The Ultimate Assist

🎙️ #91: Is Big Pharma Still Running the Show Under RFK Jr.? — Mary Holland Returns

On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton welcomes back Mary Holland, CEO of Children’s Health Defense, for a provocative conversation about Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Big Pharma, vaccine injuries, medical freedom, and the ongoing battle over who really controls America’s healthcare system.

With Ken Ruettgers away, John is joined by special guest co-host Dr. Craig Buhler, a longtime chiropractor and human performance specialist, as they examine some of the most controversial issues facing American families today.

For decades, Mary Holland and Children’s Health Defense have challenged pharmaceutical companies, government health agencies, and established medical organizations over vaccine safety, informed consent, and individual medical rights.

But now, with former Children’s Health Defense chairman Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, a question looms large:

Is the system finally changing, or is Big Pharma still calling the shots?

Mary offers an inside perspective on the challenges Kennedy faces in Washington, arguing that entrenched interests within the federal bureaucracy, pharmaceutical industry, and medical establishment continue to resist his reform agenda.

She also discusses a new NIH initiative focused on vaccine injuries and the families who have spent years fighting for recognition, research, and accountability.

The conversation takes a particularly controversial turn when Mary discusses Children’s Health Defense’s racketeering lawsuit against the American Academy of Pediatrics. She explains why her organization believes the AAP has misrepresented vaccine risks to parents and medical professionals—allegations that remain subject to legal dispute.

John, Dr. Buhler, and Mary explore:

• RFK Jr. vs. Big Pharma: Is meaningful healthcare reform possible from inside Washington?
• Vaccine injuries: Why Mary believes injured families have been ignored for decades.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics: The controversial lawsuit challenging its vaccine-safety messaging.
• Medical freedom: Should anyone need a religious or medical exemption to refuse a medical intervention?
• COVID mandates: Did the pandemic response threaten fundamental constitutional freedoms?
• Vaccine liability: Why Mary wants changes to the legal protections surrounding vaccine manufacturers.
• Children’s chronic illness: The debate over vaccines, environmental exposures, nutrition, and rising childhood health problems.
• Glyphosate and pesticides: Why Children’s Health Defense is challenging chemical-industry practices.
• Wireless technology: Mary’s concerns about electromagnetic radiation, Wi-Fi, and children’s exposure to screens.
• Geoengineering: Her organization’s investigation of claims about atmospheric spraying and environmental contamination.
• The future of Children’s Health Defense: What comes next for the medical freedom movement?

Mary also explains why she believes the public conversation around health has fundamentally changed, even as major disagreements remain over the scientific evidence and the direction of federal policy.

Perhaps the most important question raised during the episode is one that goes beyond vaccines:

If you don’t have the right to decide what goes into your own body, how much freedom do you really have?

From the halls of Washington to the doctor’s office, this conversation examines the growing tension between public health policy, personal liberty, corporate influence, and parental responsibility.

And despite the controversy, Mary ends with a message about something she believes should unite Americans across political and ideological divides:

We all want healthier children.

Whether you agree with her conclusions or not, this episode offers an extensive look at the arguments, legal battles, and political developments shaping one of America’s most contentious public health debates.

🎙️ Episode #91: Is Big Pharma Still Running the Show Under RFK Jr.? — Mary Holland Returns

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RE-POST: 

In this episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers welcome Dr. Jordan Vaughn, the physician making waves from Alabama to Capitol Hill. Known for his controversial stance on the Covid shot and his scathing testimony before Congress, Dr. Vaughn reveals what government agencies deliberately ignored about vaccine injuries, myocarditis, and microvascular damage. He breaks down how elite athletes and everyday patients alike are still suffering from long Covid and shot-related complications—and why the venous system, not just arteries, holds the key to understanding these mysterious health collapses. From military readiness to medical betrayal, this episode cuts through the narrative with clarity, courage, and compassion.

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with Dr. Andrew Fox, author of Truth in the Age of Applause: How Stupidity Is Ruining the American Dream, for a provocative conversation about truth, morality, education, masculinity, politics and whether America is losing its ability to think for itself.

We have more information at our fingertips than any generation in human history.

So why does it sometimes seem like we’re getting worse at thinking?

Fox argues that the problem isn’t intelligence. It’s what happens when intelligent people surrender their own moral judgment to the crowd.

Drawing on theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s writings about Germany during the rise of Nazism, Fox explains what he means by “stupidity”: not a lack of intelligence, but the willingness of otherwise rational people to abandon independent judgment and conform to an ideology because everyone around them appears to accept it. 

And Fox believes America is increasingly vulnerable to exactly that phenomenon.

The conversation doesn’t shy away from cultural flashpoints.

Fox takes aim at rapidly changing language around sex and gender, progressive politics entering children’s entertainment, identity politics, socialism, ideological conformity in universities and what he sees as America’s disappearing moral foundation. He argues that when truth becomes a popularity contest, it stops being truth and becomes performance.  

But the criticism isn’t confined to the political left.

When Ken asks about extremism on the right, Fox argues that conservatives can fall victim to ideological thinking too. He uses immigration as an example, saying that children brought illegally into America through no choice of their own should have a reasonable path toward legal status rather than being treated identically to people who knowingly violated immigration law as adults. 

John, Ken and Dr. Fox explore:

• Why Americans may be losing the ability to think independently
• Whether universities teach students how to think or what to think
• Why Fox believes critical thinking and civil dialogue need to return to classrooms
• Gender, language and the changing definition of cultural norms
• Socialism, communism and political extremism
• Why some Americans appear increasingly ashamed of their own country
• The decline of churches as America’s moral conscience
• Immigration and what citizenship should mean
• Why Fox believes both the extreme left and extreme right miss the point
• Masculinity, family and the return of traditional roles
• Why younger Americans increasingly believe the American Dream is dead
• Whether social media rewards conformity over truth
• And what ordinary Americans can actually do about it

The American Dream also comes under the microscope.

Fox challenges younger generations who believe it has become unattainable. His advice isn’t particularly fashionable: work harder, stop expecting everything immediately, spend less than you earn, cancel unnecessary subscriptions and accept that building a life takes time. He argues that previous generations didn’t begin adulthood with the lifestyle social media now presents as normal. 

Perhaps the most important part of the conversation, though, is Fox’s argument for bringing back civil disagreement.

Instead of teaching students the correct opinion, he wants schools and universities to force students to make an argument, support it with evidence, defend it against criticism—and remain capable of respecting the person sitting across from them. He believes those skills could begin being taught as early as first grade. 

And when John puts him through The Ultimate Assist rapid fire, Fox doesn’t hesitate when asked for the biggest threat to independent thought:

Universities. 

This isn’t really a conversation about left versus right.

It’s about something more fundamental:

Can Americans still disagree, think independently and pursue truth even when the crowd doesn’t applaud them?

🎙️ Episode #90: Is Stupidity Destroying the American Dream? — with Dr. Andrew Fox

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with former Navy SEAL and physician Dr. Kirk Parsley for a conversation that may completely change the way you think about sleep.

We’ve been conditioned to admire the person who gets up earlier, works later and boasts that they’ll “sleep when they’re dead.”

Dr. Parsley’s response?

Keep doing that, and you may get there sooner.

After serving as a Navy SEAL and later returning to the community as a physician, Parsley began noticing something disturbing among some of the toughest, most highly trained men in the world: declining testosterone, poor concentration, low motivation, worsening body composition, mood problems and deteriorating performance.

The common denominator led him deep into the science of sleep. 

Parsley argues that sleep isn’t simply downtime. It’s when the body performs much of the repair, recovery, hormone regulation and memory consolidation required to make tomorrow better than today.

And he makes one particularly provocative claim:

If your body needs eight hours and you’re consistently giving it six, you’re aging faster. 

John, Ken and Dr. Parsley dive into questions almost everyone can relate to: Why do you wake up at 3 AM and struggle to fall back asleep? How much sleep do you actually need? Does caffeine really give you energy—or simply hide how tired you are? What role do cortisol and stress play? And can trying too hard to sleep actually be the very thing keeping you awake?

Then the conversation gets even more provocative.

Parsley explains how his work with Navy SEALs led him to question the routine use of Ambien. He describes what he observed after getting men off sleep medications and reducing alcohol use, including substantial changes in hormone markers in many of those he treated. 

He also argues that drugs such as Ambien and Lunesta don’t reproduce normal sleep architecture in the way many people assume, describing the resulting state as closer to unconsciousness than genuine sleep. 

The episode covers sleep, testosterone and growth hormone; cortisol and middle-of-the-night waking; caffeine and “sleep pressure”; melatonin and magnesium; alcohol and sleep quality; traumatic brain injuries among Navy SEALs; cold bedrooms and circadian rhythms; sleep trackers and whether obsessing over the numbers can make things worse; sleep apnea and CPAP; and even why GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and severe caloric restriction may interfere with sleep. Parsley also explains why consistency—roughly the same bedtime and wake time every day—is one of the most powerful tools available for improving sleep. 

And for anyone staring at their Apple Watch, Oura Ring or other wearable every morning, Parsley has another controversial take: he says wearables may become more of a liability than a benefit for people who become obsessive about their sleep scores, and cautions that their estimates of REM and deep-sleep staging aren’t necessarily reliable. 

From Navy SEALs and professional athletes to parents who simply can’t stay asleep, this episode asks a deceptively simple question:

What if the thing standing between you and better health, performance and longevity isn’t another workout, supplement or drug — but another two hours in bed?

🎙️ Episode #89: Are You Aging 25% Faster Because You Don’t Sleep Enough? — with Dr. Kirk Parsley

Available on Rumble, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers welcome back epidemiologist Nicolas Hulscher, MPH, for a provocative conversation about childhood vaccines, vaccinated-versus-unvaccinated health outcomes, MMR, mRNA technology, cancer, myocarditis, and the future of vaccine policy in America.

Nicolas returns to the show with new research and some controversial conclusions.

At the center of the conversation is a retrospective analysis of medical records from children within the Henry Ford Health system. Hulscher argues that the data raise serious questions about differences in chronic-disease diagnoses between vaccinated and unvaccinated children and says the findings warrant much greater scrutiny of the childhood vaccine schedule. 

John and Ken challenge Nicolas on what those findings mean for parents. Are the apparent differences actually caused by vaccination? What are the tradeoffs of foregoing vaccines against diseases such as measles, mumps and polio? And has enough high-quality research been conducted to give parents the answers they deserve? Hulscher argues that current evidence warrants far greater caution, while acknowledging at points that some disease-specific associations cannot yet be established with certainty. 

The conversation gets even more controversial when Nicolas discusses what he calls “turbo cancer.” He describes research he believes points toward unusually aggressive cancers following COVID-19 vaccination and lays out proposed biological mechanisms involving mRNA technology and spike-protein production. These interpretations remain contested, but Hulscher argues that the signals deserve much more investigation rather than dismissal. 

John, Ken and Nicolas also explore:

• Vaccinated versus unvaccinated health outcomes
• Why Nicolas is particularly concerned about the MMR vaccine
• Whether the childhood vaccine schedule has been adequately studied as a whole
• Myocarditis and neurological adverse events
• The debate surrounding “turbo cancers”
• How long vaccine-derived material may persist in the body
• Whether mRNA technology should continue to be developed
• What Nicolas believes regulators are getting wrong
• Why he says he’s more concerned today than he was during his first appearance

Toward the end of the episode, Nicolas discusses ongoing research into spike-protein reduction and proposed studies involving repurposed drugs in cancer patients, before explaining why he believes emerging biotechnology deserves far greater public scrutiny. 

In rapid fire, Nicolas doesn’t hedge when John asks which vaccine is most misunderstood:

“All of them.”

And when asked whether mRNA technology should be studied harder or abandoned, his answer is equally unequivocal:

Abandon it. 

Whether you agree with his conclusions or strongly disagree, this episode asks questions that Nicolas Hulscher believes parents, physicians, researchers and regulators should be willing to confront.

🎙️ Episode #88: Are Vaccinated Children Really Healthier? — Nicolas Hulscher Returns

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RE-POST; ORIGINALLY AIRED NOVEMBER 25TH, 2025:

On today’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with the legendary “Father of Function,” Gary Gray, for a conversation that cuts straight against the grain of modern healthcare and performance science.

Gray argues that today’s medical and athletic systems are trapped in a symptom-first agenda, ignoring the real root causes behind pain, injury, and the explosion of chronic dysfunction in both kids and elite athletes. From calling out outdated physical therapy methods to exposing how schools and sports programs have abandoned true movement literacy, Gray lays out a radically different vision for human health — one built on biomechanics, curiosity, and reclaiming our natural ability to move.

He also reveals Free to Play, his nationwide plan to rebuild children’s health from the ground up by teaching foundational movement patterns and generosity literacy — a direct challenge to the system he believes is failing America’s next generation.

A provocative, energizing episode that questions the old rules and spotlights a movement expert determined to rewrite the agenda for health, youth development, and human potential.

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, for a provocative conversation about vaccines, informed consent, medical freedom, censorship, and who should ultimately have authority over the medical decisions we make for ourselves and our children.

Barbara has spent more than four decades challenging America’s approach to vaccine policy after her son experienced what she describes as a severe reaction to a DPT vaccination in 1982. That experience launched a lifetime of advocacy centered around one principle: no individual should be forced to accept a medical risk without voluntary and informed consent. 

And Barbara believes America still hasn’t learned that lesson.

She makes the case for eliminating vaccine mandates altogether, arguing that medical, religious and philosophical exemptions still leave government or medical authorities with the ultimate power to determine whether an individual can refuse vaccination. Instead, she wants informed consent and bodily autonomy explicitly protected in public-health law. 

John, Ken and Barbara dive into some of the most controversial questions surrounding vaccination today, including:

• Should all vaccine mandates be eliminated?
• Has vaccination become a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to account for biological differences?
• Are Americans getting enough information to genuinely give informed consent?
• What did COVID reveal about government public-health powers?
• What does the future of mRNA technology mean for medicine?
• Why was the National Vaccine Information Center removed from major social-media platforms?
• Should parents be able to reject a vaccine recommendation without being pressured or shamed?
• Are expanding public-health surveillance powers threatening medical privacy?
• And has society become so committed to vaccination that questioning it has become almost taboo?

Fisher also discusses the censorship her organization experienced during COVID. She says NVIC was removed from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter, and later lost access to PayPal; she argues that those actions demonstrate how difficult it became to publicly challenge prevailing vaccine policy during the pandemic. 

One particularly provocative moment comes when the conversation turns to whether society’s faith in vaccines has taken on characteristics of a religion. Barbara goes even further: she describes it as a “cult,” arguing that people have been conditioned to accept certain assumptions about vaccination without adequately questioning them. 

The conversation ultimately comes back to something much bigger than vaccines:

Who owns your body?

Barbara argues that medical freedom isn’t about telling people whether they should or shouldn’t vaccinate. It’s about having access to information, understanding potential benefits and risks, knowing your own medical and family history, and being free to make the final decision without coercion.

After more than 40 years fighting this battle, Barbara leaves listeners with one simple piece of advice:

“Before you take a risk, find out what it is.” 

🎙️ Episode #87: Are Vaccine Mandates a Violation of Our Human Rights? — with Barbara Loe Fisher

Available on Rumble, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

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RE-POST: ORIGINAL AIR DATE: APRIL 23RD, 2025

This week on The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with returning guests Shawn Needham and Karl Lambert—two health freedom trailblazers who’ve broken away from the traditional medical model to champion a new path toward healing, autonomy, and truth.

From bioidentical hormones and ozone therapy to the rise of alternative health cooperatives, this episode unpacks how Needham and Lambert are helping people exit the broken insurance-based system and reclaim control over their wellness. Hear stories from the front lines of the Medical Freedom Northwest Conference, the eye-opening power of like-minded community, and why these practitioners say, “We were MAHA before MAHA was cool.”

If you’ve ever questioned mainstream healthcare or wondered how to live with more vitality outside the sick-care system—this one’s for you.

🎧 Plus:

• The truth about COVID vaccine injuries and media silence
• How DMSO and other biohacks are changing outcomes
• Why freedom in medicine is a non-negotiable right

👉 Tune in and discover what it truly means to Make American Medicine Great Again.

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, Brianne Dressen returns to sit down with John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers for an explosive update on COVID vaccine injuries, React19, Anthony Fauci, and the information now emerging about what federal health officials were discussing behind closed doors.

Brianne’s story will already be familiar to longtime listeners. After volunteering for a COVID vaccine clinical trial, she says she experienced a severe reaction following her first dose and was later studied at the NIH and diagnosed with post-vaccine neuropathy. Her experience ultimately led her to help establish React19, a nonprofit advocating for people who report serious and lasting injuries following COVID vaccination. 

But this time, Brianne isn’t simply returning to tell her story.

She’s bringing updates.

Brianne discusses recently surfaced records involving Anthony Fauci and other senior health officials and argues that they provide new insight into what government agencies knew about reported adverse reactions during the early vaccine rollout. She describes the conversations she says were happening among figures including Fauci, Francis Collins, Janet Woodcock and Peter Marks—and asks why the public wasn’t given more information about the injuries her organization was reporting. 

John, Ken and Brianne also dive into the ongoing investigations led by Senators Ron Johnson and Rand Paul, the legal protections surrounding pandemic countermeasures, vaccine-injury compensation, and why Brianne says many injured Americans are still struggling financially and medically years later. 

The conversation explores Brianne’s frustration that even under new leadership, she believes changing the culture inside America’s health agencies is proving far more difficult than many expected. As she puts it, the problem goes far beyond any single individual. 

Brianne also gives a deeply personal update on her own health. After once falling below 100 pounds and struggling with debilitating symptoms, she says her condition today is dramatically improved. She shares what she’s learned about pacing, sleep, nutrition, stress, complementary therapies and—perhaps most importantly—having patience and compassion for yourself during chronic illness. 

What did Fauci and other officials know? When did they know it? Why do vaccine-injured Americans still say they’re fighting for recognition? And after five years, are we finally beginning to get answers?

🎙️ Episode #86: What Did Fauci Know — and When Did He Know It? Brianne Dressen Returns

Available on Rumble, Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

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On this week’s episode of The Ultimate Assist, John Stockton and Ken Ruettgers sit down with Pastor Tony Spell, whose refusal to close his church during the COVID pandemic made headlines around the world. 

Pastor Spell recounts the events that led to multiple arrests, house arrest, criminal charges, and years of legal battles after continuing to hold in-person church services despite government shutdown orders.

He explains why he believed closing the church violated his religious convictions, how his congregation grew throughout the pandemic, and what ultimately happened when his case reached the Louisiana Supreme Court.

The conversation covers:

• Why he refused to close his church
• His arrests and house arrest
• Government mandates during COVID
• Religious liberty and constitutional rights
• Fear, courage, and civil disobedience
• The role of churches during times of crisis
• Why he believes Americans must remain vigilant in protecting freedom

Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, Pastor Spell offers a firsthand account of one of the most controversial church-state conflicts of the COVID era.

🎙️ Episode #85: Pastor Tony Spell — They Arrested Me for Holding Church

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