The Abrego Garcia scandal: A small version of the fall of the Democratic Party

For a long time, the Democratic Party has used emotional stories to get their political point across. The left likes stories more than facts, as shown by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s staged border photos and the now-laughable Mueller obsession. But in the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, that plan has gone from being debatable to being disastrous. Josh Holmes, Comfortably Smug, Michael Duncan, and John Ashbrook, four well-known conservatives, recently criticized what they called the “Democrats’ greatest narrative misfire yet” on an episode of Ruthless. Instead of calling him a compassionate immigrant, they said that Democrats and the old media were making a hero out of a man who was clearly a member of MS-13 by both law enforcement and the courts.

Let’s talk about what happened and why it’s important

At first, Garcia was portrayed as a humble “Maryland man” who was being deported because of what was thought to be a cruel American system. News outlets like The Washington Post and CNN picked up the story and made him look like he was unfairly torn away from his community. But quickly, papers came out that said Garcia was allegedly connected to MS-13, a dangerous gang that is known for committing horrible crimes all over the Americas. ICE used court records and obvious tattoos, like one that said “MS-13” across his knuckles, to paint a very different picture than what the media painted.

Still, Democrats like Chris Van Hollen stepped up their fight. Van Hollen’s well-known trip to El Salvador to see Garcia was meant to show how morally wrong he was. Instead, it showed how bad politicians are at their jobs. When the facts about Garcia came out, Democrats were no longer in the middle of a moral crusade, but in the middle of yet another messaging failure.

A dangerous trend in progressive politics is the use of narrative to talk about national security

It’s not the first time that Democrats have made questionable people into martyrs. Do you remember Michael Avenatti? He was a hero to the left until he went to prison. Or Christine Blasey Ford, whose accusation against Brett Kavanaugh was taken as truth until it turned out to be false. The Garcia case follows this well-worn road of playing on appearances while ignoring the facts. But unlike past mistakes, the Garcia story is not only embarrassing; it’s also dangerous.

Enforcing immigration laws and keeping the country safe go hand in hand. By attacking ICE’s trustworthiness, the left risks making people even less trusting of the groups that are supposed to keep Americans safe. It is one thing to criticize the government. It’s another thing to support someone who has been flagged by two different judges as possibly having gang ties.

That’s not just a mistake in politics. It has to do with morals.

Not only did the Ruthless team talk about the political impact, they also talked about the long-term effects of this kind of careless advocacy. People who just want safer streets and stronger borders will lose trust in the Democratic Party if it becomes so against law enforcement that it stands with violent criminals, whether they know it or not.

Chris Van Hollen’s International Virtue Signal Is Just Symbolism Without Any Meaning

While parts of the Midwest were hit by floods and crime rose in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia, Senator Van Hollen decided to take a trip to El Salvador for political reasons. His goal? To talk to Garcia about what he saw as an unfair situation. It was a political move that looked like good behavior as a citizen.

The hosts of Ruthless made fun of the fact that the trip didn’t end in justified anger but in what they called “Margarita-Gate,” an embarrassingly staged press event that they said involved margaritas, palm trees, and media fluff. It looked like a scene from Veep because of how silly the images were. This was supposed to be a serious protest against Trump’s policies on deportations, but it turned into a joke around the world.

The podcast brought up a question that a lot of Americans have: Who are Democratic leaders really working for? Because it doesn’t look like the law-abiding, tax-paying people in their areas are the ones doing it.

Misconduct in the Media: How Reporters Became Activists

There have been claims of bias against legacy media for a long time, but in the case of Garcia, it wasn’t just twisting the facts—they were trying to hide them completely. News outlets wouldn’t even talk about the gang membership claims, let alone the proof that was presented in court. Instead, they ran stories that were positive, often leaving out important facts that would have changed the public’s view completely.

This isn’t news reporting. It’s just lies.

Ruthless said that the way the media treated Garcia was similar to how they treated Robert Mueller, the Steele report, and the now-debunked “pee tape.” All of those stories were told with holy zeal, but the facts made them fall apart. The Garcia case is the latest example of this bad trend: the media doesn’t act as a watchdog, but as a guard dog for Democratic stories.

And, just like those other disasters, the people will lose trust in the long run. Voters start to look for information elsewhere when the media can’t be told apart from the Democratic Party’s marketing arm. That’s why alternative sites and podcasts with a conservative leaning are doing so well. People are fed up with being lied to.

Democratic Disarray: Doubts Inside and Shame in Public

Even in the Democratic Party, there are signs of weakness. Even though Senator Amy Klobuchar isn’t exactly a conservative favorite, she recently said some nice things about how her colleagues are too focused on small problems like the Garcia case. She tried to get back to talking about the economy, which shows that at least some Democrats are aware that their brand is in bad shape.

It might be too late or too little too late.

Ruthless pointed out that the party’s extreme base makes it hard to even try to be moderate. Even though Klobuchar talks about being pragmatic about the economy, she still votes exactly the same way as progressives on most topics. The Democratic Party doesn’t just have a problem with its messages; it also has a problem with who it is. Whose party it is? The party of working families or the party of people who support El Salvadoran gangs?

It looks like the second one right now.

Using humor to show hypocrisy through cynicism and satire

Using fun is one of the best things that Ruthless can do. The panelists made fun of the Garcia mess over and over again, calling Senator Van Hollen “Soft Chris” and making fun of the whole thing like it was a comic sketch. The satire is funny, but it hides important points.

They can get through the noise and show political hypocrisy in a way that sticks with people by using humor. People may not pay attention when policy is talked about in dry legalese, but they do pay attention when a politician’s actions are shown to be not only wrong, but also incredibly out of touch with the people.

In this way, Ruthless’s method is like a bigger trend in conservative media: the rise of infotainment. Podcasts like Ruthless are popular not only because they teach, but also because they’re fun. And in this day and age of fake news and mistrust, that’s a powerful mix.

The numbers don’t lie when it comes to immigration, polls, and public opinion

A new CNN study mentioned on the show shows that support for deporting all undocumented immigrants has grown from 38% in 2016 to 56% now. That’s not a view on the edge. That’s what most people think.

And it’s one that goes against everything Democrats believe in.

The Ruthless crew said that this rising agreement shows how far behind the times the Democratic Party has become. While they’re focused on rare cases like Garcia, the normal American sees the bigger picture: borders that are overloaded, crime rates going up, and public services being strained by illegal immigration.

Even with all his bluster, Trump has been able to match himself with what most people feel. His message is clear and powerful: protect the line and follow the law. The Democrats, on the other hand, are stuck in a cycle of moral preening and class virtue signaling.

You can’t lie to the numbers. They will keep losing people that the Democrats say they want to win if they don’t pay attention to them.

The gap between populism and culture is getting bigger

One of the most moving parts of the Ruthless episode was when the hosts talked about family trips, church events, and other personal stories that show what middle-Americans value. These stories weren’t just fluff. They were very different from the posh theater of Washington, D.C.

More and more, Democrats seem to be out of touch with daily American culture. The gap is real and getting bigger, whether it’s when people support late-term abortion, push radical gender theory in schools, or fly overseas to defend people suspected of being in gangs.

This difference in culture has helped the nationalist right. The left says populism is dangerous, but the truth is that it’s a reaction to how detached they are. Elites who don’t listen to or make fun of people turn to leaders who speak their language. At the moment, most of these leaders are on the conservative side.

Recycling is a problem for the left because of desperation and déjà vu

Finally, the show made the case that the Democratic Party keeps doing the same things over and over again. With each new incident and “victim,” the story is told as a scathing attack on conservative policies, but it quickly falls apart.

It’s not just likely to happen. It’s so sad.

Democrats show they aren’t creative by using the same moral reasons over and over again and expecting different results. They are stuck on an old manual because it is the only one they have left. And voters are beginning to understand.

This isn’t just a problem with messages. It’s not a good strategy. And the left will keep losing both the story war and the election polls unless they make big changes.

Is this the end of the era of stories?

There was more than one mistake in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case. It shows that the Democratic Party’s messages, goals, and credibility are all falling apart. It shows what happens when a political party puts feelings over facts, symbols over safety, and the approval of the elite over the trust of the people.

In the meantime, Republicans have a chance. They can not only win elections, but also revive faith in leadership if they stick to facts, value clarity, and connect with regular Americans.

One thing was made clear by the Ruthless crew: the Democrats’ house of cards is coming apart. No amount of drinks or spin in the news will help.