Dirty Footed Hippies

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand - Episode: Dirty Footed Hippies Release Date: August 14, 2025
Host/Authors: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Organized Retail Theft: The Labuubs Heist

[00:57 - 05:35]

The episode kicks off with a discussion about the surge in organized retail thefts targeting "Labuubs," Southern California’s hottest summer toy. These plush, desirable items have become lucrative targets, with thefts in Chino alone reaching a value of approximately $30,000.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [01:04]: "My Labuubs got stolen. Someone stole my Labubu."
• Jack Armstrong [01:20]: "It's more organized retail theft."

The hosts delve into the implications of these thefts, emphasizing that they represent a significant organized crime issue rather than mere opportunistic thefts. They highlight the economic impact and the challenges in curbing such sophisticated theft rings.

2. Gerrymandering and Redistricting: A Political Chess Game

[02:43 - 08:54]

Armstrong and Getty transition to a heated debate on redistricting, focusing on Texas and California. They discuss how Texas plans to redraw its districts to potentially gain five more Republican House seats, a move met with fierce backlash from Democrats who accuse Republicans of "Hitler Nazi gerrymandering."

Notable Quotes:

• Unnamed Contributor [04:03]: "They tried to enact it, it will go badly for you. Badly in the courts."
• Jack Armstrong [05:35]: "We're losing our democracy."

The conversation extends to California's controversial redistricting efforts, where the state assembly has sought public comments without releasing the actual maps, allegedly contravening the California Constitution. The hosts argue that such actions undermine fair representation and exacerbate partisan divides.

3. The "Rent a Crowd" Phenomenon in Protests

[10:13 - 18:02]

A significant portion of the podcast addresses the emerging trend of "rent a crowd" services in Washington D.C., where individuals are paid to attend rallies and protests. Citing an interview with Adam Schwartz, CEO of Crowds on Demand, the hosts reveal that inquiries for paid protest attendance have surged by 400% since former President Trump took steps to influence policing in D.C.

Notable Quotes:

• Adam Schwartz [14:54]: "Most people at political or advocacy events in D.C. are in some way paid."
• Unnamed Contributor [16:13]: "That's very, very interesting. That should be reported on more often."

Armstrong and Getty express concern over the authenticity of protest sizes portrayed in the media, suggesting that many demonstrators might not be genuine supporters but rather paid participants, thereby diluting the perceived public support for various causes.

4. US-Russia Summit: Trump and Putin’s Diplomatic Dance

[19:52 - 22:35]

The hosts discuss the upcoming summit between President Trump and President Putin, highlighting Russia’s intent to broaden the agenda beyond the Ukraine conflict to include resetting US-Russia relations and exploring better business ties.

Notable Quotes:

• Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman [19:52]: "This summit is not only going to be about the conflict in Ukraine, but about other issues as well."
• Unnamed Contributor [21:22]: "It's wild. So they're good. They're going to meet one on one."

They speculate on the potential outcomes of the summit, including the likelihood of a press conference where both leaders will address the media side-by-side—an unprecedented move given the current tensions and Russia’s aggressive actions in Ukraine.

5. State-Sponsored Abortion and Parental Rights in Virginia

[27:28 - 30:04]

Armstrong and Getty shift focus to domestic issues, specifically a scandal in Fairfax County, Virginia, where school officials allegedly arranged and funded abortions for students without parental consent. Two former high school students have come forward with evidence, including letters and audio recordings, implicating school social worker Carolina Diaz.

Notable Quotes:

• Unnamed Contributor [29:35]: "Fairfax County's bureaucrats skipped cops, judges and moms and dads to push terrified teens through a clinic door."
• Jack Armstrong [30:02]: "This is not an abortion debate. It's state-sponsored child coercion."

The hosts condemn these actions as blatant violations of parental rights and spotlight the broader implications for government overreach in personal and family matters.

6. White House's Scrutiny of Smithsonian Exhibitions

[30:04 - 32:28]

In a move to reinforce American exceptionalism, the White House has announced a comprehensive review of Smithsonian exhibitions. The initiative aims to remove what the administration considers "divisive or partisan narratives" and ensure that exhibitions align with traditional American values.

Notable Quotes:

• Unnamed Contributor [31:22]: "It's designed to counter and defeat the traditional telling of the American story and supplant it with Howard Zinn Marxism stuff."
• Jack Armstrong [32:28]: "The White House said its review aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism."

The hosts criticize this policy as an attempt to sanitize historical narratives, arguing that it suppresses diverse perspectives and undermines the integrity of cultural institutions.

7. Pop Culture Spotlight: Taylor Swift and the Kelsey Brothers Podcast

[33:29 - 38:51]

Wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Getty touch on a lighter topic—Taylor Swift’s appearance on the Kelsey Brothers' podcast, where she discussed her new album and the process behind each track. The hosts express mixed feelings, acknowledging the phenomenon of public figures garnering intense scrutiny and polarized opinions.

Notable Quotes:

• Unnamed Contributor [35:08]: "She talked about how she cried and Travis cried."
• Jack Armstrong [36:54]: "Way to quote Taylor Swift as you take her down. That's very clever."

They reflect on the nature of celebrity culture and public perception, emphasizing the often superficial basis on which public figures are either adored or criticized.

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Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Armstrong and Getty navigate a spectrum of topics from serious political issues like organized theft and gerrymandering to the authenticity of protests and state interference in personal matters. They also engage with current events in international relations and cultural shifts within institutions like the Smithsonian. Interspersed with their trademark humor and candid opinions, the hosts deliver a comprehensive analysis that encourages listeners to critically assess the narratives presented to them.

Overall Notable Themes:

• Critique of Political Manipulation: Whether through redistricting or paid protests, the hosts consistently highlight perceived manipulations within political systems.
• Defense of Traditional Institutions: From family structures to historical narratives, Armstrong and Getty advocate for maintaining established frameworks against what they view as progressive overreach.
• Media Skepticism: There's a clear undercurrent of skepticism towards mainstream media portrayals of events, urging listeners to question the authenticity of widely broadcasted information.

For those who haven't tuned into the episode, "Dirty Footed Hippies" offers a blend of investigative discussion and opinionated commentary, maintaining Armstrong and Getty's signature style of blending humor with critical analysis.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

IHeart presents the big three playoffs this Sunday. The remaining four teams battle to make the championship in the most physical, fierce and competitive basketball league in the world. The action starts with the big three Monster Energy celebrity game. Then Dwight Howard and his LA Riot take on Montrez Harrell and Dr. J Chicago triplets. The finale will see popular Miami 305 with stars MVP Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson take on Nancy Lieberman's Dallas power who will make it to the Big Three championship. The no holds barred action starts Sunday at 3P Eastern, 12 Pacific only on CBS.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

Furry bodies, wide eyes and a toothy.

Grin, reselling for hundreds of dollars.

And now a obvious target.

[Jack Armstrong]

My Loboo got stolen. Someone stole my Labubu.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Labubu, the summer's most sought after toy at the center of a crime wave in Southern California. The thefts amount to tens of thousands of dollars. The latest in Chino, valued at approximately 30 grand.

[Jack Armstrong]

The fact that, you know, some people think that, hey, it's just Labu boos. No, you know, it's more, it's, it's organized retail theft.

[Unnamed Contributor]

You know, it's so liberating to be able to just ignore crazes, you know, you just choose not to be involved.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Unnamed Contributor]

I'm not into organized crime, as that person says there. It's about organized crime rings. And we need to worry about that and crack down on.

[Jack Armstrong]

But in terms of, it's a huge problem in Cal Unicornia, especially in terms.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Of the craze of Labubus. If you just decide, you know, I don't, I'm not going to participate. I don't care. It's over for you. You don't need to want for one. You don't need to shop for one. You just, it's over. I was listening to a podcast yesterday, actually, the Dispatch podcast, which is very informative about the whole redistricting argument. And they hit me with some stats and had a conversation. And I thought, I've been thinking this for years. I watch the Sunday talk shows pretty regularly. They used to matter a lot. I don't think they matter much anymore, although they probably do have outweighed influence on other politicians in D.C. they probably watch Meet the Press and Face the Nation even if you don't. And it has an impact on their conversation among themselves. But the Republicans have always been bad at pushing back. I don't, I don't think there's ever been a Republican as good as Nancy Pelosi, for instance, and going on those shows and be loaded with. Loaded with facts and figures and a spin on their story and be willing.

[Jack Armstrong]

To just reject the narrative framework that they use to frame every topic.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just question their very premises. Be friendly but aggressive. Margaret Brennan is not going to hurt you. You can go ahead and argue with her.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah. I don't know if it's because they. They got to Live in Washington, D.C. and so many of their friends are Dems and they don't want to be like, you know, the skunk at the party. Nobody wants to hang around or whatever. I don't know. But the big redistricting thing. So Texas is going to redistrict in the middle of the decade, which is not common, but legally they can do it. States decide what they're going to do, redistricting wise. The federal government has said, hey, you do you. Which is the way we want to build our country as opposed to have the federal government make these decisions. And Texas can do this legally. So they're going to redistrict based on the last Census and get 5 more Republican House seats, most likely. And then, of course, as you know, if you've been following the story at all, the. The Democrats took off, left the state and have been claiming Hitler Nazi gerrymandering crap. And the mainstream media has bought into it 100% and left out the fact that Democrats have been gerrymandering too, for a very long time. There's a whole bunch of exact. They ran to Illinois and better.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're better at it.

[Unnamed Contributor]

They're better have been better at it. The Democrats in Texas ran to Illinois, which is one of the most gerrymandered states in the entire country. That woman, that clip we had the other day, I should have had you grab it. Who called Trump a teemu Hitler, which is pretty clever. Um, she is in like the third most gerrymandered district in the entire country. Looks like a snake winding around through things to make sure she can stay in a safe seat anyway. Oh, and a woman from Governor Massachusetts said the other day, we are going to have to fight back. They're going to play dirty. We're going to have to play dirty. Massachusetts completely gerrymandered. They have no Republicans in the state whatsoever. So I don't know how you're going to fight back. There's nothing you can do.

[Jack Armstrong]

You've already maxed no Republican Congress People.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah. No Republican congress people even though they probably have. I didn't look it up. But probably at least a third of the people in the state are Republicans. You got no representation whatsoever because you gerrymandered. I didn't know this till I heard it on the dispatch. Once you get north of New York there are no Republican congressmen because every state is so gerrymandered. Not one north of New York with all those states going up toward the border, which is incredible. Texas was a Democratic state for 40 years. If you're old enough or no history to know before it flipped red back in the day. But it was a, it was a democratic state for 40 years and they gerrymandered the crap out of that state to have the maximum number of Democrats and as few Republicans as possible when they were in charge. But now that the Republicans are in charge them doing it. Now you're Hitler, now you're outrageous and.

[Jack Armstrong]

We'Re losing our democracy. Right.

[Unnamed Contributor]

But there was pretty interesting conversation that the history of this isn't all doesn't always turn out the way you hope it did. You get a short term game gain but you can end up with like a next cycle real disaster because you by definition weaken a lot of your districts. So you have a very, very solid say in this case if you're the Democrats gerrymandering, you have a very solid Democratic. You got a Democrat who's winning by 30 points in elections it's not even close. Well then you take chunks of that person's out to try to get more Democratic seats and all of a sudden you're plus 10 because you've had to, you know, mix it up a little bit, you're still gonna win. Well then you get one one of those wave elections where people are unhappy with the current power and you can get flipped upside down really fast. And historically there's lots of examples of that happening.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. That's interesting. Yeah. You borrow from your seat's safe enough, we're gonna borrow 15% of your voters. They need to help over there.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Pretty soon you get it down to where you're winning by eight instead of 30. And yeah, it doesn't take much of a wave for, for things to go south for you. And it's happened for both teams quite a few times. So that that's what California would be in danger of to get to squeeze out five more Democratic seats in California they're going to have to water down a whole bunch of, of Democratic House seats.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well and I'm not sure that's going to happen partly because I've just read this email from alert listener Mike Absolutely terrific note about the State of Cal Unicornia. The California assembly quietly posted a public comment page to their terrible redistricting idea they just cooked up. But there's there are no details. There are no maps which is like word for word against the California Constitution. Asking for public comment while not publishing the actual maps is unconstitutionally goes into the article of the Constitution. Specifically mandates public input processes that require maps and data to be publicly available. Has a specific timeline and notice requirements. California State Constitution prohibits the state from taking any redistricting action mid cycle that is not consistent with a clear timeline established by voters in an initiative in 2010 which passed state constitution prohibits the state legislature from being involved in any map creation or map adoption. Instead, the state vests this authority solely with the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, which is imperfect, but it's better than the legislators. And he goes into the chapter and verse of the Constitution and the law, every article, every item and sub item. It's incredibly well researched. In Article 21, Section 2, Item of the state constitution reads quotes district shall not be drawn for the purpose of favoring or discriminating against an incumbent political candidate or political party. And and he says if this is a Democratic Party power grabber, if you try to enact it, it will go badly for you. Badly in the courts. I don't think they're actually going to go very far down this road. I think Gavi is just Gavi Newsom is just desperate to establish his bona fides. Is the great fighting Democrat who's gonna take on the Timo Hitler Trump.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, yeah, and they understand that we have a Timu Hitler in the White House right now.

This story is off the front page for now and it might be off for good. And you'll never hear it about it again. Out of Gabby Newsome. It was just a great I'm the leader of this charge and it worked for him. It was pointed out by the political pros that it did give the Democrats something to talk about for like at least a week and maybe longer, depending on how things go. Where they didn't have anything to talk about that was, you know, that was a concern of Democrats. What have we got to run on? I mean, we're just getting killed everywhere and this kind of bailed out a lot of Democrats with something to talk about.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, they are kind of desperate. I mean, it was just yesterday I heard, I can't remember what the topic is. Is and it really doesn't matter. But some big name Democrat was saying, you're just doing that to distract from the Epstein mess. And I'm like, nobody's talking about that, right?

[Unnamed Contributor]

What are you.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are you talking about? Well, on the other hand, Jack, I saw quite the demonstration against the Texas redistricting. I wonder what percentage of those people were paid to be there. Inside the crowd rental industry, you've heard about this. You've wondered, is that true? Oh yeah, it's 100% true. Wow. I want to crowd.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I want to hear about this. So lots on the way. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unnamed Contributor]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Lowe's. Can someone help us catch the bird flying around in here? American Eagle.

[Joe Getty]

So we're gonna lay low for a bit.

[Jack Armstrong]

Baskin Robbins.

[Joe Getty]

You'll find us inside a Dunkin, which is inside a Pizza Hut, which is inside of Nathan's designer shoe warehouse. One of these things is true. And it's not designer or shoe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boeing.

[Joe Getty]

We don't want to jinx it, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

It'S been a while since you know, right? Wow. Paramount plus Sears, you can watch. Wow. Wow. Now that was clever. The American Eagle one. Is that just the perception on the left? Oh, American Eagle got shamed. And man, I'll bet they're laying low now.

[Unnamed Contributor]

No, they're not. Not at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

Nobody bought that Sydney Sweeney is a eugenicist crap. We're laughing at it, Jimmy.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I like Lowe's. Could somebody help us catch this bird?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, but who is uttering those words? There are no employees. Yeah, I. Caramba. Anyway, I thought this was so interesting. Jack And I have joked about this both on and off the air for a very long time. You have a protest wherever, whatever topic. And number one, you have the news camera is pressed in close enough always to have the crowd fill the frame. And so whether it's a hundred people or forty or seven, they fill the frame so it looks like a significant protest. Okay, that's old hat. You probably know that already. Second thing I always like to point out is that, you know, you'll have people chanting on the steps of say, the, the capital of California, not far from the Radio Ranch, demanding that Gavin Newsom let boys compete in girls sports. Right. And I like to compare the size of those crowds to the size of the crowd at your local Little league game last night. It's usually pretty similar standing around watching 13 year olds run around bases. That number of people was there at an individual Little league game. So why am I seeing this? Exactly. And now this third factor. And boy, the left does love to demonstrate and chant in March especially and show the right doesn't do it, but.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And show me their toes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Dirty footed hippies. Anyway, this is so interesting. This, this sort of thing used to just exist in the shadows, I guess, and I had heard about it and was intrigued by it, but a couple of times I brought it up and people have acted like I'm nuts. That is rent a crowds. But the CEO of the biggest rent a crowd company in Washington D.C. which is the national capital of Rent A Crowds. I mean, this guy's important in the industry. Adam Schwartz is a CEO of Crowds on Demand and he did an interview with Alexandria Hoff of Fox Digital QD and said, yeah, right now inquiries in D.C. are up roughly 400% compared to the same period last year since Trump announced he was going to take over policing in D.C. but so how does this work?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Are you, you give your email address, phone number to somebody and then they text you and say, hey, Saturday at 4 o', clock, we need you to be at the, you know, down with Trump rally or the, up with this rally or whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And the payment is $23 an hour. Right. We need you there for two hours, man.

[Unnamed Contributor]

It's a certain kind of person. I mean, what, how much would you have to get paid before you would show? Drive over there, wait, get in line, grab a sign, stand there for two hours. It'd be a lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah, but are you asking current me or 23 year old me? 23 year old me would be like, I didn't have anything going anyway. Yeah, I'll chant whatever the hell you want for 50 bucks on a Saturday afternoon. So, anyway, yeah, giant skyrocket in demand. He told Ms. Hoff the company always sees a spike in requests during what Mr. Schwartz calls, quote, high stakes political moments. Quote, a large share are focused. Oh, then he goes into a screed about how, you know, people are worried about government overreach. On the other hand, there's. There's crime in D.C. blah, blah, blah. I don't need your analysis, sir. But he said the vast majority of people at political or advocacy events in D.C. are in some way paid.

[Unnamed Contributor]

The vast majority, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Picture, please.

[Jack Armstrong]

When the Supreme Court is in session and you see 30 people chanting on the steps of the Supreme Court wearing their beautifully prepared, obviously professional placards. Yeah. Well, man's right. Hands off my body.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Woman's, et cetera, et cetera. He said, quote, most people don't know this, but many protesters are literally on the payroll. Capitol Hill staffers from both parties are expected to show up at rallies and protests on their own time. It's part of the job. So, yes, most attendees are being paid or are there because it's part of their job. That doesn't mean they don't support the cause.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

But it does mean that these crowds aren't as organic as they appear on tv.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, yeah, but the point news coverage of a protest is to. Is to tell you, look, how many people are so passionately moved by this issue that they took time out of their lives to travel here. Blah, blah, blah. If all that last part is fake, took time out of their lives to drive here because they're so passionate. But if that's all fake, well then, yeah, that's a non story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, right. The unspoken part has always been part of the message they're sending by showing you that protest. These are average American citizens who are really fired up. If they're this fired up, maybe you should pay attention. Be fired up, too. Not. Oh, a bunch of Capitol Hill staffers and paid people who didn't know what they were protesting till they showed up are now chanting badly. Semi in unison. Oh, my.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Exactly. So here's a whole bunch of young people who needed beer money for a Friday night who showed up with their placards handed to them. They don't even know what the protests about.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right.

[Unnamed Contributor]

That's. That's very, very interesting. That should be reported on more often.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know. Well, the mainstream media is never going to do it because the chanting crowd. What is it with chanting among you lefties? And rhymes if you can make it rhyme. Do you think that actually like moves hearts and minds and votes? What if you just like laid it out prose style? I'm just curious. I'm seriously curious.

[Unnamed Contributor]

No more chanting. No more chanting. What do we want? Are you a time machine? When do we want it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Irrelevant? Or, or are you yourself convinced by rhyming?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Do you find it so alluring, such a fish hook that you set in your upper lip that you just can't resist it?

[Unnamed Contributor]

I don't get it. We got a lot more on the way. If you missed a segment at the podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

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[Jack Armstrong]

The spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry saying once again that for them, this upcoming summit is not only going to be about the conflict in Ukraine, but about other issues as well. Accumulated issues, as the Russians have said. They're saying that they also want to talk about a reset of U.S. russian relations and possible better business relations in the future. So for them they think that the agenda could be broader. He also said that the Russian territory, as he put it, is enshrined in Russia's constitution, which seems to pour cold water on some of the things that President Trump has said about territory possibly being swapped.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Okay, so that's the Russian point of view, that this is going to be about more than Russia, Ukraine. Is Trump have that mindset or is he gonna walk in there with a no, no, no, no, none of that other stuff. We're gonna have a ceasefire. Are you in? Are you willing to have a ceasefire or not?

[Jack Armstrong]

And then as I've Been reporting all week. Yeah, they are trying to make it part of a grand agreement.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, do you think Trump will say we can talk about that after you agree to the ceasefire or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I suspect he will, judging by his rhetoric lately. Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

So this is.

[Jack Armstrong]

He will also, though, I suspect be pretty intrigued by the idea.

[Unnamed Contributor]

This is confirmed now, Wall Street Journal and others. There will be a press conference, Trump and Putin standing side by side, taking questions from the media. After this meeting tomorrow. I can't imagine what that's going to look like. Has that ever happened? Can I think of an attack?

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, because like at the early stages of negotiation during a bloody armed conflict.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Not even that. Putin is one of the worst people on the planet. He's bombing schools and hospitals. A press conference where he stands there next to the President, United States as like an equal, and takes questions from the press. I'm trying to think of an example of this.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I can't.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I can't either. That's wild. So they're good. They're going to meet one on one. I assume they'll have translators, but that's what it just says here, a one on one meeting in the Wall Street Journal. Now remember, Putin and Zelensky met completely alone there in the Vatican when they had the Pope funeral. Zelensky speaks English though. Putin doesn't. Does Putin speak English? I don't remember.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just a tiny bit.

[Unnamed Contributor]

So there have to be translators. But anyway, so they're gonna meet one on one. Then there's gonna be some sort of lunch with delegations from both sides. And then as soon as that lunch is over, Putin and Trump taking questions from the media and I. God, this has an opportunity to be some history making stuff, depending on who says what and how Trump reacts to it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Right, yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

God, I'm going to try to be. I don't know what time of day that's going to happen. I'm going to try to be wherever I can to watch that. 12:30, 3:30 Eastern Time. 3:30 Eastern Time for what?

[Jack Armstrong]

For the meeting, supposedly.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Yeah, the meeting. But who knows how long the meeting is going to be. Is it going to be an hour or three hours? And then they've got the lunch, which.

[Jack Armstrong]

Two minutes, like Trump has said many times.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Right. And then they got the lunch afterwards, which might be an hour or three hours. So. But that's good news, Michael. That gives me at least a range for paying attention to it. There'll be people reporting out of there like crazy as soon as they can. Want to get this on Heard this yesterday. This is from the, reporting from the London Telegraph and some of the reporters who are very pro Ukraine, but seem to be incredibly fair reporters as they, they will often point out downsides to Ukraine or when, when Russia seems to be winning and that sort of thing. Zelinsky is still mostly popular. He took a dip there when the, they announced that the government was going to take, he was going to take control of the whole rooting out corruption thing and there were protests in the street. But then he said, no, no, no, no, okay, we won't do that. And, and, and then so, so his popularity seems to be okay. Amazingly, though, population doesn't believe in like, any of the government or anything like that. Any of their institutions other than Zelensky, really. They believe in Zelensky in the military, everything else, not at all. Partially because they're snatching people on the off the streets now, the recruiters. And you're in the army now. I'm what? They're in Ukraine because they're so desperate for people. 75% don't trust the draft offices. That's how upside down they are. While they've got 90% trust for the military, not distinguishing that they're basically the same thing. The draft offices are obviously part of the whole military establishment, but 90% trust in the military. 75% don't trust the draft offices. But Zelensky somehow is a wartime leader or his personality or whatever continues to stay high, but that's something to keep an eye on, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I mean, that's obviously a troubling thing, but, you know, it's not like the draft or conscription is a new phenomenon in human affairs.

[Unnamed Contributor]

No, but apparently there are videos making their way around Ukraine of like young men turning in a corner and there's some people coming to get them from the draft office and they go running down the street and they're chased down. I mean, that sort of thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. Yeah, I'd say, wow, you're in the army now. Learn dire strings. Yeah, I would say. All right, complete transition to a couple of domestic matters. First of all, I'm gonna flesh this out next hour. If you don't get next hour, grab it via podcast, maybe even subscribe or follow Armstrong YETI on demand, wherever you like to get podcasts. But it is fleshing out a lawsuit that was quietly settled in Washington, D.C. the same day Trump said, you know what? We're going to get the National Guard out in Washington, D.C. to get the streets safer. Well, a cop sued the department saying they have been Systematically ordering their underlings to the. The brass has to under report crime. And when you get into the specifics of it, I mean it is as crystal clear as a thing can be how deceptive it was. But anyway, we will flesh that out next hour. Wanted to get this on just because it's becoming a big story. We haven't even touched on it yet. And I hope this, you know, gets the attention raises the eyebrows of people in places blue states like Calico, California or Massachusetts and there are a handful of others, Illinois, where they either have passed or trying to pass these laws that say the teacher and the administrators, the counselors, if little Jimmy wants to be called Jenny, we don't have to tell the parents that would in fact we have to keep it secret to protect the child from abuse or whatever. Just the wedge between the state and the family. Not to go off on too long a tangent but an in an idea was introduced. I think I was 18, 19 years old. I was sitting in a classroom at the University of Illinois and one of my philosophy professors or somebody, some chick I can picture but I can't remember what class it was just casually mentioned that of course the nuclear family is a structure of oppression and that kids and society would be much better off if the state were raising the children.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And like nobody raised their hand and said excuse me, what? Now.

[Jack Armstrong]

My recollection is somewhat fuzzy of the day other than that statement but I was like this chick's a lunatic.

[Unnamed Contributor]

That's such a crazy thing to say or believe.

[Jack Armstrong]

She was a Marxist. I didn't realize it at the time, but she was a Marxist. So anyway the, the idea of no, no, no, no, no, the parents won't. Don't need to worry about this. This, the school will take care of this for you. That is absolutely from the Marxist playbook of dismantling the nuclear family because that's one of the institutions that is that supersedes the state and nothing can supersede the state. Anyway, having said that Virginia school officials arranged and paid for multiple students abortions without parental consent according to a report that's just come out. This is the infamous woke Fairfax County, Virginia that I'm pretty familiar with. One of my kids went to school right there. College. Two former Fairfax county high school Virginia high school students have come forward saying that school officials arranged and funded their abortions without informing their parents. And these students have provided letters, audio recordings and additional documents showing that staff arranged and paid for the abortions. One when she was five months pregnant without notifying parents of direct violation of Virginia's parental notification statute, wrote a journalist. One of the girls said her abortion took place in 2021 when she was only 17, while the other one was five months pregnant and pleading to keep her baby. It includes a handwritten statement for the first student about how school social worker Carolina Diaz scheduled the student's appointment at the Fairfax healthcare center and paid the abortion fee. Diaz also allegedly told the second student that she had no other choice than to get an abortion. And again, these two former high school students are out with their names on the dotted line saying, this happened to me and I can prove it. And a final quote, this is not an abortion debate. It's state sponsored child coercion and a flashing red siren for parental rights. Fairfax County's bureaucrats skipped cops, judges and moms and dads to push terrified teens through a clinic door. And every official who signed off must face a criminal probe. And that same thing happens when little Johnny wants to be called Jenny or vice versa, and it's for a reason. They don't want you involved.

[Unnamed Contributor]

That's horrifying.

[Jack Armstrong]

On a more positive note, and I remember it was probably six months ago, I brought to your attention an opinion piece about what Trump had to do. In fact, it might have been during the transition, come to think of it, what Trump in the administration had to do to act, actually end woke or, you know, push neo Marxism backward. And one of the main facets of it, education was one, but the other one was they've we've got to get a hold of our, our museums.

[Unnamed Contributor]

So, so annoying. It's so annoying. I've been a lot of museums the last couple of years with my kids. So damn annoying. Good lord. I want to read about, you know, this dinosaur or this historical artifact or whatever it is, and they always got to throw in climate change or male oppression or white supremacy or something every single time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I guess Britain's terrible too, on that. But anyway. The White House has announced a comprehensive review of the Smithsonian exhibitions. The New York Times of course, is aghast by this, but they said they would begin a wide ranging review of current and planned exhibitions at the Smithsonian, scouring wall texts, websites and social media quote to assess tone, historical framing and alignment with American ideals.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Or just leave it. Just tell me when the Tyrannosaurus lived, what it ate, how tall it was. You don't need to work in climate change or something like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's a particularly egregious example. But a lot of it is socio political, which climate change is I guess. But a lot of it, like at the American History Museum or a handful of others, is directly designed to counter and defeat the traditional telling of the American story and supplant it with Howard Zinn Marxism stuff. Excuse me, it's incredibly egregious. At the history museums, the White House said its review quote, aims to ensure alignment with the President's directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions. It adds that the goal is not to interfere with the day to day operations of curators or staff, but rather to support a broad vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting and inclusive portrayals of Americans. America's heritage.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, it'll be a lot of debate.

[Jack Armstrong]

Over that, which of course is being portrayed in the exact same way of I'm going to put some porn in the schools and then you come along and say I don't think there ought to be porn in the schools. You need to take that out. You're a book banner and a book burner and a fascist. It's forbidden Books week. Read some porn. Anyway, the left, the left, which put all of this post modern Marxist rhetoric in all the museums, is now saying, oh this is terrible. We've been doing a great job. This is a fascism, blah blah blah. No, this is a great, great effort and I support them a hundred percent.

[Unnamed Contributor]

So coming up, what your reaction to Taylor Swift being on the Kelsey Brothers podcast says about your personality, which I just made up in my own head. We'll play a little bit of that and discuss it among other things. Stay here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unnamed Contributor]

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Drumroll.

[Jack Armstrong]

Last track, track 12, the title track.

[Unnamed Contributor]

The Life of a showgirl feature featuring Sabrina Carpenter.

That's a lot of exuberation from a couple of NFL football players. With Taylor Swift on the podcast of the Kelsey brothers, announcing track by track, I guess, what her new album is and who's on who else is playing on each track. She also announced this, which she is very excited about.

[Jack Armstrong]

She was like, you got. You got your music. And I just, like, very dramatically hit the floor for real. Like, honestly just started bawling my eyes out, and I'm just, like, just. Just weeping.

[Unnamed Contributor]

She. She got her albums back, so with all kinds of disputes over copyrights and who owns what and everything like that. She didn't own her, like, what, first six albums of her life anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

Getting ripped off like a lot of creative artists do. And she bought them back, finally made a deal. Yeah.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Somehow she got them back. And she talked about how she cried and Travis cried.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I. So I saw chunks of this, and I just think it's interesting, the phenomenon on needing to hate on various things. Like, I try not to like things just because they're popular or hate things just because they're popular. I try to just either like it or not like it based on whether I like it or not like it, which seems like a better way to go. But I know there's. There's. There's a chunk of people that gotta hate on Taylor Swift and the whole Travis Kelsey thing. And I list up part of that, and I thought, okay, they seem like a young couple, like, in love, and the two brothers seem like they're really good friends. And, you know, it's not my cup of tea to listen to the. The topic matter, but it doesn't make me angry or. I don't need to hate it. I just.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm just not gonna listen to it. Well, you're better than all of us, Saint Jack. Congrat. People are sick of hearing about it, which then kind of leeches over into it. Seems like they hate. They're probably indifferent to Taylor Swift. They. They hate the hype. They hate the game. Not the player, man.

[Unnamed Contributor]

To quote Taylor Swift.

[Jack Armstrong]

Way to quote.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Way to quote Taylor Swift as you take her down. That's very clever.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm quoting popular culture, I think. Anyway, if I did, it was an accident, and I apologize for it, please.

[Unnamed Contributor]

I was pretty surprised at how into it the Kelsey brothers seem to be. I mean, Travis has to at least pretend he cares which crown molding they get for the living room because it's his girlfriend. But I'm surprised his brother was so into track by track what was on each song of the album.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I don't, I don't know. I can't speak for those lads.

[Unnamed Contributor]

That's funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think of them as grizzled veterans of the NFL, but they're both, what, in their 30s?

[Unnamed Contributor]

Well, there's also the and I try not to do this either because this is a real natural human emotion that I have to fight hard to want to hate them because they're really good looking, really rich and really happy. And if you're, you know, at that particular moment, none of those three that can rub you the wrong way just for all kinds of human emotion reasons, which is not healthy either either because they are very good looking, very rich and very happy with themselves.

[Jack Armstrong]

And everyone knows it.

[Unnamed Contributor]

And everyone knows it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Again, it's not, it's, I don't think it's the particulars as much as the hype that people the fact that it.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Makes the CBS Evening News.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, the fact that I have zero interest in the story and I've heard about it 12 times on my own show. That's the sort of thing people get.

[Unnamed Contributor]

A little worn out. Can you name and this, this makes your. Can you name a show? I don't care if it's about gardening. That hasn't mentioned this in the last two.

[Jack Armstrong]

My show, if I had my way.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Would have completely would have been a hypothetical. Would have been a black hole of Kelsey Trav, Taylor Swift stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's, it's fine. If the music makes you happy, listen to it. If it doesn't, don't. It's fine.

[Unnamed Contributor]

Our fort we. You do a fourth hour. We do. We do four hours.

[Jack Armstrong]

We do lots of things held against my will.

[Unnamed Contributor]

If you miss something, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. Armstrong and Getty iheart presents the Big.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iheart podcast.