I See You're Wearing A Helmet

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary - "I See You're Wearing A Helmet"

Release Date: March 14, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

---

Introduction

In the latest episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into a blend of humor, current events, and insightful discussions. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio, the duo sets the stage for an engaging conversation that spans from mathematical celebrations to pressing political issues.

---

1. Celebrating Pi Day

Timestamp: [00:58] - [01:47]

The episode kicks off with a lively discussion about Pi Day on March 14th, emphasizing the importance and fascination with the mathematical constant π.

• Jack Armstrong muses, "The fact that it's called PI and it helps you determine the area. Determine the area of a circle is just... serendipity. It's God's harmony." [01:45]

• Michael (a recurring guest) adds, "It's one of the greatest inventions mankind ever came up with. Figuring out a number that would allow you to feel... figure out the area of a circle. Brilliant." [01:24]

The conversation highlights the elegance of π and its fundamental role in mathematics, with playful banter about its nomenclature and applications.

---

2. Caffeine Addiction vs. Drug Addiction

Timestamp: [02:00] - [03:52]

The hosts transition into a serious discussion comparing caffeine addiction to that of more severe drug dependencies.

• Michael shares a personal observation: "This is the only drug I'm addicted to that I take at this point in my life. Caffeine. And, you know, it's fairly mild." [02:24]

• Jack Armstrong responds thoughtfully, "It's just endorphins, of course." [02:56]

They explore societal perceptions of different substances, leading to a critique of policies surrounding drug addiction and the challenges faced by addicts in regaining control over their lives.

---

3. Political Commentary & Government Shutdown

Timestamp: [06:37] - [07:24]

A satirical segment ensues as the hosts humorously speculate about potential government shutdown scenarios and societal responses.

• Michael quips, "The government shutdown is not going to happen now. Not that I care." [06:37]

• Jack Armstrong humorously adds, "Boarding up my house when I see you're wearing a helmet as well." [06:56]

This light-hearted exchange sets the tone for a deeper dive into political tensions and administrative decisions affecting everyday Americans.

---

4. News Roundup with Katie Green

Timestamp: [07:10] - [17:59]

Katie Green, the news correspondent, delivers a comprehensive roundup of national and international headlines:

• Government Shutdown:

  • ABC: Schumer announces he'll vote to keep the government open, likely avoiding a shutdown.
  • Katie: "Schumer announces he'll vote to keep the government open, likely avoiding a shutdown." [13:35]

• Protests and Arrests:

  • NBC: Nearly 100 protesters arrested after a sit-in at Trump Tower to demand the release of Khalil.
  • Katie: "NBC reports nearly 100 protesters arrested after a sit-in at Trump Tower to demand release of Khalil." [13:55]

• Educational Institutions:

  • Washington Post: Columbia expels students over pro-Palestinian protests.
  • Katie: "Columbia expels students over building takeover in pro-Palestinian protests." [14:29]

• International Relations:

  • USA Today: Ukraine criticizes Putin's response to US ceasefire plan as "very predictable and manipulative."
  • Katie: "Ukraine says Putin's response to US ceasefire plan is... very predictable and manipulative." [15:21]

• Hostage Situations:

  • Fox News: Hamas agrees to release Adan Alexander, the last living American hostage.
  • Katie: "Hamas agrees to release Adan Alexander, the last living American hostage." [15:44]

• Health & Society:

  • Wall Street Journal: "Generation Xanax: The Dark Side of America's Wonder Drug."
  • Katie: "Generation Xanax explores the dark side of America's wonder drug." [15:55]

• Celebrity News:

  • Page Six: Tiger Woods secretly dating Vanessa Trump.
  • Katie: "Tiger Woods secretly dating Vanessa Trump." [16:22]

• Sports Humor:

  • The Babylon Bee: NBA allows LeBron James to play in a giant hamster ball to avoid contact.
  • Katie: "NBA to allow LeBron James to play in a giant hamster ball so other players can't touch him." [16:38]

These segments provide listeners with a snapshot of current events, blending both serious news and lighter, humorous takes on trending topics.

---

5. Tariffs and Economic Impact

Timestamp: [17:17] - [30:15]

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the impact of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and analyzed by J.D. Vance.

• Jack Armstrong raises concerns: "How is it going to work out? Everybody's gonna really appreciate it." [20:37]

• J.D. Vance elaborates on Trump's strategy: "The President wants to impose tariffs on foreign importers because he wants to bring investment and jobs back to the United States of America." [23:17]

Key points include:

• Short-Term Pain vs. Long-Term Gains: The hosts debate whether the immediate economic disruptions caused by tariffs will yield the intended long-term benefits of revitalizing American manufacturing and reducing dependence on foreign imports.

• Media's Role: Critique of how the media reports on economic changes, often focusing on the most dramatic figures, potentially inflaming public sentiment.

• Globalization Concerns: Discussion on the failures of globalization and the intertwined economies with countries like China, questioning the feasibility of restructuring trade relationships.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong: "Setting the scene by describing all of the angst. Here's the eloquent J.D. Vance explaining tariffs." [22:15]

• Michael: "We need to recognize the restructuring of the world because it's just happening whether you like it or not." [28:24]

The segment underscores the complexity of economic policies and their multifaceted effects on society.

---

6. Mailbag and Listener Feedback

Timestamp: [30:35] - [35:26]

Listeners interact with the hosts through emails, providing personal anecdotes and opinions:

• Greg's Story: A man shot by his dog, with suspicions that a woman was actually responsible. The hosts humorously speculate on the underlying truths. [34:15]

• Tim's Comment on Valerian Root: Experiences with valerian root causing panic attacks and sleep issues.

  • Jack Armstrong: Recommends alternatives like magnesium glycinate, theanine, and melatonin. [33:42]

• Zach's Feedback: Praises the podcast's content and delivery, despite personal political disagreements. [32:26]

These interactions add a personal touch to the episode, showcasing the hosts' engagement with their audience.

---

7. Quote of the Day

Timestamp: [31:19] - [31:59]

The episode features an inspiring quote, blending wisdom with a touch of humor:

• Mark Twain: "The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why."

Jack Armstrong emphasizes the deeper meaning: "We're not talking sperm meets egg. We're talking about the purpose of your life." [31:43]

---

8. Closing Remarks

The episode wraps up with final thoughts and promotions:

• Promotion of "One More Thing" Podcast: Encouraging listeners to explore additional content, with humorous mentions of feedback from listeners. [32:05]

• Freedom Loving Message: Reiterating the show's commitment to discussing climate change skepticism and other socio-political topics. [33:25]

• Final Thoughts on Supplements: A brief discussion on valerian root versus other sleep aids, tying back to listener feedback. [34:15]

• Farewell: The hosts thank their audience, promote the podcast's availability on demand, and hint at future episodes. [35:26]

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jack Armstrong: "It's God's harmony. It's something." [01:47]

• Michael: "This is the only drug I'm addicted to that I take at this point in my life. Caffeine." [02:24]

• Katie Green: "Columbia expels students over building takeover in pro-Palestinian protests." [14:29]

• J.D. Vance: "We have to force businesses to invest more, not overseas, not in Chinese workers, but in American workers." [23:17]

• Mark Twain (Quote of the Day): "The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why." [31:29]

---

Conclusion

In "I See You're Wearing A Helmet," Armstrong and Getty deliver a well-rounded episode that balances humor with critical discourse on contemporary issues. From celebrating mathematical prowess on Pi Day to dissecting the intricacies of economic policies and engaging with listener feedback, the hosts ensure a dynamic and informative experience for both regular listeners and newcomers alike.

---

For those who missed the live broadcast, you can catch the full episode of "Armstrong & Getty On Demand" here.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Foreign.

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong.

[Michael]

My coffee maker was on the fritz at home, so I'm about to take my first sip of coffee of the day, courtesy of the company's coffee machine.

[Jack Armstrong]

Very nice. It's a special feeling, isn't it? Damn.

[Michael]

It's just as good as I remember from yesterday. Just as good. Live from Studio C, senor, dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. Today, Friday. We're under the tutelage of our general manager.

[Jack Armstrong]

Co. General managers today, Jack. Number one, Vladimir Putin, number two. 3.14, 159-et-Cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Pie. It's National PI Day.

[Michael]

I always prefer to. Prefer to go with 22/7 since it's easier and shorter. One of the greatest inventions mankind ever came up with. Figuring out a number that would allow you to feel. Figure out the area of a circle. Brilliant.

[Jack Armstrong]

The guy who came up with it had to think. Let me check that one more time. It's just too good to be true.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it's named after the most delicious of desserts.

[Michael]

Or a Greek letter if you don't. Yeah, I guess. If you hadn't caught on. So today is March 14, 314.314. The number we all. We're all on board here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Sorry, I should have explained.

[Katie Green]

Very clever.

[Michael]

Easier.

[Jack Armstrong]

Thank you, Michael. Easier in print. The fact that it's called PI and it helps you determine the area. Determine the area of a circle is just. It's serendipity. It's. It's. It's God's harmony. It's. It's something.

[Michael]

You know, I was just thinking as I took my first sip of coffee the day. And it hit me like. It. I mean, it hit me like, not all the way there, but like a percentage of your baby being born, having sex, being on vacation. I mean, and it made me think, this is the only drug I'm addicted to that I take at this point in my life. Caffeine. And, you know, it's fairly mild. And we're going to play a clip later of a drug addict on the streets of San Francisco and talk a little bit about these people and why they can't get their lives together or whatever. But if fentanyl is, you know, whatever it is, a million times this in terms of you need it so bad, and when you finally get it, it's just. Oh, thank God. You know, I understand because like this, I am really, really a lot happier now than I was 5 minutes ago from this. Yeah, my minor. Drug addiction.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hear you talking. Yeah, it's just endorphins. Of course.

[Michael]

On the other hand, if drinking coffee was going to absolutely ruin my life, kill me, ruin my life, ruin other people's lives, I'd work pretty hard to quit it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, sure, you have to, or society will take care of your every need. No, wait a minute. That's all. Heck, we were a little off here. Yeah, exactly.

[Michael]

You have to quit. You better quit or we'll provide you housing and food for the rest of your life. But.

[Jack Armstrong]

And make it as easy as possible not to quit. So there.

[Michael]

Well, we'll give you all the perfume you need to take the drug so you don't have to find it on your own, but we're still gonna allow.

[Jack Armstrong]

You to be completely lawless. But we might even.

[Michael]

We might even provide the drugs and look the other way when you steal to buy other stuff you want. But really thinking you need quit, that's not an exaggeration either. That little fanciful comedy skit you just heard is not even an exaggeration. It's the reality. In some places, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it is. That was serious political commentary masquerading as a clever little comedy skit.

[Michael]

An impromptu comedy skit.

[Jack Armstrong]

That reminds me at some point. Well, I'll give the example. First, there's a piece that appears in Cal Matters. It's actually a letter to the editor from a so called queer parent in Sacramento, California, the capital of the great state of Cal, Unicornia. And this person, I don't have the verbiage in front of me, says essentially that Gavin Newsom, saying, yeah, it's unfair to have what he would call trans women, trans girls, dudes in girl sports. You know, when he was talking to Charlie Kirk the other day on that podcast and. And this person reacted saying that this was a travesty. He has abandoned the LGBTQIA barbecue over the power of three community. And it's akin to, I can't remember, genocide, or wiping them off the map or killing them with his own hands. And at some point, don't we have to look at a disconnect from reality that profound as a mental illness? I mean, if you think a guy said, yeah, it's probably not fair is all of those things. And again, I'll get the specific verbiage because it's so over the top, it's cuckoo nuts. But that's a person who is unwell in their brain.

[Michael]

And were you relating that to the attitude toward drug addiction or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, yeah, I. I guess I assumed it was self evident. But you're right, it's not. Failure to recognize the plainly obvious dynamics of what's happening with drug addicts at this point. It's maybe not quite as cuckoo nuts, but it' I don't understand if you're at all familiar with any of the verbiage of addiction including being an enabler and the rest of it and tough love and all of it. How is. How do we as a society and at enormous expense ignore all of that accumulated knowledge? Just seems crazy.

[Michael]

Yeah, well, we'll probably talk about that more later. We're going to play some clips of a one guy interviewed on the street. Fentanyl addict who has.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because he had one bill too many and housing is.

[Michael]

He did talk about. Because rent is too high and he had. Yeah, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

He became a fentanyl addict on the street.

[Michael]

Yeah. It's hilarious that that's even a thing. We should start the show officially. Am I. I credit being the first person to even bring this up. But just. The government shutdown is not going to happen now. Not that I care. I don't care. Shut it down. Don't shut it down. Whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Shut it down for two hours. Whatever.

[Michael]

That makes no difference to me. I'll never remember it after it happens. They'll figure it out tomorrow morning. But it's most likely not going to happen now. I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

I guess whatever.

[Michael]

That's. That's enough of that. I'm still making preparations just in case.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sorry.

[Michael]

Fox and Friends and msnbc who've spent their entire three hours on it this morning. That's all I need of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Michael. You're. You're preparations include chains on your tires, I'm sure. And what else? Boarding up my house when I see you're wearing a helmet as well.

[Michael]

Plywood over your windows.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Michael]

I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Jo Getty on this. It is PI Day. It is March 14, year 2025. We are arms, throng and Getty and we approve of this show.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, let's begin then. Officially, according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go. Leaping into action at mark.

[Katie]

The federal government is set to shut down on Friday at midnight. So to make some quick cash, it's now Pepsi presents the Gulf of America.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's good.

[Michael]

I just saw a headline. So today is Friday. During Lent. You're not supposed to eat meat on Friday. As a Catholic, particularly during Lent. But alligator meat is okay to eat. Does count. Does not count as meat. A ruling has come in from somebody, so if you're planning on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, thanks. Signed alligators.

[Michael]

When I was a kid. I don't know, they probably don't do this anymore. When I was a kid, even at our. The public school, they always had fish sandwiches on Friday to. To accommodate the people that didn't eat meat on Fridays.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Yeah. Which I didn't mind. I like a nice cod sando.

[Michael]

Didn't matter to me. They're probably going to have a fish sandwich one of the days. The fact that you put it on Friday. Whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Does McDonald's even still have the filet o fish? I don't know.

[Michael]

I was just there the other day. I did not. I did not look. Maybe I'll have to go back today, do more research.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was my order for ages when I'd go to McDaniel's. I was a filet o fish guy. Really?

[Michael]

I don't know if I've had an fof ever. I don't think so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, man. That was my go to. I turned my nose up at the burgers, went right for the fish. Which is probably every bit as unhealthy for some chemical reason.

[Michael]

My son, my oldest son announced last night he does not like beef. And he is. Well, he's an orphan now. He's living on the streets. Kicked him out of the house.

[Jack Armstrong]

Don't tell his grandfather. We've got.

[Michael]

No kidding. Well, he just heard it because he listens. Hello, mom and dad. So we got Katie's headlines on the way. We got Mailbag. This hour we'll get you up to date on a little the news. Well, for instance, why was Vladimir Putin our general manager?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, the quote unquote peace talks. Right.

[Michael]

And his. I agree to the ceasefire. Depending on the details. Okay, that's. That's a funny phrase, but we'll get into that and a bunch of other things. Here's our text line 415295 KFTC.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

I agree to the ceasefire. It just depends on the details.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Michael]

I gotta remember that for future negotiations. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I agree to go to the ballet. Honey, it depends on the details. Got a lot to come. Very exciting. Clips of the week. Freedom loving. Quote of the day. Mailbag. Katie's got her headlines, but let's do it right now. It's a fun look back at the week that was. It's cow clips of the week. And I guess we're Gonna find out who was right. We're gonna release the animal spirits.

[JV]

Any other questions?

[Jack Armstrong]

Hello, everybody.

[Michael]

It's jv. I use they them or turtle for pron. I'm here in Ireland, moved here on January 15th.

[Katie]

I'm still battling with some of that guilt and that shame and that dysphoria that was projected onto me during that time.

[Michael]

This is a tornado.

[Jack Armstrong]

Seek shelter immediately.

[Michael]

Get under your desks, guys.

[Katie Green]

Anchors under the desks.

[Michael]

Oh, I needed to cancel it before I got the service to get the discount. You're only eligible for the discount if you're uninsured.

[Jack Armstrong]

No president in modern American history has.

[J.D. Vance]

Had a more eventful and consequential first seven weeks.

[JV]

Canada should honestly become our 51st state. It makes a lot of sense.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Canadians are always ready when someone.

[Michael]

Else drops the gloves.

[Katie]

President Trump has a clear message for.

[Michael]

Those that are in our country illegally.

[Jack Armstrong]

Leave now. The consumer price index shows annual inflation at 2.8%. Are you expecting a recession this year?

[JV]

I hate to predict things like that. I'm not like a block that just.

[Michael]

I won't delay up.

[JV]

I have. It's called flexibility. If you look at China, they have 100 year perspective. We have a quarter, we go by quarters.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I think he's right about that.

[Katie Green]

Our interest payments are higher than our Defense Department budget.

[Michael]

Budget.

[Katie Green]

That's, I think, was the real wake up call for me, which is most of the federal spending is entitlements. That, that's, that's like the big one to eliminate.

[Michael]

Tesla's a perfect example, what we're calling the Tesla Chainsaw Massacre.

[Jack Armstrong]

Musk says his social media platform X, or formerly known as Twitter, was hit by a cyber attack.

[Joe Getty]

A woman was arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails at the dealership and spray painting the word Nazi on the cars.

[JV]

He didn't have to do this. He didn't have to through this.

[Katie Green]

Look on the bright side.

[JV]

I mean, why, why are you doing this?

[Katie Green]

Always look on the. Always look on the bright side of life.

[JV]

Elon's a very special person.

[Jack Armstrong]

He is an albatross around Trump's neck.

[JV]

Now, here's the bad news. I'm not allowed to drive because if I haven't driven a car in a long time.

[Katie]

You gotta come down to White House. Tesla Auto Mall.

[JV]

I love Tesla.

[Katie]

You gotta come down to White House, Tesla Auto Mall.

[JV]

This is really amaz.

[Michael]

That fake Tesla ad is so funny. And it's got. It's all computer. It's all computer.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's bring that back. Let's play it early in the show. I think it was late yesterday.

[Michael]

Yeah, we'll do that next segment. If you haven't heard it, it's pretty good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Very, very funny. Here's a quick question for you before we get into the headlines. The the gal and other people who've been arrested for painting graffiti but throwing Molotov cocktails for a political reason, that.

[Michael]

Is political terrorism by definition.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, by the very legal definition. Will she be charged with that or some piddly ass little, you know, hurling a flaming bottle in a commercial zone? Mr. I wonder. All right, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie.

[Katie]

Thank you, guys. Let's start with abc. Schumer announces he'll vote to keep the government open, likely avoiding a shutdown.

[Michael]

And I guess some Democrats are angry with whatever you.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm going to call my children, tell them the national nightmare is over.

[Michael]

Yeah, you all enjoy gathering around the cable news station and listening to people Talk about this.

[Katie]

NBC Nearly 100 protesters arrested after sit in at Trump Tower to demand release of Khalil.

[Michael]

Yeah, we watched that happen yesterday. It was all so performative. They sang and danced and had snacks and then lined up to be arrested by the police who were like barely paying attention. Also, it was all just a dance.

[Jack Armstrong]

You gotta send in eight foot Baron with a big club, have them clear that place out the old way.

[Michael]

This is my tower.

[Jack Armstrong]

And if they're just arrested, not arrested and charged, who cares? That's nothing. It's performative.

[Katie]

As you said from the Washington Post, Columbia expels students over building takeover in pro Palestinian protests.

[Michael]

So it looks, looks like the Trump Crowd pulled back $400 million of federal funding to Columbia because you're outside of our rules. And then Columbia expelled a whole bunch of those students, had closed down stuff, finding various people, all kinds of the things that a lot of us wanted to happen. Now they're going to get their 400 million back. So it looks like it worked.

[Jack Armstrong]

There is a lot of progress on the trying to bring sanity to the colleges front. It's going to be a long, long fight, as I've said many times. But yeah, this is absolutely progress. And what a lot of these actions by the administration have done is they've empowered the sane people, the few sane people on campus to say, hey, he's right, this place is breaking down. Let's fix it. Love it. Love it.

[Katie]

From USA Today, Ukraine says that Putin's response to US cease fire plan is quote, very predictable. And manipulative.

[Michael]

Yeah, I've seen so many headlines suggesting that it means something. Again, you know, it's a joke, but it's real. He's agreed in principle to the ceasefire. It just depends on the details. Means nothing. It doesn't mean anything.

[Katie]

From Fox News, Hamas agrees to release Adan Alexander, the last living American hostage.

[Michael]

And they're releasing five hostages, four dead, one alive.

[Katie]

From the Wall Street Journal, Generation Xanax, the dark side of America's wonder drug.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I read this. I was going to bring it to everybody's attention a little bit later on. America's near automatic faith in turning to a pill on a variety of different topics.

[Michael]

Makes valerian root look like a Flintstone vitamin. Vitamin. I would have been good if I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Could have said it. Good idea. Damn it.

[Katie]

From Page Six. Tiger woods secretly dating Vanessa Trump.

[Michael]

Did you hear this?

[Katie]

They're a good match.

[Michael]

Vanessa Trump and Tiger woods are a couple and have been for quite a while.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which one's Vanessa?

[Katie]

I don't know.

I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Some hotties.

[Katie]

One of the hot ones.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah.

[Katie]

And finally, The Babylon B. NBA to allow LeBron James to play in giant hamster ball so other players can't touch him.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sounds about.

[Michael]

Oh, wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I swear, the Trump family raises hot little girls, like piglets. They have big barns full of them and they, they bring them upright and turn them loose on the world.

[Michael]

First of all, if you only procreate with supermodels, that helps the genetics. And then secondly, if you're not quite perfect, you start getting operations even in your teens to fix any flaws. So that's the way that works. We got a whole bunch of stuff on the way, including that fake Tesla ad, which is pretty funny.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg going on now with.

[Katie]

The White House Tesla Auto Mall. It's the biggest sale of the year.

[JV]

It's safe, it's very strong, heavy. It's all steel, stainless steel.

[Katie]

Come on down to Pennsylvania Avenue just off Route 29 to get our best deal ever on a brand new Tesla.

[JV]

I want to make a good deal here. They have one which is $35,000, which is pretty low.

[Katie]

Get a model one with a different panel and everything's computer.

[JV]

This is a different panel than I've had. Everything's computer.

[Katie]

So don't waste your time going to those other Tesla dealerships with riots and flaming cyber trucks. You gotta come down to White House Tesla Auto Mall.

[JV]

I love Tesla.

[Katie]

You gotta come down to White House Tesla Auto Mall.

[JV]

This is really amazing.

[Michael]

Everything's computer.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is funny.

[Michael]

I was on a Tesla Reddit thread last night doing research on something and the number of people that have to throw in a caveat apology for I bought my Tesla before and knew who Elon was. But I was wondering if you could, you know, that sort of thing. Have to throw in a little disclaimer because they're so ashamed.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I don't care what tribe you're in, I'm just asking about how to get more treble out of the stereo.

[Michael]

Yeah, exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

I. It's so tiresome. Speaking of business, I am struggling to find someone of heft in the business community or an analyst who says, hey, this tariff thing, it's gonna work out great. Everybody's gonna really appreciate it. I'm not saying there's nobody, but I'm struggling to find that. Well, we got word JD Vance, he of the articulate tongue, has more or less explained Trump's strategy and we are going to play that for you in a moment or two. But first, let's start with Jackie Henrich in 40. Michael, I didn't say we're not concerned.

[Michael]

I'm not concerned about the.

[Jack Armstrong]

A little bit of volatility.

[Vicki Nguyen]

Over three weeks, another day of market turbulence. Investors unnerved as 25% tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel went into effect, prompting protest from the European Union.

[Michael]

We call on the US to immediately.

[Vicki Nguyen]

Revoke the tariffs and retaliation the EU imposing its own charges on American imports, including bourbon.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here is Senator and noted lawn debris scatterer rand Paul in 41.

[Rand Paul]

The tariff wars are a big mistake and not good for my state. From bourbon distillers to car manufacturers to the makers of fences to the builders of homes to our farmers, nobody in Kentucky is coming up to me and say, please put tariffs on things.

[Jack Armstrong]

Horse meat exporters in Kentucky, I'm assuming.

[Michael]

Right, but. So you've got it. As always with any issue, it's tough to find a, a fair broker on their thoughts because politicians have to show they're reacting to people's immediate needs. Wall street or the stock market reacts to businesses quarterly needs and Trump's play is very long term, like decades maybe. So that's, that's the way it needs to be discussed, but it's hard to find anybody who wants to discuss it that way.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And it's difficult to find a political analyst. And I'm 100% open to this notion because I love the idea of thinking beyond the next election, actually planning for the future in a way that benefits America. But I can't find many if Any political analysts who say yes, in spite of Trump's extremely short Runway, cuz he'll be out of office in, you know, three and a half years, roughly. A super long term play will work for these reasons. Because the problem is, as much as I might want them to work, it won't bear enough fruit to gain public support in the time he has or perhaps even the time he and his successor have. But again, I've got a completely open mind about this stuff. I'm just, I'm not, I'm not finding that answer.

[Michael]

Well, it would help if the Trump White House stopped saying things that are completely ridiculous, like we're going to pay off the deficit with this or things like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is laughable. Yeah, yeah. Well, and then there's the circular, circular logic of, well, you've pointed out the fentanyl thing is just a pretext. This doesn't have anything to do with punishing people for fentanyl. It's country specifically. It's just about restructuring trade. One more 44. This is Vicki Nguyen on NBC.

[Vicki Nguyen]

Between new steel and aluminum tariffs and 25% tariffs on auto imports from Mexico and Canada set to start in April, one estimate says car prices could soon increase by as much as $12,000.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa. That's a good example of how the media operates. One estimate, right. I estimate it'll pick them by $14,000. Will you quote me now?

[Michael]

Right, so, right.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're going for the most exciting number they can. It's like weather forecasts. They never underestimate how bad storms are going to be.

[Michael]

But there's a, there's a damn good chance, as you've been saying now for a couple of weeks, that these new prices set in and everybody's like, holy crap. Oh yeah, what is going on here?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and particularly if the trade war endures for more than a couple of weeks.

[Michael]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Exporters and manufacturers are going to get murdered in the short term. But again, Trump's saying long term. And I'm not pooh, poohing the idea of a rise in price of car prices because aluminum and steel are incredibly important to manufacturing cars and we get most of it from, or a lot of it from overseas. More wood cars there. Wow, wow. Bring back the Woody. Surfing usa, man. Good times anyway, but it will have an effect, no doubt. So setting the scene by describing all of the angst. Here he is, the eloquent, the educated, the articulate J.D. vance.

[J.D. Vance]

First of all, I think the President's been very clear. He wants to impose tariffs on foreign Importers because he wants to bring investment and jobs back to the United States of America. So what I'd say to those business leaders is I think the President has actually been quite clear about what he wants to accomplish. Build more in the United States of America, invest more in the United States of America, raise wages for workers in the United States of America. Of America. And you don't have to pay these tariffs at all. There is, as the President has said, a recognition that we have to accept, which is that, look, Joe Biden left this economy in a disaster. He ran to the highest peacetime deficits we've ever had in this country. He left us with a significant debt crisis. And the President has come in and said, look, we have to accomplish a lot of things simultaneously. We have to bring down inflation, which I think we're making some good progress on. We have to actually ensure critical government, government services like Social Security and the military function for the American people. And we also have to force businesses to invest more, not overseas, not in Chinese workers, but in American workers.

[Michael]

So Mark Halpern wrote in his newsletter today that that was one of Vance's best moments as a vice president so far, trying to explain the tariffs to maga, Wall street and the suburbs. He doesn't, you know, maybe politically you just can't get into the long term pain it would take. Yeah. To accomplish this. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

He threw in, you know, we're doing a good job battling inflation there. There is nobody, but nobody who doesn't say even if this is a good idea and it works, it will drive up prices significantly for a very long time.

[Michael]

Wow. You know, the, the, the persuadables, as they call them, the, the chunk of the country, however big it is, that, but kind of goes by gas prices and grocery prices and that sort of stuff. And that's how they vote. They don't have any other ideology. Man, they could turn fast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Yeah. And again, as a guy with an open mind on this stuff, and I understand how globalization has failed American workers and gotten us intertwined with the evil Chinese in a way that is completely unhealthy. So I would like this stuff to work in a good way. But there's just no arguing with the idea that globalization as we knew it for the last 50 years has brought us cheap goods. And uncoupling from that, even in a smart way, even partially, will raise the price of goods. It will make life more expensive. It will raise inflation. It will cause some pain in the pocketbook. And I just wonder, I wonder a. If it'll work at all. And B, if the American people will put up with the. It's like a version of an austerity plan that's necessary to get it up and going. I just don't know.

[Michael]

And this is more. This is still somewhat theoretical as opposed to like I was listening to a podcast yesterday or talking about. Reagan gave a big speech in the early 80s when he came in and they just jacked up interest rates like crazy because inflation was so high. And he gave a speech about how this is the way to kill off inflation. It's going to be brutal for a while. You know, hang with it and it'll bring down inflation. And his approval rating went way down there in his first term. But it worked. It killed off inflation and then the economy roared and you know, he won 49 states a couple years later. But killing off inflation, you can do pretty fast. Raising interest rates the way they did. Restructuring the global economy versus China. Can you do it at all? And how long would it take is a.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well and versus Canada and Mexico.

[Michael]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And France and England. I mean it's not all the evildoers. It's. It's a lot of our best buddies. And yeah, I just. And if it's the idea is moving toward reciprocal tariffs or no tariffs, which is sometimes the reasoning the White House gives, then we'd be negotiating that as opposed to just putting huge tariffs on and explaining how that's going to balance the budget and bring manufacturing back. Which of those goals is it? Because those are two very different goals.

[Michael]

I need to talk to my dad about this. He follows economics a lot more than I do. Dad, I'm going to call you today and talk to you about tariffs. So be prepared. That'll be, you know, and the grandkids. Tariffs, mostly tariffs. Just, you know, I'm trying to figure out are there. Are there magas in the stock market who are willing to. Who feel like, yeah, this is a good long term play. I don't know if you make long term plays when you're 87, dad, but are there people out there, you know, that are super maga that think I'm, I'm in, I'm in. I understand the long term restructuring of the world economy. It's going to take a while.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right, right. You know, man, I don't. Because I don't want to be knee jerk negative for a number of reasons because I like the idea of on shoring a lot of critical industries and.

[Michael]

We need to recognize the restructuring of the world because it's Just happening whether you like, whether you recognize it or not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The concern I have, which I have not fully articulated until this moment, is that we will go through a process of enduring the short term pain disruption and, you know, however bad that pain is, and then abandon the plan and not get the long term benefit from it.

[Michael]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

You'll undergo the painful procedure and die anyway.

[Michael]

Right. I'm trying to think of some examples. Doesn't really need one because that, that spells it out pretty good. Because there's lots of things you do in life, like you, you know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

You take. Maybe you're taking Ozempic and trying to lose weight or something like that, but if you don't, you know, follow through on various things, it doesn't make any difference. Thinking about people who take legal or illegal ways to like, grow muscle but don't work out. So they take this stuff but they don't actually work out.

[Jack Armstrong]

And so you get all the downside is shrunken testicles.

[Michael]

Yeah, you get all the downside with none of the upside. Yeah, we'll see. This is gonna be fun to watch, isn't it? No, no, it's not gonna be fun to watch. Gonna be miserable.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. On a strictly academic level, yes. If you're like crazy independently wealthy, yeah. That'll be interesting for the rest of us.

[Michael]

Well, imagine where the media is going to handle it if cars go up $6,000 a car on average or more. Imagine the way the media is going to hammer that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, yeah. And that's why I'm so painstakingly trying to sound neutral on this, and I am neutral on this, is because they will stoke up fear. They're already doing it as fast and as hot as they can downplay any benefits completely. They'll be completely dishonest at every moment.

[Michael]

March Madness is in full sway. Brackets get set up on Sunday. Just came across some information about legal gambling all across the country, which is a fairly new thing, and the gazillions of dollars we all spend on it and what all that means. Maybe we'll talk about that a little bit later as you head into March Madness weekend. We got Mailbag on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

So it's Friday. Drove to work on Friday like I always do on Fridays, jamming music instead of listening. News I had Tom Petty blasting and I was really enjoying myself. Everything like that. So it's surprising to me that I'm saying this, but I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a department in the US government. That is probably one you don't know anything about and I don't know anything about. And it's probably what has made you miserable more than practically anything else in your life. And the Trump crowd is trying to reform. And it's really interesting. We, we all, I mean even those of us who pay close attention understand so little about what is going on in our contrillion dollar government.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would agree. I've got another example of that. We can squeeze in next hour. Hope you can get next hour. If you don't grab the podcast Armstrong and get you On Demand. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day. Taking a break from our series from Teddy Roosevelt because I love John's quote from Mark Twain that he just sent along. The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you found out why.

[Michael]

The day you found out why.

[Jack Armstrong]

And we're not talking sperm meets egg. We're talking about the purpose of your life. The day you figure out, hey, this is why I'm here. If you have not yet made that discovery, I wish you Godspeed on your journey, my friend.

[Michael]

To give people medium amusement on the radio. Is that why I'm here?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's roughly yes. Yes. Mailbag, drop us note mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com is the email address. Matt. Beautiful Palm Desert, Kel. Unicornia says, guys, just listening to the One More Thing podcast. That's right. We have our Armstrong and Getty on demand. Armstrong getting One More Thing Thing. It's all kind of more or less.

[Michael]

The same by the way there in Palm Desert. You can listen live on. We're gonna be on in Bakersfield soon, so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, we have a handful of stations in that part of the state. Yeah, it's fabulous. Thank you. It's an honor to be on all of them. Anyway, so, yeah, dig the One More Thing podcast. Sometimes there are swears on it and he said it made me realize what a wonderful time to be alive during you guys broadcasting. Then he says stuff even nicer than that that's kind of embarrassing. But Matt, I've read it. I've embraced it. I'll sleep with your note under my pillow. Thank you for the kind words. Yeah. Zach, on the other hand, you got Tim, who writes here at Armstrong and Getty. We take a backseat to no one in our climate change ignorance. That's why we totally embrace the environment's worst enemy, Lee Zeldin, the new head of the EPA who will swiftly return us to the golden Age of toxins and assorted pollutants. Of all the rotten appointments of this administration, this one stinks more than any of them. Soon we'll be masking up again. But it won't be for Covid Dumb and Dumber, AKA Aang, because he's gonna.

[Michael]

Do away with electric car mandates.

[Jack Armstrong]

Among other things. Yeah, yeah. I enjoy Tim's emails. He. He hates us and politics, but still listens. Thank you, Tim. Note from Zach here. Valerian sucks. We've been talking about valerian root. This week I had two of the.

[Michael]

Greatest nights of sleep I've ever had. But then it's like being drugged all day long. Katie almost died, her heart racing. We don't know if it's the valerian root, but we suspected.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, let's see. He writes. And apologies for the mild obscenities here. It gives you weird ass dreams and can be liver toxic in addition to the all the other weird side effects. Like giving Katie's heart a panic attack. My recommendation works pretty well for me as a terrible sleeper is magnesium glycinate, theanine and melatonin. You can find supplements that have all of them.

[Michael]

Apparently I took magnesium last night, but the melatonin. I worry because then. Then does your brain stop producing the amount of melatonin it used to and you end up always having to take melatonin? That's what I'm concerned about.

[Jack Armstrong]

I do not know. Let's see. Do we have time for the. Oh, okay. Greg writes guys about the guy who was shot by his dog. Can't believe you haven't figured out the real story. The girl in his bed shot him. Then they blamed it on the dog like people do after passing gas. So why would he go along with that story? Well, obviously because he is a guy and I can't read that because, you know, it's girl in his bed. He wants her to come back even though she shot him in the leg.

[Michael]

Yeah, well, I kind of suspected that. That there's something along those lines at the beginning. And they. They had to to avoid some sort of federal gun charges. Blame it on the dog.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Then two great emails we don't have time for. Have to squeeze them in next hour.

[Michael]

I lost my head. You lost your head? We'd been drinking. You shot me. Let's blame it on the dog, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. Hey, you're hot. I'm kind of hot. Let's. Let's see if we can patch this thing up.

[Michael]

Or at least someone willing to have sex with me. If you missed a segment. Get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. More on the way.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.