Armstrong & Getty On Demand – “Dress Like A Man You Preee-vert!”
Date: April 23, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Guest: Lanhee Chen (Hoover Institution, Stanford University)
Overview
This episode pivots around several core themes:
- Government bailouts and intervention in private industry, focusing on the proposed Spirit Airlines bailout
- Controversies around the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) reauthorization
- California political landscape and reflections on candidacies
- Rising media bias and questionable media practices
- Technology advancements in AI (robots in table tennis)
- Turmoil and strategic maneuvering in U.S.-Iran relations
- Shifts in campus culture, with a deep dive into student funding for identity-based groups at Stanford
- Broader trends such as the decline of reading and the transformation of university environments.
Throughout the episode, Armstrong, Getty, and guest Lanhee Chen mix insight, sharp commentary, and their signature irreverent, sometimes sardonic humor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Spirit Airlines Bailout – Government Ownership
[02:44 – 06:44]
- News breaks that the Trump administration is considering a $500 million bailout for Spirit Airlines, potentially giving the government warrants for up to 90% ownership.
- Joe Getty: “So we taxpayers are going to run a sucky airline better than the professionals could on their own and turn it profitable somehow.” (03:14)
- Conservative senators (Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton) are vocally opposed.
- Lanhee Chen: (Stanford, Hoover) is deeply critical of the idea.
- “I'm not sure that the government is well equipped to run an airline...it's not a good idea for the federal government in particular to muck around in owning private companies.” (04:05)
- Compares the proposal to China’s "golden shares": “That is the hallmark of a control command economy. And that's not what we have in the United States.” (04:29)
- Stresses government ownership is fundamentally economically unsound, regardless of which industry or company is involved.
- Hosts ponder the constitutionality of the plan but Chen focuses on economic rationale over legal analysis.
- Lanhee Chen: “From an economic policy perspective, it is not a good idea.” (06:44)
2. FISA Reauthorization – Civil Liberties vs. Security
[06:44 – 09:44]
- The hosts and Lanhee Chen discuss the renewal debate of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), especially Section 702 concerning tech provider cooperation.
- The law’s initial intent was counter-terrorism, but abuse and overreach are concerns.
- Chen:
- “One of the most controversial things is whether the government can compel tech providers...to turn over communications data of foreigners...who they believe have information related to terrorism or other national security threats.” (07:20)
- “There is a lot of controversy over whether the law should be extended or whether it should be reformed.” (08:00)
- He supports tight reforms, especially around warrants, but insists “FISA is an important law. I do want to see it reauthorized...” (08:45)
- Stresses absolute clarity about protecting Americans from undue surveillance.
3. California Politics & Chen’s Reflections
[09:57 – 14:16]
- Joe and Jack praise Lanhee Chen for his 2022 run, where he garnered more GOP votes in California than DeSantis did in Florida.
- Disillusionment with the Democratic field, specifically poking fun at Javier Becerra grading Gavin Newsom an “A” on homelessness.
- Jack Armstrong: “Is there any context anywhere where we give people grades for effort? And by the way, he doesn’t even get an A for effort…” (11:49)
- The field is described as "unserious," with Joe noting Eric Swalwell “was the leading light in that crowd.” (12:16)
- Chen alludes to suspicion around timing of Swalwell’s "downfall," jesting about the machinations of California politics. (14:09)
4. China & The Upcoming Trump–Xi Summit
[14:17 – 15:40]
- Lanhee Chen:
- “There’s no more important relationship the US has than with China.”
- Notes China’s economic troubles and questions what the US might give up in exchange for a deal. (14:25)
- Frames the summit as “a really, really significant and seminal event in world politics.” (15:31)
- Hosts pledge to revisit post-summit.
5. AI Progress—Robot Table Tennis
[19:20 – 21:47]
- Discussion of Sony’s robot "Ace" defeating top table tennis players.
- Emphasizes the transition from pure programming to reinforcement learning, i.e., the robot learning by experience, not instruction.
- Jack:
- “[The robot] learned through simulation and reinforcement learning rather than being hand programmed for every move…It was learning on its own how to react to various shots. This worked when I did this; it didn’t work when I did that. So next time I will adjust…” (20:18)
- Joe notes this means it could be deployed in countless scenarios — battlefield, warehouses, etc., raising questions about future AI capabilities.
6. Updates on Iran – Tanker Clashes & US Strategy
[26:38 – 30:37]
- Coverage of Iran’s publicized seizures of international cargo ships, with staged video reels for propaganda.
- US responded by seizing Iranian oil shipments globally.
- Joe Getty:
- Critiques media (WSJ) for framing as a “crippling limbo between war and peace” instead of a clear, escalating US strategy to economically strangle Iran. (29:13-30:03)
- Armstrong sums up: “One combatant lives in a grocery store and the other is down to its last box of crackers. It’s not a standoff at all.” (30:03)
7. Media Bias & The NYT Bestseller List
[31:03 – 33:43]
- “Ridiculously blatant media bias of the day” segment:
- Exposes Ad Fontes Media, which advises colleges on media trustworthiness, but rates left-wing sources as “more reliable” and employs staff with ties to Iranian state media.
- The NYT adds Gavin Newsom’s memoir to its bestsellers list despite bulk sales—something it docked Republicans like Ted Cruz for.
- Joe: “But when the Democrats do it, no, it’s just people’s legitimate interest in Gavin Newsman.” (33:23)
8. The Death of Reading
[36:20 – 37:41]
- Jack laments long-form literacy’s decline, suggesting the era of books is a “blip” in human history likely to fade in coming decades.
- “It really does seem…that the literacy age in terms of…reading books is just gonna go away.” (36:20)
- Both discuss personal journeys with reading; Jack discovered it late, regrets its waning popularity.
9. Stanford Student Funding – Priorities in Campus Culture
[41:15 – 46:34]
- Stanford gives five times more to its campus drag troupe ($50,000) than to the undergraduate veterans association ($10,000); also, more funding for furries than for the Republican club.
- Noteworthy recipients include a $175k grant for the Muslim Student Union.
- Joe Getty: “Furries got more than the Stanford Republican [Club].” (43:39)
- Armstrong questions, “What ARE they getting money to do?” as the drag group mostly hosts performances and a Drag Fest for “drag and queerness.” (43:31-44:34)
- Raises concerns about double standards, frivolous grants, and whether campus funding reflects real priorities.
- Name of the episode gets mentioned:
- Joe Getty: “Dress like a man, you preevert.” (46:31)
Notable Quotes
| Time | Speaker | Quote |
|----------|--------------|-------|
| 04:05 | Lanhee Chen | "I'm not sure that the government is well equipped to run an airline…it's not a good idea for the federal government in particular to muck around in owning private companies." |
| 11:49 | Armstrong | "His answer on homelessness was, you know, I give him an A for effort. And I thought to myself, is there any context anywhere where we give people grades for effort?" |
| 14:25 | Lanhee Chen | "There's no more important relationship the US has than with China. I mean that from the perspective of global stability, but also an economic perspective as well." |
| 20:18 | Jack | "[The robot] learned through simulation and reinforcement learning rather than being hand programmed for every move…It was learning on its own how to react to various shots." |
| 30:03 | Joe Getty | "One combatant lives in a grocery store and the other is down to its last box of crackers. It’s not a standoff at all." |
| 33:23 | Joe Getty | "But when the Democrats do it, no, it’s just people’s legitimate interest in Gavin Newsman." |
| 36:20 | Jack | "It really does seem…that the literacy age in terms of…reading books is just gonna go away." |
| 43:39 | Joe Getty | "Furries got more than the Stanford Republican." |
| 46:31 | Joe Getty | "Dress like a man, you preevert." |
Memorable Moments
- Multiple jabs at California’s “machine politics,” the unseriousness of the political field, and Newsom’s homelessness crisis grade.
- Joe Getty’s mock solution for retirement: haunting bookstores and berating buyers of dumb books. (34:15)
- The hosts’ exasperation over the bizarre logic—and funding priorities—at institutions like Stanford.
Important Timestamps
| Time | Topic |
|-----------|----------------------------------------------------|
| 02:44 | Spirit Airlines bailout controversy begins |
| 06:44 | FISA law explanation and debate |
| 09:57 | Lanhee Chen on his California candidacy |
| 14:17 | Trump–Xi summit and US-China relations |
| 19:20 | Robot "Ace" beats human table tennis champions |
| 26:38 | Update on Iran's maritime and missile posturing |
| 31:03 | Media bias: Ad Fontes and NYT bestseller list |
| 36:20 | Societal decline in reading |
| 41:15 | Stanford funding for campus drag troupe, veterans, etc. |
| 46:31 | “Dress like a man, you preevert!” |
Tone & Style
Armstrong & Getty keep the discussion irreverent, skeptical, and briskly paced, mixing earnest policy critique with satirical asides and deadpan comedic exchanges. Their outsider take on establishment politics, bureaucracy, and cultural trends defines the episode’s tone.
For an episode that jumps effortlessly from government bailouts to the future of reading, with pit stops at campus drag, Iranian strategy, and robot ping pong, this A&G outing is classic: wry, sharp, and in tune with America’s absurdities.
