math, and what comes after the ayatollah

Question of the Day: Do you trust Trump’s plan for Iran—or do you think this spirals? Drop your take and tell us what people in your group chat are saying.

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When Michael Knowles joins the fellas, the gloves come off. The culture war isn’t slowing down — it’s exposing who’s ready for the moment and who isn’t.

Why do Democrats keep misreading the country? Why do they double down on the exact messaging that turns voters away? And is the cultural fight now more decisive than any policy debate?

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook kick off with Michael Knowles and dig into what’s really driving the political realignment.

In this episode…
• Why the culture war is remains a battlefield heading into 2026
• What Democrats keep getting wrong about voters
• How elite institutions overplay their hand every time
• The messaging mistakes Republicans still need to fix

PLUS, A STATE OF THE UNION HARD PIVOT THAT DESERVES ITS OWN AWARD.

Special Guest: Michael Knowles 🎙️
• The deeper cultural divide shaping national politics
• Why Democrats can’t stop misreading middle America
• Faith, identity, and populism in the modern Right
• Where the movement goes from here

Special Guest: Congressman Wesley Hunt 🇺🇸
• His closing argument in the Texas Senate primary 🗳️
• Youth, energy, and the next generation of GOP leadership
• Why Texas could reshape the national Senate map

Special Guests: Nick Shirley and David Hoch 🎥
• The fraud investigations forcing DC to pay attention
• How independent journalism is driving accountability
• What happens when grassroots reporting outpaces legacy media

And we roll out ruthlesspodcast.com/map — click your state, watch every candidate interview, and decide for yourself. No spin. No filters. Just the fellas asking the questions.

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🎤 Trump turns the State of the Union into a midterm war map — and Democrats can’t decide whether to sit, shout, or show up in frog costumes.

Is this the moment that resets 2026? Or just another viral night in the circus?

Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook break down the speech the way the MSM won’t.

The optics. The traps. The binary choice moments. And why some Democrats might wish they had just stayed home.

In this episode…
• The “stand up if you agree” moment that froze the Democrats cold
• Why sitting might haunt Democrats in campaign ads
• Trump’s closing argument for the midterms
• The alternative “State of the Swamp” disaster

PLUS, DEMOCRATS ROLL OUT A GIRAFFE AND FROG BRIGADE. YES, REALLY.

Then we deliver on a promise.

Special Guest: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton 🇺🇸
• The high-stakes Texas Senate primary showdown
• Runoff math and what happens if no one hits 50% 🗳️
• How he answers the impeachment and personal attacks
• Why Texas could shape the national Senate map

We also sit down with Jessica Anderson of Sentinel Action Fund 📊
• Can Republicans break the midterm curse?
• The economic message that actually moves voters
• How to keep the Trump coalition engaged

And we unveil something big: RuthlessPodcast.com/Map — click your state, watch the candidates, decide for yourself. No filter. No spin. Just the fellas asking the questions.

Question of the Day: Did this State of the Union change the midterm trajectory — or not? Drop your take in the comments.

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Comment, share, and send this to the group chat.

00:02:30 State of the Union sets the 2026 midterm battlefield
00:05:52 Congress stock trading crackdown and the political optics
00:08:24 Minnesota fraud scandal and the immigration culture clash debate
00:13:15 The stand-or-sit moment that becomes campaign ammo
00:16:52 Why the “they’re crazy” line lands with voters
00:20:22 New interactive map to vet candidates by state
00:27:44 Democrats’ disruptions and the sanctuary cities flashpoint
00:31:59 The alternative SOTU meltdown and why it backfires
00:36:59 Democrats mock American heroes and the backlash case
00:40:04 Trump’s “golden age” pitch and the midterm contrast strategy
00:48:59 Question of the Day: Does this SOTU move votes?
00:50:21 Listener responses on Democrats’ biggest midterm liability
00:52:20 Interview: Texas AG Ken Paxton on the Texas Senate primary
01:18:55 Post-interview: Can Paxton clear 50% or trigger a runoff?
01:21:19 King of the Hill: Bill Kristol vs. Joe Walsh meltdown tournament
01:32:49 Interview: Jessica Anderson on winning the midterms with data
01:49:36 Strategy debrief and why the map could change primaries
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Team USA delivers gold — and the Democrats deliver… whatever this is.

The fellas break down Gavin Newsom’s bizarre “I’m just like you” pitch, Gretchen Whitmer freezing on Ukraine, and Andy Beshear wrapping progressive policy in Sunday-morning language.

Then it gets worse: Democrats quietly admit their 2024 problem in a locked-up autopsy they don’t want you reading.

Also in this episode:

• The Texas Democrat primary FCC “equal time” twist no one in media wants to talk about

• Trump’s greatest stand-up hits (yes, we play them)• Canada coping after hockey heartbreak

• A runaway hog with maximum confidence

Then — Featured Interview: Stephen Moore 📈💰

• What’s really driving inflation right now

• The outlook heading into the State of the Union

• Tax policy, spending fights, and the midterm stakes

• Why energy policy and deregulation matter more than headlines

• How voters should actually think about growth, wages, and the economyA straight-up economic breakdown from one of the architects behind major tax reform — no spin, just the numbers and what they mean going forward.

Sports pride. Political malpractice. Variety the way it’s supposed to be.

Question of the Day: What’s the Democrats’ biggest liability right now?

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New York just dropped a $127 BILLION budget — and somehow you’re still not getting what you paid for. Where’s the money going? And how long before this model spreads to every blue state in America?

The fellas — Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook — dive headfirst into the insanity.

New York’s Mamdani budget math doesn’t add up. $50 billion for schools. Massive spending hikes. “Tax the rich” — except it never stops there. Is this the future Democrats want nationwide?

IN THIS EPISODE…

• The jaw-dropping NYC budget breakdown
• Why raising taxes never fixes the problem
• Eric Swalwell’s resurfaced poetry
• Trump’s stand-up moments at the Board of Peace

PLUS, A LIBERAL PARENTING GROUP CHAT TURNS INTO A WAR ZONE.

Yes. A DC mom group melts down over Israel, Gaza, and “comrades.” You truly can’t make this up.

Then — Featured Interview: Todd Ricketts 🇺🇸⚾
• Cubs season outlook
• The MLB salary cap fight
• Bears stadium drama
• Launching the new “Free Spoke” search engine

Serious policy. Cultural absurdity. Sports. Politics. All in one.

Question of the Day: What’s your favorite Trump stand-up moment — and why?

Subscribe for new episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Fun Time Friday.
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