The hosts of the conservative podcast Ruthless ranted about Caitlyn Jenner’s “scam campaign” after she scheduled an appearance on their show and then she didn’t even show up.
“You don’t reach out to a show that you ultimately don’t go on,” host Josh Holmes said about Jenner, who is running for governor of California as a Republican. “You don’t unprofessionally let people know that you can’t make it unless you are a completely unorganized shitshow that was a scam campaign from the very beginning, that is doing nothing but trying to draw attention from legitimate candidates who have a capacity to unseat” Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Related: Caitlyn Jenner busted in bizarre lie after county records show she voted in last election after all
He and his co-host and producer ranted for 16 minutes about Jenner on the podcast.
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“So if you’re a sideshow, and you just want to show up in the tabloids and pretend like the conservative movement means something to you when it really clearly doesn’t mean a shit to you, then enjoy yourself! I’m sure TMZ is standing outside of her house right now.”
The Ruthless podcast is an influential show in conservative circles that has had some big names in the Republican party on as guests since it debuted last year, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) when he faced criticism for going to Cancun this past winter while parts of Texas didn’t have electricity. The show has been cited in major media outlets like the Washington Post, CNN, and The Hill. The Guardian said that it could end up “making conservatism cool.”
Holmes and one of his producers explained that Jenner’s campaign actually reached out to them for her to appear on the podcast after guests for this week had already been booked and the schedule was already set up. They claim that Jenner’s campaign was persistent, so they added an extra show this week just to accommodate her.
They were supposed to record via Zoom this morning, and she didn’t even show up. They were later told by the campaign that Jenner was “not ready” to appear on the podcast.
“Well, no shit she’s not ready,” Holmes said. “If you can’t make it to an interview you’ve booked with people who are sincerely interested in your story… I mean, I think she’s given five answers on who she’s voted for or if she voted in the last election!”
“She’s got seven different positions on immigration,” a co-host said. “We gave her an opportunity to correct the records, as we’ve given to a lot of different Republicans…. And they chose to not do that.”
“To throw it away completely,” Holmes responded, “that just tells us what you think of conservative listeners and the conservative base.”
“This is a fucking disappointment of the highest order,” he continued. “Any moment you spend focused on Caitlyn Jenner and what she might bring to the conservative movement in California is a moment wasted. Focus on something else.”
Earlier this month, the first poll of the recall election was released and only 6% of California voters said they support Jenner’s gubernatorial bid as she struggles to find anyone to support her.
The new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies/LA Times poll asked Californians about four candidates who are trying to unseat Newsom in the recall election. Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and lawyer John Cox tied for first place with 22% support, and former Rep. Doug Ose (R-CA) got support from 14% of voters in the poll for his campaign.
“Even among Republicans, only 13% say they’d be inclined to vote for her,” pollster Mark DiCamillo told the LA Times. “It’s a very poor showing.”
She has also alienated LGBTQ people and specifically transgender people. Her first position as a political candidate was opposition to transgender girls participating in school sports, and last week she shared an ugly meme making fun of Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine, the first transgender person to be confirmed to an appointed position by the Senate.