The Ruthless Podcast hosts disclosed a 1971 letter to the editor written by Ohio Democratic Senate nominee Sherrod Brown in which he argued against the release of American prisoners of war from the Vietnam War. The document, published in the News-Journal during the summer of 1971, questions the strategic rationale for repatriating POWs, asking if North Vietnam released them, what would stop the U.S. from bombing Hanoi and Haiphong.
Podcast co-host Michael Duncan identified Brown as a figure who has maintained this viewpoint throughout his political career, contrasting him with other Democratic candidates he criticized. Duncan stated that while some Democrats are defined by specific controversial statements, Brown has consistently held this position since his early days in public life. The podcast’s release of the material comes as Brown campaigns against incumbent Republican Senator Jon Husted in a race Fox News has classified as a toss-up.
The discovery echoes earlier reporting on Brown’s ideological stance. In 2015, BuzzFeed reported that Brown wrote as a teenager that the Nixon administration was turning the country into a "fascist police-state." Podcast co-host Comfortably Smug, who described himself as a fan of President Richard Nixon, expressed emotional disagreement with Brown’s 1971 stance. Smug highlighted archival footage of Nixon welcoming the returned POWs to the United States, noting the significance for families who had endured torture. Smug questioned how a candidate with such views remains on the ballot in the current political climate.
Co-host John Ashbrook, a Cincinnati native, argued that the letter provides concrete evidence for long-standing perceptions of Brown’s left-wing sympathies. Ashbrook noted that while critics often dismiss Brown as a "crazy lefty," they rarely provide specific examples to support that characterization. He suggested the 1970s writing explains why many observers believe Brown is sympathetic to communist ideologies.
The revelation occurs during a period when Democrats view Ohio as a critical state for flipping control of the U.S. Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage. Brown previously served three terms in the Senate representing Ohio from 2007 to 2025. The Ruthless podcast has covered midterm elections extensively over the past year, conducting interviews with candidates in 19 states through its Ruthless Midterm Interview Series. Fox News Digital contacted the Brown campaign regarding the newly surfaced letter but did not receive a response at the time of reporting.