Glad Your Exes Had A Nice Nourishing Meal

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "Glad Your Exes Had A Nice Nourishing Meal"
Release Date: February 24, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty (with guests and contributors)

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into several current events and perennial issues, starting with a sharp critique of the modern State of the Union address and misconceptions about presidential power in America. The hosts then pivot to international stories, especially the death of notorious Mexican drug kingpin El Mencho and its fallout, before sprinkling in lighter moments, personal anecdotes, and odd voicemails. Throughout, Armstrong and Getty maintain their signature tone—irreverent, insightful, and occasionally off-color.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of the Union: Presidential Power & American Misconceptions

• Timestamps: 00:58–09:00

• The hosts and guest pundits rail against the performative nature of the State of the Union, comparing it to a royal coronation.

  • Mark Mars Quote: "Nearly a third think he [the president] controls gas prices and the unemployment rate... What do you expect when we have this big ballyhooed annual event that looks like the President's royal wedding to himself?" (01:00)

• Jack Armstrong: Bemoans the "king-walking-in" treatment given to the president, arguing that it misleads Americans about the actual structure of government.

  • “Congress is the most powerful entity in our government. But that’s not the way it’s portrayed in the State of the Union or in anything in the news.” (01:20)

• Joe Getty: Laments Congress's abdication of its constitutional role, further fueling presidential misconceptions.

• They reflect on the decline of congressional power and cite historical anecdotes (e.g., LBJ, Sam Rayburn) to illustrate how differently the branches once related.

• Joe Getty: Quotes Thomas Sowell’s idea that the electorate's demand for impossible promises creates dishonest politicians. (06:17)

• Modern expectations of the president are called “nuts”—Americans put “all your hopes and dreams in one human being,” which increases political contention.

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2. Pre-State of the Union Predictions

• Timestamps: 09:05–10:41

• The hosts guess President Trump’s State of the Union will be lengthy and probably focused on the economy rather than foreign policy (like Iran).

  • “Suspend most of the speech on that [the economy]. Oh, that’s right. Trump said yesterday the speech is going to be long and if he announces ahead of a time that it’s going to be long, I can’t imagine how long it’s going to be…” (09:09)

• Brief comic asides about Congress’s performative responses (e.g., “cane shakers,” disruptive protests).

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3. Lighter Segment: Hockey & Dental Work Analogies

• Timestamps: 10:44–12:54

• The group riffs on the entertaining names of hockey penalties, comparing the sport’s violence with mundane penalties in football.

  • “Hockey? Spearing, slashing… Hooking. I mean, those are penalties.” (11:03)

• Discussion turns to dental injuries in hockey and personal experiences with modern dentistry, with Armstrong joking, “I go to the dentist to relax these days.”

• Memorable moment: The segment causes Katie to exclaim, “That was the worst moment in a really long time.”

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4. Political Punditry: AOC & the Munich Security Conference

• Timestamps: 13:14–17:40

• Hosts play and react to AOC’s rambling response at an international security conference about China and Taiwan, critiquing her lack of preparation.

  • Jack Armstrong: “She looked like she’d never thought about it before in her life, which is…” (14:11)

• AOC’s late-night response is examined, with Mark Halperin suggesting every politician should have a phone breathalyzer before posting on social media.

• Halperin: Criticizes AOC for being naïve about media priorities:

  • “You are so naive that you shouldn’t even be a member of the House.” (17:20)

• Hosts question whether AOC has presidential potential and reflect on the nature of social media-driven politics.

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5. Big Story: El Mencho’s Death and Mexico’s Cartel War

• Timestamps: 17:56–28:54

• El Mencho, major cartel leader, killed in an operation abetted by US intelligence.

  • Local significance noted—San Francisco was once his base because of lax drugs laws:
    • “A city known for its lax attitude toward drug dealing had him on the street multiple times through the 90s.” (18:35)

• Aftermath: Cartel vengeance includes attacks against Mexican authorities (27 attacks, 25 Nat’l Guards killed).

• Analysis of why cartel wars erupt after a kingpin is eliminated.

  • “When there is a power vacuum in a Mexican cartel, generally lots and lots of severed heads follow.” (19:12)

• Comic/Crude Aside:

  • El Mencho was caught due to meeting a girlfriend—a lewd text is referenced.
  • Joe Getty: “That is not elegant.” (20:43)
  • The hosts reflect satirically on how “it is always the snatch” that brings down powerful men—“a tale as old as time.” (21:03–21:11)

• The conversation loops to the consequences: increased violence, the risk of cartel wars spilling into the US, and the irony that love/lust topples even the most ruthless.

  • Joe Getty: “This is not like a gang of 25 people. This is a giant sprawling corporation with an army and factories and scientists and salespeople…” (27:33)

  • Jack Armstrong: “Love, or a combination of love and lust, is just so incredibly powerful… Even with all of the women and cars and money and power… there still was somebody that got to him…” (28:19)

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6. Cartel Violence at the US-Mexico Border

• Timestamps: 29:52–31:14

• Cartel violence spills into border areas—cars torched in Tijuana, highways shut down, American tourists told to shelter in place.

• Discussion:

  • Cartels likely don’t want violence to hit the US, but it’s hard to control.

  • If chaos crosses into the US, America will be forced to respond.

  • Joe Getty: “You give away the rule of law, law and order, you will have to fight a war to get it back.” (31:04)

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7. Should the US Get Involved in Mexico’s Cartel Wars?

• Timestamps: 31:11–32:16

• Armstrong & Getty ask why the US wouldn’t intervene in Mexico if it did so in Venezuela, given the impact of cartel violence and drugs on the US.

• Getty notes that the US has only provided intelligence so far—no “boots on the ground.”

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8. Humor & Human Moments: Voicemail Fails & Bag Recovery

• Timestamps: 32:53–36:43

• Katie introduces a voicemail fail where an Equinox employee realizes mid-message she can’t undo her botched call.

  • Caller: “How do I delete this?… Please just give me some human amount of grace and if you never want to come in, I completely understand. Thank you.” (33:05)

• Armstrong recounts losing luggage over vacation and struggling with customer service’s Kafkaesque cycle. After two months, his bag is found—a rare win.

  • “They kept saying, ‘We don’t know where it is.’ How do you not know where it is? There’s a tracking number…” (35:03)

• Episode Title Reference:

  • Joe Getty: “Glad your exes had a nice nourishing meal and are no longer hungry, right?” (36:43)
    (A comedic, roundabout reference to FedEx returning Jack’s bag.)

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9. Upcoming Segments and Final Thoughts

• Timestamps: 36:43–37:11

• Brief notes on further topics: lawsuits over tariffs, Pentagon vs. AI companies, and a promise that more is to come ("…the fight between the AI Giants and the Pentagon next hour…").

• A plug for the show's podcast version.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Mark Mars, on the State of the Union:
  “Nothing has misled the American people to the warped belief that the President can act like a king more than this stupid bul. Performative after dinner speech from hell…” (02:35)

• Joe Getty, on US expectations of politicians:
  “It’s our fault that our politicians are such liars because when we demand that they promise the utterly undeliverable to elect them, what do you think they’re gonna do?” (06:17)

• Jack Armstrong, on El Mencho's downfall:
  “It has brought down many a great man… a country is burning down over a tale as old as time…” (20:48 & 21:03)

• Joe Getty, on criminal organizations:
  “You gotta remember that this is… a giant corporation with an army and factories and scientists and salespeople…” (27:33)

• Caller, voicemail fail:
  “Please just give me some human amount of grace and if you never want to come in, I completely understand.” (33:05)

• Joe Getty, episode title reference:
  “Glad your exes had a nice nourishing meal and it’s no longer hungry, right?” (36:43)

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Overall Tone & Takeaway

Armstrong & Getty's blend of political criticism, gallows humor, and candid personal stories provides a lively, unpredictable listen. From serious reflections on the American presidency’s inflated role, to the tragicomic saga of cartel violence, and humanizing tales of everyday screwups, this episode captures both the absurdity and gravity of current events—with laughter never far away.

Transcript

[Announcer]

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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.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Mark Mars]

It's no wonder that Americans think the President controls the price of eggs. Nearly a third think he controls gas prices and the unemployment rate. One in four thinks he has control over interest rates and consumer prices. What do you expect when we have this big ballyhooed annual event that looks like the President's royal wedding to himself?

[Jack Armstrong]

Mm. That's one of the things I've always hated about the State of the Union address is the treating it it like it's the king walking in who runs the country and how else would you interpret that if you don't pay close attention to, you know, your civics lessons? The people sitting down in the crowd much lower than him, they're the powerful people. Congress is the most powerful entity in our government. But that's not the way it's portrayed in the State of the Union address or in anything really in the news.

[Joe Getty]

Congress has helpfully gone along with that by not exercising their power lately.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Mark Halperin]

Too.

[Joe Getty]

Which is the subject of Gorsuch's quote, last hour that we featured. That was actually.

[Jack Armstrong]

I couldn't hate the State of the Union address more on so many different levels. And that part that Bill Maher came up, I actually forgot how much I hated that angle of it. The way he comes in now. The king of America. And then everybody cheers and then the king go save the king. Save the king. The king points to the queen and everybody stands and cheers as the queen stands up and looks regal. That's not what we're supposed to be at all.

[Joe Getty]

The clip we played was kind of the culmination of Mars Thoughts. Here's some more of it. It's very Jack Armstrong like.

[Mark Mars]

And finally, new rule. Since the State of the Union address is next Tuesday, let's get rid of the State of the Union address before Tuesday. And here's why nothing has misled the American people to the warped belief that the President can act like a king more than this stupid bul. Performative after dinner speech from hell where the sergeant at arms announces the President like he's a king.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, Mr. Speaker.

[Mark Mars]

The president of the United States. And he walks into the room like Conor McGregor heading into the octagon. With members of Congress lining the aisle like medieval peasants hoping to touch the royal garments.

[Joe Getty]

And then the point he makes next is straight out of Jack's screed, Michael, we can skip it that. Then he proceeds to tell the Congress what to do, which is not the way the system's supposed to work.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not at all. No.

[Joe Getty]

And listen, I realize this is like reciting the Alphabet and asking you to remember that D comes after C. No, Congress writes the laws, then the President enforces the laws Congress has passed. And if they need to, the judiciary gets involved and says no, that's not what Congress means. Who. What does it sound like to you? Which branch is in charge there?

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And Congress can remove a president. President can't do anything about even the lowest member of some tiny district in Montana. They just can't.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Well, let's have the squad get together with the old what's her name? Paulina Luna. And what's her name? The chick who mashes with guys in public. What is her. I wanted to say Lorena Bobbitt, but that's not right. Lauren Bobert. Lauren Boebert.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis. That's a completely different story from barbaric from like 30 years ago.

[Joe Getty]

Both of them fans of the Schwants, just in different ways. But yeah, let's. Unfortunately we have chuckle. Well, they both.

[Jack Armstrong]

They both held one in their hand. One in a theater in front of people, the other one not near the body of the person that had it.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly some similarities, but the plots diverged there toward the beginning of the show. Right. Anyway, my point is you got so many damn morons and grandstanders and would be social media stars in Congress, they wouldn't know which end of the pen to grab to write legislation.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an underappreciated thing. We've talked about it a lot and a lot of my favorite thinkers talk about it and read about it a lot. But this convincing people maybe just because it's simple. I don't know what. That the president is the government is the worst thing we've done. It's just so weird. And so everybody's okay with executive Orders to run everything. And the. On day one, I will, as they run for president, like they're in charge of everything. It's just nuts. And obviously. And then because you have everything, all your hopes and dreams in one human being, obviously it makes things much more contentious than if you had the reality of it spread out among three branches of government and 535 people in the Senate and the House and all that. And then not to mention your state and local government.

[Joe Getty]

Right. I wish I had the Thomas Sowell quote in front of me. It's one of my all time favorites from him. I should memorize it. He's essentially saying it's our fault that our politicians are such liars because when we demand that they promise the utterly undeliverable to elect them, what do you think they're gonna do? And I would suggest that, you know, the idea that the President is the king is one of the big steps down that road. Because you're looking at a process whereby one man can just decide by fiat to grant you your dreams, which is not our process at all, if you understand our process the way it's supposed to function. You wouldn't ask that of anybody, cuz it's an impossibility. So yeah, there are all sorts of ills that flow from the idea of president is king. It's terrible.

[Jack Armstrong]

I remember one of my LBJ books that I read that other people find boring, from Robert Carroll, greatest political biography in our nation's history, according to Bill Clinton. I would agree, it's absolutely amazing. But in one of the books, at the era of John F. Kennedy being president, he wanted to do something. And he sends Bobby Kennedy, his brother, who was also involved in the government at very high levels in many different ways, including Attorney General Nepo baby. He sends him to the speaker of the House, who is. And now it's flooded out of my head. The guy that was speaker of the House when the Democratic Democrats controlled it for like 60 years, Sam Rayburn. And Rayburn says, if your brother wants to do that, tell him he needs to come talk to the speaker of the House of Representatives. And I thought, wow, is that a different way of interaction between those two branches than what we have now?

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Where the speaker would say, yeah, he needs to come talk to me and ask if he wants to do that, because I am, you know, a big

[Joe Getty]

deal, jealously guarding the power.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they were in the same party.

[Joe Getty]

Of the House. Yeah. Of his branch of government. That's the way it's supposed to function. The idea that well, I'm a lap dog and I'm afraid of the President because his voters are so loyal that I don't dare run afoul of him. On both sides, folks. Both sides.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's weird.

[Joe Getty]

It's just pathetic.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wonder how much the President will try to sell war with Iran tonight. If I were coaching him, I'm not sure I would talk about it much, if at all because I don't think it's on people's radar. I don't know that you need to sell it. Are you sure? I think it's important that we be talking about this. It's going to be a really big deal if we go full on regime change with a country of 90 million people in a, in a significant military.

[Joe Getty]

But if I was going to be a cynical advisor. Yeah, that's exactly right. I would say, you know what? Let sleeping dogs lie.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Let sleeping dogs lie.

[Joe Getty]

People are not. There's no significant opposition to the move because nobody's talking about it at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. And it's all about people's, how they're feeling about the economy. Suspend most of the speech on that. Oh, that's right. Trump said yesterday the speech is going to be long and if he announces ahead of a time that it's going to be long, I can't imagine how long it's going to be. I would guess 90 minutes least.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah. I think the under is probably like 99 minutes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, nobody got time for that. No. No freaking way. I'm watching an hour and a half speech. I'll catch the highlights.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. I like to watch the first 10, 15 minutes and then if somebody shakes

[Jack Armstrong]

their cane or yells, you lie or something like that, I'll see in a highlight later.

[Joe Getty]

Bunch of cane shakers up in her. Yeah, it's just. Yeah. So the king gets up and then the lap dogs and or performative cane waivers of Congress do whatever they've decided to do today.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're gonna walk out in the middle. They probably have a go ahead or

[Joe Getty]

don't or walk in the middle or get up and hold a square dance in the middle. Nobody cares. You suck at your jobs.

[Jack Armstrong]

What I think is funny, it's gonna be interesting to see how the hockey thing goes because the men's hockey team is gonn and they're beloved right now and so everybody's gonna have to stand for that. And then those poor hockey players are gonna sit there and listen to Trump talk about minutia of the economy and then boos from half the crowd. And they're all. All these hockey players are gonna be looking at. He's like, what is this? And how long is this? When do we get.

[Joe Getty]

That's crazy.

[Jack Armstrong]

When do we get to leave?

[Joe Getty]

At least I get why people cheer and boo at hockey games.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're thinking.

[Joe Getty]

Speaking of hockey, I gotta point this out. Cause I was threatening to hit people with my stick earlier. I talked about this years and years ago, but not since. One of the things I love best about hockey is it has the best names for the penalties. Because football, which is a violent game, you have holding and offside.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now you sound like. You sound like George Carlin now, right?

[Joe Getty]

What? Hockey? Spearing, slashing. What's the other one?

[Jack Armstrong]

Hooking.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, those are penalties.

[Jack Armstrong]

Disemboweling. One of the penalties.

[Joe Getty]

Tooth removal. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Two minutes.

[Joe Getty]

Dentistry without a license, you point to the box. Oh, speaking of which, final thought.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now. I had to hurt to get your teeth. This hasn't been discussed enough. I don't think it would have to really hurt to get your teeth knocked completely out as an adult and.

[Joe Getty]

Or broken.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're really wedged in there.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. Holy. They're not designed to come out right. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Well, he skated on it. Happens all the time with hockey players. You give your teeth to the trainer who puts them in cold water. Ah, so the dentist has a chance of sticking them back in.

[Jack Armstrong]

It doesn't happen when we play chess, I'll tell you that.

[Joe Getty]

Not. Not often. Had to have some dental work yesterday. I tell you what, the. The comfort of dental procedures in my lifetime has gone from I'll tell you all my secrets. What do you want to know?

[Jack Armstrong]

To.

[Joe Getty]

It was practically a nothing, really. Oh, the topical thing they put on your gums so you don't even feel the injection. I know, I know, I know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Who wanted to hear that? Nobody. What the hell are you doing?

[Katie]

Grow up.

[Joe Getty]

What I'm trying to tell you is don't postpone dental work if you have a good dentist because it's so comfortable these days.

[Jack Armstrong]

Was that your goal? Katie's shaking her head yes.

[Katie]

There's nothing comfortable about it. There's no way.

[Jack Armstrong]

I believe. I've never had anything done to my teeth, so I don't know anything about women.

[Joe Getty]

Needle goes into your gum.

[Sponsor/Advertiser]

Hardly.

[Jack Armstrong]

You don't even feel it.

[Joe Getty]

It's wonderful.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I. I go to the dentist to relax these days.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, even the noise.

[Joe Getty]

Just wait. Turn that off, Michael. Now I'm on their side. Turn that off.

[Katie]

That was the worst moment in a really long time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it was.

[Joe Getty]

That was Joe. A long list of moments.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was Joe's low point. We may have identified it.

[Joe Getty]

Boy, the Pentagon and AI companies are at odds.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mark Halpern's one of my favorite political pundits.

[Joe Getty]

We'll talk about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

He took on AOC's weird late night, perhaps drunken or after crying Twitter response. We talked about it some yesterday. Anyway, that's pretty entertaining. And a bunch of stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Announcer]

You know, I think that this is such a. You know, I think that this is a.

[Jack Armstrong]

So he played that a lot. That's AOC in Munich last week. It was her attempt to be her debut as a serious candidate for president, showing her foreign policy chops when she was asked about China invading Taiwan and she had no answer. And she looked like she'd never thought about it before her life, which is.

[Joe Getty]

I almost wish we were playing the long version of that, because when she finally did, like, coalesce a few words together in something that sounded like a sentence, it was nonsense.

[Jack Armstrong]

She had been polling pretty high as a likely candidate for the Democrats to run for president in 2028. After that answer and a couple other things she did there in Germany, she got beat up pretty good by like, right, left and center, including the New York Times, which you're about to hear about in just a second. But over the weekend, I guess late at night, she put this out.

[Announcer]

If you think that I don't understand foreign policy, because out of hours of discourse about international affairs, I paused to think about one of the most sensitive geopolitical issues that currently exist on Earth. I'm afraid the issue is not my understanding, but rather the problem is perhaps you've gotten adjusted to a president that never thinks before he speaks.

[Joe Getty]

Have we nailed down if that was his, her dog or man?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a dog. That's a dog. So I was watching a video zoom call with a bunch of political pundits on there, and it was like a show of hands. Would any of you, if your candidate had sent this to you and said, should I post this? Would any of you had said yes? And of course, they were all a hard no, you would never have posted that right now. Mark Halperin, who you're about to hear from political pundit, said he has long thought that everyone in government should have a breathalyzer attached to their phone so that they can't post until they breathe into it to show that they're sober. He said he has no indication that she was Drinking but thought perhaps that could be an issue with some people. Maybe that explains the eyes because I said to Katie last night it looked like she'd been crying. Maybe I wasn't crying. Maybe that was hammered late at night, I don't know. But so we have plenty of time. So drunk or crying, Katie, do you think drunk or crying?

[Katie]

Possible hangover, but those looked like crying puffy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, maybe she got drunk and started crying anyway. So Mark Halperin then has this angle on the story.

[Mark Halperin]

AOC called the New York Times last night because she didn't like the press she was getting over her appearance in Munich. And she said something on one level very rational. She said I wasn't there as a presidential candidate. I wasn't even there as a Senate candidate. Here's the New York Times headline. After first big overseas trip, Ocasio Cortez expresses frustrations. The congressman argued in an interview that presidential speculation which included scrutiny of her slip ups had overshadowed her anti authoritarian message at the Munich security conference. Congresswoman, meet me at camera two. If you go to an international security conference filled with potential presidential candidates and have your team build up that you're there to be on the world stage and you think that the press is going to cover your substantive and very interesting message about the threat of authoritarianism taking advantage of income inequality over your prospects as the presidential candidate as evinced by your debut on the world stage. You are so naive that you shouldn't even be a member of the House.

[Jack Armstrong]

She actually contacted the New York Times, said her coverage was being was unfair. I agree. I don't know that she has got unless she's going to change her tune. She doesn't have the chops for running for President.

[Joe Getty]

This is merely reinforced my perception of her as a human being and a congressperson. You have been dope.

[Jack Armstrong]

You have been saying that from the beginning. You get credit for that. Okay, we got a lot more on the way. Stay here.

[Caller]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie]

El Mencho was wanted on drug trafficking charges by both Mexico and the United States. White House Press secretary Caroline Levitt called him a top target for both countries and said the U. S provided Mexico with intelligence support ahead of the operation.

[Jack Armstrong]

El Mencho, one of the top drug kingpins on planet Earth now dead. And kind of exciting local twist for us since we broadcast out of Northern California, San Francisco, kind of his adopted hometown where he was a drug dealer multiple times. Getting deported and coming back and continuing to be a drug dealer.

[Joe Getty]

Arrested and released over and over again. That's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

As Rolling Stone put it in their investigation of this, a city known for its lax attitude toward drug dealing had him on the street multiple times through the 90s.

[Joe Getty]

But back to the big bust, which was remarkably efficient. No Mexican good guys were killed. A number of cartels, people killed. Unfortunately, the mayhem was just beginning with the bust.

[Mark Halperin]

27 cowardly attacks against authorities were recorded in Jalisco alone. There were six attacks in which 25 National Guard members lost their lives.

[Joe Getty]

So number one, you got the vengeance from the cartel saying, you can't. You can't do us like that. Mexican authorities and, you know, the past couple of administrations had led them to believe they weren't going to do them like that. Said leading security consultant in Mexico City, quote, this is the biggest blow that the government has ever struck against a criminal group in Mexico. It has national implications given the vast number of states where the cartel operates. And it's too early to tell whether this turns into a great war, referring to the fact that when there is a power vacuum in a Mexican cartel, generally lots and lots of severed heads follow.

[Jack Armstrong]

So he got trapped because he is going to meet one of his hottie girlfriends that he apparently needed to see so bad. As a friend of mine pointed out, it's all A woman. Sent me this. Can I show you this on the air? Maybe I should show this to Joe first. I don't know if he can see

[Joe Getty]

it from across the room. Not without my.

[Jack Armstrong]

Should I say this out loud? I won't say, but it's.

[Mark Mars]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why not? Well, it's a. It's a. It's a. It's a. It's a. It's a colloquial. Not.

[Joe Getty]

Not very elegant.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not elegant term for, you know, romantic. And interludes with a woman.

[Joe Getty]

Oh. Anyway, it's all the act of coetas.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, no, it's that particular area of a woman, but it's that always. To that part of a woman that is.

[Joe Getty]

Meow.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is that part of a woman. Well, somebody texted me. It's always the snatch.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, boy. That. That is not elegant.

[Jack Armstrong]

That has brought down many a great man. Great being the term of like powerful or whatever. Not good.

[Joe Getty]

Sure, I understand.

[Jack Armstrong]

But as Alexander the Great, or I mean you can name great men through history who have been brought down by that. That unfortunate term. A country is burning down over a tale as old as time. This person said. And it is. It really is.

[Joe Getty]

Tale of tales.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, it is amazing that no matter how powerful you are, because I'm sure he has access to as many women of whatever Type and age he wants, being as ruthless and uncaring and awful as he was, and rich. Still, there was some woman that was enough special to him that he needed to see her. And they followed him there. And they killed him.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah, with help from U.S. intelligence. And the authorities weren't sure he was actually there, but then locals saw. I think local authorities saw a man get out of a pickup truck and squeeze a woman, give her a big hug before they went into one of the love cabins there at the mountain retreat.

[Jack Armstrong]

The snatch in question.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, boy. Again with that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just.

[Joe Getty]

Folks, I try so hard to elevate the show, and I get dragged back down. It's like crabs, buckets, etc. Anyway, so not only, you know, did he come out of the. His hidey hole, wherever he goes, to meet this gal at this love shack, a little old shack that we can get together, but he's got to, you know, like, run out and give her a big hug when she gets there. I mean, that's love. That's. It touches my heart. Unfortunately, a bullet touched his heart and he's dead.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right? Right. It is a tale as old as time. Yeah, but so how about the explosion of violence around the country where they. I don't know if you've seen the videos in the news. It's amazing. Cartel members setting gas stations on fire, blowing up grocery stores, attacking airports, all kinds of different things, just to let people know, hey, we're still here and you can't push us around or I don't know what their goal was.

[Joe Getty]

Well, if you mess with us like this, we will exact an enormous cost. Keep that in mind going forward. Beaches. Yeah, exactly. So whether this cartel can come up with some sort of succession plan or it degenerates, you know, the power vacuum degenerates into the sort of violence we saw when El Chapo got yanked. He was betrayed by another head of another family clan, and he got arrested and everything. The conflict over who would take over the. The big Sinaloa cartel has left more than 2,000 people dead and 3,000 missing. And I don't think they're gonna turn up anytime soon.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

El mentioned 5,000 people dead and missing over who's gonna run that cartel.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you've watched any of these many shows or documentaries about Pablo, what's his name down in Colombia?

[Joe Getty]

Escobar.

[Jack Armstrong]

Escobar. Or any of these people, or Scarface, I mean, these people who come up through the ranks in these drug cartels are the most violent. There are no rules. People that have practically ever existed. And for him to be at the top for as long as he was means he did a lot of really, really awful things. As we talked about yesterday, he was known for. He would cut the heads off police officers or jurors or whoever went against him and put their heads at the school of their kids to send a message to everybody of how I can reach out and touch you. And this is what it'll be like, right?

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that's.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's some hardball right there.

[Joe Getty]

So President Sheinbaum in Mexico, their. Their lady president has got to have her knickers in a twist because as this expert points, a second narco civil war in western Mexico would upend the security of the World cup this summer as the gigantic international soccer tournament is played in Mexico, the US And Canada. Well, nobody wants soccer.

[Jack Armstrong]

Interrupt.

[Joe Getty]

Jalisco state capital Guadalajara, which is one of Mexico's largest and most affluent cities, is set to host World cup matches. Boy, if the cartels really wanted to mess with the Mexican government, they would mess with the World Cup. Oof.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, wow. Yeah. The fact that he was a regular in San Francisco, and because of their lax laws with policing and drugs, he is able to set up shop there as a youth and become a big deal is, well, not surprising. Also, the California Post reporting today, cartel warfare threatens to spill into California as narco terrorists unleash hell on border cities. So it could cross the border into the US and then we're gonna probably get a lot more serious about it. Beautiful. I remember back in the day when Pablo Villa was running different sorts of bad gangs in Mexico, we made it clear to the gangs down there that, hey, you make sure your bullets are going east and west and not north to south. Cause if anything crosses the border, it's gonna get ugly fast. And then some of the violence did spill over, and we had General Pershing down there chasing the Mexican bad guys. He's like, hey, ain't crossing our border. I would imagine it'd be the same sort of situation here. If it spills into the United States, it's. We're going to get involved.

[Joe Getty]

Well, under Biden, there could be 750 dead in, you know, whatever. El Paso, and nothing would have happened. But Trump will not put up with that for a minute. So that's. That's good. You know, back to the whole who controls cartels thing, I was reading a piece that was describing that, you know, the process of. I'm like third or fourth tier. I'm really going to prove myself that I'M the most brutal son of A around. I mean, it's, it's. It's horrific. Says this one former security chief. New kingpins aren't directly anointed in. A brutal competition determines who is more skillful or more violent. And it has to do with, you know, logistical skill and economic vision and that sort of thing as well. But this El Mencho dude, his cartel was called the. One of the fastest in the history. Their rise. One of the fastest in the history of organized crime.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah, it would be straight out of Shakespeare or Game of Thrones or whatever else. It's a combination of violence, brutality, and politics, getting people on your side and creating loyalty among people and all that sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

And then when you got an El Mencho who bites the dust again, referring to this expert. With a cartel with such great capacity and logistics occupying so much territory both inside and outside Mexico, it's natural to think about organizational changes or internal power struggles within the organization, sometimes challenging the hierarchy. You gotta remember that this is not like a gang of 25 people. This is a giant sprawling corporation with an army and factories and scientists and salespeople and probably a freaking mailroom somewhere or, you know, some guy that delivers packages and. Or walks around with a cart like, you know, in your office sitcoms or whatever. It's a giant corporation.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is interesting, though, that practically, maybe Hitler's an exception. I don't know. Love, or a combination of love and lust is just so incredibly powerful. He had. There was a special woman that meant enough to him. He had to see her. Even with all of the women and cars and money and power and everything he could have, there still was somebody that got to him at a level that I need her in my life. I find that interesting.

[Mark Halperin]

Mmm.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Yep. Live nutritional supplement that you add to your shelf. Stable dead dog food. Not that there's anything wrong with your dog food. That's just the way it's created. But now you got all this nutritional extra stuff with rough greens. And Rough Greens is offering you a free Jump Start trial bag. Why wouldn't you try it? All you gotta do is cover the shipping. You use the discount code Armstrong to claim your free Jumpstart trial bag at Rough Greens dot Com.

[Joe Getty]

That's R U F F greens dot com. Use that promo code Armstrong. Rough greens dot com. And again, the promo code is Armstrong. So don't change your dog's food, just add rough greens and watch the health benefits come alive. Woof.

[Jack Armstrong]

Try rough grains. Suspected narco terrorists yesterday torched vehicles at the border wall in Tijuana, Right on the border, a stone's throw from San Diego, setting up roadblocks targeting local businesses. On Monday, footage showed a major highway that runs parallel to the United States completely shut down while cops cautiously inspected a burning car, wondering if there were bombs inside.

[Joe Getty]

American touristas were told to shelter in place for the second straight night.

[Jack Armstrong]

I gotta believe that the cartels don't see it to their benefit to have the violence spill into the United States. There's no way that could help them, Right?

[Joe Getty]

Sometimes that sort of stuff happens accidentally.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, sure. But it wouldn't be a tactic, I wouldn't think because there's a possibility that they can get their grip back on Mexico. It's be really, really hard to rebuild. A law and order has the upper hand over the bad guys. After decades of it going the direction it's been going.

[Joe Getty]

As we've said many times, you give away the rule of law, law and order, you will have to fight a war to get it back.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lefties decades or centuries.

[Joe Getty]

My final thought. This moment reminds me a little bit of. Or brings to mind the moment in Iran there, as weak as their level ever be, is now the time for

[Jack Armstrong]

the big, big move on the cartels?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah,

[Jack Armstrong]

maybe with the urging of the US government.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. I don't think Mexico is strong enough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why wouldn't we get involved there? I mean if we got involved down there in Venezuela, why wouldn't we get involved in Mexico? Right on our border, our big trading partner. They're sending plenty of drugs in the United States. I mean you can use the that crisis as an emergency theory the same way, can't you?

[Joe Getty]

We have not received el invitacion. We have not been invited to help them except providing intelligence. Besides, are you going to put the. No, I'm not going to say it. Bs O TG. I'm not going to say it.

[Jack Armstrong]

In Mexico.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. No marines in Mexico fighting cartels.

[Jack Armstrong]

We didn't put boots on the ground in. Well, I guess we did at the very end when he took Maduro out.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. And the discombobulator Ray. Yeah. Time to unleash that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Any thoughts on that text line? 415295KFTC Armstrong and Getty. I need to apologize to one America's most beloved shipping companies at some point later as I. I believe I badmouth them a couple of weeks ago. I have an apology to make. I'll get to that later.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, one of America's giant shipping companies is the first out of the gate to sue over the tariff returns too.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, really?

[Joe Getty]

Speaking of which. Yeah, yeah. So, Katie, what should we know about this next clip?

[Katie]

All right, this is a woman that is cold calling from a business and she screws up on the voicemail and realizes she can't go back.

[Caller]

Hi, Danny. I'm so sorry. Hi, this is from Equinox and I have a complimentary session for you. So whenever you'd like to schedule, just give me a call back and either one of my managers or I will answer and we can help you. Oh, how do I delete this? How do I delete this? Okay, well, I don't think I can delete it. So please just give me some human amount of grace and if you never want to come in, I completely understand. Thank you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bye.

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Katie]

Because now a lot of voicemails will allow, you know, if you would like to delete this message and re record, you know.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Katie]

No turning back.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, she was so sad at the end.

[Jack Armstrong]

Defeated, dude.

[Joe Getty]

Defeated.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

If you just hate me, I understand.

[Jack Armstrong]

I get it.

[Joe Getty]

Thanks. Wow. F bomb.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you'll remember, over Christmas vacation, I was traveling with the family and we were in New Orleans and somehow we got to the airport to leave and we all looked at each other. Who's got the big bag? I thought you had the big bag. None of us had the big bag because we had carry ons. And then one great big giant bag that we had all of our stuff in that we left at the hotel. And it was not enough time to go back to the hotel. So I called the hotel and the hotel says, not a big deal. People do it all the time. Which made me feel better. I wasn't the only person that had ever walked out of the room and left their bag behind. They said we have a process for that. We. We fed exit to you. I wasn't going to name the company. It's not a company. It's like if you were. If you're. If the person you used to be married to was hungry, you would and

[Joe Getty]

needed to be fed.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm not tracking with you fed your ex. Anyway, anyway, they lost my bag and. And I was pretty unhappy about it. And I.

[Joe Getty]

And I.

[Jack Armstrong]

It took me forever to try to deal with it you couldn't get a hold of a human being. It was impossible. And they would just keep telling me, well, you need to talk to the shipper. I'm the shipper. Well, did you ship it? Well, no, the hotel shipped it. You need to talk to the shipper. I just talked to them. They said, I need to talk to you. It's one of those circle things. It was driving me crazy. And they. And they kept saying, we don't know where it is. How do you not know where it is? There's a tracking number. It was last at this place. Where did it go from there? Uh, you'll have to check the tracking on the website. I did check the tracking on the website. That's why I'm calling you. And it was just. I couldn't get an answer from anybody anyway, and I assumed I'd never seen the bag again. Oh, and then if you want to get any of your stuff back, I found this was really interesting to make a claim. To get any of this stuff back, you need to show receipts. So if you have receipts for the bag, which was kind of expensive, do you have the receipt for the suitcase that you bought three years ago or the pair of shoes that you bought two years ago? Or my jeans from five years? Nobody has the receipts for this stuff. I mean, that's a hilarious thing to ask for, right? And. Which is a way of getting around, I guess, having to worry about the value of your. Your thing. And I assumed I would never see it again. I asked Chat GPT and they said very unlikely you're ever going to get it back. In most cases, percentage wise, once it's lost, it's lost. Which I wonder how that happens. You have a tracking number, you know where it went. How do things just disappear like that? I guess, when you're dealing with gazillion, the volume being so high, but I think you'd have a. Some idea where it was. Anyway, I got an email two days ago, said we found it, it's on the way and it's going to be here today.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's nice. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Two months later, which is fine, though I'm happy to get my stuff back.

[Joe Getty]

Glad your ex has had a nice nourishing meal and it's no longer hungry, right? Yes. So totally different company. FedEx has filed lawsuit against the US seeking a refund of the tariffs. Here we go. That and the fight between the AI Giants and the Pentagon next hour. Hope you can stay tuned. If you can't subscribe to the podcast, Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

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