Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Get That Pie Wagon Going!"

Release Date: November 17, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty tackle a range of hot-button political, technological, and cultural topics in their trademark sardonic style. Broadcasting the week before Thanksgiving, they focus on the prevailing sense of “bull crap” in current events, the circus around the pending release of the Epstein files, the unpredictable advance of AI, tariffs and economic policy, and increasingly bizarre aspects of American public discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The State of National Discourse: “Bull Crap” Rules the Day

• The hosts begin with a declaration that "bull crap" is the general manager of the week, reflecting their skepticism towards much of the political noise and media hype leading up to Thanksgiving.
  • Jack Armstrong: "I think two thirds to three quarters of everything I've heard so far today... has been bull crap. Especially if it's coming out of the mouths of politicians. Good Lord." (02:50)
• They bemoan the hyperbolic language dominating political conversation—where everyone is branded a “traitor,” and every controversy is the “biggest scandal ever.”
  • Joe Getty: “So that's the way we're gonna operate. If you don't agree with somebody, they're Hitler. If anything happens, it's the biggest scandal in U.S. history. If somebody does something that you don't think is in line with the party, they're a traitor to the country.” (11:49)

The Epstein Files and Political Grandstanding

• Discussion centers on the political posturing around the expected Congressional vote to release the Epstein files, highlighting Donald Trump’s abrupt support after initially resisting.
  • Joe Getty: "I think he jumped out in front of a parade that was leaving without him." (04:12)
• They mock Senator Chris Murphy’s bombastic performances (“the biggest corruption scandal in the history of the country”), pointing out the absurdity and media complicity in allowing such hyperbole to go unchecked. (11:02–12:15)
• Armstrong voices cynicism over the likely ongoing conspiracy chatter even after the files’ release:
  • Jack Armstrong: “Everything will come out and then the talk will begin of the hidden files and of the... Why was this redacted? It's because it was, I don't know, Laura Bush or something. It's just, it will be something because it's grist for the conspiracy meal...” (07:24)

AI Hype, Risks, and Societal Oddities

• The hosts pivot to AI's rapid development, noting two alarming stories: a Chinese cyberattack using Anthropic (“Claude”), and the New York Times’ coverage of humans forming intimate relationships with chatbots.
  • Joe Getty: "China...with the first ever using an AI company's own AI to try to attack other companies. They used Anthropic, which is Claude...to try to attack other companies..." (08:23)
  • Jack Armstrong: "I find the whole AI thing, relationship thing, incredibly fun to talk about. It's weird. I don't know where it's gonna take the gun." (09:26)
• The team exhibits both amusement and discomfort at reports of people attempting to “sex up” AI-powered phone systems:
  • Joe Getty: “20 of the people who call their front desk...try to have sex or to sex up...their AI chatbot. And people send flowers and cards...because of the dirty voice, because of the...pleasant voice of the AI chatbot.” (10:01)
  • Jack Armstrong: "Oh, good lord." (10:25)

Bananas, Coffee, Tariffs, and Economic Policy Irony

• They riff on Trump’s new policy of lifting tariffs on key consumer goods (coffee, bananas, beef) to combat price inflation, acknowledging this as an implicit admission that tariffs raise prices—something Trump has publicly denied.
  • Jack Armstrong: "Is that not a tacit confession that tariffs raise prices? Of course they do." (20:44, 33:05)
  • Joe Getty: "Well, they do. And removing those tariffs will lower those prices. So that settles that, I think." (33:11)
• Discussion of price decreases potentially lagging due to “sticky” pricing, and their trademark joke about companies waiting to see how much customers will tolerate:
  • Joe Getty: "Prices could come down quite slowly. As in when it comes to...Prices...Going up, they take the elevator up and the stairs down, I guess is an economic truism." (33:32)

News Headlines with Katie Green (16:09–20:28)

• Quick-fire review of headlines, with focus on:
  • Trump’s U-turn on Epstein files and attack on Marjorie Taylor Greene.
  • The US possibly opening talks with Venezuela’s Maduro, while ramping up military pressure (25:54).
  • Massachusetts appoints a trans woman to its Women’s Commission, prompting Armstrong and Getty’s culture war commentary (17:09–17:34).
  • Wall Street’s “AI spending frenzy,” NBA investigating gambling via player cellphones, and a Yellowstone wolf pack incident.
  • “Saying ‘um’ more frequently may signal cognitive decline”—launching them into a funny, genuine discussion about aging and memory (19:08–20:21).
  • Jack Armstrong: "Flipping through the files, I know it's here somewhere." (20:21)

Absurdity in Politics: Personal Attacks & Media Spectacle

• The hosts discuss a personal attack Trump launched at Congressman Thomas Massie, mocking the congressman’s recent remarriage after the death of his wife—a moment Armstrong finds deeply inappropriate and indicative of the coarsening of the political arena.
  • Joe Getty: “Trump goes after his marriage...his wife just died a year ago. Anyway. Wow." (24:08)
  • Jack Armstrong: “Don’t unleash stuff on me like that out of nowhere. I don’t… Oh, good lord.” (24:42)

Geopolitics: U.S., Venezuela, & American Influence in the Americas

• Consideration of U.S. strategy towards Venezuela’s drug-running regime, theorizing that Trump may be laying the groundwork for a regime change or hard-nosed negotiation (25:54–27:11).
• Broader comment that the U.S. neglects its own hemisphere, missing opportunities to strengthen ties in the Americas via trade and policy—especially vis-à-vis free-market successes in Chile and Argentina (28:53–30:27).

Mailbag and Listener Correspondence

• Fun segment including:
  • Jokes about AI grandmas, the coming rise of AI-empowered individuals, and the sometimes dystopian potential of these technologies (39:44–41:56).
  • Paul’s philosophical question: Will AI accelerate humanity’s destructive instincts, or lead to a leap forward? Armstrong is skeptical: Joe Getty: "I believe it's the latter there, dude." (41:47)
• Quote of the Day (Ernest Hemingway, on inflation and war as 'panaceas' for mismanaged nations) launches a nuanced reflection on the relationship between national crises and profiteering (35:33).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joe Getty (on political hyperbole): "If you don't agree with somebody, they're Hitler...If anything happens, it's the biggest scandal in U.S. history." (11:49)
• Jack Armstrong (on conspiracy culture): "This stuff barely needs any grist for the mill. It just needs, like, the idea of there once was some grist and you shove that into the mill." (07:24)
• Joe Getty (on AI voice assistants): "I know it's amazing. So anyway, we got lots to talk about. Let's start the show officially before we get in trouble." (10:28)
• Katie Green (joke): "Last night, a local man was hit by a violin, then a clarinet and then a French horn. Police say it was an orchestrated attack." (15:45)
• Jack Armstrong (on cognitive decline): "You're in the midst of saying something...that word has disappeared. The place or the name of the movie or whatever. So I'm just gonna add in some phrases and keep talking because I think it's gonna come back..." (19:58)
• Joe Getty (on pricing): "When it comes to...Prices...Going up, they take the elevator up and the stairs down, I guess is an economic truism." (33:32)
• Jack Armstrong (on AI relationships): "See, I find it sickening and depressing, but, you know, that's just me. I woke up sick and depressed." (09:26)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 02:26 – Show proper begins: “Bull crap” as the week’s theme
• 03:35 – Reflection on health care debate rhetoric
• 04:11–07:24 – The Epstein files, Trump's political maneuvering, conspiracy culture
• 08:23–10:28 – News on AI (Chinese hack, AI relationships), societal impacts
• 10:48–12:48 – Extremes of political hyperbole; commentary on Senator Chris Murphy
• 15:45 – Katie Green delivers the “orchestrated attack” joke
• 16:09–20:28 – Katie's news headlines: Trump/Epstein, Venezuela, Massachusetts commission, NBA gambling, aging and cognitive decline
• 20:44–21:58 – Tariffs, economic implications, price fixing discussion
• 24:08–24:42 – Trump’s attack on Massie’s remarriage, political rhetoric
• 25:54–27:52 – U.S. strategy in Venezuela and regional geopolitics
• 28:53–31:09 – Latin American economics, pro-market shift
• 35:33–36:33 – Hemingway quote of the day, war and inflation
• 39:44–41:56 – Mailbag: AI, aging, the future (humorous and philosophical exchanges)

Tone & Style

• The episode mixes exasperation, cynicism, and humor, with both hosts using sharp wit and frequent self-deprecation. The conversation is energetic and discursive, with an occasionally bleak yet playful view of politics and society.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Stands Out

• Offers a sharp, irreverent take on political events surrounding the Epstein files and public rhetoric.
• Engages with the rapidly changing world of AI, both its risks and its social oddities.
• Slices through economic claims and political stunts, all with an eye for hypocrisy and absurdity.
• Packs in plenty of laughs, memorable quotes, and conversational chemistry, making it a must-listen for those seeking both insight and entertainment.

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