Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: If Anyone Pinches You, Loosen Their Teeth (March 17, 2026)

Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This episode covers a breaking political resignation, shifts in American attitudes toward Israel, skepticism toward St. Patrick's Day traditions, America’s changing economic energy dependencies, and several oddball crime stories. Throughout, Jack and Joe mix headline commentary with irreverent banter, offering both sharp takes and comic relief.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Air Travel Woes & Congressional Inaction

• Starts with jokes about the New York Half Marathon and U.S. airport chaos due to mass delays (01:29).
  • Jack: “Some of those scenes from airports...just the pictures from the airports with the security lines going out the door and down the street all across the country. Looks miserable to be traveling by air.” (01:46)
• Explains TSA funding crises, congressional gridlock, and political blame games (02:19).
  • Joe: “Democrats are saying we offered a bill to fund only the TSA, but they want to...completely change how [ICE] operates...So they’re using the TSA as leverage, but people aren’t getting that word.” (02:19)
  • Media perspectives diverge; MSNBC blames Republicans, Fox touches on it reluctantly" (02:57).

2. Breaking News: US Counterterrorism Official Resigns Over “Iran War”

• Joe Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigns, claiming the war with Iran is due to Israeli lobbying and that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US (03:47).
  • Jack reads Kent’s statement: “Pressure from Israel had pushed President Trump into war against Iran and [Kent] can’t be part of it...It’s clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” (03:47)
  • Joe: “That is something…fairly ridiculous what he said. The idea that we’re not under any imminent threat from Iran?” (04:39)
• Hosts analyze Kent’s claim, tracing rising skepticism about Israel among both far-right MAGA voters and the left (05:02).

3. American Attitudes Toward Israel: Poll Results & Historical Perspective

• Cites an NBC News poll: Americans’ negative views of Israel have dramatically increased across age groups since 2023 (05:02).
  • Jack: “Ages 18 to 34...from 37% [negative] to 63%. Next group, 35 to 49, it's 10 points worse. Ages 50 to 64, doubled from 15 to 30...Older crowd, 12 to 21.” (05:02)
• Joe blames youth “indoctrination” but notes rising negativity among all groups (06:15).
  • “Americans love dead Jews...sympathize when they’re being hunted...But when Jews defend themselves, everyone says, ‘Oh you’re being a bully.’” – Joe (06:26)

4. Debate on Influence of the Israel Lobby (AIPAC)

• Counters the narrative that AIPAC has outsized control over US policy, citing relative lobbying spending (11:58).
  • Joe: “AIPAC ranked roughly 74th among domestic lobbyists...compared to the US Chamber of Commerce at 96 million, National Association of Realtors at 86 million...APAC accounts for roughly 1/10 of 1%...” (11:58)

5. Who Is Joe Kent?

• Former Trump appointee, key advisor to Tulsi Gabbard, 11 combat deployments, Gold Star husband (15:37, 17:01).
  • His positions: critical of Israel, controversial views on Islam, believes Jan 6th arrestees are “political prisoners” (“1-6 denier”) (21:23).
  • Predicted by hosts to become a darling for anti-war media (“he’ll have his own show on MSNBC in prime time by next week” – Jack, 11:58).

6. St. Patrick’s Day: Cultural Satire

• Jokes about traditions—pinching, wearing green, and the Americanization of a foreign holiday (25:01).
  • Joe: “There’s virtually nothing about St. Patrick’s Day that I don’t find idiotic.” (25:17)
  • Jack: “Honoring the great St. Patrick who fought the Battle of Bunker Hill, signed the Declaration of Independence, and freed the snakes...” (25:58)
  • Notes that in Ireland, it's not nearly as big a deal (26:53).

7. America’s Decreased Oil Dependency

• Despite Persian Gulf conflict, the US economy is less sensitive to oil price hikes because it is more service- and less energy-intensive (27:58).
  • “Our economy now largely depends on services...114 million jobs in services and only 21 million in goods-producing sectors...much more oil efficient” – Joe (29:24)
  • EVs and higher gas mileage help mitigate global energy disruptions’ impact.

8. Generalization vs. Specialization

• Worries about loss of "generalist" skills among Americans, referencing evolutionary biology (31:23).
  • Jack: “The only animals that have survived...were generalists. They could do lots of different things. Animals that are specialists don’t survive...” (31:21)

9. Weird Crimes Segment

• Odd news of the day:
  • Man arrested in Nairobi for smuggling 2200 live garden ants out of Kenya (35:44).
    • Joe: “Investigators found 2238 ants...Who was in charge of counting them? ‘Can I investigate a murder or something?’” (36:40)
  • Head priest of Pittsburgh Episcopal Church caught stealing over $1000 in baseball cards from Walmart (37:30).
    • Jack: “That’s gotta be one of those [cases where] you’re stealing for the thrill of it...” (38:16)

10. Quick Hits & Teasers

• Social media poll: Democrats asked who scares them more—“Allahu Akbar” shouters or “Up With Trump” (beginning of Hour 3 preview, 33:41).
• American festivals (Columbus, St. Patrick’s Day) created to win ethnic voting blocs (27:34).
• Joke about March Madness: Office winner gets a gallon of gas due to high prices (33:46).
• American jobs and the service economy: “We’re not going to defeat [China] with gym memberships.” – Joe (30:53)

Notable Quotes & Moments

“Americans love dead Jews...But when the Jews stand up for themselves and defend themselves, everybody says, ‘Oh, you’re being a bully.’”
— Joe Getty (06:26)

“For him to say Iran was not an imminent threat is one thing. To say that we were pushed in it by Israel, that we’re dancing to Israel's tune...that’s a heck of a thing.”
— Jack Armstrong (13:00)

“There’s virtually nothing about St. Patrick’s Day that I don’t find idiotic.”
— Joe Getty (25:17)

“If anyone pinches you, loosen their teeth.”
— Joe Getty, offering advice about St. Patrick’s Day traditions (25:05)

“The only animals that have survived, evolutionary speaking, were generalists...Animals that are specialists don’t survive the same way.”
— Jack Armstrong (31:21)

“We're not going to defeat [China] with gym memberships.”
— Joe Getty on the service economy limiting America’s self-sufficiency (30:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Airport meltdown & gridlock – 01:29
• Announcement of Kent resignation – 03:47
• American attitudes toward Israel poll – 05:02
• Discussion of anti-Semitic tropes/AIPAC influence – 11:58
• Joe Kent’s bio & controversial stances – 15:37, 21:23
• St. Patrick’s Day skepticism & jokes – 25:01
• US oil dependency & service economy – 27:58
• Discussion on societal specialization – 31:21
• Weird crimes: ant smuggling/baseball card theft – 35:44, 37:30

Summary

This episode navigates a swirl of grim breaking news—Joe Kent’s anti-Israel resignation and the fraught politics it triggers—while delving into American public opinion shifts, debunking Israel lobby myths, and poking fun at St. Patrick’s Day customs. Listeners also get oddball news of ant smuggling and church theft, reflections on America’s economic transformation, and the classic Armstrong & Getty blend of wit and pointed cultural critique.