I'm Not Comfortable With The Idea Of Beating A Gorilla

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode Title: I'm Not Comfortable With The Idea Of Beating A Gorilla
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host/Authors: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!

---

Introduction

In the episode titled "I'm Not Comfortable With The Idea Of Beating A Gorilla," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a variety of pressing topics, blending political commentary with their signature humor. The conversation spans from critiques of media focus on the presidency to an unconventional debate on whether 100 unarmed men can defeat a gorilla.

Trump's First 100 Days

The episode opens with Armstrong and Getty assessing President Trump's first 100 days in office. Jackie Armstrong assigns Trump a "B minus" grade, highlighting their critical stance:

Jack Armstrong [00:56]: "I just give him a B minus."

Joe Getty [01:00]: "I just don't care."

This exchange sets the tone for their ongoing skepticism about the administration's performance.

Media's Obsession with the President

Armstrong expresses frustration over the media's relentless focus on the president, questioning the societal fixation:

Jack Armstrong [01:11]: "Why does everybody spend so much time talking about the president? Don't you have anything else to do with your life?"

Getty acknowledges that discussing the president has become a national pastime, albeit one they find distasteful:

Joe Getty [01:32]: "Is that a pastime. It's our national sport."

Main Topic: Can 100 Unarmed Men Defeat a Gorilla?

The hosts introduce the episode's main discussion point, blending humor with speculative analysis:

Joe Getty [03:18]: "Can 100 unarmed men defeat a single gorilla in a fight? Stay with us."

Armstrong and Getty explore the hypothetical scenario, injecting their comedic perspectives on strategy and the sheer improbability of such an event.

Upcoming Events and Media Coverage

Armstrong mentions President Trump's upcoming rally and a televised town hall featuring Trump alongside figures like Andrew Cuomo and Stephen A. Smith:

Jack Armstrong [04:17]: "Trump has got a rally tonight, first rally since he's been president."

Headlines Breakdown

Katie Green's Headlines Segment [12:44]: Katie Green delivers a series of headlines, each sparking Armstrong and Getty's commentary:

1. China's Stance Against US Bullying

   • Headlines:

     "China says it won't kneel to the United States and urges countries to resist bullying."

   • Comments:

     Joe Getty [12:53]: "Now here was the greatest bully on earth, you dirty commies."

     Jack Armstrong [12:58]: "It's helping with their nationalism and solidify she as their leader."

2. Russia Declares Ceasefire in Ukraine

   • Headline:

     "Russia declares a 72-hour ceasefire in Ukraine for next week to mark Victory Day in World War II."

   • Comments:

     Joe Getty [13:39]: "Lying bastards."

     Jack Armstrong [13:41]: "Completely phony."

3. Deportation and Children

   • Headline:

     "Attorneys dispute Trump officials' claim that deported moms willingly took their United States citizen children."

   • Comments:

     Jack Armstrong [13:55]: "Marco Rubio says... 'it's her kid.'"

4. India's Military Posture Against Pakistan

   • Headline:

     "India seems to be building its case for striking Pakistan."

   • Comments:

     Joe Getty [15:04]: "Complications abound."

5. Housing Market Surge

   • Headline:

     "According to Zillow, starter homes top $1 million in 233 US cities."

   • Comments:

     Jack Armstrong [15:20]: "Bought that place in 1979 for 63.5."

6. Mount Fuji Climber Rescued

   • Headline:

     "Mount Fuji climber rescued twice in one week after going back to retrieve cell phone."

   • Comments:

     Jack Armstrong [16:19]: "I think that should happen with way more people."

7. Babylon Bee's Vatican Smoke Alert

   • Headline:

     "False alarm. Smoke coming from the Vatican is just Cardinal Steve accidentally burning his toast again."

   • Comments:

     Jack Armstrong [16:23]: "Like when the ambulance took me to the ER with my gallbladder."

Tariffs and Economic Impact

A significant portion of the episode examines the complexities and repercussions of President Trump's automotive tariffs:

Jack Armstrong [21:09]: "Trump announced he's going to redo the whole car tariff thing in a very complex way."

Joe Getty [23:28]: "If you are a giant automaker and you have millions... you can get breaks on the tariffs."

They discuss how tariffs are affecting both large corporations like GM and small businesses, highlighting the uneven impact and potential for economic strain:

Joe Getty [24:06]: "Tariffs are going to murder small businesses and the super giants will wade into the swamp."

Amazon's Potential Tariff Disclosure

Armstrong and Getty speculate on Amazon's move to display tariff costs at checkout, debating its feasibility and user impact:

Jack Armstrong [26:19]: "Amazon is going to display the tariff costs in there when you check out."

Joe Getty [27:06]: "Putting aside the fact that that would be nearly impossible to determine."

Merck's Investment in US Manufacturing

The hosts highlight Merck's $1 billion investment in a US manufacturing plant, aligning it with Trump's domestic production goals:

Jack Armstrong [30:13]: "If they shut off all of the SSRIs... We'd have a nation full of people losing their minds."

Joe Getty [30:30]: "That would be bad. As if we don't already have a nation full of people losing their minds."

Mailbag Segment

Listeners contribute their thoughts, with John expressing frustration over societal negativity and polling obsession:

John's Note [32:58]: "Let it play. Nothing happens overnight. I'm so disappointed in humanity."

Armstrong and Getty respond by reiterating their critique of societal obsessions:

Jack Armstrong [32:58]: "Is this what you want to do with your life? Focus on whoever's president."

Light-Hearted Discussions

The episode also touches on lighter topics, such as the resurgence of tramp stamps among Gen Z women and humorous anecdotes about tattoos:

Joe Getty [33:17]: "Lower back tattoo for young women in particular. Gen Z's reclaiming it."

Closing Thoughts

Armstrong and Getty wrap up the episode by reflecting on national focus and personal priorities, emphasizing the importance of not letting political discourse dominate one's life:

Joe Getty [33:13]: "Have your hatred for them or love for them the animating factor in your life."

Jack Armstrong [33:22]: "I made my whole life about who's president and that's what I did all day long."

---

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [01:11]: "Why does everybody spend so much time talking about the president? Don't you have anything else to do with your life?"
• Joe Getty [03:18]: "Can 100 unarmed men defeat a single gorilla in a fight? Stay with us."
• Joe Getty [24:06]: "Tariffs are going to murder small businesses and the super giants will wade into the swamp."
• Jack Armstrong [30:13]: "If they shut off all of the SSRIs... We'd have a nation full of people losing their minds."
• Joe Getty [33:13]: "Have your hatred for them or love for them the animating factor in your life."

Conclusion

In this episode, Armstrong and Getty provide a blend of political critique, economic analysis, and humor. They challenge listeners to reconsider societal priorities, especially the preoccupation with presidential politics, while also addressing current events and policy impacts with their characteristic wit and skepticism.

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. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Gab.

[Jack Armstrong]

Live.

[Joe Getty]

From Studio C. See, senor, A dimly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. Hey, y'all. Today it's already Tuesday. We're under the tutelage of our general.

[Joe Getty]

Manager Trump's first 100 days. Give him a letter grade. We'll take your calls. Keith from Omaha. What grade and why?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, please.

[Joe Getty]

I don't care.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just give him a B minus.

[Joe Getty]

I just don't care. I'm glad he sealed up. You don't care.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't care.

[Joe Getty]

You're apathetic.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't care. It's.

[Joe Getty]

We've.

[Jack Armstrong]

If there's one ongoing theme we have on this show, and it's hit me in the face hard in the last 24 hours with all this talk, is why does everybody spend so much time talking about the president? Don't you have anything else to do with your life? Is there something else you want to do with your life rather than to the end of your days, you're dying breath. Discuss whoever's president.

[Joe Getty]

Is that what you want to do? Pastime. It's our national sport. Come on. We've known that for a while. What the hell does it do to talk about how your favorite baseball team's doing? None. Zero. But people do it. They enjoy it. It's a pastime.

[Jack Armstrong]

What a horrible pastime. That's like the worst pastime I can imagine. I don't know. I collect infections or I. I don't know. I can't think of a worse pastime.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, Anthony Fauci did that. It didn't go very well.

[Jack Armstrong]

Speaking of infections or viruses or whatever I had, I feel close to normal for the first time in three weeks. So I'm very excited about that. Even though my head is still full of whatever it's full of and I can't hear out of either ear. But in terms of vim and vigor, both. Both the V's, I feel. I feel fantastic.

[Joe Getty]

So I hope you sound quite normal.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hope you don't catch this disease. Whatever. My son's got, like five days behind me and really struggling.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, we got a note from a nice fellow whose son is five weeks in.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

Just the coughing and sneezing and wheezing. Unspecified respiratory infection. Wow. Yeah. Poor little lad.

[Jack Armstrong]

And not something that antibiotics can do something about.

[Joe Getty]

Apparently not. Wow. His email read Like a civilized man who has access to medical care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I don't think the antibiotics have done anything for me. So I think it turned out it was a virus, not something that you could deal with that way anyway, you know, don't take your advice from disc jockeys. That'd be my.

[Joe Getty]

Never use that term. Never use that term around me, sir. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Yes, you say that again, it won't be the truth that hits you in the face. All right, enough said. Oh, which reminds me, I'm so excited about several topics we're going to get to today.

[Jack Armstrong]

Cool.

[Joe Getty]

Really enthused, perhaps chief among them, can 100 unarmed men defeat a single gorilla in a fight? Science and AI have weighed in on the question.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, if you had a strategy, maybe. But if you didn't have a strategy. No, but if you had a strategy.

[Joe Getty]

Maybe you're a thinking man. 100 unarmed men against a single like 800 pound lowland gorilla.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think your strategy would have to include some brave people who are to take a severe ass kicking to be the lead. Guys, please.

[Joe Getty]

The old. He'd yank your arm out of its socket and beat you with a bloody stump, right? Yeah, times like 30 at least.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or make you his wife briefly.

[Joe Getty]

Well, that would be a surprising twist later in the show. Can 100 unarmed men defeat a single gorilla in a fight? Stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong]

The topic everyone's talking about. So I do pay attention to the media landscape, cuz that's what I do for a living. I thought that was, this was interesting. So Trump has got a rally tonight, first rally since he's been president. Tomorrow night News Nation, which I've started watching every morning along with the other shows that I watch. Tomorrow night he's gonna be on a show with Andrew Cuomo, Bill O'Reilly and Stephen A. Smith on News Nation. That's their lineup for, for a town hall with Trump tomorrow night.

[Joe Getty]

That's a heck of a lineup, isn't it? It's odd.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So if you, if you've been sleeping on that channel, and I know a lot of you been screaming at me, why aren't you watching this? But if you've been sleeping on that channel, you ought to check it out. It's like I said, it's, it's, it's weird, it takes a little getting used to and it's making me think about what we do. But it's flat unfair. It just doesn't have the passion of hatred that the other channels have where you gotta Hate somebody and scream about it. They don't do that. So it just. I'm not used to that. That's the way all news used to be when I was younger. Nobody was screaming about hating anyone or anything.

[Joe Getty]

But I need to watch it. Not all dislike. I hate the term hate. Not all dislike is. Is. Is inappropriate and not all energy or enthusiasm is. Is negative. But I will have to watch it. Don't you think it's just a calmer. Is that how you would describe it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Less analysis, for one thing. Just less analysis overall. We have too much analysis. That says a guy who makes his house payment with analysis, but.

[Joe Getty]

And is analyzing even as he speaks.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, but there's too much freaking analysis. There's not enough news reporting and there's way too much punditry around the little news reporting that is inaccurately put out there.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, you could say that. Yeah, for sure. I was profoundly annoyed, for instance, by a Wall Street Journal report this morning written by some gal about the chaos and ugliness and yelling, speaking of that sort of thing, at various Republican Congress people's town hall meetings during the two week recess. And it was long and included far too many quotes of what people were shouting in what district and blah, blah, blah. And I'll get to that in a little bit. But at no point did this gal even ask the question, which is widely known at this point. I've said at this point twice. At this point.

[Jack Armstrong]

At this point. I think you've sufficiently covered at what point we are at.

[Joe Getty]

Yes, we are at no other point than this clearly so concludes my remarks. And then you walk up the stage.

[Jack Armstrong]

And everybody thinks, did I space out for a second or did he not.

[Joe Getty]

Say anything that was either brilliant or wait a minute. Yeah, that's. Wow. I'm like working Kamala Harris's side of the street now. When you consider the passage of time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

You have to consider the significance of the time that passes. All right, but she didn't even ask the question. And it's been answered. Are these organized disruptions by Democrats? Doesn't even make a brief appearance in the article. Hey, sweetheart, he says, somewhat demeaningly, why don't you spend an extra few minutes on that report and dig into that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know I haven't wanted to play some of the clips. They just go crazy over on CNN and MSNBC about these people that disrupted this Republican congressman. Town hall is shouting, his constituents are.

[Joe Getty]

So unhappy with the job he's doing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like the one I saw where they were shouting tax the rich and I thought, there's not a freaking chance in hell there's a self organized group of Republicans showing up to the Republican congressman chanting tax the rich. Not a chance.

[Joe Getty]

It's extremely unlikely anybody who voted for that person would shout that under any circumstances.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

And so again, so that news article, and I'm sorry, I didn't make the point, but the news article is in its own way analysis because it is not collecting the facts that are relevant to understanding the situation. The situation is interesting and it's fine. Democratic activists are organizing groups to go to Republican congresspeople's town halls to disrupt them and shout obscenities or chant or come out against Doge or whatever. There are a bunch of different examples. That is what's happening.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, if you, if I was going to continue the story for my channel, I would say. And mainstream media is pretending it's their own constituents turned against them.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Highly annoying.

[Jack Armstrong]

We should start the show officially. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Tuesday, April 29, the year 2025. It is the 100th day of Donald Trump's whatever, the year 2025. We are Armstrong and Yeti, and we approve of this program.

[Joe Getty]

You know, one of the primary difficulties in defeating the gorilla, Jack, is that they have extremely thick skulls so you can rain blows down upon them. I don't like it and you know, do practically no damage.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm not comfortable with the idea of beating a gorilla on this story either, but I suppose if my life depended.

[Joe Getty]

Well, I assume the guerrillas signed up for this willingly. Anyway, let's begin the show according to FCC rules and regulations. Let's begin beating the guerrilla of the lies of the progressives. Precisely.

[Katie Green]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mark Putin has reneged on every promise that he's made to President Trump. I think that Putin thinks that America has taken the bullet train to jump down. Oh, geez.

[Joe Getty]

That's it. That's it. Speaking of bipartisanship and the lack of it. Get together left, right and center and agree. Senator John Kennedy needs to stop with the home spun little sayings. You're not illustrating. You're not amusing anybody. You're not enlightening anybody. Nobody is gratified by the bullet train to chump town. That's not a thing. Go legislate.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, he found a niche. You gotta admire carving out your own niche. My niche is kind of odd hometown, homespun sounding phrases that nobody's ever heard before.

[Joe Getty]

I wish he'd take the Greyhound bus to shut Upsville.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh boy. I allowed perhaps a transient to stick his head inside my cyber beast yesterday. And I think I'm paying a price for it. I need to tell that story later.

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

What did he do? I find myself wondering.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll have to tell that story later. Not at this time. At a different time. We've got Katie's headlines on the way, which we got to get to Got Mailbag this hour. We'll catch you up on some of the news of the day. Why did that 70 million dollar fighter plane fall off the aircraft carrier yesterday? What the hell? What is going on there? Are we getting the whole story? And maybe we shouldn't get the whole story, I don't know. But we'll tell you about that if you don't know about it and other stuff on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty, The Wall Street Journal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Editorial board, who some of you care about and some of you don't, says that my music stopped abruptly, says Donald Trump is blowing his second term with misguided tariff and Ukraine policies. Well, I mean, we can dig into that more later. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

The Journal also featured a lot of their editorial writers with their own three, four, five paragraphs of thoughts on the first chunk of the administration. It's fairly interesting. I mean, it's about what you'd think and about what we've been saying. A lot of good stuff, more turmoil than people want and some stuff that we can't quite figure out what he's thinking.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, he's going to give his speech tonight. He's going to. He's going to. Maybe this is one of Katie's headlines, I don't know. But he's going to walk back the whole car tariff thing a little bit, so we'll see how that turns out.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I've got a bunch of stuff, believe it or not, on the tariffs that's, that's interesting. Not just the same old blah, blah, blah you've been hearing. Speaking of Katie and the headlines, who's reporting what? Katie Green.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

We'll start with the Washington Post. China says it won't kneel to the United States and urges countries to resist bullying.

[Joe Getty]

Now here was the greatest bully on earth, you dirty commies.

[Jack Armstrong]

I did read how this is caused people to rally around President Xi and you know, a big, big boost of nationalism has the tariffs on China and then being able to talk about the evil bully the United States, etc.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. Imagine a country engaged in hostile trade practices. That would be awful.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, you're, you're right technically, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it is helping with their nationalism and solidify she as their leader. Which is not.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

From the Associated Press. Russia declares a 72 hour ceasefire in Ukraine for next week to mark victory day in World War II.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lying bastards.

[Joe Getty]

Completely phony.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

From NBC. Attorneys dispute TRUMP officials claim that deported moms willingly took their United States citizen children.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Marco Rubio says you boot out an illegal mom, her kid can go with her or stay here. It's her kid. And in the case of these kids, they went with mom. Others are claiming. Well, first of all, the headline, the original headlines were like we grabbed the two year old out of their crib and shipped him off alone.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Yeah. Are you kidding? They could have departed, deported me to El Salvador or Iran or Mars. My kids would have been coming with me. Can you imagine? You've got to leave the country now. Okay, see you kids. Good luck with that whole growing up thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

I understand your point. I don't know if I'd take my kids to Iran. I might find a sitter until I can figure out how to get back.

[Joe Getty]

Well, if they're two, four and whatever ages that the the kids in question are. If that phony story. Yeah, I just. Please have AOC go cry somewhere and let's wrap this up. It's just silly. Have her stand in a parking lot gazing through chain link and weep her bitter tears.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

From the New York Times. India seems to be building its case for striking Pakistan.

[Joe Getty]

Oh boy. Complications abound. More on that to come from the Hill.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

According to Zillow, starter homes top $1 million in 233 US cities.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was talking to a guy yesterday in a town where your average dinky little house is a million dollars. And he bought that place in 1979 for 63. 5.

[Joe Getty]

Oh my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now that's some equity.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow, that's amazing. Yeah. I think the median house price in Cal unicornia now is 833 grand or so. 866, something like that. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

How does it.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then you add in what homeowners insurance is now and energy bills. How does anybody afford to live?

[Joe Getty]

And we need to get into Gavi Newsom's whole whip sawing. The refineries and the oil companies and how gas in California could easily rise another dollar in the next year.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

From the New York Post, Mount Fuji climber, rescued twice in one week after going back to retrieve cell phone.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, you gotta leave him there, Right?

[Unnamed News Contributor]

Thank you.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think that should happen with way more people. You go snowboarding outside into the dangerous part. Yeah, you took a risk. We're not gonna send our helicopter.

[Joe Getty]

A lot of folks get billed depending on where you are. If they have to send the big emergency crew out to get you this guy. Yeah. Bill him twice.

[Jack Armstrong]

They should tell you that ahead of time. We'll come get you. But it's going to cost you $85,000.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Unnamed News Contributor]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee. False alarm. Smoke coming from the Vatican is just Cardinal Steve accidentally burning his toast again.

[Joe Getty]

Ah, silly Cardinal Steve.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like when I. When the ambulance took me to the ER with my gallbladder. If they'd have told me it had cost me 30 $500 out of pocket, I would have crawled screaming to the hospital on my own rather than pay $3,500 out of pocket. Some more of the news of the day that we need to catch you up on. There's too many things happening at once. Anything that can be done about that? If you miss a segment, get the podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Katie Green]

The White House is reportedly considering ideas to boost the country's birth rate. Like sending Elon Musk on spring break.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, geez.

[Joe Getty]

Hello.

[Katie Green]

Does anyone here have you to rye?

[Jack Armstrong]

Play that other joke, Michael, because maybe that spells out the story here before we tell you what it is.

[Katie Green]

The White House is reportedly considering ideas to boost the country's birth rate, including a $5,000 baby bonus. Do you know what it costs to raise a child? $5,000? That's like taking a dollar off coupon to a Mercedes dealership.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the money isn't the half of it. I mean, the lifestyle change the likes of which you've never had and never could even imagine.

[Joe Getty]

I hate this.

[Jack Armstrong]

I hate that countries are doing this. I hate that we're contemplating doing it. Anybody who would have a kid, who wasn't going to have a kid, otherwise, for $5,000, that poor kid is going to have a miserable life.

[Joe Getty]

I would like them to be outlawed.

[Jack Armstrong]

From having a child. No kidding.

[Joe Getty]

There are only two questions here, and they are kind of the same. Question number one, to understand the irresistible primal urge to reproduce, and B, to understand its absence. Those are the only thing. That's the only thing that's going on here. The. The lack of, no, I don't want to have a kid. I still don't want to have a kid now. I'm 50 years old. I can't have a kid now. I mean, that's just. It's unprecedented in human history. Well, in the history of virtually any biologic beast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

That's Our question, not the lack of $5,000.

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct.

[Joe Getty]

And, and I have long, long maintained, having lived it the whole. We're gonna wait till we can afford.

[Jack Armstrong]

No.

[Joe Getty]

If you want to have a kid, have a kid. You'll figure it out. You're smart, you're ambitious, you'll figure it out. Or you'll be poor for a while. I've done it. It doesn't kill you. Anyway, where were we? Ah, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I got a good tease.

[Joe Getty]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wall Street Journal with an article out about how the whole starting your day at 4am thing is really catching on with go getters.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, I saw that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because of a viral video that somehow we missed. We'll have to talk about that. Maybe an hour or two.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. The pre dawn super achiever lifestyle. Yeah. Good luck.

[Jack Armstrong]

You knock yourself out.

[Joe Getty]

So let me know how that goes. Well, in fact, don't, don't let me know how that goes. I don't care. A couple of stories, several stories actually related to the whole ever evolving tariff situation. Just to give you a snapshot of what's going on with the economy. Weirdly enough on this show we don't necessarily present everything for the purpose of, you know, praising nor condemning Donald J. Trump. It's just interesting. Here's your headline number one from the Wall Street Journal. GM pulls profit guidance citing significant tariff impact. GM's net income slid 6.6% in the first quarter on weaker sales of highly profitable trucks and SUVs. And GM is shelving its earlier profit guidance. That's when they tell investors, look, here's how it looks. We think we're going to make X amount of revenue, X amount of profit, or within a couple of percent. For 2025. They have shelved it all, saying President Trump's auto tariffs have clouded the outlook and its prior forecast quote, can't be relied upon, said the chief financial officer. They come back to the market with an update once executives have more clarity. Quote, Given the evolving, evolving nature of the situation, we believe the future impact of tariffs could be significant.

[Jack Armstrong]

So, but that, that was before, what, in the last 12 hours, Trump announced he's going to redo the whole car tariff thing in a very complex way so that you don't get double tariffed for aluminum or steel that goes into the car and then the car is made somewhere else or whatever. So, man, that math's going to be complicated on that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, just, just for the purpose of accuracy, that was actually after that announcement. GM's just saying we still don't know what's going on and we can't rely on our earlier predictions.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can't imagine how complicated the formula is for something that's been tariffed already and now is in the car or.

[Joe Getty]

Not, or something unspeakably complicated. I've seen and read an analysis of what it would take and it is mind boggling the story that Jack is referring to. Yet another headline. President Trump is expected to soften the impact of his autom of tariffs, preventing duties on foreign made cars from stacking on top of other tariffs he has imposed and easing some of the levies on foreign parts used to manufacture cars in the U.S. according to people familiar with the matter. This is what we've been talking about, how you can have a US make that has, that's assembled in the United States that has parts from 12 different countries and you can have a foreign make that also has parts from 12 different countries made in the United States. And who gets tariff what the decision means automakers paying Trump's automotive tariffs won't also be charged for other duties such as those on steel and aluminum, according to people familiar with the policy. And the move would be retroactive to the beginning of the month. Blah, blah, blah.

[Jack Armstrong]

What? So I saw, I saw something in article about that with, with rebates afterwards or whatever. Oh my God, you talk about complicated formulas.

[Joe Getty]

The administration will also modify its tariffs on foreign auto parts slated to be 25% effective in a couple of days, allowing automakers to be reimbursed for those tariffs up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a US made car for one year. The reimbursement would fall to 2.5% of the car's value in a second year. I won't continue because I can hear your eyes glazing friends.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And the one part that bothers me, well there are several aspects of this that bother me. But one that really, really bothers me is if you are a giant automaker and you have millions and millions and millions of dollars worth of lobbyists, you can get breaks on the tariffs. If you are a small manufacturer in Indiana, California, Florida, wherever, you cannot. And so the tariffs are going to murder small businesses and the super giants will wade into the swamp, further en the swamp and get their carve outs, which is a remarkably un trumpy way to run things right now.

[Jack Armstrong]

All the reporting around. Well, anything with Trump is gotta be suspect because you never know if they just are going out of their way to hate on Trump. But I did see an article yesterday Predicting that something like two thirds of toy stores are going to go out of business before Christmas because they just can't, they can't order any toys because most all, practically all toys come from China. And with the 145% tariff or whatever it is, they, they just can't stock their shelves. And so we gotta close your doors. Now, if that's true, obviously that's horrifying. Whereas, like you pointed out, the Targets and the Walmarts will figure out a way.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. The show is so weird. Sometimes they say Trump's right and sometimes they say Trump's wrong. For instance, so far your super giant retailers like Walmart and I almost said Kmart. Good Lord. And Target have kept prices low on phone chargers, towels, blenders in the face of rising tariffs. And according once again to the Journal, the America's largest retailers are trying everything. They're pressuring their suppliers to absorb some of the cost increases. You take a haircut, I take a haircut. Dropping free perks from corporate offices. So they're cutting things, you know, closer to the bone. They paused some shipments of goods from China and are leaning on inventory that's already been imported to the us but there's only so much of that. So so far, most prices have held steady overall, and the real jumps in everyday retail stuff that we buy that could fuel inflation are not evident. But the chief executives of Walmart, Target and Home Depot met with President Trump last week with a strong message. The status quo cannot last forever. They warned Trump that higher prices would be difficult to avoid and said certain products would become scarce if retailers decide not to sell them to avoid tariff costs. They told the President they would work to keep product prices as low as possible for as long as possible. But it ain't gonna last forever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there, there are a lot of opinions on this, and again, some of it is political spin, some of it is guessing because it's very complicated. But I was listening to one who seemed to be nonpartisan, economic guy talking about, we're a couple of weeks away from this hitting us all like just a sledgehammer. Either bare shelves or things that are there, that are prices we've never seen before. Yeah. And it's just going to be like a slap in the face and then this. Maybe you already had this story, but, but Amazon is going to display the tariff costs in there when you check out. So you check out on something on Amazon and It'll have its 2198, plus the 688 because of the tariffs for A total of. Just to drive home the point, which is a political move, or to try to keep them out of you being mad at them or what? I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Putting aside the fact that that would be nearly impossible to determine.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, if coming up with the, you know, how do you tariff a car built by parts from all over the. Have crossed the Canadian border half a dozen times, literally. If that's complicated, imagine then factoring all of that crap into a final price. Yeah, interesting move by Amazon. It's like the restaurants that have. And my sympathies are absolutely with them. In Cal Unicornia, for instance, the restaurants that have put a, you know, $3 surcharge at the bottom of the bill. Labor fees because of the artificially inflated minimum wages in California, for instance. I think.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless somebody can talk me out of it, I think I like this sort of thing. If a government policy causes you to raise your prices, make it clear on the bill. Here's the. And you don't like the policy. Here's the government policy. What it cost you. I wish it didn't exist either, but I got no choice. I think that's a good idea.

[Joe Getty]

I love the way you just put that. Because no matter which party is in the office and if you have principles, you'd agree with me. Uh, I want people to have a greater appreciation for how government policy affects life. There ought to be like a. The guy who baps you over the head and takes your stuff in some blue state. He ought to have to say, by the way, I'm only on the street because of progressive crime policy. And then he hits you over the head. Full disclosure. All right? Now here's something that would. Or, you know, when you're. You would go there and your car's up on blocks, there ought to be a note or something brought to you by Gavin Newsom's crime policy. For instance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, did you see that classic car that's attached to the RV now? Hanson. That's a nice looking car. I don't know where he got it. Some sort of 70s boat. Yeah, that's a cool car. I don't know where. Where the guy got it. The old RV that's parked up by the radio station here, that's been parked here for weeks. Guy just lives here now, I guess.

[Joe Getty]

Yep. Cooks on a hot plate outside, running off a battery. Yeah. Now apparently he's got a land yacht from the. The seventies. Fabulous. Good deal. And then this headline, which is absol Absolutely pro Trump the Merck, the pharmaceutical giant will grow its US manufacturing footprint with a $1 billion plant in Delaware becoming the latest drug maker to invest in the US as tariffs targeting the industry loomed, the facility's products will include biologic drugs and a new, easier to use version of Keytruda, the company's blockbuster cancer drug. The plant marks Merck's first in house manufacturing site in the US to make Keytruda and will ensure patients get drugs made domestically. And the CEO said good stuff about it's really strategy to make sure we can source US Needs from US Sites. As you look at what the current administration's doing and what Trump is trying to achieve, this is very much aligned with that is they're trying to kiss his ass. But also as we learned in Covid man, we've got to have our critical drugs made domestically or at least not made by our mortal enemy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's man. If they shut off all of the SSRIs, for instance, we get into a big war. Imagine that everybody in the country can't get their Zoloft, Wellbutrin, whatever mental health drug they're on. We'd have a nation full of people go losing their minds.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow. Yeah, that would be bad. That'd be a bad one. As if we don't already have a nation full of people losing their minds.

[Jack Armstrong]

We got Mailbag on the way, bunch of stuff. Stick with us.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the Houthis are firing at one of our giant aircraft carriers. They turn the steering wheel really hard and $70 million fighter plane falls off. Is that what actually happened? I don't know. Think there would be precautions anyway, more on that cinder blocks a chain.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know. Okay. Plus the question vexing mankind, could 100 unarmed men beat a gorilla in a fight? Stay with us. Live team coverage. We're actually gonna stage it. Here's your freedom loving foot of the day. A little trouble securing a license. We had to move the show to Las Vegas. I've referenced this many, many times, so I thought I would hit you with the the full quote from Abe Lincoln. At what point then is the take two? At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer if it ever reach us up amongst us, it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, star selves, be its author and finisher. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time or die by suicide. It's a very fancy way of saying nobody outside is going to bring down the U.S. but we could screw it up so badly we bring ourselves down. Let's try not to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I think that's always been the case with your big empires. I mean, at the end, it's the barbarians that break through the gates, but the reason they were able to break through the gates is because you dissolve from the inside first.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Right here. Here. Mailbag, feel free to drop us a note anytime. Mailbagarmstrongygetti.com is the email address mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com Nice note from John here. As I go through life, I realize there are a lot of dumb sobs out there and all this polling s is driving me nuts. Let it play. Nothing happens overnight. I'm so disappointed in humanity. If I didn't have a beautiful family, which he describes, I would launch myself into the Delta Mendota canal on my way to work tomorrow. Can everyone just chill out? I'm guessing not. Friggin morons. Very tiring. Plant a garden. Listen to the birds chirping around you. Life can be hard, but you only get one shot at it. End of rant.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's basically what I started with the 100 days of Trump. Is this what you want to do with your life? You want to focus on whoever's president and what their approval rating is? Every day of your life till you're dead, you're gonna look back on your life and think, well, that was well spent.

[Joe Getty]

Have your hatred for them or love for them the animating factor in your life.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure glad. I made my whole life about who's president and that's what I did all day long.

[Joe Getty]

Moving along swiftly to that point, Jim and SoCal with a lovely note, we were talking yesterday about how the tramp stamp is back. The.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Joe Getty]

Lower back tattoo for young women in particular. Yeah, Gen Z's reclaiming it, Jim writes Jack Joe, because keep in mind that many of those tattoos are kind of bilateral, if you will. They're, you know, wings or something. You know, picture that. As I read this, guys, I discovered years ago the term arch gavi, which translates, translated from German, is ass antlers, a humorous euphemism for a tramp stamp. Evidently that's what they call stamp in Germany. That's pretty good. The Germans, a whimsical people. They're known for their whimsy. Let's see our new feature, which I think I. What did I call the Canada feature? Oh, yes, we Canada. Well, loyal listener, Robert suggests. How about a boot Canada? That's pretty good. Or is his email topic is. Oh, Canada. That's the obvious name for the the feature stories about Canada. Thank you, Robert.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Canada. The new prime minister who got elected yesterday had some rough things to say for the US Of A. We'll play that for you later.

[Joe Getty]

That's how he got elected. Several leftists around the world have gotten elected by saying, I'm the guy to fight Trump, not my conservative colleagues. So the world has swung to the left. Great. Now let's see a couple of interesting thoughts on the Ukraine conflict that we don't have time for. Interesting compare and contrast from Ted here. I'll give you a very, very short version. The UK Is predicting the forecast of blue states like California. Workers age 16 to 24 just cannot find jobs because of artificially high minimum wages. And now the government is making it more and more expensive and complicated to employ anyone. And if it's devastating youth employment, dang it.

[Jack Armstrong]

My kid's gonna be looking for a job here in the next six months. Darn it.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.