The David Rutherford Show

David Rutherford Show: 22-Year Marine's Fight To Save Maryland feat. Chris Burnett

A 22-year active duty Marine officer. Four combat deployments to Iraq. A wife who couldn't open a laundromat because the state made it impossible. Now Chris Burnett is running for Congress in one of the toughest districts in the country — Maryland's 6th — against two opponents worth hundreds of millions of dollars. David Rutherford sits down with Burnett to break down what's actually happening in Maryland: a $1.5 billion state deficit, 25,000 federal jobs lost to DOGE, an economy built entirely on government dependency, and a regulatory environment that kills small business before it starts. Burnett lays out his "innovation corridor" plan — aligning federal highway funds with data center development, small modular nuclear reactors, AI and quantum research, and advanced manufacturing along the I-270 to I-68 corridor. They also go deep on Iran. Burnett spent his career watching Iranian proxies operate across the Middle East. His take: this military action is 47 years overdue, no boots on the ground, degrade the IRGC, open the Strait of Hormuz, and let the Iranian people determine their own future. ✅ Sponsor: ☕️ Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/🏫 Get coaching by David Rutherford: https://www.froglogicinstitute.com/ 📕 Get David's novel, The Poet Warrior: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/the-poet-warrior 📰 Sign up for David's newsletter for free coaching tips, updates, and more: https://davidrutherfordletter.substack.com/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 — Cold Open 01:00 — Chris Burnett's background: 22 years active duty Marine Corps 04:12 — The campaign: running against two of the wealthiest members of Congress 08:06 — How Maryland's 6th District was gerrymandered blue 15:37 — His wife's American Dream blocked by Maryland regulation 17:39 — The innovation corridor: data centers, nuclear, advanced manufacturing 19:51 — 500 diesel generators next to a school — the data center problem 20:43 — Small modular reactors: what the Navy's used for decades, now commercialized 31:15 — Eminent domain abuse: destroying farmland for Virginia's data centers 33:44 — Term limits, no stock trading, no government shutdowns 38:58 — Iran: 4 deployments, the IRGC threat, and why this is overdue 41:02 — Strait of Hormuz: 20% of world oil, 30% of LNG 49:14 — Immigration, the Dignity Act, and the ICE facility fight in Washington County 55:48 — Where to support Burnett's campaignSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Rutherford Show: Iran Rescue, Australian War Crimes, a SEAL Kill Squad, and the Istanbul Attack

David covers four stories every operator and security-minded American needs to understand right now: 🔹 The Iran CSAR Mission — how 155 aircraft, hundreds of SOF operators, and a CIA deception campaign pulled off one of the biggest pilot rescues since Vietnam. David breaks down the escape and evasion tactics, the parallels to Operation Eagle Claw, and what the equipment losses mean. 🔹 Ben Roberts-Smith War Crimes — Australia's most decorated living soldier arrested for five counts of war crime murder in Afghanistan. David gives his honest assessment as a former operator, the Eddie Gallagher parallels, and why the battlefield is not a courtroom. 🔹 The Spear Operations Group — Navy SEALs and Green Berets ran a secret assassination team out of a $7M mansion in San Diego, paid $1.5M/month by the UAE. David reacts to the kill list, the Delta Force recruiter, and why every operator has had "the mercenary conversation." 🔹 Israeli Consulate Attack in Turkey — three gunmen opened fire on the Israeli consulate in Istanbul this morning. David connects it to the rising threat paradigm and what it signals for Europe and the West.✅ Sponsor: ☕️ Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/🏫 Get coaching by David Rutherford: https://www.froglogicinstitute.com/ 📕 Get David's novel, The Poet Warrior: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/the-poet-warrior 📰 Sign up for David's newsletter for free coaching tips, updates, and more: https://davidrutherfordletter.substack.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:48 - The Iran CSAR Mission - 155 Aircraft, One Pilot17:00 - Australia's Most Decorated Soldier Arrested32:57 - Spear Operations Group - The Mercenary Hit Squad42:38 - Israeli Consulate Attack in IstanbulSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Rutherford Show: The Case For Courage - A Navy SEAL Opens Up

Fear doesn't go away. Not for a 19-year-old Marine about to fly into Iran. Not for a 32-year-old watching AI eliminate their career. Not for a Navy SEAL who spent years wondering if he deserved to be forgiven. Courage is the thing that lets you take one more inch. Former Navy SEAL and CIA officer David Rutherford sits down alone on Easter weekend to break down what courage actually is — across philosophy, psychology, behavioral science, and theology — and shares the most personal episode he's ever recorded. From Plato and Kierkegaard to Christ's final seven statements on the cross, David builds a framework for how to face fear, suffering, and uncertainty in your own life. This isn't a geopolitical briefing. This is one man telling you the truth about what it takes to keep going.✅ Sponsors: ☕️ Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/🏫 Get coaching by David Rutherford: https://www.froglogicinstitute.com/ 📕 Get David's novel, The Poet Warrior: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/the-poet-warrior 📰 Sign up for David's newsletter for free coaching tips, updates, and more: https://davidrutherfordletter.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Rutherford Show: The Lobbying Firm That Controls Trump's White House

💰You've heard "follow the money" your whole life. Today, I'm going to show you exactly where it leads. There's a K Street lobbying firm most people have never heard of — Ballard Partners — that now controls more access to the Trump White House than just about any other outside entity. Before Trump's first election, they had zero federal clients. Today they're billing $88.1 million a year and representing foreign governments from Qatar to Saudi Arabia to Libya. And the firm's former employees? They're the White House Chief of Staff, the Attorney General, and — through connected networks — the Secretary of State. This isn't a partisan attack on Trump. Some of what this administration is doing I think is exactly right. This is a SEAL and a former CIA officer showing you how the game is actually played — so you can stop being a pawn in it. ✅ Sponsors:☕️ Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/ 📲 Follow us on social: https://linktr.ee/davidrutherfordshow 🏫 Get coaching by David Rutherford: https://www.froglogicinstitute.com/📕 Get David's novel, The Poet Warrior: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/the-poet-warrior📰 Sign up for David's newsletter for free coaching tips, updates, and more: https://davidrutherfordletter.substack.com/🕒 Timestamps:00:00 — The war inside the Republican Party no one is naming 03:11 — What is the "deep state" — and where does it actually live? 11:13 — Ballard Partners: $88.1M, 300 clients, 3 continents 19:39 — The pipeline: Susie Wiles and Pam Bondi came from the same firm 26:25 — Foreign clients: Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Libya 27:35 — The client roster: Amazon, TikTok, Nippon Steel, UnitedHealth 34:04 — Why David supports some of what Trump is doing — and what worries him 36:21 — Susie Wiles: foreign agent, Netanyahu's campaign, and the DC expansion 43:20 — Pam Bondi: lobbied for Uber and Geo Group before becoming AG 46:40 — The Rubio 2028 setup: donor class picks the next candidate 53:31 — The bipartisan machine: Democrats running the "Republican" firm's DC office 57:21 — What this means for you in 2026 and 2028See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Rutherford Show: The Insurgency Inside the Republican Party | Eric Schwalm

📍What's happening inside the Republican Party isn't a civil war. According to today's guest — it's a textbook insurgency. And he's qualified to say that. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Eric Schwalm spent 30 years in Special Operations Forces and military intelligence, deploying to Syria and working at the agency level. He applies the same operational design framework he used against ISIS to what he's watching inside U.S. politics — and the picture it reveals is sobering. Eric Schwalm is a retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 with three decades in Special Operations and intelligence. He writes and speaks on political analysis through the lens of professional military intelligence methodology.✅ Sponsors:☕️ Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com/➡️ Follow Eric: https://x.com/Schwalm5132📝 Eric's Article: https://x.com/Schwalm5132/status/2037152016749724035 📲 Follow us on social: https://linktr.ee/davidrutherfordshow 🏫 Get coaching by David Rutherford: https://www.froglogicinstitute.com/📕 Get David's novel, The Poet Warrior: https://www.ballastbooks.com/ballast-bookstore/the-poet-warrior📰 Sign up for David's newsletter for free coaching tips, updates, and more: https://davidrutherfordletter.substack.com/ Timestamps:00:00 – The Insurgency Frame: It's Not a Party War 07:40 – Applying COIN Analysis to Domestic Politics 11:15 – Precincts, Infrastructure & How the Old Guard Holds Power 20:00 – The Congressional Information System Explained 24:14 – Lobbying, Donor Class & Following the Money 33:43 – Information vs. Intelligence: The Puzzle Method 39:17 – How Zoomers Fight Back: Physical + Intellectual Readiness 48:34 – Fortifying Yourself When the Insurgency Fails 58:14 – Final Thoughts: Be Yourself, Your Team Will Find YouSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.