Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Everyday Is National Cookie Day"

Date: November 19, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Producer/Contributors: Katie Greener, Michelangelo Michael

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode focuses on several topical issues:

• The political fallout and implications of the forthcoming disclosure of the Epstein investigation files.
• Media and public reactions to presidential disclosure battles.
• Broader cultural and generational trends, including "Trump Derangement Syndrome," Gen Alpha behaviors, and the intersection of capitalism/socialism.
• Commentary on recent news, social quirks, and life lessons.

The tone is lively, irreverent, and conversational, typical of Armstrong & Getty, combining sharp political critique with humor and cultural observations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Epstein Files Disclosure & Political Fallout

• Breaking News: The Senate passed a bill requiring disclosure of Epstein investigation materials; it's headed to the President's desk.

  • "It is the most bipartisan, fastest piece of legislation...outside of a declaration of like National Cookie Day." (Jack, 04:41).

• Real-time Epstein influence:
  Discussed a Washington Post report revealing House Democrat Stacy Plaskett was texting with Jeffrey Epstein during the Michael Cohen hearings, taking real-time advice to question Trump’s finances.

  • "...using Epstein as a 'How do we badmouth Trump' source in real-time." (Joe, 02:23).

• Discussion on Trump's alleged involvement:

  • Hosts highlighted that, despite conspiracies, no direct evidence connects Trump to Epstein’s sex crimes; not one accuser or corroborating document has surfaced.
  • "Not one [victim] has come forward and said, yeah, I had sex with Trump." (Jack, 04:08).

• Media bias narrative:
  The hosts claim that while Epstein had ties across the political spectrum, mainstream coverage skews the scandal as a Republican or Trump-centric issue.

  • "He was a big player in New York and New York's almost entirely Democrats." (Jack, 03:21).

• Why presidents resist full disclosures:
  Referencing a Mark Halperin newsletter, they argue it's standard for presidents to resist wholesale release of investigative files for reasons ranging from civil liberties to preventing reputational harm.

  • "The reasons not to release the Justice Department materials would be familiar, even boring to most people. Presidents have always found virtue in withholding information." (Jack, 05:53).
  • Files may contain “innocent mentions” or falsehoods later disproven, and uncharged private citizens’ reputations could be shredded. (Joe, 06:27).

• Norms & the risk to privacy:
  Warning that this could set a dangerous precedent, making raw investigatory material fair game and amplifying due process concerns.

  • "If you start doing this, everybody's names, circumstances, quotes… reputations, civil liberties, livelihoods shredded for sport." (Jack, 07:06).

• Media’s selective coverage:

  • "It'll be substantially one-sided too. They will ignore stuff that doesn't fit the 'up with Democrats' narrative." (Joe, 07:39).

Notable Quotes

• “Endless hours are going to be spent dealing with the fallout rather than governing.” (Jack, 09:36)
• “This is the tempting case where you can rationalize why you ought to throw out all investigatory norms…” (Joe, 11:25)

2. Conspiracy Theories, Disclosure Fatigue & Historical Precedent

• Parallel to past disclosure battles:
  Discussed how every modern president resists releasing potentially damaging info for both real and political reasons. Examples: Obama’s birth certificate, Clinton’s Whitewater, Hillary’s emails, Bush’s missing Iraq memos, Reagan’s Iran-Contra.

• Public never satisfied:
  The constant hunger for scandal is unsatiable; even mass disclosure will only breed further suspicion.

  • “None of these people will ever be sated by any level of disclosure. The appetite for scandal is the one human hunger that grows with the eating.” (Jack, 09:26)

3. Culture of Guilt by Association

• Epstein’s social ties post-conviction:
  Reflection that many elites chose to associate with Epstein after his conviction, raising questions about their values.

  • “Finding out that so many of the rich and powerful are perfectly okay having sleazeball friends…” (Jack, 12:56)

• Dangers of character assassination:
  Cautioned about media and government using investigations as tools to ruin reputations without proof of wrongdoing.

  • “Show me the man and I'll show you the character assassination…” (Joe, 13:48)

4. “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and the Politics of Obsession

• Is it real?
  Read from a psychotherapist arguing that fixation on Trump causes anxiety/OCD-like symptoms in patients across the political spectrum.

  • “They can't stop thinking about Donald Trump even when they try. ...their distress is symptomatic, not ideological.” (Joe, 17:05)
  • “You can't like, enjoy your vacation because Trump is president.” (Jack, 18:00)

• Projection of anxieties:
  Trump as a psychological “screen” for unresolved fears/insecurities.

  • “Trump himself isn't the pathology, he's the trigger.” (Joe, 18:07)

5. Gen Alpha, Shared Experience & TikTok Culture

• Exploring Gen Alpha’s online vocabulary:
  Noted the rapid spread of online-generated slang and habits among today’s youth, in contrast to the fragmented experiences of previous generations.
  • “A shared experience which we just don’t have anymore…” (Jack, 19:12)

6. Capitalism vs. Socialism: Thiel’s Critique & Culture’s Role

• Peter Thiel’s argument:
  Capitalism isn’t “working” for young people, partly due to regulation and policies causing student debt and unaffordable housing.

  • “People assume everything still works, but objectively it doesn’t. If you proletarianize the young people, you shouldn’t be surprised they eventually become communists.” (Joe, 20:24)

• Debate over mixed systems:
  Blake Shoal’s point: inserting socialist elements into capitalism leads to blaming capitalism for problems created by socialism, and vice versa.

  • “If you insert enough socialist elements into a capitalist system, when the socialist elements inevitably cause problems, people will blame the capitalism and then turn socialist.” (Joe quoting Shoal, 21:26)

• Over-regulation:
  Regulations often serve to protect big players and crush competition.

  • “A lot of regulations are attempting to stifle competition. The big guys figure… we will quash any competition with regulations…” (Joe, 27:00)

7. Personal Choices, Culture & Socioeconomic Mobility

• Life outcomes & responsibility:
  Emphasized the role of personal choices—rarely acknowledged in contemporary debates about inequality.

  • “The idea that personal choices…aren’t listed as the king of the hill — they’re not discussed at all.” (Joe, 26:05)
  • “You're shaming people if you look at their choices; they're blaming the victim. Exactly.” (Jack/Joe, 26:15)

• Role of culture in economics:
  Quoted Thomas Sowell & Roland Fryer on how culture, not just discrimination, explains group differences in progress.

  • “Culture is a form of capital, an accumulation of habits and know-how that powerfully influences a group's project. Progress could not be truer.” (Joe, 29:59)

• Taboo around discussing cultural factors:
  The left, they argue, is unwilling to acknowledge the importance of productive habits.

  • “Punctuality as white supremacy and trying hard is white supremacy and exceptionalism… is white supremacy. Meritocracy, exactly.” (Joe, 29:50)

8. Humor, Oddities, and Personal Reflections

• Bill Ackman's “May I meet you?” dating advice:

  • “That opening line works if you look like him. Practically any opening line would work if you look like him.” (Jack, 34:13)

• Chris Rock's sexual attraction thesis:
  Noted comedy bit: the most desired guys in a friend group set the style for everyone else (Jack, 34:24).

• Art auctions and modern art reactions

  • Light ribbing of “early modern art” that actually “looks like art” (Jack, 35:07).

• Animal nicknames and scientific curiosity

  • “Raccoons are trash pandas... gators are murder logs and peacocks are disco chickens.” (Katie, 35:55)
  • Raccoons as the next domesticated species? (Joe, 36:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• Political manipulation:

  • "They were using the House Democrats were using Epstein as a ‘How do we badmouth Trump’ source in real time." (Joe, 02:23)

• On no direct Trump-Epstein scandal evidence:

  • "Not one [Epstein victim] has come forward and said, yeah, I had sex with Trump." (Jack, 04:08)

• On leaking Trump's taxes:

  • "Awful, awful crime. Nobody ever prosecuted for it. ...Anyway, Trump's taxes come out. There was nothing there." (Jack, 08:17)

• On appetite for scandal:

  • "The appetite for scandal is the one human hunger that grows with the eating." (Jack, 09:26)

• On modern disclosure norms:

  • "If you start doing this all the time... The collateral damage, reputations, civil liberties, livelihoods shredded for sport." (Jack, 07:06)

• Modern obsession & mental health:

  • "Patients describe sleepless nights, compulsive news checking, and physical agitation." (Joe, 17:05)
  • "You can't like, enjoy your vacation because Trump is president." (Jack, 18:00)

• On the role of personal choices:

  • "There are a number of different things that can affect your life in a material way... but the idea that personal choices... aren’t listed as the king of the hill." (Joe, 26:05)

• On the importance of culture:

  • "Groups that develop productivity enhancing traits such as skills, an orientation toward education and work and thriftiness tend to advance." (Joe, 29:59)

• On overregulation and competition:

  • "A lot of regulations are attempting to stifle competition. The big guys... will quash any competition with regulations that sound like they're protecting the consumer..." (Joe, 27:00)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31]- [07:39] – Epstein/Plaskett texting, Trump’s involvement, Biden admin's disclosure, and the risks of file release.
• [09:23] – The public’s insatiable appetite for scandal.
• [14:50] – Caveats in mass release of investigatory files and historical perspective.
• [17:05] – Discussion of "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and obsessional political anxiety.
• [18:26] – Gen Alpha’s lingo and TikTok-fueled online subculture.
• [20:24] – Peter Thiel on capitalism's failure for youth and the socialism/capitalism mix-up.
• [25:15] – The importance of personal choices versus system/governmental factors.
• [27:00] – The hidden anti-competitive purpose of regulation.
• [29:50] – The (taboo) role of culture in economic outcomes.
• [34:13] – Bill Ackman’s dating advice, attractiveness bias.
• [35:55] – Fun nicknames for animals.
• [36:20] – Raccoons as potential future pets.

Final Thoughts & Reflections

• Life is about choices:

  • "If I made that choice, my life would be different. But I'm pretty happy with the way things worked out." (Michelangelo Michael, 35:41)

• 80% want Epstein files public:

  • "Latest poll, 80% of Americans wanted the Epstein files to come out… Lots of people agreed with that." (Jack, 36:09)

• Raccoons domesticated like dogs?:

  • "Raccoons are doing exactly what dogs did way back in the day." (Joe, 36:20)

The episode weaves between weighty political and social analysis and the show's trademark levity, making a case for skepticism about media narratives, caution in mass disclosure, and a return to basic personal and cultural values.