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Jack Armstrong
This is an iHeart podcast.
Joe Getty
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Jack Armstrong
Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty live from studio C C, senor.
Scott Besant
We are in a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty communications compound. Today and today, Wednesday.
Jack Armstrong
Is that right?
Scott Besant
Middle of the week. We're under the tutelage of our general manager.
Jack Armstrong
Oh, my God. Epstein again.
Scott Besant
No, you can't.
Jack Armstrong
Yes, you can. I can. I must.
Scott Besant
You can. You must.
Jack Armstrong
I shall.
Scott Besant
Wow.
Jack Armstrong
Congress got called off Mike Johnson, if that is his real name. The speake said. All right, that's enough arguing about Epstein. We're all going home. I'm taking my gavel and going home. There's more to it than that. We'll tell you about it.
Scott Besant
Okay. Look forward to that. Do I? I don't look forward to that. I'm lying. That was a lie. That was a lie for me. If I was hooked up to a lie detector had gone, a little needle would have bounced up and down. I'm not looking forward to that at all.
Jack Armstrong
No, indeed. Yeah.
Scott Besant
Hey, I just heard Scott Besant, the Treasury secretary, say something interesting about and then it kind of relates to a story I didn't get to yesterday. He said. So it was about the tariff deals and so Trump's got a new deal with Japan, which is a really, you know, major economy.
Jack Armstrong
It's top five nick of time. Yeah.
Scott Besant
So Japan, Philippines and somebody else. But anyway. And then there was the talk of how this increase in tariffs with These countries is gonna cause prices to go up, inflation, blah, blah, blah, blah. And Scott Bessett, the Treasury Secretary said that hasn't happened yet. And I don't think it's going to because retailers are absorbing the costs for themselves into their profits. So people are not seeing the price go up, which is true to a certain extent, but I don't think it's for the reason that they like or whatever. So you had the story the other day about how Amazon stuff has gone up, but Walmart stuff has gone down. So there is a battle going on between the two biggest retailers in the world, Amazon and Walmart, and they're trying to keep prices down and undercutting each other partially, at least according to a couple of economists I was listening to. This is gonna drive out the last remaining little guy in America or the world because they can't do that. You're so, you're a mom and pop shop. You can't absorb the, the tariff causing the stuff to go up the way Amazon and Walmart can and you might disappear. And then, and then it's just Walmart and Amazon, which is their goal.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. My only quibble is that Amazon did go up. It's trying the opposite strategy because they have the advantage, and Walmart does too really, of having instantaneous data about how a price increase or decrease affects the consumer. How much elasticity. Elasticity there is nearly instantaneously, which has just been unknown to the world of economics. So Bezos and company obviously are seeing, saying, let's see if we can get away with tweaking some prices upward. Meanwhile, over there in Arkansas, Walmart's saying, hey, here's a chance for us to recapture a significant chunk of market share. We're going to take it in the, in the, the crotch for a quarter or two. Sorry, it's unnecessarily. Frank. We're going to take it in the pants, as they used to say. You're going to take a crotch. What does that mean? Right. We're gonna, we're gonna get to, we're gonna get kicked. We're gonna get hit profit wise for a couple of quarters. The total of my tough.
Scott Besant
The total of my official economics learning. The one economics class I took microeconomics in college. I don't remember ever the phrase taking it in the crotch.
Jack Armstrong
Well, that's. You didn't attend Joe University. Our lessons are. Frank, they're really taking to the point. Yeah. So anyway, they're gonna take a kick in the groan there for a couple. But they're Trying to recapt is a very different strategy than, than Amazon.
Scott Besant
Well, yeah, but I think the argument was Amazon would be raising their prices probably even more if they weren't looking at Walmart across the, the, the, the transom or whatever they're looking at. What are they looking at them across? I don't know, the crotch. Right across the crotch.
Jack Armstrong
Oh my.
Scott Besant
So, and it remains that the little guy is not going to be able to play that game on any level. You just have to charge what you know you got charged when it got dropped off at your toy shop or whatever.
Jack Armstrong
Right. So you can still make payroll and keep the lights on. Yeah, exactly. Scott Besant is, is Trump's sanity whisperer. He has pulled Trump back from several self destructive ideas. I appreciate his presence there. I think he's a good man. On the other hand, in this topic, he's full of crap. Well, and he knows he is for the reason you just mentioned. And also because a lot of wholesalers and retailers saw the tariffs coming because Trump bellowed about them for a long time and they significantly increased their inventories. And so there's a delayed effect to the tariffs and their inflationary effects.
Scott Besant
I sure hate the last of the little guys getting driven out of business. But it might just be inevitable that the current structure of economics in the world, mom and pop shops of all different kinds that we all liked, toy shops, bookshops, whatever, just can't exist really unless you're doing it as a hobby. You can't do it as a for profit business.
Jack Armstrong
I love localism, I always have. But the interstate highway set it back a certain amount because it just, it never made sense to have a, like a, beyond a regionable, say regional grocery chain or something like that. It would just be too expensive and cumbersome. Then the interstate highways helped and then you have the advent of the Internet and then the instantaneous data availability and just in time shipping and blah blah, blah. It just, there's nothing to grow. The local little guys, they have no advantage other than charm service. You know them, you can count on them.
Scott Besant
That sort of getting to see the product in person and hold it in your hand, which is sometimes nice.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah, it is good. But you know what? People will vote with their dollars and they are voting.
Scott Besant
So am I, unfortunately. I mean it's just too damned convenient to order it. Laying on my couch and having it at my door in a couple hours from Amazon.
Jack Armstrong
So my headline is Jack Armstrong cries about the quote unquote little guy while thumbing away at Amazon day in Day out.
Scott Besant
I'm democracy, folks. I guess I'm to blame. We should start the show officially because the opening clip I find amusing. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty on this. It is as I said, Wednesday, July 23, the year 2025. We're Armstrong and Yeti and we do approve of this program.
Jack Armstrong
All right, let's begin then officially, according to FCC rules and regs. Here we go at mark.
Scott Besant
Tonight we have breaking news as we come on the air. Ozzy Osbourne has died. That was the lead words from David Muir on ABC News.
Jack Armstrong
The most important thing that happened on earth was the passing of the near octogenarian metal singer.
Scott Besant
Some days the bat bites you. Ozzy Osborne has died. Can I hear that again? I just found his seriousness and it being the lead I found amusing. Tonight we have breaking news as we.
Jack Armstrong
Come on the air.
Scott Besant
Ozzy Osbourne has died. So I, I realize they're in a for profit business and trying to figure out what the majority of people would be most interested in and stick around for. It's the same day the sitting president accused a previous president of treason.
Jack Armstrong
Yes.
Scott Besant
And the lead story was. Well, as you just heard one more time. Tonight we have breaking news as we come on the air. Ozzy Osbourne has died.
Jack Armstrong
Can you imagine if you were unfamiliar with Mr. Osborne his over asking somebody who is, who is this Ozzy Osborne? Was he the speaker of the House? Is he the President?
Scott Besant
I'm practically that guy. I could not know less about Osborne. I, I have no opinion on Ozzy Osborne because I've never, I don't know his music, I never watched his show.
Jack Armstrong
Right.
Scott Besant
He seems to be beloved by a.
Jack Armstrong
Certain group of people. When I left school I wanted to be a plumber. Job application with a plumber.
Scott Besant
That's him there.
Jack Armstrong
A bit of a substance habit there through the years. Yeah. Ozzy is a pop culture curiosity in that the, the ridiculous but endearing MTV reality show, the Osbornes elevated his, you know, his cultural was Q factor. They call it campiness beyond any justification. I mean, okay, I, you know, give the people what they want.
Scott Besant
I agree.
Jack Armstrong
Breaking news as we come on the air this, this evening.
Scott Besant
We'll play some.
Jack Armstrong
Osborne has died.
Scott Besant
We'll play some of the clips. Trump has accused the former president of treason which is a, you know, in a previous era like 10 years ago would have been a holy crap, everything comes to a stop sort of claim. Now it just kind of gets lost in the mix of celebrity deaths.
Jack Armstrong
Right.
Scott Besant
We say all kinds of stuff. All the time. But what Trump said, Obama actually replied to it in a rare jumping into the politics of the day. So we got all that for you.
Jack Armstrong
You've often asked, do we go back to something closer to normal after Trump passes from the political scene? I don't think, and not entirely. But I've seen several examples lately where like Pam Bondi, for instance, tries to be Trump. Tries to be Trumpy, makes a giant promise and then never delivers it really. Or delivers in some form and just laughs it off and then launches several other sensation missiles distract everybody, but nobody's as good at it as Trump. They try it, they fall on their faces for whatever reason.
Scott Besant
And this is the magic. And nobody knows what it is. Trump haters. It really drives Trump haters crazy. Why does this not stick to him? Everything comes off different out of Trump. It just. I don't know why.
Jack Armstrong
Well, he's utterly shameless. He is incapable of shame.
Scott Besant
But I used to think things would go back to normal. Ish. That was pre second term. By the time Trump is out of office, we will have traversed 12 years of American life and have a lot of people that. Their. Their whole political lives of paying attention to politics has been this.
Jack Armstrong
So I just.
Scott Besant
I don't know if it's ever going to go back.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah, you're probably right.
Scott Besant
Yeah.
Jack Armstrong
Wow.
Scott Besant
Epstein was the general manager. There is some crazy media jujitsu, jiu jitsu, judo going on around the whole Epstein story. That is really pretty clever from the Democrat standpoint. And I think they're pulling it off. It's wild. Who's in the hot seat over this now when there's still. Still. I don't think any there there.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah, there's some very strange bedfellows.
Scott Besant
Yeah. God.
Jack Armstrong
Well, there's. There's plenty of there there. It just depends what there you're talking about. As we've been discussing.
Scott Besant
Yeah. So do you.
Jack Armstrong
Would you like the. The Epstein Senior special? It's a lighter portion. Would you like the full Epstein. Would you like the Epstein with all the fixings? Or would you like the Epstein Fancy Feast, which includes he's a massage agent and the Jews run the world. They're like at least four distinct versions of what people mean by the Epstein thing.
Scott Besant
So we'll have to get into that and a whole bunch of other stuff coming up. We got headlines in just a moment. Stay right here.
Jack Armstrong
Armstrong and Gettysburg.
Joe Getty
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Scott Besant
We're about to jump in some of the headlines that are out there. This one just came across. The epa, the Environmental Protection Agency is said to draft a plan to end its ability to fight climate change. Here's a sub paragraph on this. According to two people familiar with the draft, it would eliminate the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten human life by dangerously warming the planet, which obviously would change all of their goals and things that they're trying to constantly accomplish there at the epa. Seems like a major change. How long I suppose it hang around to the end of this administration.
Jack Armstrong
Right.
Scott Besant
Democrat gets elected, then it's back to it's the biggest problem in the world. Perhaps.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. But I think the bloom is really off of the rows of, you know, existential threat. You've stolen my dreams. The oceans will be boiling, the Hawaiian islands will disappear by 1999. I just, that whole thing feels past to me. So they might try to drag it back in that direction, but think it's going to be a tougher sled than it used to be.
Scott Besant
The proposed EPA agency rule rescinds the 2009 declaration, known as the endangerment finding, which scientifically established that greenhouse gases endanger human lives. And then all of the things or many of the things that we hate that have happened in the United States have come from that 2009 declaration and, you know, forcing electric cars on us and all kinds of different things. And the Trump administration is ending that.
Jack Armstrong
How dare you.
Scott Besant
So interesting elections. Elections matter.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah, they absolutely do in the next one. Sure will too. Although that doesn't mean I want to talk about it. Interestingly enough, the hot topic, no pun intended, in European politics is air conditioning. Europe is much less air conditioned than the United States, partly because, you know, a lot of it's fairly far north and near oceans and stuff like that, and they just really haven't needed it. But it's getting warmer in recent years.
Scott Besant
It's like how in San Francisco in the Bay Area, there's a lot less air conditioning. There is than where I'm from.
Jack Armstrong
Sure. Right. But as it has gotten warmer in Europe the last several years, heat waves coming a little earlier and staying a little longer, they're arguing about whether to have air conditioning or not. And interestingly, the right wing is saying, yeah, get some air conditioning up in her. It's too damn hot. But the lefties are saying, sacre blue. No, this will exacerbate the global warming and it'll. The air conditioners vent heat. Right. They remove heat. They don't actually, you know. Well, it's, I don't want to explain air conditioning, but. And so they have to vent the hot air into the streets. That'll make it even worse. And the sweaty Frenchmen are saying, I don't care. That sounds like a you problem. I want air conditioning in my house. Well, I wish them well. Judy and I are going to Europe in a few weeks, to London in a few weeks. And I rented a flat, as they say over there, with air conditioning, by God, because I'm an American. Right. I'm not going to sit there tossed and turning in my Euro juices trying to sleep after long day of tourist in and eating and drinking. I'm going to have some ac.
Scott Besant
One of my favorite headlines from yesterday also had anything to do with the Trump administration. The U.S. olympic Committee bans transgender athletes in compliance with the Trump order. So US Olympics not going to do it. Not going to play that game. And we've been wondering about that for a long time if this stuff would rise from high school track to it already was in college swimming in all kinds of sports. What is it going to go to the Olympics? Not under Trump, it's not.
Jack Armstrong
No. Well, it's gone backward in a lot of areas or levels of sports. Hey, Michael, play clip 15 for me.
Scott Besant
The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women's sports. The panel tells the federation's overseeing swimming, athletics, other sports, it has an obligation.
Jack Armstrong
To comply with an executive order issued by President Trump.
Scott Besant
The change follows a similar step taken by the NCAA earlier this year.
Jack Armstrong
I was so annoyed by that. I tweeted at Brett Baer's crew, it will do no good. They won't even see it, I'm sure. But the U.S. olympic Committee has barred trans Women from the sport don't call dudes women. Trans women is the the verbiage of the radical gender theory crowd. Brett, stop it.
Scott Besant
Well, the confusing thing there is them banning these people is a declaration that we don't believe they're women.
Jack Armstrong
Right.
Scott Besant
That's what they're declaring. Yeah.
Jack Armstrong
So it's women. No dudes allowed.
Scott Besant
I mean those statements don't go together, right? You. You can't say we banned women from women's sports. No, you. That. You. That wouldn't make sense. Yeah, slip of the tongue. So they banned what they believe are dudes from women's sports.
Jack Armstrong
Well, because they're dudes. That's why they believe it. Yes, Armstrong and Getty.
Joe Getty
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Jack Armstrong
The justice department had an idea of what was really in the FBI records of the Epstein case. They released a joint statement saying he wasn't murdered in prison. There was no conspiracy, there is no clients list and we're never going to say anything about this again. That of course just spurred more conspiracy theories. So you have to ask yourself what is in there that is so concerning that they don't want to let it out? Is it they over promised and the answer is nothing or is there some smoking gun in there that scares them?
Scott Besant
The first one in my opinion.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. Jonathan. John Miller there on CNN stoking the fire from the left that maybe Trump was like the co rapist with with Epstein and he was there at all the parties. Let's push this. Plus it's dividing the Republicans so let's, let's push it as far as we can.
Scott Besant
Yeah, yeah. I, you know, I don't know. I mean, hoisting them on their own petard, as it is said. I mean, you created this whole mess by making all kinds of claims for a long time. Not Trump himself, but a lot of the big Trump voices. Right, right. One, All I have is, like, the anecdotal evidence that I get through few people I talk to and texts we get and that sort of stuff of how some of you feel about this, who are really into this story. One of the biggest Trump supporters I know told me. It seems to me that Trump is in on it, too, and it's very disappointing to me. But have you seen the videos and have you seen the videos masking Joe? There are videos going around of young women. Where these videos came from and what the context is, I don't know, but it's young women talking about Trump, raping them, having sex with them when they were underage at these parties. These are videos that are floating around.
Jack Armstrong
No, I have not seen nor heard.
Scott Besant
No, I wouldn't have come across these either. But they're floating around in the world of people who believe that Epstein was the top of a child pedophile ring that the Democrats have been running with Hollywood for decades.
Jack Armstrong
Which is why the Democrats are pushing so hard now to release the Epstein files, I guess, or there's some explanation for it, as these things go.
Scott Besant
Well, explain what you mean by that. Why they didn't. I believe the Democrats are pushing hard to release them because they know there's nothing there. And so it just is. It's, it's. It. It puts the Republicans in an awkward situation.
Jack Armstrong
All right, well, before we get further down the road of analyzing what happened, let's tell the good folks what happened. It's clip 40.
Scott Besant
We're going to be talking about trade.
Jack Armstrong
President Trump's trade meeting with the Philippine president was dominated by questions about other matters, including why the Justice Department now wants to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate, who's serving 20 years in a Florida federal prison. Yeah, I don't know about it, but I think it's something that would be. Sounds appropriate to do. Yeah. Do you have any concern that your deputy attorney general, who's your former attorney, would be conducting the interview given? No, I have no concern. The news comes the same day House Speaker Mike Johnson cut the House session short to avoid votes about whether the government's Epstein files should be made public. So that's the lead. The whole furor over you know, what to disclose, when and how brought the House of Representatives to a standstill. So Johnson leadership cut short this week's session, put off any action until September because some GOP members were demanding votes on more releases and wanted to go further down that road. And Johnson's like, all right, this has gotten out of control. We're done.
Scott Besant
Well, here's one of them here, Representative Tim Burchett, who runs one of the committees that can look into this. This is what he said last night.
Jack Armstrong
People ask me it's going to cost me politically.
Scott Besant
And I said, well, sure it is.
Jack Armstrong
Sure it is. It makes people uncomfortable, but it's.
Scott Besant
It doesn't have anything to do with that.
Jack Armstrong
It has to do.
Scott Besant
We got to do what's right, and.
Jack Armstrong
This is the right thing to do.
Scott Besant
As far as I see it. He seems to actually believe, or enough of his constituents believe that he has to represent them, that this is the whole child pedo ring thing. And it's ugly and it's going to be tough to look at, but we've got to. We've got to do it.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. Yeah. I've actually done a ton of reading about this in the last couple of days, and one thing has become clear to me. There were a hell of a lot of teenage girls who were recruited and groomed and had illegal sexual stuff done with them by Epstein and Ms. Maxwell and quite a few other people. And it is absolutely grist for the mill. And I think the mill has gone crazy with the whole Jews run a sex ring with the Democrat. That all is looney Tunes to me. But it's absolutely true that the very rich and the very powerful have been partying with Epstein and getting it on with teenage girls, not children, but like 16, 17 year olds. And in those names have inexplicably been covered up for a very long time. I was reading a very, very responsible journalist who's been following this story since the bust in Florida and the unholy plea bargain that was struck with Epstein by a prosecutor who later became Trump's Secretary of Labor, which doesn't look great, but a completely corrupt plea bargain. And this guy says, you know, the list of victims is huge, and there were other people in on it and we ought to know.
Scott Besant
Well, do you think there's a list somewhere that the government can release?
Jack Armstrong
There are many names within investigative files. And that's where it gets hairy. If you not gonna bring charges against somebody, you don't. As a law enforcement agency, you're certainly supposed to not. Not supposed to Say, you know, tell you what, Jack Armstrong's name kept coming up in this investigation at parties with young girls, if you know what I'm saying. We don't have enough evidence to charge him. But anyway, what a pervasive. You can't do that.
Scott Besant
Well, you can if you're James Comey and you're talking about Hillary Clinton. She did enough here that we probably should charge her. I'm not going to, but, I mean, it was ugly right before the election.
Jack Armstrong
So, yeah, what a wackadoodle.
Scott Besant
But that's the reason you don't want to do that sort of stuff. That's a good example of why.
Jack Armstrong
Right, so. And that's why. That's the why I made the point in the previous segment. The slippery, difficult thing about discussing this is that there are, like the, the basic, the full, the large and the extra large version of what you mean by the Epstein thing. And until you know which one of those you're talking about, you don't know how to talk about it. I think it's 100% legit that this guy was rich and powerful and covered up for.
Scott Besant
But a lot of the Trump surrogates out there, your Dan Bonginoever, they were pushing the big, mega, big Kahuna Epstein thing.
Jack Armstrong
Yes.
Scott Besant
They were pushing the whole Mossad Epstein, hundreds of thousands of children, panda eyes, craziness that so many people, so many of you believe. I don't believe it's true. So. But I think just on the politics of it, I think it's incredibly cynical and ugly for America, but I think the Democrats are pretty smart in the way they're handling this, the way they've turned it completely around. And now it's a, what are the Republicans covering up? Why won't they release the files when there's nothing there?
Jack Armstrong
Right.
Scott Besant
So the Republicans are in the tough position of, well, if we do release the files, it will show that we really oversold this.
Jack Armstrong
I wish we had, and I should have asked for it. Somebody asked Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, why didn't you guys push for all this stuff to get released when you had the White House and you had the Justice Department and at some points you had Congress, blah, blah, and he unleashed a word salad. That was Kamala esque. My respect for him as a politician, AKA a liar, dropped a great deal because it was a pathetic attempt to answer the question. He had no answer.
Scott Besant
I think it probably worked. I think it's working. I don't like it. It's cynical. But I Think it's working. Most people are not paying close enough attention or think about this stuff enough to realize it doesn't make any sense. Speaker Johnson tried it yesterday. He said this doesn't make any sense. If there is something damaging to Republicans while they were in power for four years, they would have released it. And that is.
Jack Armstrong
Right. Some sort of smoking gun of a film of Trump with a 14 year old. Oh, they sat on that. Right?
Scott Besant
Really? That.
Jack Armstrong
Please. They, they made up laws to prosecute him in New York.
Scott Besant
Obviously that makes no sense. But I just, I think they're counting on, and I think they're probably right, the Democrats, that people aren't doing the math on that. And they've, and they've managed to make this look like, I mean, even to Trump supporters, even Trump supporters are feeling like they're hiding something. They won't release it. Trump must be in on it.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. Yeah. So I'm, I'm of two minds on this. Number one, there have been soft pedaling cover ups of the rich and powerful, 100%. But if you were to say, just release the grand jury transcripts, which a lot of people have been demanding, and the judges say they're gonna release what they can, but not in a big hurry. Can you imagine if your name came up a couple of times in the grand jury trial? You were innocent of any crimes. Exactly. But you were there or you thought, yeah, what the hell, I'll go to some Caribbean island party for a while. He seems like a charming guy because Epstein was a, was an utterly brilliant sociopathic manipulator of people. That much is clear. But can you imagine if your name came up in that investigation a couple of times? You'd be ruined.
Scott Besant
Yeah.
Jack Armstrong
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Scott Besant
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Jack Armstrong
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Scott Besant
I will forward to you on your personal phone because I don't want to put it out there and spread it. One of the videos that was sent to me of a girl talking about Trump raping her as a 13 year old or that's the way it's portrayed. I, I'm pretty cynical as you should realize as a listener, but I'm not so cynical to believe that there are a variety of things that can happen like Obama had a plan to invade Texas or Trump raped a 13 year old. I'm not so cynical that I believe things like this can exist and people would keep their mouths shut about it all.
Jack Armstrong
People involved, like everybody, thousands of people.
Scott Besant
Would have to keep their mouths shut about stuff like this. So I don't believe these like really out there things that, that catch on in the world. I, I think, think, I think some people are actually, believe it or not, too cynical.
Jack Armstrong
Yeah. Or, or, or paranoid, I suppose. But you know, that's in the eye of the beholder.
Scott Besant
Henson, we need a wrench. I can't keep my microphone from falling.
Jack Armstrong
Down or it's got saggy mic syndrome. Oh my. Hey, it's not any reflection on you. It happens to everybody as they age.
Scott Besant
I haven't had enough sleep and I've had a couple of drinks and I just can't keep this thing from.
Jack Armstrong
Wow, thanks for that. So coming up next hour, a couple of things I'm really excited about. First of all, a brilliant bit of writing. The sort of simplifying something eloquently that I love. So much. So I love quotes so much about tolerance that goes too far. Absolutely wonderful wisdom about that, specifically in terms of a particular political system that's also a religion that wants to stamp out all tolerance. That's next hour. Plus, the truth has finally come out, Jack. Not about Epstein, but about Kamala Harris and her job at McDonald's.
Scott Besant
Oh, I've been wondering about that, haven't we? Whether she actually worked at McDonald's.
Jack Armstrong
And the truth will shock you.
Scott Besant
That's what motivated the whole Trump working the drive thru thing. Wasn't it one of the great political.
Jack Armstrong
Stunts in American history?
Scott Besant
Did y' all hear our podcast the other day, the One More Thing podcast about the pet psychic? We got into that. Have a little follow up on the pet psychics. Those of you who get packed psychics to figure out what your dog thinks. We've got mailbag on the waist here, Armstrong and Gettysburg.
Joe Getty
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Scott Besant
Brett Stevens, columnist for the New York Times, with an opinion piece today. And kudos to the New York Times for allowing him to write it and printing it. No, Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza in the New York Times, which I imagine many people in the newsroom really, really hated. We'll get into some of that later.
Jack Armstrong
Didn't thousands of people cancel their subscriptions when the New York Times even hired Brett Stevens? Oh yeah, to offer a somewhat different opinion than the progressive hymn book. Yeah, boy, you people are rigid, aren't you? Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. I love this from the great Thomas Sowell. The biggest and most deadly tax rate on the poor comes from a loss of various welfare state benefits, food stamps, housing subsidies and the like if their income goes up. That's the biggest and most deadly tax rate on the poor. I would say it's incredibly cruel too. We played the audio, I don't know, a week or two ago of a a a mom demanding that her son not get a job. Him saying, I, I want to make something in my life. I want to get a house. I want to live like other people. She's like, I will lose all my benefits. If you do that, I'll lose my benefits. That is just terrible. And the left portrays that as compassion. It's disgusting. Mailbag. Now I'm tempted. Let me read a couple and then something very, very special. Okay, I'm betting. Let's see. This is frequent correspondent Sean. I'm betting the Late show does not come back after Colbert until after a year long show called America's Next Late Show Host. Here's the ad. Everyday Americans like your neighbor and Dennis compete to be the next Late show host. Will it be your supermarket checker? Your old history teacher? Will it be you? It's America's Next Late Show Host. And of course, that person, having been vaulted to fame in a level of wealth they'd never imagined, will do the job for a million and a half a year, say, could happen. Let's see. Adam mentions the voices of the left, Armstrong and Getty. One more thing podcast from the other day. It's brilliant and should be featured weekly.
Scott Besant
Wow.
Jack Armstrong
The variety of voices help to highlight how a particular mindset can be exploited no matter who you are. You could do the same thing with the extreme right, but the left is just more unintentionally hilarious. Okay, thank you for the note. And now a Very special mailbag. If you're old enough to remember, anytime you heard a Very Special, it meant that your show that was usually fun or funny and light hearted was going to deal with some terribly serious topic. On a Very Special, Happy Days is diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Scott Besant
Joni contemplates an abortion.
Jack Armstrong
Right. Exactly. Well, on a Very Special mailbag, we got this note from Mike who says, I really loved your quote about being in a pool of Satan's urine the other day and couldn't remember it perfectly. Chat GPT remembered it instantly. I decided to train it by saying this is my exact sense of humor. And it continued to come back with more and more quotes from the show. Below is a link to the full conversation. Wow. And then Mike says, speaking for millions of people I didn't think was possible to replace Rush Limbaugh as a trustworthy, deadly, instinctual political authority. But you guys have. Wow, that's. Oh. And he says more nice things, which I'll read to you now. I love how balanced you are with your source of truth being freedom and the true American as opposed to the majority. Talk radio being borderline Christian nationalist or overly overtly Republican. We just. I. We just try to be fair. But anyway, how did.
Scott Besant
How did ChatGPT so quickly grab from transcripts?
Jack Armstrong
I don't know. And I would like to point out to Mike that the very people who decided who to replace Rush Limpaul with specifically rejected us. Yes, repeatedly. Too weird. Too many dick jokes. No. Anyway, man, we have fun doing what we do. So anyway, Chat GPT here's on a whole long conversation of quotes from the show. Jack Armstrong Putin's a war criminal and should be in jail for the rest of his life if not executed. Joe Getty I trust this guy like I trust gas station sushi. And then chatgpt comments. They don't hold back on blunt global judgments. And those instantly memorable visuals. Wow, then that you said something. That absurdist twist on paranoia is pure a G. Chat GPT says I was talking about tearing down the Department of Education brick by brick. Chat GPT says anyone who's tired of big government red cape will feel this one deep.
Scott Besant
I feel like Chat GPT is trying to sleep with me or something. What is going on here?
Jack Armstrong
It is definitely kissing our eyes for some reason.
Scott Besant
If you missed a segment or an hour, get the podcast Armstrong and Getty on demand.
Jack Armstrong
Armstrong and Getty this is an iHeart podcast.
Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: A Kick in the Crotch!
Release Date: July 23, 2025
Armstrong & Getty On Demand, the official on-demand extension of The Armstrong & Getty Show by iHeartPodcasts, delves into a variety of pressing topics in their latest episode titled "A Kick in the Crotch!" Released on July 23, 2025, this episode offers listeners a blend of political analysis, societal commentary, and light-hearted banter, all punctuated with memorable quotes and insightful discussions.
The episode kicks off with Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engaging in their characteristic humorous exchanges. Amidst playful jabs, they set the tone for an episode filled with candid conversations and sharp wit.
Notable Quote:
Discussion Highlights:
Tariff Impacts: The hosts analyze recent tariff deals orchestrated by the Trump administration with countries like Japan and the Philippines. Scott Besant references comments from the Treasury Secretary, highlighting that increased tariffs haven't yet led to noticeable inflation because major retailers like Amazon and Walmart are absorbing the costs.
Amazon vs. Walmart: A significant portion of the discussion revolves around how these retail behemoths are strategically adjusting prices. Amazon is cautiously raising prices, while Walmart is aggressively undercutting to regain market share, potentially squeezing out smaller competitors.
Survival of the 'Little Guys': Armstrong and Besant express concern over the sustainability of mom-and-pop shops in the face of such corporate maneuvers, suggesting that only the largest retailers might survive the competitive pressures intensified by tariffs.
Notable Quotes:
Jack Armstrong (05:05): "If you were to say, just release the grand jury transcripts, which a lot of people have been demanding, and the judges say they're gonna release what they can, but not in a big hurry."
Scott Besant (06:44): "I sure hate the last of the little guys getting driven out of business."
Discussion Highlights:
Breaking News: The hosts react to the announcement of Ozzy Osbourne's death, commenting on the seemingly trivial importance placed on the news amidst more significant political events, such as the sitting president accusing a previous president of treason.
Polarized Reactions: Armstrong and Besant discuss how such headlines reflect the current media landscape where substantial issues are overshadowed by celebrity news, leading to public confusion about the prominence of certain events.
Trump's Continued Influence: They touch upon the enduring impact of Trump's rhetoric and behavior on American politics, noting that even after his presidency, his influence persists, complicating the path to a more 'normal' political climate.
Notable Quotes:
Scott Besant (09:14): "Tonight we have breaking news as we come on the air. Ozzy Osbourne has died."
Jack Armstrong (11:07): "I don't think [American life] is ever going back."
Discussion Highlights:
Jeffrey Epstein's Legacy: The conversation delves deep into the Epstein case, scrutinizing the lack of transparency from the Justice Department regarding the FBI's findings and the absence of a comprehensive clients' list. Armstrong highlights the frustration surrounding the unresolved questions and the proliferation of conspiracy theories stemming from official silence.
Political Ramifications: The hosts explore how the Epstein scandal has become a political tool, with Democrats leveraging the lack of released information to cast Republicans in a suspicious light. This tactic is seen as a way to deflect from internal Republican issues and sow doubt among Trump's supporters about potential cover-ups.
Public Distrust and Media Manipulation: Armstrong and Besant discuss the role of media personalities and journalists in perpetuating rumors and unverified claims about high-profile individuals, further eroding public trust in official statements.
Notable Quotes:
Jack Armstrong (24:05): "There were a hell of a lot of teenage girls who were recruited and groomed and had illegal sexual stuff done with them by Epstein and Ms. Maxwell."
Scott Besant (27:36): "They were pushing the whole Mossad Epstein, hundreds of thousands of children, panda eyes, craziness that so many people... believe. I don't believe it's true."
Discussion Highlights:
EPA's Shift on Climate Change: The hosts report on the Environmental Protection Agency's draft plan to retract its stance on greenhouse gas emissions posing a threat to human life. This move is seen as a significant departure from the 2009 endangerment finding, raising concerns about the future of climate change initiatives.
Political Cycle Influence: Armstrong suggests that such policy changes are likely to be reversed with shifts in political power, underscoring the instability and unpredictable nature of environmental protections tied to administrations.
Notable Quotes:
Scott Besant (14:21): "According to two people familiar with the draft, it would eliminate the bedrock scientific finding that greenhouse gas emissions threaten human life by dangerously warming the planet."
Jack Armstrong (15:03): "They have stolen my dreams. The oceans will be boiling, the Hawaiian islands will disappear by 1999."
Discussion Highlights:
Climate Adaptations: Armstrong and Besant observe the increasing debates in Europe regarding the adoption of air conditioning, a topic previously less contentious due to milder climates.
Political Divides: The hosts note the split between the right and left in Europe, where conservatives advocate for personal comfort and economic growth through the use of air conditioning, while liberals express environmental concerns about the energy consumption and heat emissions associated with these systems.
Cultural Differences: Armstrong humorously remarks on personal preferences, mentioning his own decision to rent an air-conditioned flat in London to avoid discomfort, reflecting broader cultural attitudes towards climate adaptation.
Notable Quotes:
Jack Armstrong (16:21): "I'm going to have some AC."
Scott Besant (16:26): "It's like how in San Francisco in the Bay Area, there's a lot less air conditioning."
Discussion Highlights:
Ban Implementation: The episode covers the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee's decision to bar transgender women from competing in women's sports, aligning with President Trump's executive order.
Controversial Reactions: Armstrong expresses frustration over the ban, emphasizing the contentious nature of gender identity classifications in sports and the broader implications for inclusivity and fairness.
Terminology and Policy Critique: The hosts critique the language used by the committee, highlighting inconsistencies and the problematic nature of declaring certain athletes as men within women's categories.
Notable Quotes:
Scott Besant (18:13): "The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women's sports."
Jack Armstrong (19:11): "So it's women. No dudes allowed."
Discussion Highlights:
Listener Feedback: The segment features listener mailbag contributions, showcasing appreciation for the hosts' balanced approach and humor. Mike, a frequent correspondent, lauds the podcast's ability to replace Rush Limbaugh as a trustworthy political authority, noting the hosts' commitment to freedom and truth over majority opinions.
Humorous Anecdotes: Armstrong shares a playful interaction with ChatGPT, highlighting the podcast's unique style and the AI's amusing attempts to emulate the hosts' humor.
Notable Quotes:
Jack Armstrong (38:38): "I love how balanced you are with your source of truth being freedom and the true American as opposed to the majority."
Scott Besant (40:37): "I feel like Chat GPT is trying to sleep with me or something. What is going on here?"
Discussion Highlights:
Future Topics: Armstrong teases upcoming segments, including a piece on tolerance in political systems and revelations about Kamala Harris's alleged past at McDonald's.
Advertisements: The hosts weave in brief advertisements for WashablesOfAs.com and Simplisafe Home Security, promoting their latest products and discounts.
Closing Banter: The episode concludes with light-hearted interactions, reinforcing the hosts' camaraderie and setting the stage for future discussions.
Notable Quotes:
Jack Armstrong (34:04): "The truth has finally come out, Jack. Not about Epstein, but about Kamala Harris and her job at McDonald's."
Scott Besant (40:43): "If you missed a segment or an hour, get the podcast Armstrong and Getty on demand."
"A Kick in the Crotch!" offers a comprehensive look into the intersection of politics, societal issues, and cultural debates through the lens of Armstrong and Getty's seasoned commentary. From dissecting trade policies and environmental shifts to navigating the complexities of high-profile scandals and gender debates in sports, the episode provides listeners with a blend of informative analysis and engaging discussion. Notable for their candid exchanges and memorable quotes, Armstrong and Getty deliver an episode that is both thought-provoking and entertaining, making it a valuable listen for those seeking insightful perspectives on contemporary issues.
Key Takeaways:
For more detailed discussions and analyses, tune into the full episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand.