Dear Diary, Joe Wandered Off Again Tonight

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand – “Dear Diary, Joe Wandered Off Again Tonight”
Release Date: May 9, 2025

In the “Dear Diary, Joe Wandered Off Again Tonight” episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Mark Halperin navigate a dynamic landscape of political critique, public health discussions, and significant religious developments. This episode offers listeners a comprehensive exploration of pressing issues with the hosts' characteristic blend of insight and humor.

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1. Joe Biden's Financial and Political Struggles

The episode opens with a critical examination of President Joe Biden's financial and political standing. Armstrong and Halperin delve into the challenges Biden faces in securing lucrative post-presidency engagements, a common practice among former presidents to bolster their legacies and financial portfolios.

Mark Halperin highlights the gravity of Biden’s situation:

"[02:45] Mark Halperin: They are getting no speech offers."

Jack Armstrong echoes this sentiment by underscoring Biden's financial woes:

"[03:32] Jack Armstrong: They are broke."

The discussion suggests a possible desperation behind Biden's recent media appearances, implying that the former president may be struggling to maintain his influence and financial stability without the traditional avenues of income available to his predecessors.

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2. Critique of Biden’s Cognitive Health and Public Perception

Transitioning from financial concerns, Armstrong and Halperin confront the contentious topic of Biden’s cognitive abilities. They scrutinize public allegations questioning his mental acuity, referencing his sometimes disjointed and cliché-laden responses in interviews as potential indicators of cognitive decline.

Mark Halperin critiques Biden's defensive responses:

"[07:41] Mark Halperin: There's nothing to sustain that."

Jack Armstrong adds to the critique by highlighting Biden's reliance on overused phrases:

"[09:04] Jack Armstrong: We got the job done. We got to work. We did the work right last outfit."

These insights reflect a broader concern about Biden's capacity to effectively communicate and lead, resonating with listeners skeptical of his current performance.

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3. Public Health Segment: The Resurgence of Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

Shifting focus, the hosts address a significant public health issue: the alarming increase in whooping cough cases. Mark Halperin shares his personal battle with the disease, providing firsthand insight into its debilitating effects and the critical importance of vaccination.

Mark Halperin emphasizes the severity of the illness:

"[11:09] Mark Halperin: Infants. It's a horrifying disease."

He details the symptoms and societal implications:

"[14:59] Jack Armstrong: You have a horse who lives in your guest bedroom. Sometimes he Winnies."

The conversation serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to preserve herd immunity, especially in the face of rising vaccine-preventable diseases.

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4. The Election of the First American Pope: Reactions and Implications

A landmark moment discussed in the episode is the election of Robert Prevost, the first American Pope. Armstrong and Halperin explore the cultural and religious significance of this event, juxtaposing it with traditional expectations of the papacy.

A humorous take from a comedian introduces the topic:

"[21:26] Comedian: The Catholic Church today elected a new Pope, a 69-year-old American cardinal named Robert Prevost..."

The hosts delve into Prevost's background and potential impact on the Catholic Church:

"[29:26] Mark Halperin: He is hardcore life begins at conception, probably not going to budge on that."

They discuss the challenges Prevost may face in balancing traditional doctrines with modern societal issues, such as climate change and social liberalism, highlighting the tension between preserving religious values and adapting to contemporary norms.

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5. U.S.-UK Trade Deal and Trump's Tariff Policies

The episode also covers significant developments in international trade, focusing on the recently negotiated U.S.-UK trade agreement. Armstrong frames the deal as a strategic victory based on longstanding alliances:

"[34:07] Jack Armstrong: I would not make too much of the UK deal. It was extremely low hanging fruit with a country that's a longtime friend and ally."

Additionally, the hosts analyze the Trump administration's potential reduction of tariffs on China, discussing its implications for global trade dynamics and the broader economic landscape:

"[36:52] Mark Halperin: He is refocusing the Department of the Interior to look at America's assets in a way that's really interesting."

The conversation underscores the complexities of international trade negotiations and the delicate balance between fostering alliances and protecting national economic interests.

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6. Additional Political and Social Commentary

Throughout the episode, Armstrong and Halperin interweave various political and social observations. They critique progressive policies such as assisted suicide, expressing concerns about societal impacts and unintended consequences:

"[30:19] Jack Armstrong: Miserable with repercussions and an infection that spreads throughout society."

The hosts also touch upon energy policies under Secretary Doug Burgum, highlighting initiatives to map and utilize America's vast natural resources:

"[37:56] Mark Halperin: Let's not get hysterical about child discretions."

These discussions reflect the hosts' broader skepticism towards certain progressive agendas and their implications for American society.

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Conclusion

"Dear Diary, Joe Wandered Off Again Tonight" offers a multifaceted examination of contemporary issues, blending political critique with public health awareness and religious discourse. Armstrong and Halperin engage listeners with their incisive commentary, supported by notable quotes and timely analysis, making the episode a valuable resource for those seeking an informed perspective on current events.

Transcript

[Sponsor Voice]

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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 Gettys.

[Joe Getty]

The projects, the, the benefits. How do you lead the world without having best infrastructure? More. How do you lead the world without having the best healthcare in the world? How do you lead the world without having the best education system? More. How do you lead the world when you don't have that done?

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is there a transcript I could look at?

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, so we'll get back to our very, very Catholic former president in just a second. So we got some Pope stuff coming up this hour. We got a late night joke.

[Jack Armstrong]

Pope off or Pope joke off?

[Mark Halperin]

Because they all made jokes about the Pope.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm uncomfortable with that phrase. Go on.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, you gotta be very careful. I should say it's slower than for instance, Biden talked just a moment ago.

[Jack Armstrong]

Actually, that was a Bidenesque delivery.

[Mark Halperin]

We won the Pope World cup. Usa. Usa. So we got some stuff on that coming up a little bit later. But we brought you Mark Halperin's reporting last hour. Why is Joe Biden on the View? Why did he do an interview with the BBC last weekend? Why was he on the View yesterday talking about his memoirs? They are broke. The family is broke. The Biden crime family who got into government probably for good reasons eventually and then decided, hey, we can all live like we're wealthy the rest of our lives. Apparently spent every cent they made or had coming in. And they are broke. So they're getting no speech offers.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the idea that they had budgeted substantial. I mean, how much money did Hillary Clinton make for and Bill, My God, they brought in tens of millions of dollars.

[Mark Halperin]

Well, Halperin actually used the figure of $800,000. Speech. Speech offers. That's the sort of thing you get when you're an ex president. Yes, yes. And he. And he's getting better.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you're running a phony foundation yes or.

[Mark Halperin]

Right. Right. And he's getting zero of those. You're right. So they had counted on. Oh, well, you know, my. My. In retirement, I'll. You know, I'll do 10 of these a year or whatever. And we'll continue to have our lakeside homes and oceanside this and that. And play that clip again. So listen to this. This is the guy. So you got two things. You've got the damage he's doing to himself and the party and a reputation and all that sort of stuff. But this is the. This guy's gonna come give a speech.

[Joe Getty]

The projects, the benefits. How do you lead the world out of the best infrastructure? How do you lead the world without having the best healthcare? How do you lead the world without having the best education system? How do you lead the world when you don't have that done?

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Yeah. So there appears to be a triumvirate of motivations here. I use that word to sound fancy. It means three of something. Number one, they are desperate for the cash. That. That is fascinating. So Mark Alpern does not make stuff. You're so excited about this. That is a character floss.

[Mark Halperin]

It is. It is. And now with a new American pope. I should be more magnanimous, but I'm. I'm going enjoy this, watching this unfold.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, if you're gonna sin, get your money's worth, right? Anyway, so that is clearly one of the motivations. The second one is to shape his legacy. Because if you look around and just kind of, you know, put your nose in the air and your finger in the air and then look and listen, how's. How's the old legacy taking shape? You would not like what you're hearing at all. So they've decided to go on the offensive. And to that end, I think this is the best time for that. This is long, but I don't think you get a full appreciation of how sad it is without the length. So, Michael, go ahead and roll 83. This is from the unwatchable the View the other day. Mr. President, since you left office, there have been a number of books that have come out, deeply sourced from Democratic sources that claim in your final year, there was a dramatic dec in your cognitive abilities in the final year of your presidency. What is your response to these allegations, and are these sources wrong?

[Joe Getty]

They are wrong. There's nothing to sustain that. Number one. Number two, you know, think of what we're left with. We left with a circumstance where we had an insurrection. When I started, we did not sense a civil war. We Had a circumstance where we were in a position that we. Well, the pandemic, because of the incompetence of the last outfit, end up over a million people dying. A million people dying. And we're also in a situation where we found ourselves unable to deal with a lot of just basic issues and. Which I won't go into what. And so we went to work and we got it done. And, you know, one of the things that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and Alyssa, you know, one of the things I think is that the people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us. And they didn't see how hard Joe worked every single day. I mean, he'd get up, he'd put in a full day, and then at night he would.

[Mark Halperin]

I'd be in bed, you know, reading my book. And he was still on the phone reading his briefings.

[Jack Armstrong]

She has to take over answering. Everybody says, you're senile. What's the story? Because he can't answer it.

[Mark Halperin]

No, he launches into some completely irrelevant things that have nothing to do with the question and sounds like an old man while he's talking or some of.

[Jack Armstrong]

The go to cliches. We got the job done. We got to work. We did the work right last outfit.

[Mark Halperin]

So not to lean on this too much, but Mark Halpern went on, in his commentary on this on the View, Jill Biden denied that she limited access to her husband while he was president. Her denials, quote, are just not true on the face of it. But that's what she said. Joe Biden said if he. He would have won if he'd have stayed on the ticket. There's no evidence of that anywhere, says Mark Halpern. Did he help whatever goals he has by going on the View? I can see no discernible way in which that appear helped him. That's the crazy part, that there's nobody to tell them you're only making things worse. You made things worse on BBC, then three days later you go on the View and you make things worse again. And if you're planning to do 60 minutes or I don't know what your next plan is, you're gonna make it even worse.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the third leg of this stool of delusion, as pointed out by JT and Livermore, Joe Biden has zero remaining loyalty to the Democratic Party after he is backstabbed by all his closest friends, Pelosi. Pelosi, schumer, Obama, Clooney, etc. Backstabbed.

[Mark Halperin]

I don't know if that's fair. I mean, it's Somewhat accurate, but they would have been really bad Americans to not force him out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's a fair point. Right? And then he writes, oh, and he sent along this headline from Radar online. Jill Biden's $30 million revenge explosive secret White House Diaries could be turned into tell book with Joe's enemies in her sights.

[Mark Halperin]

Dear diary, Joe wandered off again tonight.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Even absent the enemies list, nobody in the Biden family seems to have any limit on what they'll do for money. This embarrassing array of interviews is just a shameless publicity stunt designed to increase interest in the behind the scenes details of the Biden train wreck that was the Biden presidency. And if you need further proof, JT writes, look at Jill's first prepared statement. Following one of Biden's many failed utterances, Jill claimed that, quote, none of the books to date were from. From people in the White House. That was in that clip we just played. That's a pretty odd thing to say, especially since some of the details have come from people like Ron Klain, Biden's chief of staff.

[Mark Halperin]

And.

[Jack Armstrong]

And he points out, that is also something you might say if you're planning to endorse or write an insider's account saying none of these other accounts were from insiders, even though they all were. So. Yeah. So it's greed slash desperation for cash, legacy shaping and the final vengeance from beyond the grave. I'm. Oh, I'm told, still short of the grave.

[Mark Halperin]

All right, come on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Vengeance from just short of the grave. That's the three legged stool of Biden delusion.

[Mark Halperin]

Vengeance, grave adjacent.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly.

[Mark Halperin]

If I can let go of my glee for a little bit and bring out some humanity which must be in there somewhere.

[Comedian]

It is.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've wondered. It is.

[Mark Halperin]

It is really kind of sad. I mean, he worked hard every day. I'm sure he did. There are a lot of dementia ridden old people getting up and trying their hardest. They just can't function because brains don't work anymore. Well.

[Jack Armstrong]

And if you take the gig of potus.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're gonna do some work. You ought to.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, I'm sure he was.

[Joe Getty]

Busted my neck.

[Mark Halperin]

I'm sure he was up late reading and it made no dent in his brain because his brain no longer can hold on to this stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. What was the clip we played yesterday to get into the deal? Michael the Angry Biden.

[Joe Getty]

Don't mess with the minimum work unless you want to get the benefit.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm going to get a tattoo of that on my chest and that's probably like that's probably an eagle.

[Mark Halperin]

That's probably like two years ago also.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Don't mess with the men in America unless you want to get the benefit.

[Mark Halperin]

Get a T. Get a tattoo of that with an apple.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's probably enough of that. Let's turn to godliness, huh?

[Mark Halperin]

That we got to talk about the Pope. And I want to tell you about whooping cough because I don't want you to get whooping off.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. And. And listen, it bears mentioning. Babies die of it.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, yeah. It ain't good for children.

[Jack Armstrong]

Infants. It's a horrifying disease. From adult. For adults. It's no bargain.

[Mark Halperin]

Clearly you don't want it. And it's out there for a variety of reasons. More than it has been in the past. I got it. Some of the details on it are kind of interesting. And we got Pope stuff. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Comedian]

In honor of Mother's Day, KFC is offering free delivery on all digital orders. So why not give the gift that will have her saying, where did I go wrong? Hey, mom, your chicken's here. I love you. And delivery was free. So.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy.

[Mark Halperin]

I sent my son to the store on his bike yesterday, went and got a gallon of milk we needed, and I let him keep the change on the money I gave him. And I said I'd.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would have door dashed it, so.

[Mark Halperin]

I'd rather give the money to you. So he rode the bike over there, had a really good time, liked making a little money. It worked out just great.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sounds like the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

[Mark Halperin]

I wanted to mention this because we haven't mentioned this yet. Trump, it looks like, is backing off the whole Chinese tariffs thing. Exclusive story from the New York Post broke yesterday. Now there's some reporting to back it up. The Trump administration is weighing a plan to slash the 145% tariff by more than half as soon as Monday.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy.

[Mark Halperin]

So like Joe said earlier, maybe this was the plan all along. And you know when you're negotiating, you have to get your Keep your cards closed. Or it wasn't. And he's getting rattled or who knows what. But so it doesn't look like we're gonna be doing this for long.

[Jack Armstrong]

They are making a hell of a lot of noise about a very low hanging fruit deal with the Brits. Another example of maybe some rethinking going on, but more on that to come.

[Mark Halperin]

So I got whooping cough. I got diagnosed by the doctor yesterday. I have heard of whooping cough and when my kids were little, I was really aware that it's a really bad thing for your kids to get. But I don't. I've never thought about whooping cough in my life. I don't think I've ever known another adult who had whooping cough. It's got kind of an old timey, I'm a gold pan or sound to it, you know, from the 1850s, whooping cough. But I got whooping cough. And so I got some information on it from the doctor from, you know, your best sites, CDC and what's that doctor up the place up there in Minnesota. I've actually been there. Mayo Clinic. Your whooping cough, incredibly contagious. And we got a lot more of it here in 2025 than we do have most years. Unfortunately. It's really, really contagious. I'm past the contagious part, thank God. So I'm glad, Michael, you didn't get it three weeks ago when I was contagious. I've had it for over a month. Most people say it's the worst cough of their lives. Well, that's fantastic. Can last for up to ten weeks. So two and a half months. So I'm over a month in, but I might be not even halfway there. Here's the best part that I like. The cough generally gets worse and becomes more common as you go along. So my cough is going to get stronger and more prevalent as I get further into the two and a half months. If it ends up going that direction, it's called whooping cough because you make a high pitched woof when you inhale after a coughing fit. And I have done that. I mentioned I was laying in bed the other day and I kept hearing this weird. And I was like, where is that coming from? It was my lungs. I didn't even realize many people.

[Jack Armstrong]

You have a horse who lives in your guest bedroom. Sometimes he Winnies.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, Many people vomit during or after a coughing fit. So that's fun. If you're at somebody's house and you go to coughing like crazy and Then vomit all over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack. Thanks for coming by.

[Mark Halperin]

It makes you very tired after a coughing fit. You'll have difficulty sleeping at night. I did not sleep one minute last night. People struggle to breathe. It's not uncommon at all to break a rib while you're doing this. You should. I just found this out yesterday. If you haven't had your TDAP since you were like 12 years older the last time you got it that shot. Because my son just had his couple weeks ago. Actually. You should get another one. I'm supposed to get another one. And it'll keep you from getting this freaking whooping cough. You don't want it. It's really unpleasant.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, my doc mentioned it to me the last time I saw him, and I just have dragged my feet just, you know, when's the right time to call up and get jailed? Right? It's just.

[Mark Halperin]

I mean, it's just the way you live your life, right? You're not running into people all the time who have freaking whooping cough. At least I'm not. I never have.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's funny. I dragged my feet on getting the shingles vaccine as an older fellow until a good friend of mine got an absolutely torturous case of it. So that's. That's the function my friends have for me. I use my friends like miners, use canaries in cold, get into, let me know when terrible diseases are about right to protect me. That's right.

[Mark Halperin]

I almost went down the other day. I had a coughing fit and I just could not stop. But I haven't vomited yet. Oh, my God. What a horrible symptom that is. Hanging around at a backyard barbecue. Don't worry, I'm not contagious. Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough, cough some more. Vomit.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Or something.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, Pass out.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's interesting. It's. It's combined with diphtheria and titanus, which is. I mean, tetanus is obviously not, you know, some sort of. It's a disease, I guess, but it's so different. Anyway, I got to go get jab. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, I. You know, who knew? And do you?

[Jack Armstrong]

CDC recommends adults get follow up doses every decade.

[Mark Halperin]

Well, I haven't had one since I was. My mom said you. I got you the shot when you were a baby, which I'm glad she did, but that was 60 years ago, so apparently I'm behind. You said there's more of it going on right now, though, so. Why is that?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the cases have doubled in the last year. Whooping cough tends to peak in the spring and fall usually spread through respiratory droplets. Experts say the outbreaks of vaccine preventable illnesses. Again, that word is preventable, like measles and whooping cough could be indicative of changing attitudes toward vaccines. Could be US Kindergarten vaccination rates fell last year and the number of children with vaccine exemptions hit an all time high. So, yeah, you got measles and pertussis, which is the real name for open cough.

[Mark Halperin]

I think I'm gonna call pertussis. That sounds better than whooping cough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it is kind of an old timey nickname because back in the. In the prairie, they didn't know exactly how to describe it.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, well, the whoop. Or you can get coughed on by a disc jockey. That might be the way you get it. I hope I didn't give it to anybody.

[Jack Armstrong]

Interestingly, if you ever use that term again, I'll give you something to whoop about. Here's this doctor at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia pointing out when you fall below 95% for vaccinations, you lose herd immunity. Prot.

[Mark Halperin]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Keep it in mind, Armstrong and Getty.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[Comedian]

I don't think you can have comparison to a sporting event, a concert, a political rally. There was nothing like that. And there was a moment where you found folks who were. And they're dealing with a mix of emotions. You have people who are still feeling Pope Francis loss, so they're in tears and yet smiles all at the same time. And it was. It's difficult still to describe it.

[Mark Halperin]

The reaction of people and then the reaction of the media to the whole Pope story has got me somewhat perplexed. I just wonder if there's a longing out there for something like this, Whether it's God or religion or tradition or something more solid than a tweet. I don't know what it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Such an intriguing question. I don't know. I guess I had just been attributing the enormous amount of attention to it. Well, Catholicism is still, you know, the world's Jewish religion and the Mainstream media are full of lemmings who just do what they think they're supposed to do. And you've always covered Pope choosings and the rest of it. Papal conclaves, whatever, or pope choosings if you prefer. But I think you, you strike out a really, really interesting question. I don't know, I need to contemplate it prayerfully.

[Mark Halperin]

How's the rest of the world feel about an American Pope? I was just watching some video up there of like kids and they'll feel.

[Jack Armstrong]

What we tell them to feel. Huh?

[Mark Halperin]

That's the way it should be. That was belligerent and appropriate. So I was watching kids in Catholic schools across the United States just cheering like crazy and waving USA flags and stuff like that. And one of the reasons there's never been an American Pope, one were very new country by Catholic Church standards since it's been around for over 2,000 years. And, and, and just the idea of the United States dominating everything, military, economy, culture, and now you got the Pope, I think just often seemed like too much, but here we are.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I get that.

[Mark Halperin]

Of course, it was the big news of the day for the late night comics. Also an exciting day for. Oh, Joe's got to make up the rules. Tell us the rules.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, right, yeah, it's a late night joke off. We've got multiple comedians doing jokes on the same topic. I, Joe Keddie, will grade each of their efforts and the bottom grade getter will be banned from comedy for life. Deservedly. Oh, let's hear it.

[Mark Halperin]

An exciting day for Catholics and for America. We have a new Pope. And against all odds, he is one of us. An American Pope. The Popemobile is now a Ford F2.

[Comedian]

The Catholic Church today elected a new Pope, a 69 year old American cardinal named Robert Prevost, who was born in Chicago. So that white smoke might have just been from the brats on the grill. That's right. An American cardinal from Chicago was chosen today to be the next Pope. You can tell he's from Chicago because he entered to this music.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's pretty funny.

[Comedian]

Why not?

[Mark Halperin]

Graduated from Villanova University. It's wild that we have a Pope who might have done a keg stand.

[Comedian]

Outside an Eagles game.

[Jack Armstrong]

Isn't that wild? Might have.

[Comedian]

Might have. It's not just that Leo is an American. He was born in Chicago. This means, this means officially, I can no longer imitate the Pope using an Italian accent. From now on, the Pope's gonna sound like this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey there.

[Comedian]

It's your buddy Leo, the deep dish. Papa, just talk to God. And not even he can help the White Sox. Sorry. First order of business, I will be canonizing Michael Jordan. Now, let's end by saying da prayers.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know what? This is tough. Fallon with a B minus is in the bottom, and he's a likable chap, but he has to be banned for life. Kimmel with an A minus. Myers with a solid B. Colbert with a B plus. He saved it at the end. As a native Chicago in his Chicago accent was slightly annoying, but he saved it at the end.

[Mark Halperin]

He's from Chicago. Colbert is, I think. Yeah. He's also. He's also a devout Catholic.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, is that right?

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. Which is prayers.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's pretty funny.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Canonizing Michael Jordan. Well done, sir.

[Mark Halperin]

So how did this guy end up being Pope American and everything like that? I thought this from ABC News last night from people that have known him, whether classmates or family. I thought this was interesting. The youngest of three boys, Robert Prevost, knew early on he would be a priest. Some people play school or some people play army. He played priest, and we had to go to Mass. Woman down the street said he would be the first American Pope. In first grade. They said that in first grade. Lou says they used to tease him about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

We used to, you know, tease him. You're going to be the pope one day. Ha ha.

[Mark Halperin]

Is that.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, it just had it about him.

[Mark Halperin]

Pope Leo graduated from Villanova University. Jim Priestley went to high school and college with the new pope. Back then, they called him Bob.

[Comedian]

Bob is the one guy that if. If you're going to pick a person.

[Mark Halperin]

In your class who was going to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Become the pope, Bob would be the person. His buddy's name is Priestley.

[Mark Halperin]

I just find that's interesting that he knew people throughout his life who thought, oh, yeah, I mean, if. And he's going to be anybody I know is going to be a pope, it's going to be him.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

I don't know. I mean, there's lots of stories of, you know, US Presidents we've had that had similar backgrounds where people say, oh, he's going to be president someday. It's just. I don't. I don't know what that is. I don't know that I've known somebody like that, but there must be something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hope. I mean, that's. That. That's. I want to use the term weird. It's.

[Mark Halperin]

That'd be a good idea to use the term weird.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, no, it makes you wonder.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I tell you what did he have. Was It. The spark of the divine. That's what I mean.

[Mark Halperin]

I do believe it's a calling. I mean, it's a vocation, a calling of some sort, clearly. And he felt it young. The fact that he was the sort of guy that not only people thought, you know, of course you're going to be a priest, you're going to be the Pope is really interesting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Yeah, no kidding.

[Mark Halperin]

He does. So I brought this up earlier in the week. I'm still surprised that as secular as we've become and cynical as the media is, and as much as the media hates mainstream religion and the sort of people who are religious in general, that there hasn't been more talk about the Catholic Church sex scandal during this whole couple of weeks of one Pope dies and we get another Pope. But this new Pope has like, all, like everybody at a high level in the Catholic Church pretty much. It's almost impossible to not be tainted at some point by the whole thing. I was going through his Wikipedia page yesterday. He's got. He's got some stuff in his background where he. He kept a guy around, it looks like, and just kind of hit a person and, you know, swept it under the rug because that's what everybody did for so long. There's really nobody over the age of probably 50 in the Catholic Church. It's not tainted by the scandal somehow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. To a little extent or a lot. Yeah. That's interesting. Just the whole view that, well, it's. It's a sin and a weakness. But let's not. Let's not get all criminal justice systemy about.

[Mark Halperin]

Let's not get hysterical about child discretions.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, exactly.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. Anyway, what do you think? This. There's a lot of predictions yesterday about how the whole thing will go down between the Pope and Trump, that there might be a lot more direct conversation through the media with each other because it is the American Pope. Although the American Pope, I don't think he said a word of English yesterday. He spoke Italian. He spoke Latin and something else. Oh, Spanish.

[Jack Armstrong]

Spanish. Yeah. But he did not speak much of his career in the. In Central and South America, I guess. Yeah. Interesting. I wonder what the over under for miracles is. It probably won't be on Prize Picks. They stick with sports. But the Prize Picks app is the best place to get in on the action of the NBA playoffs. For instance, whether it's points, rebounds, or assists, you just choose more or less on two to six player projections for your shot to win up to 2,000 times your cash.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. You're more or less on whether or not the warriors can win without Steph Curry is a little rough after last night, but you should download the Price Pick app today. Use the Code Armstrong to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. That code ARMSTRONG gets you $50 instantly after you play your FIRST $5 lineup.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Mark Halperin]

Thing on the Pope for me is there's a great need in the mainstream media for Francis and any new Pope to be really liberal, you know, socially liberal sort of people and change the church. And they always act like that's happening or hope that that's happening. Well, here's a little background on the new American Pope. The new Pope does not believe in the ordainment of women. He supported a declaration by the late Pope Francis to permit blessings for same sex couples, although he says it needs to act in unison with local context and cultures. He has called on the Church to take greater action against climate change, and his stance on communion for the divorced and on restricting the traditional Latin mass remain unclear at this point. He's also hardcore life begins at conception, probably not going to budge on that. So I wouldn't, if I'm a certain sort of person, I wouldn't get too excited that he's about to like really redo the way Catholics look at some of the big issues.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, nor should he in my opinion. But yeah, interesting. A lot of those other doctrinal things, you know, sacraments for the divorced and all, I just seriously could not care less. But for the fundamental issues of what is life. Yeah, I think. But let's go ahead and hang with the traditional. It served us pretty well in my opinion.

[Mark Halperin]

But yeah, he's not a fan of what's the thing they're doing up in Canada? Nothing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, assisted suicide. Suicide, which may be the greatest example of unintended consequences I've ever witnessed and I've witnessed a few how that tends to creep and become perverse and it reminds me of, like, the decriminalization of hard drugs. That, from a strictly libertarian point of view, sounds promising or at least worth, you know, exploring in practice. It's a miserable failure.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Miserable with repercussions and an infection that spreads throughout society.

[Mark Halperin]

I'm glad our 51st state, Canada, was able to be a laboratory of democracy there, on the whole. Assisted suicide. And we can see how it's playing out. Not well.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, but nobody's paying attention.

[Mark Halperin]

You don't think?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, it's growing in the United States. There are more states considering it. Really? Assisted suicide? Yeah, absolutely.

[Mark Halperin]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't have the list in front of me, but yeah. That's the thing about progressive policies in particular, is the facts, the history, the precedents, the experiences of other folks who've tried it are not even entering. They don't even enter into the picture. It's merely a question of does this sound good and does it make me feel enlightened? That's one of the things that makes me insane about progressivism.

[Mark Halperin]

So if I can throw out one annoying thing for you, if you're too not annoyed enough about the whole Pope deal. The Pope. The new Pope did have some tweet, apparently in the last couple of years, unhappy with Trump's America first, cutting back on a sort of thing. So he might get into that battle with Trump, which I will find highly annoying.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Not everything in the world is Trump versus not Trump.

[Mark Halperin]

I left out my point. My point being I sure hope he wasn't elected to be a counterbalance to Trump that that was. I hope it's because everybody who's ever known him thought, man, you ought to be the Pope. You're a good guy. And not because we need somehow to battle Trump. And it's like TDS got into the Vatican.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. Final. And we probably don't need all of this, but I gotta hear it. Michael. 35, please.

[Mark Halperin]

Terry, you know, something you said struck me that he was a Cubs fan from the south side of Chicago. And yet you hear him, the Vatican described for his quiet, humble way, that's. That's perhaps how he survived being a Cubs fan from the south side. That's a great point, David. And another thing, you know, because he's.

[Jack Armstrong]

A Cub kill that equated with. And then 36. This is his damn brother.

[Mark Halperin]

The one pressing question people here in Chicago want to know is the 37.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sorry, 37. Clear up the thing about the Cubs and White Sox.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. He was never, ever a Cubs fan. So I don't Know where that came from?

[Jack Armstrong]

He was. ABC News continues to cover itself with glory.

[Mark Halperin]

Wait. Way to be there. On the ground at the Vatican for an entire week with wall to wall coverage and then just jump to conclusions and be really wrong.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

Find that hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was interesting though. He did come from a mixed race household. His mother was a Cubs fan and his father was a White Sox fan. If you're a Chicagoan, you get that. Yeah. It's amazing they kept the marriage together.

[Mark Halperin]

Hey, Pope bias. Quick first miracle, get rid of my whooping cough. That'd be cool. Could you do that? Just like lay your hand on my shoulders or anything?

[Jack Armstrong]

Whatever it takes.

[Mark Halperin]

Exactly. More to come.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe a punch in the jaw. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Today's agreement with the UK is the first in a series of agreements on trade that my administration has been negotiating.

[Mark Halperin]

Over the past four weeks. With this deal, the UK joins the.

[Jack Armstrong]

United States in affirming that reciprocity and.

[Mark Halperin]

Fairness is an essential and vital principle of international trade.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would not make too much of the UK deal. It was extremely low hanging fruit with a country that's a longtime friend and ally. We have a trade surplus with them. They have very, very low tariffs for much.

[Mark Halperin]

Easy for you to say. I was worried about my figgy pudding doubling in price.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, now you don't have to worry about it. So markets cheer as the US strikes a deal with the uk. Interesting. The Wall Street Journal editorial board headline was Trump stages a trade war retreat. Walking back his trade war by degrees. Getting together with China to lower the heat, cut the tariffs on China. Maybe as early as Monday. You know, if, if all of this is what I've been think for a long time, a maybe unnecessarily chaotic way to hammer out more equitable trading deals around the globe. I think it could come out to be a very good thing and the chaos will be forgotten.

[Mark Halperin]

I ordered ten pounds of spotted dick and it was going to be four quid more per pound.

[Jack Armstrong]

How frustrating for you. So it's interesting, it'll be interesting to see this going forward. Endless speculation. You're not going to get that out of us. Generally speaking, we'll all find out together. But I thought it was interesting. Britain does have non tariff barriers to American beef and chicken. They will not allow imports of American chicken that's been disinfected in chlorine wash. Despite the lack of any health risk. There's no evidence that it's any trouble whatsoever.

[Mark Halperin]

So I'm not, I don't know if I followed this. Are we more strict with our chickens in Great Britain or they're more strict than us?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, they won't take American chickens if they've been disinfected in the chlorine wash.

[Mark Halperin]

So they're more stricter than us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they put up barriers to protect their farmers. It's fine. We're working that stuff out.

[Mark Halperin]

Or they care about a delicious chicken.

[Jack Armstrong]

I eat chicken all the time and it's plenty delicious. Horini so much of my criticism of Trump is that I'm afraid it's motivated in part. Well, number one, we call him as we sees him around here. That's just what we do. Secondly, there are things that, that are going on right now in the Trump administration that are so unbelievably great. I lie awake at night worrying that somehow the excesses or mistakes of Trump will end the progress. And I just, I hate that idea because so much good stuff is happening. This is an example you probably won't hear anywhere else. But I found it really interesting. Kim Strassel, the fabulous writer again for the Journal, is talking about what Doug Burgum is doing as the Secretary of the Interior. And let me see if I can explain this briefly. He is, he's a businessman, as I.

[Mark Halperin]

Think you know, with an unbelievable head of hair.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my God, this hair. So we all wish we could have his head of hair. Anyway, he is refocusing the Department of the Interior to look at America's assets in a way that's really interesting. He's pitching Washington voters on a better way to look at the country's financial picture via America's balance sheet. Federal scribes minutely document everything the country owes. Kim writes Entitlements, debt payments, employee pensions, tax credits. Everyone knows the liability side, the national debt, the trillions of dollars, blah, blah, blah. But what about the value of what we the people own? Enormous stores of oil, coal, minerals, timber, geothermal power, all held within a vast property portfolio. Washington pretends its only means of generating revenue is taxation. Yet if the Interior Department were a going concern, Mr. Burgum noted at a big conference last week. It would have the largest balance sheet in the world.

[Mark Halperin]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Our holdings.

[Mark Halperin]

No Democrat would ever look at it that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know our holdings encompass 480 million surface acres, more than 2 billion offshore acres, 75060 million acres of subsurface minerals. Saudi princes eat your hearts out, she writes. And she goes on to describe the project to unleash American energy. And it goes well beyond Drill, baby, drill. Burgum's mantra is map baby, map. He's working to get the U.S. geological Survey refocused on pinpointing and estimating resources rather than obsessing over climate change. It's a great change. It's good, innovative leadership. I love it. Armstrong and Getty.

[Sponsor Voice]

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