logo
episode-header-image
About this episode
Smug and Holmes discuss vaccines and the electoral college before welcoming Steven Law and Dan Conston, the presidents of the two largest Republican super PACs. ruthlesspodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
Feb 6
Return of Kamala?
In this episode of the Ruthless Variety Program, hosts Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook dissect Kamala Harris's awkward campaign relaunch and what it means for a bankrupt Democratic Party. From her Gen Alpha "skibidi" vibes to failed youth appeals, ... Show More
1h 32m
Feb 5
Why Democrats Hate Voter ID (SAVE ACT)
We open by laying out what actually just happened with the SAVE Act and why it matters right now. The bill clears the House, heads toward the Senate, then gets stripped out during a government funding move. We walk through the numbers, the polling, and the quiet shift from open o ... Show More
1h 34m
Feb 3
The Left’s “Theater Kid” Problem + Midterms Outlook w/ NRCC Chair Richard Hudson
The left has become insufferable theater kids 🎭 — staging Iwo Jima reenactments with the wrong flag 🇸🇴, blocking Minneapolis streets with shipping crates 🛑, and screaming “no one is illegal on stolen land” while living securely mansions 🏰. Josh, Smug, and Duncan and Ashbrook ... Show More
1h 15m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Episode 553: Powers & Principalities: Episode 396
<p>RFK Jr. &amp; Autism, Noahide Laws &amp; US Law, and Trump vs Harvard</p> 
1h 6m
Nov 2017
95: “The fog of bullshit.” (LIVE from Philadelphia)
<p>Trump blames Schumer and the courts for terrorism, Republicans propose trillions in tax cuts for the rich, and Facebook testifies before Congress. DeRay McKesson, Brittany Packnett, and Pennsylvania Congressional candidate Chrissy Houlahan join Jon, Jon, Tommy, and Dan on stag ... Show More
1h 23m
Oct 2024
936: Billionaire Personality Disorder
Live from Philly, Jon, Lovett, Tommy, Dan, and MSNBC's Symone Sanders Townsend discuss Trump's rally with Elon Musk, Kamala Harris's media blitz, and reports that she plans to distance herself more from Joe Biden. Then, Senator Bob Casey drops by to nerd out about Pennsylvania el ... Show More
1h 34m
Nov 2024
Trump 2.0: A Cabinet Full of Surprises and an Awkward Visit With Joe Biden
<p><i>Warning: this episode contains strong language.</i></p><p>In his first week as president-elect, Donald J. Trump moved at breakneck speed to fill out his cabinet with a set of loyalists who were both conventional and deeply unconventional, the U.S. Senate chose a leader who ... Show More
37m 18s
Sep 2025
1062: Trump Cancels Kimmel
Caving to a pressure campaign from Donald Trump's FCC, Disney pulls Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air. Jon and Dan are joined by newly minted Crooked contributor Alex Wagner to discuss Trump's attacks on Kimmel and his new lawsuit against The New York Times, the impending takeover ... Show More
1h 15m
Oct 2024
US House Republican and Trump Supporter Dan Crenshaw
Speaking from the Ellipse in Washington last night, where Donald Trump had rallied his supporters on January 6th, Kamala Harris reminded voters of the Capitol insurrection and Trump's outspoken threats to democracy. The former president continues to stoke fears of widespread vote ... Show More
58m 26s
Aug 2024
915: Obama Night at the DNC (feat. Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
<p>Barack and Michelle Obama and Doug Emhoff make the argument for Kamala Harris with a trio of pitch-perfect speeches to the delegates in Chicago. Harris accepts the nomination with a surprise live greeting broadcast from her packed rally in Milwaukee. Then, California Senator L ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 2025
981: Trump's War on the U.S. Government
Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue their all-out assault on the federal government, shuttering USAID, rooting out and firing workers linked in any way to diversity initiatives, and breaking and ignoring laws as they go. Jon and Dan hash out all the latest, including Trump's plan ... Show More
1h 29m
Oct 2024
Why Democrats see 'warning signs' in Pennsylvania
Trump, Harris, and the vast network of campaigns, Super PACs, and down ballot candidates operating alongside them are now on pace to spend $1 billion before election day in Pennsylvania. For the time being, it is the center of the political universe. On this episode of Deep Dive, ... Show More
42m 59s
Jul 2019
Democrat Candidates Fighting for Attention
Dan looks at what issues garner the most attention for Democratic Presidential hopefuls with Axios reporter Neal Rothschild. In the "Final Two", President Trump's unexpected war on Wall Street and why Facebook is hyping TikTok. https://www.axios.com/2020-election-candidates-socia ... Show More
10m 45s