I'll Be In The Woods Watching The Squirrels Cavort If You Need Me

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "I'll Be In The Woods Watching The Squirrels Cavort If You Need Me" – July 15, 2025

In this engaging episode of the official Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a variety of compelling topics, ranging from breaking political news to the enduring allure of conspiracy theories. Here's a comprehensive summary of the episode's key discussions, insights, and conclusions.

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I. Opening News Bits

A. Trump and Zelensky on Weapon Discussions ([00:16])

The episode kicks off with Jack Armstrong highlighting a significant development in international politics:

"Trump talked to Zelensky about weapons to fire into Moscow and St. Petersburg. Maybe we'll get to a little more of that later, but that seems like a pretty big development." ([00:16])

This intriguing snippet sets the stage for the episode's exploration of political maneuvers and their broader implications.

B. Stevie Wonder’s Rumors About His Vision ([00:16])

Following political news, Armstrong and Getty shift to a lighter yet curious topic:

"Stevie Wonder addresses the rumors that he's not blind. I didn't realize that... Shaquille O'Neal... called everybody he knew that night to tell him that story." ([00:16])

This anecdote about Shaq and Stevie Wonder introduces a playful debate about the musician's visual capabilities, blending humor with a touch of skepticism.

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II. Main Discussion: Conspiracy Theories and the Epstein Case

A. Defining Conspiracy Theories ([02:50] – [03:01])

Jack Armstrong initiates a nuanced conversation on conspiracy theories:

"There are beyond question Looney Tunes conspiracy theories... but... there is a tendency among certain groups of people to call everything that questions power a conspiracy theory, even though A, the theory is correct and B, there is a conspiracy." ([03:01])

This distinction draws a line between unfounded theories and legitimate conspiracies rooted in factual collaboration for illicit purposes.

B. Psychological Appeal of Conspiracy Theories ([03:01] – [07:47])

Joe Getty elaborates on why conspiracy theories captivate so many:

"There are a handful of different psychological truths... Just a need for understanding and control... Pattern recognition... Psychological benefits." ([06:51])

He explains that conspiracy theories offer clear explanations for chaotic events, fulfill a human need to recognize patterns, and provide psychological comfort by making believers feel special and part of an exclusive group.

Armstrong adds:

"It can ease anxiety... It feels good to be part of a team rationalizing belief." ([07:45])

These insights underscore the deep-rooted psychological mechanisms that make conspiracy theories persist despite lack of evidence.

C. Societal and Media Influences ([08:04] – [09:03])

The hosts discuss how societal distrust and media portrayal fuel conspiracy beliefs:

"Conspiracy theories can spread through social networks... Confirmation bias... Susceptibility to misinformation." ([09:13])

Armstrong shares personal experiences:

"I don't think it's true. I don't think the Democratic Party in Hollywood are involved in hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked for sex. I don't believe that at all." ([23:22])

This skepticism highlights the challenges in discerning credible information amidst a sea of misinformation.

---

III. Polling and Media Coverage on Epstein

A. Media Bias: Fox vs. CNN/MSNBC ([12:36] – [24:31])

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the divergent media coverage of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Armstrong notes:

"Fox News isn't talking about Epstein. MSNBC and CNN are endlessly talking about Epstein." ([12:36])

Joe Getty references a recent poll:

"Poll just came out like just moments ago. More Democrats and Republicans by far that think the Epstein thing is being hidden." ([12:36])

They interpret this as a reflection of media outlets' differing agendas, with Fox potentially downplaying the issue to protect certain interests, while left-leaning networks amplify it to target political opponents.

B. Polling Data: Democrats vs. Republicans ([24:13] – [26:37])

Further analyzing polling data, Getty shares:

"Are you unhappy with the federal government's handling of the Epstein files? For Democrats it's 56. For Republicans it's 40." ([26:37])

This data suggests a broader concern among Democrats compared to Republicans regarding the transparency and effectiveness of the government's investigation into Epstein, challenging prevailing narratives within political factions.

---

IV. Personal Anecdotes and Reflections

A. Family Experiences with Scams ([11:27] – [12:00])

Joe Getty shares personal insights into combating scams, reflecting on raising children with diverse susceptibilities:

"I have three children... one of my kids is very, very susceptible to scams... another kid who I gotta believe could not be scammed." ([11:27])

This personal touch underscores the importance of education and resilience in the face of deceptive practices prevalent in today's digital age.

B. Handling Conspiracy Theories in Personal Life ([34:10] – [33:08])

Armstrong and Getty discuss the broader societal impact:

"Nobody believes anything ever from anyone... The Internet has fed just mountains of steroids to tendencies that exist." ([33:03])

They express concern over the erosion of trust and the challenges it poses to societal cohesion and effective governance.

---

V. Stevie Wonder’s Spatial Radar and Potential Vision ([15:30] – [18:32])

Shifting to a more uplifting topic, the hosts explore Stevie Wonder's remarkable abilities:

"He developed something... called spatial radar. If you close your eyes and put your hands in front of you and then talk and then remove your hands, it'll sound different." ([17:38])

This discussion highlights how individuals with visual impairments can develop enhanced auditory and spatial skills, challenging misconceptions and celebrating human adaptability.

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VI. Future Implications and Final Thoughts

A. Impact on Society and Trust in Institutions ([32:46] – [34:10])

Armstrong and Getty ponder the future:

"With the Internet and AI, nobody believes anything ever... Most voters are older and get their news from gatekeepers, but younger individuals rely on diverse, often unverified sources." ([34:10])

They contemplate a society where trust is fragmented, and the traditional role of authoritative news sources diminishes, leading to potential challenges in governance and social unity.

B. The Role of Technology ([37:17] – [40:06])

The conversation briefly touches upon technological advancements:

"If Elon could stop doing politics, his neural link might solve that problem for everybody who's blind." ([18:51])

This reflects optimism about emerging technologies addressing long-standing challenges, such as visual impairments.

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VII. Concluding Remarks

In their final segments, Armstrong and Getty offer personal reflections and humorous takes on everyday topics, maintaining a balance between serious discourse and lighthearted banter. They emphasize the importance of staying informed, critical thinking, and the enduring human spirit amid a rapidly changing informational landscape.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Conspiracy theories often provide a clear, if even if often unfounded, explanation for events that are confusing, frightening, or seem random." – Joe Getty ([04:53])

• "Believing in a conspiracy theory can make individuals feel special, knowledgeable, and part of an exclusive group with privileged access to the truth." – Joe Getty ([06:51])

• "Nobody believes anything ever from anyone." – Jack Armstrong ([33:03])

• "How do you make the leap from [Epstein's fraudulent finances] to hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked by the Clintons?" – Jack Armstrong ([31:18])

---

This episode of Armstrong & Getty effectively navigates complex and sensitive topics, providing listeners with thoughtful analysis and diverse perspectives. By dissecting the psychological underpinnings of conspiracy theories and scrutinizing media biases, the hosts encourage a more informed and critical approach to consuming information in today's digital age.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at.

[Unknown]

The George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty. So here's two. Couple of things real quick before we get to the meat. One newsworthy breaking news today. Trump talked to Zelensky about weapons to fire into Moscow and St. Petersburg. Maybe we'll get to a little more of that later, but that seems like a pretty big development. This story, not important. Stevie Wonder addresses the rumors that he's not blind. I didn't realize that. Shaquille o' Neal a couple of years ago says Stevie Wonder got on an elevator with him and said, hey, Shaq, what's up, big dog? I'm a big fan. Pressed the button on the elevator, got out of the elevator and walked to his room. Shaq says he called everybody he knew that night to tell him that story.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, I guess I'll stay tuned, but is it possible Stevie Wonder is just like mildly nearsighted? Somebody thought, yeah, he's a musical genius teenager, but we need a little better hook. Let's see.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a funny Shaq story.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I'd love to hear him telling it too, in that shack voice. So in a non coincidence. But now I'll just dive into it. We've been talking a fair amount about the Jeffrey Epstein thing and there are all sorts of opinions from really interesting sources on what the truth is, what it might be, whether it should be revealed, if there's anything there. Just it's, it's got a. Just a life of, of its own. I want to talk about conspiracy theories and why they're so appealing. Here's the caveat, though. There are beyond question Looney Tunes conspiracy theories, rabbit holes of the QAnon sort that, that are to me indisputably conspiracy theories. And they're often used to profit from people who tend to fall for this sort of stuff. On the other hand, there is a tendency among certain groups of people to call everything that questions power a conspiracy theory, even though A, the theory is correct and B, there is a conspiracy. People acting together for an illegal or unsavory goal. That's what a conspiracy is. So I, I try to be careful about what I call a conspiracy theory.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I remember when this progressive friend of mine hit me with the C word. I think for the first time in my life when I brought up the idea that China was involved in helping, getting fentanyl or whatever it takes to make fentanyl Into Mexico and then it getting across the border. Wow, that's some conspiracy you believe in. No, it's.

[Joe Getty]

It's a thing that's documentable. I remember the idea that the COVID virus leaked from the Wuhan lab was aggressively labeled a conspiracy theory, not only by the medical establishment and Fauci and Collins and all of those burks, the scarf lady, but by like the entirety of the media said that was a ludicrous and racist conspiracy theory. So hey, my. My caveat is watch what you call a conspiracy theory. Having said that, here's why they're so appealing. It's a handful of different psychological truths and. And I was reminded that I had this in my back pocket by our discussing the witches of Etsy and these people who paid $13 for a s a spell on Etsy and got a job offer three days later and attribute it to the witch. 3. Three main items. Number one, a need for understanding and control. It explains the unexplained. Conspiracy theories often provide a clear, if even if often unfounded explanation for events that are confusing, frightening, or seem random. And they offer a sense of control by suggesting that powerful groups are orchestrating events rather than random chaos or just the sort of greed and dishonesty that humans always engage in.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, random chaos. Or my example is always we, we, we. Apparently a lot of us can't handle the idea of like one bad guy doing something or a couple of bad guys. Like, you know, the assassination of Trump. It can't just be one nut job. Change world history. That can't be. That's too frightening to deal with. So it's got to be some giant conspiracy or even 9, 11. It can't just be 20 Muslim fanatic nut jobs hijacking plane. It's got to be a much bigger inside something or other.

[Joe Getty]

Right? In spite of the reams and reams of evidence.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. I guess that makes some of us feel better.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and the other thing is, and I may be jumping the gun on this, but if there is an identifiable evildoer or group, you can do something about it. If it's just the sort of greed, imperfection, complacency, stupidity, perversion, etc. That humans have all the time and always will, you can't defeat that. You can work against it and try to limit it, protect individuals and the folks in your town or the members of your church or whatever, but you can't like bring a Jeffrey Epstein down and end child sex trafficking. And that's. That's hard for people to take and I'm not saying necessarily everything about Epstein's a quote unquote conspiracy theory, like I said earlier. Anyway, also, and here's how the witches of Etsy reminded me of this. Pattern recognition. Humans are wired to seek patterns, and conspiracy theories can fulfill this need, even if the patterns are illusory. You're connecting dots that shouldn't be connected. They're just. They're. They're both true, but they have nothing to do with each other. Psychological benefits of conspiracy theories. Believing in a conspiracy theory can make individuals feel special, knowledgeable, and part of an exclusive group with privileged access to the truth. It boosts your self esteem.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I've known a couple of people that they didn't. Their lives were not going very well and they were into that, and I think it was, you know, it's a salve for that sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well, and in a related topic, social bonding theories can create a sense of belonging and solidarity, community among those who share the belief, reinforcing social bonds. It feels good to be part of a team rationalizing belief. It can help folks rationalize their existing beliefs and behaviors, even though when those beliefs are unsupported by evidence and in. And it can reduce anxiety. In some cases, conspiracy theories can provide a sense of closure and reduce anxiety by offering a seemingly logical explanation for events and as I said before, a possibility of doing something about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that does ease anxiety in that, like, if just a random nut job in any town in America could change world history by killing a president.

[Joe Getty]

That's hard to take.

[Jack Armstrong]

Versus, you know, major forces involved.

[Joe Getty]

Social and cultural polls of conspiracy theories. It can be fueled by a general distrust of institutions, governments, or established narratives.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, I've got plenty of that.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, Perfectly legitimate. In a hell of a lot of cases. Not only legitimate, but like, admirable and desirable. We need that. Our founding papas told us question power constantly. That's not a bad thing. Dr. Fauci, I'm trying to think if.

[Jack Armstrong]

There are any conspiracy. Conspiracy theories that I'm like, at least open to or do you have any that you're.

[Joe Getty]

I'd have to think about it, but yeah, I'm sure. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know if I do.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, there's some I. I reject outright with a loud guffaw, including like 9, 11 or the moon landing or whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Flat earth.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's no such thing as the birds. They're all CIA drones. Yes, Michael.

[Joe Getty]

Sports. No, I believe that one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sports.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Referees, conspiracies all the time. Whether it's the NBA or NFL.

[Jack Armstrong]

You think you buy into that?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, Jack, you say that. Yeah. The league wants New York and LA to play, so there go the calls against Indiana or whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think that's just true.

[Joe Getty]

There you go. All right, so that one.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think this just because there's too much money on the line, but I could be wrong.

[Joe Getty]

There you go. Distrust of authority is. Is healthy, as we were saying, you know, to some extent, confirmation bias. Here's where they. Well, people are more likely to seek out and believe information that confirms their existing beliefs, even if the information is false. And you feed people that over and over again to keep them coming back to your site or your podcast or whatever. Social influence Conspiracy theories can spread through social networks, especially when shared among friends, family or online communities.

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like. I feel like I've got one, but I just can't quite. I'll think of it.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and some people aren't as good at critical thinking than others. Some individuals struggle to critically evaluate information and distinguish between credible sources and not credible sources, solid information and misinformation. Of course, again, you have the authorities, which we've agreed we should question, spent years telling you that absolute truths were misinformation. So I understand it's hard to talk people out of quote, unquote conspiracy theories because, you know, in recent history, there's been monumental dishonesty by the authorities. Also, susceptibility to misinformation can make some folks more vulnerable to accepting conspiracy theories without proper scrutiny. So, in summary, the appeal of conspiracy theories is a combination of psychological needs, social factors, cognitive biases. I have three children that I raised. I love them all very, very much. They're very different than each other. One of my kids is very, very susceptible to scams. And we've worked very hard on beefing up the skill set of identifying them and resisting them for various social, psychological, neurological reasons. Um, I have another kid who I gotta believe could not be scammed if the world's greatest scammer were to spend five years trying. The children from the same parents, raised in the same household. So I, you know, the longer I live and the more I see, believe it or not, if you listen to the show, the less judgmental I get about personal characteristics. We're born with a hell of a lot of them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, we are.

[Joe Getty]

And to me, I'll hear, like, the QAnon thing. We had a couple of listeners who were absolutely adamant about it. They explained it to me. They. They showed me the websites, the links, the predictions, and said Just wait. And so I did, and I waited and I checked back and I saw a couple of things kind of happening and certain things clearly not happening, but then the explanation of why they didn't happen and how that's proof that blah blah, blah. And I'm not bragging, but I'm very good at identifying bull s. And I thought that's, that's bull spit. And I can tell you exactly what kind of bull spit it is. It's circular logic and explaining away being wrong by saying you're right because of this. That no, I can tell when I'm being led down the garden path. And I was like, this stuff is a joke. But some people, they don't have that. It's like being able to run fast or shoot a basketball. It just, it's just a reality of humankind and the Internet has fed it just mountains of steroids, whatever tendencies exist.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, we'll do a little Epstein coming up later this hour. I mean, there's a chunk of the MAGA crowd that's really, really into this. But a poll just came out like just moments ago. It's more Democrats and Republicans by far that think the Epstein thing is being hidden. So that kind of flies in the face of everything I've been told on left. Because Fox isn't talking about Epstein. MSNBC and CNN are endlessly talking about Epstein.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, just the right wingy Internet is. But that's because Fox is mainstream and they're trying to protect.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. They're in on it.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anyway, so we got more on that later. Not next. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Unknown]

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[Jack Armstrong]

So Stevie Wonders who musician whose heyday was in the 60s and 70s, really, I guess. Only he had some hits in the 80s anyway.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And he's beloved till today. I mean he's a legend and he.

[Jack Armstrong]

Was a child prodigy. He was one of those little kids that could dance and sing and play any instrument as a child and was blind. Which, you know, added to the story.

[Joe Getty]

Obviously, by the way, in a song that some heard. But we can't feature on the podcast because of licensing laws. Stevie is playing the Clavenet bass line and playing the drums on that song. And it's one of the greatest grooves in the history of pop music. Guy. Insane musician, just fabulous.

[Jack Armstrong]

So there's been this rumor slash joke going around for years. This TV Wonder isn't actually blind and he's played into the joke for decades for, for whatever reason. And he's been on Colbert and Jimmy Fallon and Kimmel talking about it and they make jokes and he makes jokes and all that sort of stuff. And I just told you the story. Shaq claims that Stevie Wonder recognized him on an elevator, pressed the button, got off the elevator and walked to his room. So I don't, I don't know if Shaq's just playing along too or, you know, everybody gets the joke. Anyway, Stevie Wonder did an interview, although he doesn't get, he doesn't say at any point in this particular interview that he's completely blind. Because you can be. The term legally blind is a thing where you, you can't see enough to weather Drive or just all kinds of different things. But you. You see light and dark and colors. Maybe there's all kinds of levels of blind, including completely blind. He doesn't get into that, so I don't. I wonder if maybe he's got some sight. Doesn't matter. He said he. He went blind shortly after he was born and his mom was very upset and cried every night for a very long time till he finally got convinced her to stop and told her that God must have some other plan for him. And then, you know, he got into music and all that whole sort of thing happened. But he said he developed something, and I'd never heard this before. He said blind people regularly develop this thing called spatial radar. He said if you close your eyes and put your hands in front of you and then talk and then remove your hands, it'll sound different.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because of the way sound bounces off of things. And he said in that way you can recognize where, like, walls are indoors and stuff like that by just hearing sounds that. The steps, your. Your footsteps bouncing off the walls. I suppose you do get, you know, you lose one sense and your other senses increase. That's well known.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. I 100% believe that. That, that absolutely, you know, coincides with everything I've ever learned about audio production. And, you know, just even doing this job, you can't. You can't be in a live room with a lot of reflective surfaces. You can hear it.

[Jack Armstrong]

But that would explain some things that you see him or maybe other blind people do that you think, wait a second, you're not blind? No. Because they picked up their footsteps off of that door or wall in a way that you don't. Or they're tuned into it, hence the.

[Joe Getty]

Tapping of a cane as well. Oh, I'm just feeling your way. It's like echo location.

[Jack Armstrong]

Interesting.

[Joe Getty]

From what we are. Our next door neighbor was blind for a couple of years. Judy and I lived in beautiful Salina, Kansas, and she explained some of this stuff to me ages ago.

[Jack Armstrong]

They were your neighbor for a couple of years or they were blind for a couple of years.

[Joe Getty]

For the. They were blind for quite some time, from what I understand. They were our neighbor for about a year, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

And if Elon could stop doing politics, his neural link might solve that problem for everybody who's blind. They're certainly working on that. Wouldn't that be an amazing miracle if that can ever happen? The reaction of some people at this MAGA convention about Epstein is something. And then some new polling that's out about it and I still don't completely get the fascination with this story. It concerns me zero but some of you it really does. So stay tuned.

[Unknown]

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[Joe Getty]

Honestly, I'm done talking about Epstein.

[Jack Armstrong]

For the time being. I'm going to trust my friends, the administration. I'm going to trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done. Solve it.

[Joe Getty]

Balls in their hands. I've said plenty this last weekend.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's Charlie Kirk who needs no introduction for some of you, some of you don't know who he is, but he's a big deal in MAGA circles and he had a big event over the weekend with. He's really big with the younger crowd. Laura Ingram, who you probably do know if you ever watch Fox or listen to the radio. She was there at the Charlie Kirk event and kind of polled the crowd about the Epstein topic. How many of you are satisfied? You can.

[Joe Getty]

You can clap.

[Unknown]

Satisfied with the results of the Epstein investigation?

[Jack Armstrong]

Clap.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, I told you to clap. You guys aren't listening. I'm not going to grade you on a curve.

[Unknown]

So I was going to get to that.

[Joe Getty]

How many of you are not satisfied with the results of the investigation?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's fairly thunderous applause at that particular gathering. Now, I was watching Mark Halperin's video cast the other day and his group of people, and he's a reporter, and his sense from Matt and other polling and just anecdotally, is that it's really big with the young MAGA base. The Epstein thing, I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's just because it's almost entirely an online creation. In my mind, it's a conspiracy and it's not true. Most of the things that people think. And that's almost entirely online.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, well, I gotta stop you. We gotta come up with a different term.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

You believe it's a conspiracy. You mean like an. A false conspiracy theory?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Oh, I don't think it's true. I don't think there are. I don't think the Democratic Party in Hollywood are involved in hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked for sex. I don't believe that at all.

[Joe Getty]

I was just hammering the notion that everybody calls everything a conspiracy theory.

[Jack Armstrong]

What term would you like? I don't care what we call it. But that, that thing. I don't believe it's true at all. And if you know about it at all, it's because you're online and young people are way online than older people. That might explain the entirety of why it's really big for the young MAGA base as opposed to the older Maggie base. My parents are maga. They wouldn't come across this. They aren't on Twitter. Never. They are on TikTok and Instagram. Never. But if you're young, you're always on that. And you come across this all the time. And as you heard the eruption from the crowd there now, the coverage is interesting on this and in that CNN and MSNBC have been talking about it all day. Every day and leading with it. Fox is covering it hardly at all. Which comes up on CNN yesterday. Play clip 67 for me, Michael.

[Joe Getty]

Matthew Gertz from Media Matters notes that Fox News today 85 mentions of Biden, 0 mentions of Epstein as of 4pm According to Matthew Gurtsev. So I mean people are taking orders.

[Jack Armstrong]

But here at CNN we're continuing to.

[Joe Getty]

Have this discussion because it is something that they promised that they were going to do.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean it's who taking orders. So he's presenting it as Trump said, shut up about it. So Fox is shutting up about it or CNN and msnbc and everybody on the left is hammering it because they think it's a wedge to attack Republicans about so who's taking what orders about what? I mean, is it because Jake Tapper or Morning Joe on MSNBC are you just so damn interested in this Epstein story and you believe it's true? Is that why you're into it? Or is there a great way to attack Republicans and there aren't a lot of great ways to attack Republicans right now or Trump because things are going as well pretty well.

[Joe Getty]

The guys who obeyed marching orders constantly from the Biden administration and Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins and the rest of that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, if your goal is to point out hey Bongino and Pam Bondi and then Trump, Trump did not forcefully advocate the Epstein thing like is being portrayed, at least I haven't heard it. But he hinted at it and certainly allowed his surrogates to talk about it without squashing it. He, he definitely did that. But if you want to talk about how they built this whole thing up, convinced people there was there there like a ton of there there and wait till January 20, 2025 when we get into office. It's all going to and then it turns out there's nothing. If you want to point that out. Yeah, I get that. But you kind of have. I mean, I feel like that's been is it all day, every day to explain that to us. I thought this polling was interesting. CNN and CNN poll out just an hour ago. Are you unhappy with the federal government's handling of the Epstein files? For Democrats it's 56. For Republicans it's 40. So way more Democrats unhappy with the government handling of Epstein than Republicans, which kind of runs counter to what.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, but in what way? It's like the right track, wrong track thing. Half the people saying wrong track think it's too think, half think it's too conservative.

[Jack Armstrong]

I suppose you might have a point there. As ABC News reported the other day, hundreds, Hundreds, which it's got to be at least 200 to be hundreds. FBI agents were assigned the Epstein case. Were there really hundreds of FBI? What were they doing every day? I can't imagine.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Yeah. That's really interesting, that fact. I would love to know more about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know people personally couple two. But that actually thought. January 20th, 2025. Finally, finally we're going to nail these child predators who've been trafficking these hundreds of thousands of kids that got the panda eyes and everything. If you've been following it online and Hollywood and the Clintons and Michelle Obama, who's actually a man, and all of this there, it's all going to come to an end. And they're quite disappointed that it hasn't. And think Pam Bondi's in on it. Bondi's in on it. Cash. What's his name?

[Joe Getty]

Patel.

[Jack Armstrong]

Patel is in on it. The FBI director. And now Trump's compromised probably because of the Jews.

[Joe Getty]

Israel Bongino. Right. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

So that's where we are on this whole thing. Whatever you believe.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

It doesn't. Is it. Is it. Are we done with this cycle? I mean, Fox has been done with it for a while. Is mainstream media.

[Joe Getty]

They're marching artists.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, there's not. There's nothing to report.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, did we play Charlie Kirk? The Charlie Kirk clip?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's what we played first.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I couldn't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, the fact that he said. Whatever he said, I'm, I'm. I'm done with this until. Unless anything new happens, I'm done with this. And at his event, the crowd was like, yes, we need more.

[Joe Getty]

So a handful of comments via email. Had to speak after hearing you talk about Epstein like he was some savvy financial advisor. No, he infiltrated very powerful Jewish political and businessmen. Yes, he was Jewish and most of his money came from Jewish billionaires. Seriously, do some research. These are not conspiracies. It's common knowledge. Look, Leon Block, Leslie Wexner. Ba ba ba. Very involved with politicians and businessmen that were Jewish. Tucker is exactly right. There's a different writer. He was handed, without any experience or reputation for finance, the multi billion dollar portfolio of a man named Les Wexner. Wexner was a business tycoon with ties to Israel. One other very interesting fact about Epstein is that at some point he was assigned a handler named Ghislaine Maxwell. Her father was Robert Maxwell, a media tycoon who was a Mossad agent and died under miss Suspicious circumstances, which was an alleged Suicide. None of that matters. The legitimate concerns about the Epstein case or the lack of investigation and prosecutions of the people involved. Pam Bondi and Cash Patel have stated that thousands of hours of video they have as child pornography. Well, who produced the pornography and who are the people sexually abusing the children? They can't answer those questions for virtually any time. Anybody gets caught with child porn, people don't. There aren't credits at the end.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is it actual child porn or is it under age 18 porn? Which is.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because we all know that he was trafficking in under 18 women for whatever weird psychological reasons. Some nut jobs have a thing for that, Right?

[Joe Getty]

Here's another correspondent. What you failed to grasp about the Epstein client list is that it's about human slavery and those who perpetuate the practice through evil lust. Millions of Americans want elitists on the list to pay for their crimes. I can't think of a more practice more debaucherous than the buying and selling of humans for sexual pleasure. Epstein and Maxwell groomed and trafficked children around the world and transported them for political blackmail and personal profit. Please don't dismiss the severity of the crimes. Independent journalists. She mentions one won't let go of the story because it rests at the heart of what we're willing to accept culturally. Do we want to send the message that if you're rich and famous, you're going to be immune from prosecution? One other person mentioned the Jews.

[Jack Armstrong]

Again, there's zero hard evidence that any blackmailing occurred so far. Who? Who.

[Joe Getty]

That we know of. Reply the people you need to read this website or that book or whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just now how he got rich. I'll admit I haven't looked into how he got rich. But even if he got rich through, I don't know, completely illegal, fraudulent ways, how does that. How do you make the leap from that to hundreds of thousands of children being trafficked by the Clintons?

[Joe Getty]

The Jews are behind it. That's what a lot of people think. It's just your clan. It's your classic anti Semitic. They're running everything in a secret cabal that's pulling all the strings. Blah, blah, blah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like the Jews are behind it was a late addition to this conspiracy. Or you don't like the word conspiracy around this, But I feel like the Jews are a late addition to this. I don't remember that being part of it back in the day with Pizza Gate and all that sort of stuff.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe I'm right. Yeah, I'm just. I'm. I don't know, I'm just kind of fatigued by all of it, honestly. The government's spending us into oblivion, for instance.

[Jack Armstrong]

China's going to take over the world.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, there's that one too.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Our education system is teaching your children communism as we speak.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, let's go with as a political matter. As a political matter, is this a problem that so many of the young voters Trump had feel like they were lied to or Trump's in on the thing or whatever.

[Joe Getty]

Could be in a close race.

[Jack Armstrong]

Although this. Well, I was thinking maybe bigger long term picture. I think it might just add to the overall cynicism that the Internet has brought us and we get closer and closer to nobody believing anything ever from anyone.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

That, that is that. I think that's the inevitable endpoint of all of this.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

With the Internet and AI will make it worse. Nobody believes anything ever. There's like no such thing as a gatekeeper news source and I don't know how society functions at that point. It'll be interesting to watch briefly because.

[Joe Getty]

We'Re having no babies. So it will function one way or another. But not for long because most, most.

[Jack Armstrong]

Voters are older and the older crowd still gets a lot of their news from the New York Times and CBS News and places like that, but the younger crowd gets 0 of their news from those places. 0. And by younger I mean like 40 and under. So when the older crowd that there are at least some gatekeepers even as flaw as they are those gatekeepers, when that's all gone and everybody's just got their own website, I, I don't even know what it's going to look like. I don't even know how a politician will run because you'd be talking to a, an audience full of people that all have their own narratives about the world.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Yeah, I can't imagine. I have no idea. I will be in the score in the woods watching the squirrels cavort if you need me.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think it's going to happen fairly soon.

[Joe Getty]

The squirrels are ready and so am I.

[Jack Armstrong]

We will finish strong next Armstrong and Getty.

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[Joe Getty]

Hey, I saw that Chipotle is bringing back their best selling avocado inspired Lepulte Lip stainless steel. Chipotle said it's backed by popular demand. I think I speak for everyone when I say no, it's not.

[Jack Armstrong]

Did he use the term lip stain? Is that something besides lipstick? Lip stain.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, I don't even know what that is. I've never heard that case. Yeah, lip stain. It's more of like a liquid that just stains your lips. It's not that thick stuff that transfers when you touch anything.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, okay. So you don't leave a ring on the coffee cup. Okay, a couple of things wanted to run through real quick. One, I think the biggest news of the day is the fact that Trump talked to Zelinsky about weapons that fire into Moscow and St. Petersburg. But there'll be more on that later I hope.

[Joe Getty]

Says you. Lip stain sounds like an insult to me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Senator Rand Paul reissued criminal referrals of Dr. Fauci, he wants. He still wants Dr. Fauci prosecuted and perhaps jail. Awesome.

[Joe Getty]

Based on the whole auto pen thing, it's never gonna happen. Dry hole.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, dang it. Louisiana Times headline today, College is not for every student. How schools are steering them to high Demand jobs. Love reading that. I might read the whole article and get into it later, but I wanted to mention this that our friend Tim Sandifer retweeted and I read about it. I still don't quite understand it. A network of underground thing pipes is about to change delivery forever.

[Joe Getty]

Says you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Thing pipe claims this company and they're doing it in Austin, which is where every innovative, creative person seems to be based now is Austin, Texas. For lots of reasons, including you can do it there and California won't let you do anything. Basically, it's the idea of pipes underground. They're about 2 foot in diameter. There are robots inside them that travel a hundred miles an hour and they'll go to every home and office and building in whatever city you're in. And so stuff can move around like in the blink of an eye. Whether it's your burrito supreme from Taco Bell or something you ordered on Amazon or something you're sending to somebody across town or whatever. They'll just travel through these tubes, like in seconds or minutes, depending on how far you are apart. And they show up like you're. This example in the article here was you'd have a drawer and you open your door. Okay, it's here. And you open your door and take out your burrito, close the drawer.

[Joe Getty]

I'm reminded of some conveyor systems I've seen in like advanced manufacturing operations or like a really big airport will have scanners and doors that open and close to route stuff. I could see a version of that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I didn't know that well. I. I was picturing like the tube at banks that used to exist and still does. Some places where you put that thing in a tube and send it wherever it's going to go really, really fast.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's obviously, that's one point to one point, but. And above ground, design a system.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't, I don't see how you possibly the infrastructure project that would be laying all these pipes underneath a big city. You'd have to tear up every sidewalk, road and yard in the town to do this. That seems like a hell of a stumbling block to me, wouldn't you?

[Joe Getty]

Well, there are ways.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are the ways?

[Joe Getty]

Subterranean technology and whatnot. It's doable. We don't have time Final thought with.

[Jack Armstrong]

A N G. Yeah, Subterranean technology and whatnot. Here's your host for final thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Hey, let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap things up for the day, beginning with our technicule director, Michelangelo Michael. What's your final thought? I don't know why, but the thought of everybody getting their news from Twitter and nobody believing anything they see just really depresses me and I can't get.

[Jack Armstrong]

That out of my head. Get used to it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, no kidding. Katie Greener, esteemed news woman, has a final thought. Katie, you go to armstrongandgetty.com There's a Katie's new corner. It's got some funny videos and a little bit of an IVF update. So I'll be gone a couple days this week. Okay. Katie, would you. Are you willing to be the public face of my witch spell casting Etsy account?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, without a doubt.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, we'll. We'll talk about it. We'll figure it out. Jack, final thought.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's time for my son to get his first car. I want him to have a car so that he can drive himself around because I, as one parent with two kids driving around is killing me. Anywho, I have had to recalibrate what cars cost. I kind of missed the whole lower end used car price hike that happened through Covid and everything and inflation. It's a completely different world than I thought it was.

[Joe Getty]

And my final thoughts. A clarification on one of our lead stories today. Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, who developed as a ball player in Modesto, California before 40, won the home run Derby last night. His nickname is Big Dumper because one of his teammates observed that he has a large butt. Of course. So it's exactly what it sounds like.

[Jack Armstrong]

And maybe you shouldn't want to call him big ass because that seemed too coarse.

[Joe Getty]

So right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Joe Getty]

Why those ballplayers and their clever nick names. So many people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Thanks.

[Joe Getty]

A little time go to armstrong getty.com.

[Jack Armstrong]

We'Ll see you tomorrow. God bless America. Screw it, I'm leaving. Let's go. Brandon. Point of personal privilege.

[Joe Getty]

I think that right now, you know, the honeymoon's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a little too much talky dock. Do you understand?

[Joe Getty]

I cannot understand the word you're saying.

[Jack Armstrong]

Come on. Maybe you're not that bright. Half cup full, half cup empty. Will this institution survive the stench that this creates? I have no idea why you would do something like that.

[Joe Getty]

And another sign. We are approaching Peak stupid. Thank you all very much. Armstrong and Getty. This is an iHeart podcast.