Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "How About This Shiznizzle?!"

Date: December 2, 2025
Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This episode centers on recent political developments, with a primary focus on a special congressional race in Tennessee and the controversial Democratic candidate Afton Ben. The hosts, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, delve into Ben's background, political stances, and a series of incendiary past remarks, using her campaign as a springboard for wider commentary on progressive politics. The latter half explores national issues including the integrity of truck driving schools, government oversight, the Trump administration's anti-drug cartel actions, and some lighter reflections on pop culture and history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tennessee Special Election: Spotlight on Afton Ben (03:10–19:50)

• The race is surprisingly close in a heavily Republican district. Afton Ben, dubbed "the AOC of Tennessee," is running a strong campaign against Republican Matt Van Epps, a West Point grad and Army veteran.
• Afton Ben’s Controversial Past Statements are extensively quoted, including:
  • Anti-Nashville remarks: “I hate the city. I hate the bachelorettes... I hate country music...” (06:23)
  • Accusing Tennessee of systemic racism: “Racism is in the air we breathe, permeating the state capitol...” (07:24)
  • Tweets justifying burning down a police station and advocating for dissolving Nashville PD.
• Hosts’ Tone: The hosts criticize Ben’s radicalism, her support for defunding the police, and past social media posts.
  • “How dumb are you to want to defund the police?” – Armstrong (18:40)
  • The hypocrisy is noted when Ben called for white candidates to drop out against people of color, but then won against a black candidate herself.
• Criticism is extended to teachers’ unions and their alleged demand to defund police as a precondition for reopening schools during COVID.

2. Media Coverage of Crime & Policing (17:30–19:50)

• Discussed the positive local reaction in Memphis to the National Guard presence due to crime, noting that national media isn’t reporting this sentiment.
  • “The folks in Memphis are mostly thrilled by the presence of the National Guard. It’s funny you haven’t heard that reported in the nation's media.” – Getty (19:12)

3. Truck Driving Schools & Licensing Scandal (22:23–27:49)

• Nearly half of US trucking schools fail to meet government standards, risking closure.
• Discussion of “CDL mills”—schools skimping on hands-on training for quick certifications.
  • “So nearly half of truck driving schools don’t meet the standards. ...Just making sure these guys have any idea what they’re doing.” – Armstrong (23:44)
• Regulatory failures: Lax oversight in some states, including cases where drivers cannot speak or read English, raising safety concerns.
• Hosts argue this is a multi-layered institutional failure, not just a red-vs-blue state issue.

4. Minnesota COVID Relief Fraud Scandal (27:55–29:58)

• Governor Tim Walz questioned about over a billion dollars in fraud from COVID relief funds.
• Walz deflects blame to federal oversight cuts under Trump.
• Hosts call for charging criminals regardless of immigrant status and criticize political evasions.

5. US Strikes on Narco Boats & Executive Power (33:28–46:45)

• Trump administration’s aggressive “strikes on narco boats” discussed; claims that drugs coming by sea are down 91%.
• Moral and legal questions about “double tap” strikes—destroying boats and potentially killing survivors.
  • “We’ve only just begun striking narco boats and putting narco terrorists at the bottom of the ocean...” – Trump (34:44)
  • “If you blow up a drug boat and that poor son of a [bleep] is clinging to the wreckage, snuffing him from above, is that okay as the United States of America, or is it not?” – Armstrong (44:41)
• The hosts reflect on the shifting definitions of “terrorist organization” and general lack of public scrutiny or debate over possible military escalation in Venezuela.
  • “I don’t even know what I’m being asked to approve. ...It’s hard to get people’s attention for anything other than ‘I’m mad at Trump’...” – Armstrong (46:15)
• References to American attention span and the challenges of serious national debate.

6. Pop Culture & Oddities: Stranger Things and Kansas Salt Mines (51:03–56:01)

• Brief discussion on the new season of Stranger Things and its impact (Netflix crash, aging actors).
• Interesting fact: All episodes of Friends, as well as old documents and films like The Wizard of Oz, are stored in an enormous underground salt mine in Kansas to prevent deterioration. (53:32)

7. Final Thoughts (56:14–End)

• Light banter and takeaways from the crew.
• Armstrong mentions a discussion about inflation in another segment: “...inflation is not a rise in prices, that’s what inflation causes—it’s the increase in the currency supply.” (57:17–57:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• On Afton Ben’s rhetoric:
  • “She’s a freaking nut job.” – Armstrong (05:03)
  • “Let me be clear. Tennessee is a racist state. Racism is in the air we breathe, permeating the state capitol...” – Quoting Afton Ben (07:27)
  • “Good morning. Especially to the 54% of Americans that believe burning down a police station is justified.” – Quoting Ben’s tweet (09:26)
  • “She just says, ‘I wouldn’t have posted it.’ The difference is, she’s since learned to hide better what she believes...” – Getty (10:56)
• On defunding police and crime:
  • “How dumb are you to want to defund the police? Why didn’t you ask anybody in a tough neighborhood... do you want more police or fewer police? ...The answer almost universally: More.” – Armstrong (18:51)
• On regulatory incompetence:
  • “Nearly half of truck driving schools don’t meet the standards... That’s a hell of a lot of truck drivers on the road.” – Armstrong (23:44)
• On the Trump anti-drug campaign:
  • “We’ve only just begun striking narco boats and putting narco terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they’ve been poisoning the American people.” – Quoting Trump (34:44)
  • “If you blow up a drug boat and that poor son of a [bleep] is clinging to the wreckage, snuffing him from above, is that okay as the United States of America, or is it not?” – Armstrong (44:41)
• On attention spans and current events:
  • “It’s hard to get people’s attention for anything other than ‘I’m mad at Trump, I’m happy with Trump’...” – Armstrong (46:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:10–19:50 | Tennessee Congressional Race and Afton Ben | | 19:50–21:30 | Memphis, Media Portrayals, and Police Presence | | 22:23–27:49 | Truck Driving Schools Regulation Failures | | 27:55–29:58 | Minnesota COVID Relief Fund Fraud Scandal | | 33:28–46:45 | Trump, Narco Boats, Military Power, & Venezuela | | 51:03–56:01 | Stranger Things, TV, Salt Mine Storage in Kansas | | 56:14–End | Final Thoughts & Reflections |

Conclusion & Takeaways

This episode of Armstrong & Getty mixes pointed political critique with sardonic humor, focusing especially on progressive candidates’ rhetoric, bureaucratic failure, and the Trump administration’s controversial strategies against drug cartels. The hosts bemoan the absence of nuanced public discourse while weaving in cultural tidbits and personal stories. It’s a fast-paced tour through politics, national news, and pop culture, seasoned with their trademark skepticism and wit.

For more, visit Armstrong and Getty On Demand.