Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: I'll Saw Off Your Arm, Frenchie!!
Date: October 20, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty, with Katie & Katie’s Husband

Episode Overview

This episode covers America’s “No Kings” protest movement, perceptions of Trump and “democracy,” the brazen Louvre jewel heist, China’s dominance in rare earths, and personal news from the team. The tone shifts from satirical and irreverent political commentary to heartfelt personal moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “No Kings” Protests and Modern Political rallies

• Largest Protest in US History?
  • Organizers claim 7 million participated in 2,700 “No Kings” rallies nationwide, ostensibly as a vague, anti-monarchist protest targeting Trump ([00:14]).
• Superficial Motives of Protesters
  • Multiple live “man on the street” interviews reveal protesters often struggle to articulate specific grievances against Trump.
    • “What do you, what do you, what do you don't like to do? You can't come up with one thing like one vague…” – Jack ([03:59]).
• Groupthink and Social Currency
  • Joe and Jack analyze social motives for protest attendance, suggesting much is driven by peer approval rather than conviction or knowledge.
    • “Many women, not all... and many low testosterone men do not look at issues through a lens of fact-finding or truth. They look at it through the lens of acceptance. Will this get me more social currency?” – Joe ([04:27]).
• Dangerous Rhetoric
  • Some protesters take it to extremes, joking or musing about presidential assassination and violence against officials—a point the hosts note is underreported compared to college cancel-culture incidents ([03:14], [03:34]).
• The Use and Misuse of “Democracy”
  • Referencing Barton Swaim’s column, the hosts discuss how Democrats have misused the term “democracy” in their opposition to Trump and note the Founding Fathers’ skepticism of pure democracy ([05:52]).
    • “You can make a reasonable case that the Democrats’ present woes stem from the misuse of a single word.” – Joe, quoting Swaim ([05:52]).

2. Trump’s Enduring Political Gravity

• Trump as Political Gravity Well
  • The conversation moves to Trump’s ongoing magnetic impact on American and even global politics (“He has been the gravity in this country practically in the world for a decade now.” – Jack, [10:04]).
• Popularity vs. Policies
  • The irony that many dislike Trump personally, yet many of his positions (on elite universities, immigration) are closer to public opinion than critics allow ([09:19], [10:04]).

3. The Louvre Jewel Heist – “I’ll Saw Off Your Arm, Frenchie!!”

• A Brazen Daylight Crime
  • Four thieves disguised as construction workers use a crane and power tools to steal Napoleon III’s crown jewels from Paris’s Louvre in 4 minutes ([14:32]–[16:06]).
  • Security guards were threatened with power tools:
    • “I’ll saw off your arm, Frenchie!” ([16:06] – episode title drop).
• Inside Job?
  • Speculation that knowledge of unalarmed windows points to an inside accomplice ([16:49]).
• Aftermath & Insurance Games
  • Discussion of insurance companies ‘quietly’ paying thieves to return priceless items—cheaper than paying out full claims ([18:07]–[18:33]).
  • “You give that back, we'll give you $5 million for it… No questions asked.” – Jack ([18:21]).

4. China’s Rare Earths Dominance & U.S. Vulnerability

• Strategic Chokehold
  • Joe explains how China’s market manipulation crushed U.S. production and consolidated rare earth minerals (“China poured government money into their rare earth mining and refining operations… then dumped their goods into the market.” – Joe, [20:48]).
• Policy Quandary
  • The hosts debate whether the U.S. needs government industrial policy or private sector solutions, highlighting the “painted ourselves into a strategic corner” dilemma ([26:49]–[27:17]).
  • Colorful language for China’s leverage:
    • “They could crash the stock market in a day... We are in a terribly vulnerable spot... They got us by the sack.” – Joe & Jack ([23:26]–[24:22]).
• Environmental Outsourcing
  • Critique of “woke environmentalism”: Western nations outsource ‘dirty’ mining, but still depend on those resources, calling out this hypocrisy ([25:24]).

5. Trump & Foreign Policy – Ukraine & Russia

• Trump’s Stance on Ukraine & Russia
  • The hosts dissect reports of Trump pressuring Zelensky to cede parts of Ukraine, reluctance to send arms, and the perceived double standard in how he treats different world leaders ([27:17]–[31:46]).
  • “Spent two hours on the phone with Putin and then seemed to flip completely back over to that side again.” – Jack ([31:28])
• On Appeasing Aggression
  • Concerns that “carrot” strategies with Russia would reward illegal land grabs; analogies to “giving Johnny the candy after he throws a tantrum” ([30:13]–[30:51]).

6. Personal Moment: Katie’s IVF Journey

• A Heartfelt Announcement
  • Katie shares her IVF journey and a recording of her baby’s heartbeat:
    • “Last Thursday, we had our first ultrasound and heartbeat appointment. So unlike me, he has a heart.” – Katie ([34:02]–[34:39])
  • The hosts get sentimental about new life, parenthood, and the marvels of fetal development ([34:49]–[37:10]).
  • “The miracle of life... you’re capable of miracles, the only miracle that counts and, and that’s being devalued.” – Joe ([37:10]–[37:56])
  • Playful banter about naming the child “Jack Joe Mike Mike.”

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jack on the perils of protest groupthink:
  “It’s amazing to me how many people get swept up in protests without, like, really wanting to pay attention.” ([01:37])

• Joe, summarizing social motivations:
  “Will this get me more social currency? Will I be accepted if I express this opinion?” ([04:27])

• Use of humor throughout:
  “Am I right, Joe?” – “I don’t think so. No.” (dry comedic timing, [32:16])

• On the Louvre heist threat:
  “I’ll saw off your arm, Frenchie!” ([16:06]) – Episode title and highlight.

• On U.S.–China strategic dependency:
  “We’re in a terribly vulnerable spot. So what do we do? …They got us by the sack.” ([23:26]–[24:22])

• On life’s reality checks:
  “For whatever reason, I woke up and I was convinced it was Saturday morning… It was freaking Monday.” – Jack ([38:22])

8. Quick Hits / Other Segments

• Tasteless protestor jokes and shock value ([03:14])
• Brief aside on lithium batteries and flying safety ([11:34]–[12:06])
• Baseball & sports humor ([13:49])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• No Kings protest discussion: [00:14] – [07:32]
• Democracy and Trump’s popularity: [05:52] – [10:24]
• The Louvre heist in detail: [14:32] – [19:00]
• China & rare earths/US strategy: [20:27] – [27:17]
• Trump, Zelensky, and Ukraine: [27:17] – [31:54]
• Katie’s IVF story & heartbeat: [34:02] – [38:20]

Tone & Style

Armstrong & Getty’s trademark blend of sarcasm, skepticism, and political irreverence pervades the episode. While often flippant or darkly comic—especially when discussing contemporary politics—moments of sincere warmth and celebration emerge, particularly around team members’ personal milestones.

Summary Prepared for Listeners Who Missed the Episode
This episode is a fast-moving blend of political lampoonery, news breakdowns, and heartfelt life updates, encapsulating both the absurdity and gravity of current events, with plenty of memorable quotes and sharp analysis.