Former GOP staffers and hosts of the popular "Ruthless" podcast provide tongue-in-cheek advice to Democratic counterparts facing a hostile media amid President Biden's recent performances.
Former Republican staffers and hosts of the popular "Ruthless" podcast have offered a "boot camp" to their Democratic counterparts on Capitol Hill, providing tongue-in-cheek advice on how to handle the intense scrutiny President Biden is facing from the media.
"Let me just start with a couple of truths in American politics that we all know and are very familiar with," Ruthless co-host John Ashbrook began the lesson on Tuesday's episode. "The first one is that the easiest job in town is Democrat press secretary. The second is that Democrat hearts are notoriously cold and power hungry. Republican hearts are big and giving. That's just the way it is."
Ruthless Podcast Hosts Offer 'Boot Camp' to Democrat Press Secretaries
Ashbrook, Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, and Michael Duncan proceeded to offer their tips for Democratic press secretaries, covering everything from dealing with reporters in elevators to dodging questions they don't like.
"You may not be used to this when you're walking around the Capitol with your boss, but when you're in an elevator and it gets to the floor and the doors open, you're gonna see reporters there," Duncan said. "This may be new to you, but they're gonna have questions that you have to answer."
Ruthless Podcast Hosts Offer 'Boot Camp' to Democrat Press Secretaries
Holmes cautioned that the media will not always pre-approve their answers or give them time to review stories before they go to print.
"And they're not going to pre-vet your answer," Holmes said. "You can't send them an email back and be like, ‘How does this sound?’ and have them send you something back being like ‘Well, maybe you should edit this, that and the other because it would sound better in my write up.'"
Ruthless Podcast Hosts Offer 'Boot Camp' to Democrat Press Secretaries
Ashbrook's final piece of advice was to "not lie."
"The press won't let you get away with it," Ashbrook said. "This week, one week only, do not lie this week."
Ruthless Podcast Hosts Offer 'Boot Camp' to Democrat Press Secretaries
The Ruthless podcast is set to broadcast live in Milwaukee outside the RNC convention next week.
The intense media scrutiny surrounding President Biden has put Democratic press secretaries in an unfamiliar position, with reporters asking tough questions and expecting immediate responses. The Ruthless hosts' advice, while presented in a humorous manner, highlights the challenges that the Democrats are facing in managing the media narrative around Biden.
