Calls for Unity

Summary

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Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Calls for Unity
Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Notable Segments: Governor Spencer Cox, Mark Halpern, Trey Gowdy

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Main Theme / Overview

This emotionally charged episode covers the shocking assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college campus. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty discuss the incident’s immediate aftermath, the alleged motives and suspect, reactions from media and political leaders, and the broader issue of rising political violence and its divisive impact on American society. The episode calls explicitly for unity and reflection, highlighting the need for a return to civil discourse and a rejection of celebratory political hatred.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Initial Reactions and Rumors

• TMZ Incident Clarified ([00:06]–[01:51]):

  • Jack and Joe discuss an online rumor that TMZ staffers cheered the news of Kirk’s death.
  • Harvey Levin (TMZ) insists celebrations were due to watching a car chase, not the shooting.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Getty: “He said that absolutely was not about Charlie Kirk and if it was, those people would not work for me anymore. I’ve got to take him at his word.” ([01:36])

• Reports of School Celebrations ([02:03]–[02:48]):

  • An email from a listener describes students at a Roseville, CA high school laughing and cheering at the news.
  • This leads to a discussion on how children develop polarized and hostile political worldviews, possibly from parents or the education system.

2. Details on the Shooting & Suspect

• Evidence of Political Motive ([02:54]–[03:47], [16:47]–[17:22], [28:14]–[28:28]):

  • Authorities found bullets in the killer’s gun inscribed with references to Antifa and transgender activism.
  • The New York Times, after lagging, confirms reports “expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology” were on the ammunition, but cautions about unverified evidence.

• Suspect Description & Planning ([03:57]-[05:06], [24:07]-[25:32]):

  • The FBI released images of a college-aged, white male suspected to be the shooter, who used a bolt-action rifle suitable for long-range shots.
  • The suspect planned his actions carefully, choosing location, weapon, and getaway strategy.

• On the Difficulty of Political Violence ([05:35]–[06:22]):

  • Jack and Joe debate the emotional capacity required to assassinate a public figure, concluding the killer is likely a sociopath or someone radicalized to the point of dehumanizing opponents.
  • Quote:
    • Joe Getty: “If you can dehumanize your enemy to the point that you can shoot them in the throat for talking, you have become functionally a psychopath.” ([06:22])

3. Media & Public Reaction

• Media Reluctance to Adjust Narrative ([03:33]–[03:47], [07:29]-[08:15]):

  • Joe contends mainstream outlets underplay stories confirming right-wing narratives, resisting facts incongruent with their established views.

• Student Reaction on Fox News ([08:50]–[11:27]):

  • Fox’s attempt to interview eyewitness students yields awkward, unfocused answers.
  • Jack’s sharp, sarcastic comment:
    • “If you two are having sex, please wear a condom and do not reproduce.” ([10:04])

• Social Media Celebration & Its Dangers ([31:15]-[32:09]):

  • The “woke mind virus” (citing Elon Musk) is referenced in the context of left-leaning social networks needing to remind users not to celebrate a political assassination.

4. Governor Spencer Cox’s Address

([11:55]-[16:09], [36:14])

• Governor Cox delivers an emotional, nonpartisan speech seeking unity, mourning Kirk, and warning against political violence.
• Quote:
  • “If anyone in the sound of my voice celebrated even a little bit at the news of this shooting, I would beg you to look in the mirror and to see if you can find a better angel in there somewhere. I don’t care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.” ([15:47])
• Cox further threatens full accountability for the perpetrator, acknowledging Utah’s death penalty, and laments the surge in political rancor and violence.

5. Calls for De-escalation and Civil Discourse

• Reflections on Political Rhetoric ([07:10]-[08:04], [32:11]-[33:15]):

  • Jack and Joe repeatedly stress the dangers of normalizing violent rhetoric and dehumanization, regardless of political affiliation.
  • They warn against the escalation into “shooting wars” and historical cycles of violence.

• Media Responsibility and Criticism ([35:12]-[35:39]):

  • Jack criticizes news outlets for showing cherry-picked clips of Kirk’s support for the Second Amendment, implying a “checkmate” without acknowledging the complexity of the situation.

6. Notable Quotes on Unity & Humanity

• Mark Halpern ([17:25]-[19:32]):

  • Mark Halpern condemns MSNBC’s divisive initial coverage, calls for resisting unnecessary politicization, and hopes for national unity in response to tragedy.
  • Quote:
    • “This needs to be a time to bring the country together, regardless of what happens... I’m hoping that people use the opportunity to bring the country together.” ([17:25]-[18:20])

• Trey Gowdy ([20:01]-[22:29]):

  • Gowdy makes an impassioned case for confronting the reality of violence by (cautiously) watching the video of the shooting to grasp the human tragedy, not just the political controversy.
  • Quote:
    • “While they’re watching it ... you need to imagine this as a husband and a father and a friend, not someone politically that you may happen to disagree with.” ([20:01])

7. Personal Reflections & Parental Concerns

([22:41]-[23:46])

• Jack describes his own son’s fear that he (Jack) could be targeted for his views, and the challenge in allaying such anxieties in a charged environment.

8. Discussion on Motive and Ideological Heat

([26:13]-[27:14])

• The hosts discuss Kirk’s stances, noting that the most intense opposition stemmed from debates over transgender rights, and speculate (with caution) about possible ideological motives behind the killing.

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Timestamps for Notable Segments

• TMZ Cheering Clarified: 00:59–01:51
• Student Celebration at School: 02:03–02:48
• Ammunition with Political Inscriptions: 02:54–03:47, 16:47-17:22, 28:14–28:28
• Student Reaction on Fox, Jack’s Quip: 09:11–10:13
• Governor Spencer Cox’s Address: 11:55–16:09, 36:14
• Mark Halpern on Unity: 17:25–19:32
• Trey Gowdy on Watching the Video: 20:01–22:29
• Discussion on Dehumanization: 06:22
• Personal Reflections (Jack’s Son): 22:41–23:46
• Criticism of “Checkmate” Gun Clips: 35:12–35:39

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• Jack’s Outburst at Student Interviewees:

  • His harsh joke after the stilted Fox News college student interviews:
    • “If you two are having sex, please wear a condom and do not reproduce.” ([10:04])
  • Lambasts the lack of serious, thoughtful response among campus youth and television producers.

• Governor Cox’s Emotional Plea:

  • A highlight of the episode, Cox’s speech stands out for its gravity and clarity, universally praised by the hosts.

• Parental Anxiety:

  • Jack’s story about his son worrying he could be next after seeing his father targeted for political views puts a human face on the episode’s themes of fear and violence ([22:41]).

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Final Thoughts & Podcast Crew Comments

• Need for Boring, Less Toxic Politics:

  • Michelangelo: “We need politics to be boring again... now people just want to be entertained or shocked. They don’t want policy. I know it’s boring, but it’s what we need.” ([34:27])

• Critique of Media Irony:

  • Hosts mock the idea that showing gun rights clips after a gun violence tragedy is somehow “clever.” “You’re not accomplishing anything, you morons.” ([35:26])

• Condemnation of Political Violence:

  • Jack: “If your side starts killing the other side, they’ll think, ‘hmm, I guess we should start doing the same thing.’ And then we’re all killing each other. It’s happened many, many times throughout history.” ([32:34])

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Closing Sentiments

• The hosts express fatigue and deep sadness at the need to spend a whole show on such a tragedy, but reaffirm their commitment to facts and civil discourse.
• They express hope for quick resolution and warn repeatedly against both the dehumanization and celebration of assassinations, regardless of one’s political point of view.

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Summary

In "Calls for Unity," Armstrong & Getty respond to the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk and use the tragedy as a powerful lens to examine political violence, the toxic state of national discourse, and the ethical responsibilities of media and citizens alike. The episode delivers gut-level reactions, updates on the manhunt, reflections from leaders and media critics, and frequent explicit, heartfelt appeals for a return to civility—even as Jack and Joe deride hypocrisy and extremism from all sides. Governor Cox’s speech and candid moments with listeners stand out as especially poignant, driving home that the solution to America’s polarization isn’t more outrage, but mutual respect and the search for our “better angels.”

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Transcript

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[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. Five o' clock Eastern. Janet, go, go, go. To have somebody look at the Fox. Trump just posted that Charlie Kirk is dead. So that's Harvey Levin of tmz. If you ever watch that TV show, he's the guy who runs tmz. And then he's there in the newsroom and all the reporters are behind him. I used to watch it every day some reason.

[Joe Getty]

That was the live stream that was going on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And that's what the TV show is basically.

[Joe Getty]

Sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

But the claim is that those people were cheering that Charlie Kirk had been shot.

[Joe Getty]

They saw the news just before Levin did, then he went to air with it. And they're cheering and laughing because of the death of Charlie Kirk. But Harvey Levin is swearing up and down. The timing was horrific. A bunch of staffers were watching a high speed chase.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

Through la and they were reacting what had happened. He said that absolutely was not about Charlie Kirk and if it was, those people would not work for me anymore. I've got to take him at his word.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I, yeah, I would too. He's supposed to be a pretty decent guy. You know, he and our old boss Ken Cole were good friends. Like really, really good friends.

[Joe Getty]

If I knew that, I'd forgotten.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Anyway, that's an aside that means nothing to anyone. Well, I had another point to make. Oh. But we did hear there was some cheering at a local school.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. We got an email from a listener. Their kid goes to a Roseville, California high school which is just a suburb of Sacramento. And just. I, I don't know. I said just. It's a hundred thousand plus people. But when the news was announced, there was laughing and cheering among a fair number of the kids. How would you come and been slaughtered in cold blood?

[Jack Armstrong]

How would you come to that worldview where you cheer because your parents talk about the other side of politics like they're evil.

[Joe Getty]

Or your teachers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or your teachers. Right.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe in a near constant drumbeat in America's government schools. I don't know that that's the case at whatever school that was, but I'm suspicious.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we've got to update you on a couple of things that have happened that are pretty dramatic today. First of all, you want to do the bullet story.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Law enforcement source. And then a memo that's come to our eyes states that the unused bullets in the magazine in the rifle that was used to murder Mr. Kirk. Each one of them had a word suggesting antifa and transgender activism inscribed on it. That is an angle that the New York Times has yet to pick up an hour plus after the Wall Street Journal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Has described it with sources, etc. It's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh boy. They don't want to step into that.

[Joe Getty]

Unless they're going to be dragged into it. But no, the mainstream media is going to absolutely resist, as they always do, anything that hurts their narrative or reinforces.

[Jack Armstrong]

A conservative narrative anyway. So that's probably true, but that's a big story.

[Joe Getty]

And then. Were you going to talk about the picture here?

[Jack Armstrong]

The pictures are out. The FBI released image, the first images of the person of interest in Charlie Kirk's assassination. The kid, he looks like a college kid, young white male that they believe to be the shooter. So he. Then they got a picture of him.

[Joe Getty]

And though he is in a ball cap and sunglasses, you can clearly see the shape of his face and his build. Oh yeah, if I knew body language, you'd know him.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, if I knew him, I'd say, holy crap. I think that's. Yeah, right. So he will be found. He ditched the gun in the woods. The gun was a single shot bolt action rifle often used for sniper type shots. AOC said this morning, with a microphone in her face. Are we going to do something or are we going to argue over rhetoric? We have to pass gun safety legislation and stop this. People can finger point all they want. Obviously there is no gun law that exists in America that stops you from order from owning a single shot bolt action rifle, even in the strictest of places if the. So you'd have to just eliminate guns if you wanted to do that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, very quickly. And this doesn't deserve a lot of time, but various voices and people are claiming that because it was maybe as far as 200 yards away that obviously it was a trained. Zaba, Zaba, Zaba. No, no. I've hit targets the size of a dessert plate from 200 yards. And I've got some firearms training, but I'm not a, you know, Marine sniper. It's not a easy shot, but if somebody's sitting still and you have time to brace your weapon. Yeah, imagine though.

[Jack Armstrong]

Imagine the kind of person. Imagine doing it when you got a human being on the other. I mean, you were talking earlier about how difficult it is to get soldiers in war to fire on the enemy who's trying to kill you. You're a certain sort of person that can Pull the trigger on that and.

[Joe Getty]

And call person who's completely convinced that they're right.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm not dismissing what you said at all. But shooting, you know, an object for practice. Completely different thing than getting a human being in your sights. Knowing what your life is about to become as soon as you pull that trigger.

[Joe Getty]

Correct.

[Jack Armstrong]

And calmly pulling that off.

[Joe Getty]

You're a certain.

[Jack Armstrong]

God dang it. What are you?

[Joe Getty]

Or a sociopath.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or. You'd almost have to be a sociopath.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Psychopath.

[Jack Armstrong]

To calm your nerves enough to pull off that shot.

[Joe Getty]

The interesting thing about radical political organizations and beliefs is that they turn people into the equivalent of a psychopath. If you can dehumanize your enemy to the point that you can shoot them in the throat for talking, do you have become functionally a psychopath? And that's. You know, I've never put it in that way precisely. But that is one of the things that I wish people understood better about these radical leftist political organizations. And certainly they exist on the right as well. They work hard from the time our kids are little to convince them that their opponents are subhuman scum that deserve no human compassion. That's incredibly dangerous.

[Jack Armstrong]

I keep going back and forth of whether or not I think what this guy believes is a big deal or not. I think ultimately it's not.

[Joe Getty]

I think it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Political violence is growing. We've got to change our rhetoric. Regardless of his stance.

[Joe Getty]

It's funny. I simultaneously agree and disagree with you. I agree with what you said. But there are political movements, easily identifiable and proud of themselves in this country, that preach that violence is justified. And they are, to a large extent, reinforced in places like college campuses. And we've got to be aware of that and deal with it honestly and not like the New York Times. They will drag their feet until the nth hour to not admit if indeed it's true that this guy was some sort of antifa. Pro radical transgender activist.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and certainly if he's like an actual member of antifa and they had this. Had, had discussions like it's, you know, the work of an assassin for a group, that would be a big deal, right?

[Joe Getty]

Indeed. Yeah. So listen, take a deep breath, everybody. We're gonna next segment bring you the incredibly eloquent and powerful words of Governor Cox of Utah. Jack, we can talk about whether to just play the whole damn thing, but this is apropos of very little. It is a lighter moment. I was watching the live coverage on Fox News after the shooting prior to the announcement that Mr. Kirk had died. And for the record, I believe he was in God's hands within 90 seconds.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

They just didn't announce it or pronounce him at the hospital because they tried heroically to save him, but she broke into an FBI guy talking about security and that sort of thing to say. We have a couple of students on campus. They may be eyewitnesses. Let's talk to them. It's clip 35. Michael, look, listen to this.

[Podcast Announcer]

Well, from what I'm hearing, if. If it's true, the guy who got shot, he was a pretty big influence in whatever was going, like, the. Their agenda, right? So if. I don't know, I hope. I hope it all, like, gets figured out, and I really don't. I really don't want this to happen again.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anything you want to add?

[Student Interviewee]

Yeah, I don't know. I. I don't know. I just. I. From what I heard, it was. It was a sniper from. From a long ways away. So I don't know. I think the focus of this should probably be on probably some sort of. Some sort of gun control or something like that so that things like this can't happen again.

[Podcast Announcer]

Thank you guys so much for doing this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Thank you. So if you two are having sex, please wear a condom and do not reproduce.

[Joe Getty]

My Lord.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Oh. If you have ever felt like they're just letting anyone into college.

[Jack Armstrong]

Today is.

[Joe Getty]

Your day or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you have a job position that one of the requirements is a college degree, perhaps rethink that. Who. Who had that Fox?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

What I would like to know is how quickly was the person back in the producer, back in the engineer booth? You got to get these people off the air. This is. Get. Get rid of them.

[Joe Getty]

What are we doing?

[Jack Armstrong]

That is embarrassing.

[Joe Getty]

I know. It was just astonishing to me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Obviously, in the moment with the tragedy, you're wanting information. You quickly realize you're not getting any from these dunder pates, and.

[Joe Getty]

All right, go ahead and cut them off. You're not gonna hurt their feelings, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that was something, wasn't it?

[Jack Armstrong]

She had an IQ of 8. He might have been 12.

[Joe Getty]

That poor girl. How is she gonna make her way in the world?

[Jack Armstrong]

Is she pretty? She got something going for her?

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Okay, so we all need a deep breath. All right. We all need a deep breath. The fabulous and eloquent Spencer Cox, the Governor of Utah, coming up next day.

[Jack Armstrong]

With us, Armstrong and Getty. There are a lot of voices yesterday that I heard in all the newscasts. I heard the governor of Utah. Everywhere, everywhere.

[Joe Getty]

Governor Spencer Cox, incredibly eloquent. He stepped to the microphone and this is what he said.

[Governor Spencer Cox]

This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination. We are celebrating 250 years of the founding of this great nation. That founding document, the Declaration of Independence, that this great experiment on which we embarked together 250 years ago, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. The first one of those is life. And today, the life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to two young children. He was also very much politically involved, and that's why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people. Historically, our university campuses in this nation, here in the state of Utah, have been the place where truth and ideas are formulated and debated. And that's what he does. He comes on college campuses and he debates. That is foundational to the formation of our country, to our most basic constitutional rights. And when someone takes the life of a person because of their ideas or their ideals, then that very constitutional foundation is threatened. Now we have a person of interest in custody. The investigation is ongoing. But I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this, we will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law. And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah. Our nation is broken. We've had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the governor of Pennsylvania, and we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former President of the United States and now current president of the United States. Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken. We mourn with his wife, his children, his family, his friends. We mourn as a nation. If anyone in the sound of my voice celebrated even a little bit at the news of this shooting.

[Joe Getty]

I would.

[Governor Spencer Cox]

Beg you to look in the mirror and to see if you can find a better angel in there somewhere. I don't care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.

[Joe Getty]

You know, that seems like a good place. Michael Spencer Cox, Governor of Utah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that was really good. On, obviously, very short notice, because that was at the point where they still believed they had a person of interest. That's good stuff. Yeah, I'd Agree with that. If you find yourself cheering the assassination of a political opponent, man, you got to check yourself. There's something wrong with you. I don't care who they are. You can't pick anybody on the left. I don't want to name names because it's kind of. But there, I mean, there's some abhorrent characters on the left. To me, I would not be happy to hear they were assassinated at an event. That is not good.

[Joe Getty]

No, it's horrifying. So the New York Times, just to be thorough, has updated and is now covering the fact that federal and local officials say the ammunition appeared to be engraved with statements, quote, expressing transgender and anti fascist ideology. But then they hit us with a paragraph. Senior law enforcement, the caution. The report has not been verified by analysts. And in fast moving investigations, such status reports are not made public because they often contain a mix of accurate and inaccurate information. That is true. They went to a lot of trouble to point it out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Mark Halpern]

This needs to be a time to bring the country together, regardless of what happens. And I can tell you there's going to be very few platforms who do that. There's been in the last hour some disgusting coverage on msnbc. I overused that word, but this was truly disgusting. Charlie's shooting will be politicized because that's what happens. And I'm not against politicization the way some people are, but I'm against politicization that needlessly divides the country. Charlie said things in his career, he said things that were inflammatory and we'll see the whole list. But he, he, he's involved in national life because he cares about the future of the country. And, and he's a, he is a brilliant guy and in his 30s, has already become an historical figure. And if he doesn't make it.

[Joe Getty]

I'm.

[Mark Halpern]

Hoping that people use the opportunity to bring the country together.

[Jack Armstrong]

So that's Mark halpern yesterday, live YouTube cast when he heard the news that his good friend Charlie Kirk had been shot. They had been together the day before and he said that stuff about MSNBC's coverage being disgusting. Later in the afternoon, I saw his episode where somebody else said that and he said, let's, let's not go there because he's, he's really anti, what would you call it, attacking each other like that. It just his platform. He boots people out of the chat who post stuff like that. He just, he doesn't want any of that kind of conversation. And he said, he said, I'm going to Give him the benefit of the doubt. Now, Matthew Doubt got fired by MSNBC a couple hours later for things he said. But Mark Halpert said, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. It happened live. They saw a man shot to death on television. They're having to do live tv. They just reflexively went into MSNBC mode. They didn't know what else to do. I'm going to give them a break for that.

[Joe Getty]

So that's very generous.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that is very generous.

[Joe Getty]

It's more generous than I would be.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would agree. So, speaking of agreeing or not agreeing, do you agree with what Trey Gowdy says about the video? The video was out fast of, you know, seeing a guy get shot in the neck and bleed out. That video was out there. My kid and Hansen's kid both saw the video at school before we even picked him up from school, which I find horrifying. It's kind of a different topic, but for adults, this is what Trey Gowdy had to say.

[Trey Gowdy]

As painful as it is, people have to watch the video from yesterday, and while they're watching it, and they're going to want to turn their heads away. But you need to imagine this as a husband and a father and a friend, not someone politically that you may happen to disagree with. This video is so jarring to watch. The problem is it really happened, and it happened in the greatest country in the world. And so we got to have a conversation about how much of this we're willing to put up with. So watch what happened to him. He is killed in an instant. In an instant. From 200 yards. For what reason? Because you happen to disagree with his political beliefs. Make yourself watch it and realize this is a husband and a father, not just some political person with whom you may happen to disagree.

[Jack Armstrong]

So is he arguing for showing it on television? Because most networks didn't show it. I don't know if anybody showed it on tv. Did anybody show it on tv? It was bouncing around online.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, No, I understand his point, and I agree with him partially. Yeah, it varies completely, person to person.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't agree. I just. I haven't seen it. I don't think I need to see it to fully understand how freaking awful it is that a dad of two little kids got shot to death.

[Joe Getty]

Right. I would agree with you. At the same time, I'll tell you why I did watch it. The same reason I forced myself to read and watch an entire presentation I saw on what a rifle round does to a human body. Because I Wanted to know. It is very easy. And again, this varies person to person. I don't judge anybody for the decision they made. It is very, very easy in the modern world, with our modern entertainment to hear somebody got shot and picture what you see on TV in some cop drama and not grasp the full horror of how violent and deadly it is. And to me there's a usefulness. And again, not everybody feels this. And that's great, that's fine. There's a usefulness to be brought nearly to the edge of vomiting by how horrifying in real life it is. That's why I watched it.

[Jack Armstrong]

That could be. I feel like there's a lot of the opposite people who do watch that sort of stuff who are completely unmoved by it and people who don't watch it who are completely moved by it because they get what happened.

[Joe Getty]

And a completely different discussion from children watching it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no doubt, by the way. And my kids were at. Well, not my oldest. He doesn't talk to me. He's a high schooler. I can't drag words.

[Joe Getty]

Why would he. You don't know anything.

[Jack Armstrong]

But my 13 year old was worried. He said, is that going to happen to you? Because he knows I've joked about this a lot, maybe too much about how many people hate me or like when we run into somebody somewhere like, you know, I don't know if I'm going to get a positive reaction or negative. They've seen people hate me, they've seen me flipped off by people who hate me. So my son was worried, is this going to happen to you? And I said, no, it's very unlikely. This sort of thing happens and it very, very rarely happens. I, you know, I didn't say what I was thinking of. Geez, I hope this doesn't happen to me. It could. We've had people angry enough at us that could do that sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

And as we've discussed, although I don't think this is the case, but we've also discussed it's the person that doesn't make any sen Whatsoever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

That most often is, you know, dangerous.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or maybe misheard you or thinks you're somebody else.

[Joe Getty]

God, that happens all the time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or their toasters talking to them.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Freaking crazy. Oh, I was going to wonder this. So the Pictures are out. FBI's released photos asking for help. So if you know that, you know, college kid in Utah and somebody's going to say, oh yeah, that sure looks like Jaden.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, the, the pictures are good enough that you, if you knew him, you would recognize him. But what I'm wondering is a hat and sunglasses.

[Jack Armstrong]

He had a plan, clearly. He knew Charlie Kirk was coming. He knew where Charlie Kirk was going to be, what direction he was going to be facing, what building he should get up on top of, what gun he would need. He did a lot of planning and he had a plan to get away. All. Often most of the time these people don't really have a plan to get away or not a good one anyway.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they get caught. Sometimes they want to be caught. Like the guy who assassinated those, those two Jewish people in Washington, D.C. he dropped his gun and said, it was me, it was me. I killed him. Because Palestine is, you know, undergoing a genocide. I mean, he wanted to get his message out. So there's that kind of person. Also, is this person going to be found dead in the wounds with a gunshot to his head? Is he going to take himself out? Is he going to turn himself in? Because he's a, a strong believer and he wants to say why he killed Charlie Kirk. Is he going to. Does he think. He can't possibly think he's going to get away.

[Joe Getty]

Is he going to try to take some cops with him?

[Jack Armstrong]

Man, there's always that chance. I hope. I hope not. He can't possibly think. He can't possibly think he's going to get away, though. So you think he's going to get to Canada or Mexico or something or. Or California.

[Joe Getty]

You know, it's not inconceivable.

[Jack Armstrong]

I shouldn't say that because Gavin Newsom condemned the violence as strongly as anybody did yesterday.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Also a friend of Charlie Kirk. That's what, that's one of the many reasons. This is so freaking horrible. This is the last guy that should get shot. Nobody should for political reasons, but this is the last guy. If you had to make a list and you shouldn't. But he, I mean, he wanted to have calm discourse about the topics.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Donald Trump Jr. Actually wrote a really eloquent tribute to him. He said Charlie was never a threat to anyone. He was civil, he was kind, he listened and responded with respect. The only threat he ever posed was that he was incredibly effective. He had a. He was a powerful messenger of truth and people heard that truth. That's what made him a target.

[Jack Armstrong]

The people that seemed to get the angriest at him, though, it all seemed to come from the world of the whole trans discussion.

[Joe Getty]

That was where the most heat was. Yeah. He was also staunchly pro life and the pro abortion rights crowd really, really Disliked him. But the real anger seemed to be from the radical transgender folks.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I heard it portrayed on. I shouldn't say which network. Which. I don't remember one of your mainstream networks. Charlie Kirk, who was strongly anti Women's Health. I thought, okay, I know what that means. Yeah, nice. Nice characterization of his position.

[Joe Getty]

Right. He was anti transgender people when he was against anti radical transgender theory and the mutilation of children.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anyway, so it wouldn't be shocking if it turns out that that was the issue that drove this psychopathic nutcase, evil person that I hope gets arrested very soon. And as the governor pointed out, we have the death penalty here in Utah.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well, we'll find out, we pray soon, who this guy was and what he was thinking, and we'll bring it to you. And if it turns out that the direction we've been led by the evidence so far is completely wrong, we'll tell you. So I have no need to get to a particular conclusion. I like to base my conclusions on facts and not vice versa. Perhaps you could try that in the media someday. The other media V. Dad. The.

[Jack Armstrong]

I thought that when the Wall Street Journal broke the story a couple hours ago that there were some trans messages, antifa messages on the ammunition found in the rifle. I thought that would explode as a story. And it has not even really on Fox. So is everybody thinking, whoa, this is hot. We better wait until we're very, very sure it's possible. Because doesn't this seem like the sort of thing that becomes a panel discussion on every cable news show?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

One way or the other.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I'm. Everybody has mentioned that report at this point.

[Jack Armstrong]

I thought it would be.

[Joe Getty]

Not everybody, I'm sorry. A number of places, including the New.

[Jack Armstrong]

York Times go really, really big. Anyway, we will finish strong next Armstrong and Getty. Rare that something so big happens that we do an entire four hour show about it that's usually around. Usually around a tragedy, unfortunately. But then these remaining moments. Couple things I want to mention while I'm mentioning something, Michael. We got three jokes from the late night comics. These are the shows that. That taped before the shooting. Correct. So they're just doing a regular show. Whichever one of those you think is the funniest. But hold on to that. I just came across. This can't be true. I should click on the story and actually read it. This is from the New York Post. Plans for a Mega Lux resort spark fury as bulldozers invade the site where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

[Joe Getty]

Whoa.

[Jack Armstrong]

Are they actually bulldozing Rocks where Moses got the tablets for a hotel.

[Joe Getty]

Golden Calf Accommodations announces the opening of our new resort. Yeah. Wow. Wow. Can we, like, maybe have it as a preserve of some sort?

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Can I stay in the Pharaoh's Room? How much does that cost? Okay, so there's that. Maybe I'll look into that for tomorrow. What's your best joke? You got Michael.

[Joe Getty]

All right, here we go.

[Steve (Comedy Segment)]

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has unveiled a new sunscreen flavored ice cream. That was ice cream. Yelled this guy. What happened to you, Steve? Ice cream smelled like copper tone. Put it all over my body covered in seagulls all day. It was a real bad day at the beach.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jesus. Sorry, Steve. So I missed the beginning of that somehow.

[Joe Getty]

What? What?

[Michelangelo (Crew Member)]

Sunscreen flavored ice cream.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay? That's what I.

[Joe Getty]

And he thought it was sunscreen and smeared it all over his body. You see?

[Jack Armstrong]

What's sunscreen flavored mean?

[Michelangelo (Crew Member)]

I don't know. I've never eaten it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. You're not supposed to know the flavor of a topical treatment.

[Joe Getty]

Put it in your mouth. Oh, this is novel. Its ice cream tastes like a topical treatment to avoid radiation burns. Let me put it in my mouth. I mean, what.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let me put it next to my apple pie.

[Joe Getty]

I guess it's so you can tell the story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exhausting show today.

[Joe Getty]

The left wing social network Blue sky has announced that after many, many dozens of posts celebrating the grisly murder of young Charlie Kirk, that celebrating the assassination violated its rules and you need to stop.

[Jack Armstrong]

So that's an example of what Elon called the other day the woke mind virus. If you celebrate the death of a political opponent, and I don't care what your politics are, I would feel the same way about a buddy of mine who's a Trump supporter. If he found out Joy Reid got gunned down the street and celebrated it. There's something wrong with you. You have a political virus of some sort.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Here's a Muslim activist called Charlie a horrible, hateful man. I refused to sanitize him. He didn't hate anybody.

[Jack Armstrong]

But even if he did, you see, that's the deal. You can't have it. You can't have. You can't have political violence.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

How do you see it playing out? If you start murdering your political opponents, how do you think that's going to play out to a good end? Lay that out for me.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. These people are just consumed by their anger and their hate and in many cases their jealousy. And they don't think rationally. They're just cauldrons of hate.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, that's shocking to me. See here, here. This is very complicated. See, if you. If your site starts killing the other side, they'll think, hmm, I guess we should start doing the same thing. And then we're all killing each other. Yeah, it's happened many, many times throughout history.

[Joe Getty]

On a practical level, you don't want to get in a shooting war with the right There's. That's not a threat. That's just a statement of reasonable fact. Even if you have no soul, you have no kindness, you have no regard for humanity. On a practical level, it's a bad idea.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, tomorrow I'm sure we'll be back to more or less a regular show. Although I have a feeling I wouldn't be surprised if they don't have the guy or his body the shooter by tomorrow.

[Joe Getty]

I certainly hope so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or a really good idea.

[Joe Getty]

Know who he is?

[Jack Armstrong]

They've got him. They've. They've got to have already received dozens of tips who say, that sure looks like the guy I have science class with or my neighbor upstairs or whatever, right?

[Joe Getty]

I'd be shocked if you're not right, because again, the images are pretty good. You can easily see his build and his body shape and the shape of.

[Jack Armstrong]

His face and a not particularly populated area of the country. So it's not like he can disappear into a city of 12 million people like LA or something. I don't want the show to be.

[Joe Getty]

Over, but I'm ready.

[Jack Armstrong]

To listen to the final thought from. Here's your host for final thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap things up for the day. We think Katie's coming back tomorrow, but Michelangelo, why don't you lead us off?

[Michelangelo (Crew Member)]

This may never happen, but we need politics to be boring. Boring again because of social media. Everything's shocking, entertaining, over the top, and now people just want to be entertained or shocked. They don't want policy. I know it's boring, but it's what we need.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, agreed. Jack, a final thought for us.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know a lot of you are waiting for a prunes update. No results. So today I will eat five prunes as I up the prunes day by day until I get a result.

[Michelangelo (Crew Member)]

Damn, I lost a bet.

[Joe Getty]

To me. Good Lord, to me. Half measures are no good. Go 10. Oh, go 10. Prove you're serious. Say to your intestinal system. I'm here to win.

[Jack Armstrong]

I gotta throw in one more serious thing. I wasn't going to. Hey. Those of you news outlets who are running clips of Charlie Kirk being pro 2nd amendment and how he used 4 gun ownership. Who think you're being clever? You're not.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, who think that's some sort of checkmate, Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. Ooh, got him. He was. Four individuals being able to own guns, yet he was shot. You're not accomplishing anything, you morons.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, we're not pro murder, you jackasses.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty wrapping up Another grueling four hour workday.

[Joe Getty]

So many people. Thanks. A little time. Go to Armstrong and getty.com. the Hot Links are there. There we go. We may have hot links today. I don't know. Drop us a note. What's your take? What's your suggestion? What are you thinking? Mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com we'll go through them tomorrow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And then. Well, there'll be a lot to talk about tomorrow.

[Trey Gowdy]

I'm sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

We'll see you then. God bless America. This is a dark moment for America.

[Governor Spencer Cox]

It's a tragic day for our nation.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I'll be honest with you, I am in utter disbelief at this. He's a martyr for truth and freedom. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate. If you could be associated with one.

[Joe Getty]

Thing, how would you want to be remembered? I want to be. I want to be remembered for. For courage, for my faith. That would be the most important thing. Most important thing is my faith in my life.

[Podcast Announcer]

This is an I Heart podcast.