Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "I Bet He Had Help From Some Bitch On The Inside"

Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Producer/Co-hosts/Contributors: Katie
Notable Guest (interview excerpt): Ian Bremmer (Eurasia Group)

Overview

This episode features Armstrong and Getty’s signature blend of sharp news analysis, irreverent humor, and discussion of current events. The central theme is the fallout and commentary surrounding a controversial shooting incident involving ICE in Minneapolis and the broader issues of politicized reactions to law enforcement events. The hosts also touch on the sociopolitical risks surrounding AI and energy policy, based on an interview with Ian Bremmer, and mix in lighter moments about dogs escaping shelters, shoes that don’t fit, and the cleanliness of teenage bathrooms.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dog Escapes Shelter - News Oddity

• [02:29] The episode kicks off with a quirky news story about "Dawson," a dog in West Virginia who escaped from a locked kennel and unlocked the shelter's front door using his teeth.
  • Katie: "I'm not gonna adopt him. I hope he adopts me."
  • Joe: "I'll bet he had help from some bitch on the inside." ([02:53])

2. Media Tone Consistency

• [03:01] Joe comments on how TV anchor David Muir uses the same dramatic tone for major tragedies and trivial news:
  • Joe: "David Muir uses the same tone of voice for the second building just fell on 9/11 as he does for a dog escaped from his kennel..."

3. AI and the Loss of Productive Drudgery

• [03:39–05:24] Katie introduces an article positing that while AI removes mundane tasks, it also eliminates mental downtime crucial for creativity.
  • Katie: "We're not designed to constantly be dealing with the big stuff."
  • Joe: "[AI] that could pull all that together and do it for me every month... Oh, I would freaking pay a lot for that."

4. Interview Excerpt: Ian Bremmer on Eurasia Group's Top Risks 2026

• [05:51–10:13]

a) AI: 'Eats its Users'

• Companies are all-in on AI; the pressure is on to commercialize, especially consumer-facing AI.
• Risks include testing AI "on society, on us, on our kids" with unknown mental and political effects.
• Ian Bremmer: "AI is a hell of a lot more capable at programming us, at changing our behavior..." ([07:08])

b) AI vs. Social Media

• Drawing parallels to social media's profit-driven shift towards addictiveness, but noting AI's greater capability to manipulate.
• Societal lack of regulation is a risk: "We're like, hey, go for it, train it on us. And that just seems like it is not destined to go well..." ([07:45])

c) Energy Rivalry: US Petrostate vs. Chinese Electostate

• The US doubles down on oil; China invests in batteries and the "electric stack" for cheaper electricity.
• Ian: "We're going out there selling 20th century oil, gas and coal... and they're going out there selling 21st century energy infrastructure..." ([09:03])
• China could surpass the US in ability to power AI and support growth—"That’s not a position the Americans should be in."

5. Domestic Energy, China, and Political Priorities

• [10:33–12:35] The hosts debate if oil-centric policy is outdated in the face of China's advances in electrification and infrastructure.
  • Joe: "I was thinking, this is really a great move... if it’s 1978."
  • Katie: "We're behind. We are absolutely behind in a lot of ways. Our electric grid, our battery capacities..."

6. Shoe Shopping Follies

• [13:14–15:49] A comic aside about wearing the wrong shoe size, sacrificing comfort for bargain deals.
  • Joe: "I wear an 11, and these are twelves...I am kind of sloshing around in them."
  • Katie: "You should have gone for a 13 or 14. Why not?"

7. Reactions to the Minneapolis ICE-Related Shooting

• [23:29–34:28]

a) Politicized, Reactionary Leadership and Public Perception

• Hosts analyze the immediate, inflammatory responses from politicians and officials.
• Katie: "This was so, so preventable, so unnecessary..."
• Minneapolis Mayor Frey: “This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.” ([25:10])

b) Due Process vs. Rush to Judgement

• Criticism of public officials for declaring guilt/innocence based on partial evidence.
• Katie: "You’ve seen a video and that’s plenty of evidence for you to render a verdict?"

c) Nature of the Confrontation

• Analysis of the legal standard (fleeing felon doctrine)—was force justified?
• Noting the broader activist tactic of creating 'decision dilemmas' for cops.
• Katie: "She was doing what is a classic neo-Marxist technique..."
• Joe: "She played that stupid game and won a truly stupid and tragic prize."

d) Media and Political Grandstanding

• Critique of both left and right for using the incident for culture war points.
• Joe: “Deranged leftist has nothing to do with it... What’s in her head is not supposed to make any difference.” ([32:00])
• Katie: “I have a very strong feeling the cop is going to be cleared of any charges...”

8. Consistent Principles on Use of Force

• [35:03–37:47] Thought experiment: if the same standards applied to Jan 6 police response, more MAGA protesters would have been shot.
  • Joe: "How about those cops that were on their back being beaten with American flags or Bear Mace and kicked? Were their lives in danger and was it cool to shoot those protesters, how the hell would it not have been?" ([37:19])
  • Katie: "It's about principle. Once you get used to having a principle...it’s kind of a good way to live."

9. Teenage Bathroom Cleanliness Saga

• [39:39–43:43] Comic segment about Armstrong’s sons sharing a bathroom and evidence-based attempts to solve disputes.
  • Jack: "I took pictures of the sink and the toilet because the less clean one claims it's not him."
  • Joe: "One word describes most of the problem. Hair. Oh, freaking everywhere."

10. Upcoming Segments and Recap

• [43:43–44:35] Teasers about extended coverage and more in the podcast’s "Hour Four."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joe Getty [02:53]: "I'll bet he had help from some bitch on the inside." (On the shelter escape dog, with comedic timing)
• Ian Bremmer [07:08]: "AI is a hell of a lot more capable at programming us, at changing our behavior, making us believe that we're talking to people when actually we're talking to things that have no affect and are just trying to get the outcomes they want out of us..."
• Katie [33:51]: "She played that stupid game and won a truly stupid and tragic prize."
• Joe Getty [32:00]: "Deranged leftist has nothing to do with it... What's in her head is not supposed to make any difference."
• Katie [37:47]: "It's about principle. You know, once you get used to having a principle and sticking with it... it's kind of a good way to live."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:29] – Dog escapes animal shelter: "Great escape" news story
• [03:39] – AI and loss of mental downtime for businesspeople
• [05:51] – Interview excerpt with Ian Bremmer: AI and global risks
  • [07:08] – AI’s risks for society and politics
  • [09:03] – US petrostate vs. China’s electrostate explained
• [10:33] – US oil strategy vs. China's electrification dominance
• [23:29] – Deep dive: Minneapolis ICE shooting, public & political response
  • [25:10] – Mayor’s statement and “rush to judgment” theme
  • [26:13] – Mayor’s F-bomb defense
  • [28:10] – Analysis of legal standards for use of force
• [32:00] – Point about ideology not mattering to legality
• [35:03] – Consistency of use-of-force standards: Minneapolis vs. Jan 6th
• [39:39] – Teen son bathroom cleanliness debate (lighter moment)

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain an irreverent, conversational tone throughout, using humor and candid banter even during serious discussions. They balance deep dives into legal and political issues with relatable personal anecdotes and pop culture asides, relying on honest, sometimes blunt, language.

For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, this summary captures both the serious and absurd moments. The show delivers political commentary, social insight—especially into how events become weaponized in the culture wars—and a healthy dose of everyday life humor. For those interested in media, politics, or just a window into how contentious public events are dissected, this episode is well worth a listen.