I'm Working On Trimming My Ass

Summary

Summary of "I'm Working On Trimming My Ass" Episode

Podcast Information:

• Title: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
• Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts
• Episode: I'm Working On Trimming My Ass
• Release Date: May 22, 2025

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1. Political Commentary

Discussion on the Biden Administration and Media Portrayal

The hosts engage in a critical analysis of President Joe Biden's administration, focusing on perceived dishonesty and media favoritism. They reference a segment by Mark Halperin, who challenges the narrative of the Bidens as inherently good and truthful.

• Mark Halperin's Critique:
  "The mythology that the Bidens are good people who don't lie is not borne out by the facts."
  (00:00:57)

Joe Getty's Perspective on Biden's Political Standing:
Joe Getty expresses skepticism about Biden's long-term legacy, suggesting that unlike Nixon, Biden lacks the political prowess for rehabilitation.

• "Biden has got nowhere to go but down. I think the more people learn about... he's already not well respected or liked by anybody."
  (00:02:09)

Michael's Assessment of Biden Compared to Past Presidents:
Michael contrasts Biden with Bill Clinton, highlighting Clinton's ability to build coalitions and shrink the welfare state, qualities he believes Biden lacks.

• "Biden is a complete fabrication. He just had a gland-handing salesman vibe. He was not particularly smart. His judgment was horrible his whole life."
  (00:03:31)

Media's Role in Shaping Biden's Image:
The hosts criticize the mainstream media for shielding Biden from accountability, citing biased poll reporting and favoritism in media coverage.

• "Mainstream media, after Hunter Biden laptop or pretending Joe Biden's fine until you had no choice. It's just all these different things."
  (00:06:18)

2. Critique of Political Debates and Campaign Strategies

Analysis of the 2020 Presidential Debate:
The hosts dissect Biden's performance in the 2020 debates, pointing out perceived signs of cognitive decline and strategic missteps.

• Joe Getty on Biden's Debate Performance:
  "I watched some clips from the debate... and he looks like a cadaver. His skin tone was just cadavers."
  (00:09:55)

Speculation on Campaign Advisers' Decisions:
They speculate on why Biden agreed to debate Trump, suggesting that campaign advisors may have manipulated poll data to prematurely showcase Biden's standing.

• "Why did they agree to debate? ...They put fake polls in front of him so he thought he was ahead when they never had one poll ever where Biden was winning."
  (00:10:52)

3. AI and Technology

Discussion on AI-Generated Fake Content:
The hosts transition to a conversation about the Chicago Sun Times' summer section, which erroneously used AI to generate book recommendations and expert quotes. They highlight instances where AI fabricated authors and research, demonstrating the unreliability of current AI systems.

• Joe Getty on AI Hallucinations:
  "There's no record of them ever discussing this topic in their lives. So there's all kinds of different levels of or the creation was."
  (00:30:30)

Implications of AI Errors:
They express concern over AI's ability to produce misleading information, emphasizing the importance of verifying sources and facts.

• "It's funny, I was with some learned gentlemen last night... The argument is, well, that Social Security is money you paid in, blah, blah, blah."
  (00:25:02)

4. Personal Events and Humor

Olivia's Live Labor Announcement:
In a humorous interlude, Olivia announces that she is in active labor while anchoring the news, leading to light-hearted banter among the hosts.

• "We do have some breaking news this morning. Literally, Olivia's water has broke."
  (00:16:07)

Humorous Interactions About AI and Pop Culture:
The conversation shifts to playful discussions about AI-generated content, Star Wars, and Marvel movies, showcasing the hosts' camaraderie and sense of humor.

• "If you want something dumber. My son pointed out there's a new Marvel movie coming out."
  (00:33:37)

5. Legislative Updates

Overview of Recent Legislation:
The hosts briefly touch upon newly passed bills, including tax deductions and Medicaid work requirements, critiquing the compromises made to secure passage.

• Joe Getty on the "Big Beautiful Bill":
  "Republicans pulled an all-nighter to get this done with last-minute deal-making to win over a group of holdouts."
  (00:19:58)

Michael's Take on Fiscal Responsibility and Policy Implications:
Michael discusses the balance between fiscal conservatism and practical governance, expressing disappointment over the mixed nature of the legislation.

• "But in the end, Bill, most of these holdouts gave in."
  (00:20:35)

6. Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Hosts Share Closing Remarks:
As the episode nears its end, the hosts reflect on various topics discussed and share light-hearted final thoughts, maintaining the show's signature blend of serious commentary and humor.

• Joe Getty on AI and Show Dynamics:
  "I saw it with like Joe Rogan and I. I asked Hanson, can we do that? Because they're doing that with radio shows now where you got like you and me as babies."
  (00:38:23)

• Michael's Closing Commentary on the Supreme Court:
  "The Supreme Court is of course confirmed the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to block a religious public park charter school."
  (00:38:34)

Conclusion:
The episode concludes with the hosts expressing their commitment to delivering candid discussions, inviting listeners to engage via their website and promising more engaging content in future episodes.

• "We'll see you tomorrow. God bless America."
  (00:39:03)

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Note: This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and humorous exchanges from the episode, excluding advertisements, intros, and outros as per the provided instructions.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

You're listening to an I Heart podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Michael]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Olivia]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Katie Green]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Mark Halperin]

I think one of the biggest mistakes, maybe the biggest through line of all for the way Bidens have been covered is the Bidens, it is regularly said, are good family. They're decent people. And I'm not here to tell you they're worse than the Trumps or worse than Nixon. But I'm here to tell you that the mythology that the Bidens are good people who don't lie is not borne out by the facts. And that's increasingly front and center in sharp relief this week. We know that they didn't tell the truth about Biden Inc. We know that. We know the president in the debate in 2020 against Donald Trump did not tell the truth when asked about Hunter's business. I'm not here to sit in moral judgment of them. I'm not here again to tell you that Joe Biden is a bigger liar by some metrics than Donald Trump. What I am here to tell you again is this has been a horrible mistake on the part of the media to treat the Bidens like they walk on water.

[Joe Getty]

That's Mark halpern on his TV show last night. And it's not a TV show. I call it a TV show. It's on video. It's on YouTube or something. But there, there is a possibility that Biden will emerge after Trump derangement syndrome has faded and years fade and all that sort of stuff. I mean, he's already not well respected or liked by anybody. He could end up at the very tail end of the list. Oh, yeah, presidents.

[Michael]

I'd Be shocked if he wasn't.

[Joe Getty]

And he's got no room for rehabilitation like Nixon did. Who. Who, like, went back up after Watergate because enough people respected his, you know, political chops, foreign policy chops, a number of different things. Biden has got nowhere to go but down. I think the more people learn about.

[Michael]

Him, I would agree. I think he was a miserable wreck as a president. And I'm here to tell you, I can name a couple of Democrats, they did stuff I didn't love. But like Clinton. Clinton will rise as years go by in the estimation of how good a president he was. He was, you know, he was forced into it, but he was. He was a bridge builder, a maker of coalitions, a compromiser, a triangulator in a way that got a hell of a lot done. And. And he. He shrunk the welfare state. Friends.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Which the Republican Congress is unwilling to do right now.

[Joe Getty]

Some are trying even without getting into, you know, policies you agree with or not or whatever Biden was. Biden is a complete fabrication. He just had a, you know, Trump gets a lot of credit, slash discredit for being such a salesman. That's what. That's the only thing Biden had was gland hadding salesman vibe.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

He was not particularly smart. His judgment was horrible his whole life. He lied constantly about things you don't need to lie about. You don't need to claim you're a truck driver or all these different things. Then arrested with Nelson.

[Michael]

Right. Full scholarship. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And then to hang on when you're dementia ridden, of course, a lot of that's on Jill because he was, you know, his brain didn't work, but he. What a disaster.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And hey, media, congratulations on covering up for that guy for all those years.

[Michael]

They had the capacity for shame or introspection. They would be just devastated. But they don't, so they'll be fine.

[Joe Getty]

But, but, but it is amazing. Biden was able to build that brand that held on until fairly recently. My word is a Biden.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Of just being, you know, a decent, honest guy with a decent, honest family. And Mark Halpern, whose dad was friends with Joe Biden, by the way. Mark Halperin here to tell you. No. The whole family, they lie. They're crooks. They'll say anything to get ahead and have always been that way.

[Michael]

Correct. Wild, miserable domestic policy. Indefensible. Miserable, indecisive foreign policy. Projecting weakness around the globe with very few exceptions.

[Joe Getty]

And then just a Biden thing.

[Michael]

Don't. And how about the damn border? If he had been like four stars out of four on everything else. And it had thrown the border open of millions of people, God knows who they are, like he did, while all the while claiming the border was secure, which is, it's astounding. It actually happened. Anyway, that would be enough to indict his presidency. What a miserable wreck presidency.

[Joe Getty]

The Biden Inc. Thing with putting your kid, having your kid on the board of these companies and other countries and you're making all this money and they, so they can get access to you and the phone. I mean, just. It's unbelievable.

[Michael]

Yeah. A lot of the stuff the Trump family is doing right now makes me really uncomfortable on that score, too, I'm going to be honest. But anyway, we're not talking about Trump now. We know in the future. No, yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And go ahead, investigate that. But sure. Halperin's point is the media can't hold Trump accountable for anybody because they've lost all credibility and they rightfully have lost all credibility. Why would we believe anything you ever say? Media, mainstream media, after Hunter Biden laptop or pretending Joe Biden's fine until you had no choice. It's just all these different things.

[Michael]

There is a reason they are the lowest rated institution in America for trust. They have, they have reaped precisely what they sowed.

[Joe Getty]

Absolutely earned it. They put in the effort. They, they, you know, they rolled up their sleeves. They laid the groundwork step by step, earned their 8% approval rating.

[Michael]

And to their credit, they hung in there when things were tough, like when 240American, 240 million Americans were screaming Joe Biden's senile. They hung in there and they denied it.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Michael]

I love profile and courage.

[Joe Getty]

I love the counterfactuals people throw out of. What if Joe Biden had debated? That's still not an answered question either.

[Michael]

Whose idea was that?

[Joe Getty]

Who pushed him into that? Why did he agree to abate.

[Michael]

He asked for it.

[Joe Getty]

You remember, with the heavily edited video, anytime, anywhere, you know that he, he challenged Trump to a B because everybody was wondering, will he debate? And he did. And he did it really early, which allowed enough time for the old switcheroof it. But that's not, it's not completely. It's not in Taper Tapper's book. It's not completely known whose idea that was. That couldn't have been Jill's. Jill's idea.

[Michael]

I thought I read somewhere. I'm pretty sure it was Donilon. According to somebody, his campaign advisor and pollster, who thought we. The whispers are Getting very, very loud about. He's senile. Just to summarize it, we need to go now, early A, before he gets worse, and B, to give yourself a little time if, if we need options later. But the thinking was I don't want to wait two months to trot him out on a stage. Let's get him out there now.

[Joe Getty]

Well, maybe since they were all deluding themselves, maybe they thought he'll go out there, he' fairly well like he did at the State of the Union or whatever, and then everybody will shut up about his brain until we get through this damned election.

[Michael]

I'm sorry, I just real quick, I was reading about somebody mentioning the State of the Union yesterday and how immediately I came in the next day and I said that was a coked up old man yelling his way through a teleprompter speech pressure. Why is everybody in the media saying he set the concerns to rest last night with a really forceful speech, Jim. I mean, he was a man in command. Anybody who is either being honest or doesn't delude themselves would have said that was just weird.

[Joe Getty]

Right. But he didn't stand there slack jawed, glassy eyed, like he didn't know where he was. Like he did in the debate, Right? God. I watched.

[Michael]

Nonsense.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Michael]

I watched. Okay, Michael, you gotta give me my favorite if you're gonna play those clips.

[Joe Getty]

Which one's your favorite?

[Michael]

You mess with the American woman and you're gonna get it.

[Joe Getty]

Don't mess with a minimal work unless.

[Michael]

You want to get the benefit. Yeah. Mark my words.

[Joe Getty]

I watched some clips from the debate which I hadn't seen in a long time. Oh my God. Trump's talking and he's standing with his mouth kind of hanging open sideways and his eyes indicate he's just completely checked out.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And he looks like a cadaver. His skin tone was just cadavers.

[Michael]

Yeah, that first, what was it, 5 minutes, 10 minutes? The verbal gaffes were so egregious. People don't talk now about the non verbal issues like you're mentioning. He stood there looking like a guy waiting for the end in a, in a retirement home.

[Joe Getty]

Man. Trump handled it masterfully too. He just let all that hang there. The one time he said, I don't know what he just said. I don't think he knows what he said either. Other than that he just let it hang out there, which was a good idea.

[Michael]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

He understood as a guy who's produced TV shows, he knew, oh, this is over. Duh. I had one more point on that. Oh, the. The other craziness. You said you read something somewhere about this, but the. I still don't understand it. Why were they putting fake polls in front of him so he thought he was ahead when they never had one poll ever where Biden was winning?

[Michael]

Why? I think the insiders sense that if they admitted the truth, he'd quit. Biden. Biden would quit.

[Joe Getty]

Really?

[Michael]

He would get out. He would signal that he wasn't super confident, and then the Pelosi and Schumers would move in and they wanted to hang on to their own seat, close to the seat of.

[Joe Getty]

I want to know.

[Michael]

I can come up with.

[Joe Getty]

I want to know if Jill had a role. I want to know if she had a role in the polls. She said, I would be shocked if.

[Michael]

She did not, because I could see her.

[Joe Getty]

Remember.

[Michael]

Remember, it came out, and I don't know if Tapper. You know what? We got to quit calling the Tapper's book because Alex. What's his name, Alex Thompson. I'll bet he wrote every damn word of it. They just put Jake Tapper's name on it because they wanted a celeb anyway. I remember hearing repeatedly that aides were told, or visitors or congresspeople or whatever were told, don't give him any bad news. Which is a bizarre thing to instruct. That's a bizarre instruction to give somebody meeting with the President because it would.

[Joe Getty]

Set him off emotionally, I don't know.

[Michael]

Or they were trying to build this fantasy land for the poor senile old man. They're literally, literally gaslighting him, that everything was going great for whatever reason. We were just speculating about that might.

[Joe Getty]

Be fine if he wasn't gonna run again and, you know, you're just waiting out the term, why give him bad news, you know, or something like that. But I would think if you actually wanted to win, you'd say, look, we're losing, so we need to change our message. And this is why we need to focus on, you know, Michigan or whatever, as opposed to say, we're winning, we're winning. And then he sits down with several interviews. What's his name? From NBC who just quit. What's his name? I remember watching that interview when we were at the convention, and he sat there with, why can't I think of his name? NBC Nightly News, cbs.

[Michael]

Lester Holt.

[Joe Getty]

No. Yeah, Lester Holt. That's NBC. When he sat down with Lester Holt and said, I'm leading in the polls. I'm winning, Jack. And I was like, what?

[Michael]

So my theory was the reason they Kept him in the dark like that and, and shined him on was that they wanted him out of the way. They just wanted him to sit there smiling and eating his jello. But you pointing out that they sent him to do interviews like that, that. That contradicts my theory. So, no, it's. I don't quite get it. If you have any great theory. Mailbagarmstrongetty.com drop us an email or text us 415295 KFTC.

[Joe Getty]

I'm still reading the book again, which is hilarious. It's you describing to us something that you should have known and acting like it's a surprise. But there was after one of his press conferences where he hung around kind of long and got himself into trouble. Biden did. Answered some questions, looked confused. Jill went nuts when they all went. So after the press conference, everybody goes back into a room to, like, have a post discussion, you know, like a post game, you know, rehash of. How did it go? She walked in there. Whose fault is this? Who allowed that to go on? Who didn't shut it down? And I mean, she was hot. And as you mentioned earlier, that one handler dude of hers, whatever his name was, he had the power to get people booted out. If, if, if she was unhappy, he would ax people. So you didn't want to get on the wrong side of her, but she, she, she was the one that got angry about this stuff.

[Michael]

Yeah. Yeah, I can't wait till the full.

[Joe Getty]

Story'S written on her.

[Michael]

Anthony Bernal. Yeah, Top aid.

[Joe Getty]

Name I don't know if I'd ever heard of before, but he was a powerful, powerful guy inside the White House. No doubt about it. We got more on the way. Again, what's your theory?

[Michael]

Why did they lie to him about the polls?

[Joe Getty]

Whose advantage of that was, Text Line 415295KFTC.

[Olivia]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Jack Armstrong]

Imagine a single cream that addresses all your skin care needs. Wrinkles, dark circles, age spots, and more. Introducing Caviargon skin cream, the only Argan caviar and retinol formula on the market. Packed with pure Moroccan Argan oil, collagen boosting caviar extract and retinol, Caviargon deeply hydrates, firms and rejuvenates without the irritation of traditional retinol. Trusted by women over 45, Caviargon delivers visible results in just weeks. Smoother, firmer, more radiant skin. It's not just possible, it's proven. Visit caviargone.com today to claim your jar at up to 72% off. That's caviargone.com Again, that's caviargone.com. experience the luxury your skin deserves.

[Olivia]

We do have some breaking news this morning. Literally, Olivia's water has broke. That's right. And she is anchoring the news now in active labor, early labor. She's still here. She's been doing the entire show. This is her decision to do this?

[Michael]

Yes.

[Olivia]

I'd rather be at work than at the hospital. After we're done with this show, you should probably go. Thank you, guys. Oh, yay, Olivia. I'll do my best. High five. Which means whole show maybe.

[Joe Getty]

Look at that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Three and a half.

[Olivia]

Three hours of news. That's right. In contractions. I think that's a first for CBS.

[Michael]

6.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, two things on this. First, Katie, Joe and I require that you have your baby on the air. It would really help with the show.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I was just gonna say that was my move.

[Joe Getty]

If you could somehow make that happen.

[Michael]

She goes into labor on the air. You give birth on the air.

[Unknown]

You got it.

[Joe Getty]

But the whole. Yeah, I'll stick around through weather and traffic and. I'm good, I'm good.

[Unknown]

I'm trying to figure out if this woman has any other kids because that does not seem like a first. Okay.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's like her sixth kid.

[Unknown]

Say. She said she was way too calm for that if she was a first time mom.

[Michael]

If it's her sixth kid, that kid's gonna come like an eighth eight year old sliding down a slide in a park.

[Joe Getty]

You are right, though. That has not your first kid vibes.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Based on my experience.

[Michael]

Yes. Yeah. Well, and she's CBS New York too, so she's like one step away from the big, big chair. So she's thinking labor schmaber. I could have Pelly's job.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, that's funny. I'm gonna stick around through at least traffic, local sports, then I gotta.

[Unknown]

Wow, Is that what it sounds like?

[Joe Getty]

Well, I've heard a number of sounds. Actually. I almost missed Sam because I was over at the Jamba Juice, so I didn't hear all the sounds, but there was.

[Unknown]

There's a. The hospital where I was born. Back in the day, there was a bar across the street called the Waiting Room. Oh, cool. And it had a red phone on the wall that was connected to the hospital so all the dads could get that phone.

[Joe Getty]

That is awesome.

[Michael]

Wow. Wow. Now that's. That's marketing. Love it.

[Joe Getty]

I needed that. The Jamba. I was told I had plenty of time, so I went to the Jamba Juice. When I got back, I damn near missed it. Because they were wrong. Lying, lying nurses.

[Michael]

When you need a Jamba, you need a jambo.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly.

[Unknown]

I was getting Erasmataz.

[Michael]

It is a strawberry whirl spelled with a U. Wow.

[Joe Getty]

So the big beautiful bill passed last night. I suppose we ought to touch on what's in that and what's not. Some of the things horrify me.

[Michael]

Plus, speaking of being horrified, I'm disappointed by a Supreme Court ruling that just came out. It's. It's not bad, but it's not great.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, and it's going to go to the Senate. Who knows what it's going.

[Michael]

There he goes.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, who knows? We got more on the way.

[Olivia]

Stay Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Imagine a single cream that addresses all your skincare needs. Wrinkles, dark circles, age spots and more. Introducing Caviargon skin cream, the only Argan, caviar and retinol formula on the market. Packed with pure Moroccan Argan oil, collagen boosting caviar extract and retinol, Caviargon deeply hydrates firms and rejuvenates without the irritation of traditional retinol. Trusted by women over 45, Caviargon delivers visible results in just weeks. Smoother, firmer, more radiant skin. It's not just possible, it's proven. Visit caviargone.com today to claim your jar at up to 72% off. That's caviargone.com, again. That's caviargone dot com Experience the luxury your skin deserves.

[Unknown]

Republicans pulled an all nighter to get this done with last minute deal making to win over a group of holdouts. The bill passed 215. 2141 the two GOP knows. Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, Andy Harris, who is the House Freedom Caucus chairman, voted present. So Republicans in blue states got a bigger salt deduction. That is the state and local tax deduction cap went from 10,000 to 40,000. Fiscal conservatives one on work requirements to Medicaid. They will start earlier 2026. And in the end, Bill, most of these holdouts gave in.

[Joe Getty]

Play. Play. Speaker Johnson there and his explanation of what happened overnight.

[Michael]

Everybody's conservative. We believe in limited government and we believe in individual freedom and the rule of law and peace through strength and fiscal responsibility and free markets and human dignity. The things that are all wrapped into this bill.

[Joe Getty]

You believe in fiscal responsibility? All right, all of you. You all do.

[Michael]

Evidently, he believes the first amendment also protects bull crap as speech because that was some. But Mike Johnson Will probably say to you, dude, you can't sell fiscal responsibility. Nobody wants it. If we went hardcore at the waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, we'd lose the next election. We wouldn't get anything done that you like, so shut up.

[Joe Getty]

And he'd probably be right.

[Michael]

Well, that's disappointing.

[Joe Getty]

You do mostly get the government you deserve. And we want the American people want. George Will has been saying this since I was in my 20s. I remember watching him on, like, your ABC this Week when it used to be him, Cokie Roberts and Sam Donaldson sitting around the table way back in the day. And George Will say, people talk about polarization in Washington, D.C. no, there is great agreement in this town. There's almost entirely agreement in this town. The agreement is that we want A$80 worth of government for the price of a dollar because both parties do it over and over and over again. No matter what happens. We want A$80 worth of government services, but we only want to pay a dollar for it.

[Michael]

Yeah, I, I'm torn. The Patreon in me says, keep yelling about this stuff no matter if there are votes or not, because it will at least lessen the damage or the race toward insolvency or someday the world will come around. And as Tom McClintock has said to us, no, don't abandon your principles just because nobody else seems to be with you. Because when the world comes around to them, how are you going to feel then? But at the same time, in terms of electoral politics or like, if our job here was to get Republicans elected because it's better than Democrats, I mean, that's not our job. We just try to describe the world to you and tell you what we think. But if our job was purely to get Republicans elected, I could see making the case that, hey, leave the negative stuff out. Oh, yeah, claim it was fiscally responsible, claim it's way better than Biden would have passed, which is unquestionably true, and forget your stupid little principles.

[Joe Getty]

That's not. The Fox reporter said, and blue state Republicans got a win and that they got the salt deductions raised.

[Michael]

Yeah, there's.

[Joe Getty]

There's like three of them. And though all the rest of us in the entire country got screwed by it, don't present that as a win.

[Michael]

Meanwhile, if you have a kid or a grandchild or you are just the decent sort of person who plants oaks so that, you know, future generations can enjoy the shade, you understand that we're spending our children into oblivion. We will not be hammered with the suffocating bills for our irresponsibility. They will. That's what. That's the part I can't get past. I will not be that person. I won't.

[Joe Getty]

There's a fair amount of repealing Green New Deal stuff. That's great. There's also the work requirements for Medicare that was mentioned in that clip. That. That is good stuff.

[Michael]

It's just a pretty half half measure, but at least it's something. Yeah, you're right.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. As somebody pointed out. I forget who it was. Earlier I read that what would have been nice is if the Republican Party came in and their bill was not that big, but even more beautiful in that it would have just been extend the tax cuts, get rid of the Green New Deal crap. The end.

[Michael]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

But, yeah, that's not what we did.

[Michael]

No, no. Some of it because of silly stuff Trump promised on the campaign trail. But this is good news. An indoor tanning excise tax that was eliminated in the original bill will be maintained.

[Joe Getty]

Does anybody know what that means?

[Michael]

I actually do, but do you really want to know?

[Joe Getty]

First of all, indoor tanning?

[Michael]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

As opposed to standing out in the sun.

[Michael]

Right. There's no tax on standing out in the sun.

[Joe Getty]

Could yet.

[Michael]

Not yet. Bastards. You'll take my leathery skin when you peel it off my cold dead. No, that's getting disgusting. Yeah. And. Well, because they needed to make it at least within 100 miles, being fiscally responsible, they had to add some revenue to it because they were cutting revenue out of, like, tips being taxed and Social Security being taxed. You know, it was funny. I was with some learned gentlemen last night, and some of the guys who were collecting Social Security are like, why should I not pay tax because I'm 65. But that guy over there who's 62 or 42 should be paying tax. And the argument is, well, that Social Security is money you paid in, blah, blah, blah. But these guys have enough income that they're not depending on Social Security. I don't know. I'm torn on that one because it seems absurd for the government to pretend to hold onto your money, then give it back to you that it's then taxed. So that one's. That's probably a longer discussion than we have time for right now. But.

[Joe Getty]

So I didn't. I just was reading some of my favorite tweeters, see what they were saying about the big, beautiful bill. I got distracted. By Charles C. W. Cook, National Review. His tweet, he's read further along in original sin than I have the tapper book. One of the lines in Original Sin. Five people were running the country and Biden was at best a senior member of the board, says one Democratic insider to Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson for this book. Five people were running the country and Biden was at best a senior member.

[Michael]

Of the board, meaning he was an important advisor to his advisors who are actually making the decisions.

[Joe Getty]

And Charles Wright, for a good example, see the attempted student loan theft. People around Biden used his infirmity to try to steal money to pay off their own loans.

[Michael]

Corruption. Wow. Wow. There's another giant blockbuster book to come, isn't there?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Although the people closer to the center, they won't ever talk when all the particulars are dead.

[Joe Getty]

I think though, there will be a book. I mean, I read stuff about, you know, I read a lot of books about long dead administrations. I mean, some of the stuff that goes on that went on in Nixon, in the White House or the LBJ or, I mean, it's just mind blowing. But you find out about it 50 years later.

[Michael]

Right? Right. And generally learn nothing anyway. What are you gonna do?

[Joe Getty]

The only thing. Well, you can't control it. It turns out the only way you can control your government is make it as small as possible.

[Michael]

Yes. Yeah, that's true. And of course all of this big mess is going to go to the Senate where it will be changed fundamentally, and then back to the House. And that's when the real work begins, according to old hands, old Capitol Hill hands. So that's enough of that for now. So this is apropos or nothing, but we were talking earlier about the Chicago Sun Times had a summer section which it actually distributed to other papers too, of all sorts of things to do in the summertime, including a summer reading list. And it was prepared with AI and AI hallucinated a bunch of books and, or authors and that sort of thing. But there's more. For example, in an article called Hanging Out Inside America's Growing Hammock Culture, the the quote unquote writer who is in charge of the section quotes Dr. Jennifer Campos, a professional professor of leisure studies at the University of Colorado.

[Joe Getty]

A professor of leisure studies. See, things are so crazy in colleges now. Yeah, I didn't even blink at that, even though it's made up.

[Michael]

I remember somebody taking leisure studies classes when I was in school and I really thought that was hilarious.

[Joe Getty]

Leisure stud. Yeah, I certainly start calling me Dr. Jack. I certainly have my PhD.

[Michael]

Please. You've been leisurely since the day I met you.

[Joe Getty]

I know I'm the what is it? If you've like, accomplished a much in a field and they give you an honorary doctorate, that's what I should have, an honorary doctorate.

[Michael]

Right? Right. Yeah. Anyway, so let's see. University Colorado Leisure Studies. Oh, in her 2023 research paper published in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, a search for Campos in the Journal of Contemporary Ethnography does not return any results. While it's not exactly clear why the AI said this, the only mention of Jennifer Campos on the University of Colorado's website is about the graduation of a student named Jennifer Campos who works in advertising. The same article also mentions a 2023 Outside magazine interview with Brianna Media, the author of Nowhere for Very A book about van life. A hammock is basically my most essential piece of furniture, buscaglia quotes her as saying in this AI generated thing. Outside interviewed media once in 2019, but hammocks were not discussed. Not once. Outside also did an article about her favorite Van Life gear in 2017, but she did not mention hammocks. So the quote included does not show up on the Internet outside of that article. There are examples like that throughout the section, and several of them have been pointed out by this journalist. Blah, blah, blah.

[Joe Getty]

So it made up a book, and then in some cases it would completely make up the human being. Or sometimes the person was real and they had a book but didn't talk about the topic. I mean, so there's all kinds of different levels of or the creation was.

[Michael]

Real, but they didn't study what they said they studied. And there's no record of them ever discussing this topic in their lives.

[Joe Getty]

As a PhD in leisure studies and my groundbreaking work on donuts prior to Napoleon, I can appreciate the efforts.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah. That is amazing.

[Joe Getty]

You want a good nap? Eat a couple of donuts, man. I don't know. Wait for the sugar rush to subside. You will snore. Oh, it's fantastic.

[Michael]

Although at the same time, like I was asking Chat GPT a question, you've had the same experience. It it delivers in like three seconds. And Katie just did too. We were talking about it off here. It delivers to you like the best condensed magazine article on the topic you've ever seen. If you need some advice or to solve a problem or what have you, it's amazing. But then it'll hallucinate this crap. Go figure.

[Joe Getty]

I had a question about the brake pads on our Talaria, which is a very popular electric dirt bike. Surrons and Talarias are very popular. Kind of pricey, but kids love Them.

[Michael]

Sounds like space aliens from Star Trek.

[Joe Getty]

But cool freaking thing I wrote. I, I hadn't written it much. I wrote it the other day downtown. God, that thing is awesome. I would have loved that when I was younger. But I, I had a question about brake pads and you know, what would be a good upgrade for brake pads and it gave me so much great information with the links to the YouTube videos to show me. Just. It's incredible.

[Michael]

Unbelievable. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh hey, speaking of space aliens, I was raving about andor one of the Star wars properties there on Disney plus.

[Joe Getty]

Me that reminds me, there is a new movie coming out. Okay, go ahead.

[Michael]

Okay. Wow. It's a chain of reminders. So the more I watch it, the more I love is, you know, the original Star wars which came out when we were like 12 years old. So I, I've got this like weird inappropriate feeling of our generation are the true arbiters because we were the perfect, you know, audience, blah, blah, blah. Many years have passed, many zillions of dollars have been spent. So, you know, whatever. But the original Star wars movies were written, as George Lucas has said, in kind of a Buck Rogers adventure. The beautiful princess, the swashbuckling guy, intentionally, you know, broad strokes and fun, a little more comic bookish andor is written as if A, it happened and B, it was about the life and death resistance against an oppressive regime with, with the, the, the secret financiers of the rebel efforts and the factionalism and, and you know, moral ambivalence and it's just, oh, it's so good.

[Joe Getty]

If you want something dumber. My son pointed out there's a new Marvel movie coming out. Iron man is back as a villain. Oh no. And he fights the, the new thunderbolts that I like so much among other people. So there you go. We got the perfect text to send us off on a Memorial Day weekend of hate. A text of hate coming up, among other things. We'll finish strong. Stay tuned.

[Unknown]

Armstrong and Getty Brands spend $32 billion every year on influencer marketing, yet most still don't know if it's actually working. Are you seeing a positive ROI from your influencer campaigns or is your team just tracking likes and follows? At jive PR and digital, we turn influencer engagement into real measurable sales. Our clients see a 50% lower cost per acquisition compared to traditional ads. No more wasted budgets, no more guessing. Head to jiveprdigital.com to see if your brand is a fit.

[Michael]

For more business news, IKEA just announced that they're opening six new locations by the end of the year. They even put out a promo. Look at this.

[Katie Green]

At Ikea, we're proud to unveil six new stores built with trust, care and. Wait, why do we have seven extra support beams? Okay, nobody panic. Can everyone check under their feet for the snooter bomb? No. Don't you dare call TaskRabbit.

[Joe Getty]

I'm a man.

[Katie Green]

I built a shoe rack once. See, that looks better already. Ikea. Anyone know what these three extra screws are for?

[Michael]

Yeah, I think so. So the very people building the Ikea become confused, Jack. In the style of.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, I got a fair amount of IKEA furniture when we first moved into this house. Tedious, man, tedious. We got this text. It's a perfect one to send us off on a Memorial Day weekend. Hateful text. You ready?

[Michael]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

It's laughable that you will continue to bash transsexuals. Liberal arts programs. Kids still going after Kamala. You're a pathetic joke. Soft ass hands and a fat ass. Do better.

[Michael]

Look, I'm working on trimming my ass. And I have. I have calluses. I can show them to you.

[Joe Getty]

Soft ass hands.

[Michael]

That's just inaccurate, man.

[Joe Getty]

And a fat ass. I don't think you should have used the word ass twice in one sentence.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah, it was a rough draft, sent in haste. If you'd like to, you know, massage that a little bit and resend it, that's fine. We'll read it.

[Joe Getty]

I like do I, like, do better as an ending, though. I do like that.

[Michael]

Did that show my name or just my number? Hilarious, Michael. Oh, so wait a second now. I want to get into the particulars. So we're bashing what now? Can you reread that?

[Joe Getty]

It's laughable that you will continue to bash transsexuals, liberal arts programs.

[Michael]

Hang on a second. Hang on a second. Hang on a second. Why is it pathetic to bash liberal arts programs that are, by every estimation, not teaching?

[Joe Getty]

I don't know.

[Michael]

The kids aren't studying. I think liberal arts programs are great if they're done properly.

[Joe Getty]

I don't remember bashing kids. Bashing kids but not looking past boys.

[Michael]

Who compete against girls. Oh, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Till the day I die. Thanks for your input.

[Joe Getty]

I'm looking back to previous texts from this person. Foolish, idiotic, stupid, white, privileged, snowflake. Boomer. Pathetic. So this is a theme going way back from this point.

[Michael]

I'm sorry about your anger problems.

[Joe Getty]

They don't like us.

[Mark Halperin]

Hey, kids, it's that time again with Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

I have never watched a show or listened to a show that I hate. If I don't like it, I find something else. Anyway, here's your host for final thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Michael]

All right, let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap up the show today. How about Michelangelo pressing the buttons leading us off? Michael, I will confess to getting easy college credits. I have probably six units. Let's see, one was aerobics. The other one was recreation and leisure studies. So, yeah, I have taken those classes. And yes, they were just for fun. Katie Green, our esteemed newswoman, has a final thought.

[Unknown]

Katie, I have to say I have jumped on the AI baby train. They're turning all of the adults into babies and making them talk with AI Yeah, hilarious.

[Joe Getty]

Now Joe doesn't like it. I like it too. No, Joe doesn't like babies, but I. I find it incredibly charming.

[Michael]

It's. It's entertainment for weak minds. I won't have it. Jack, any final thought?

[Joe Getty]

I actually saw it with like Joe Rogan and I. I asked Hanson, can we do that? Because they're doing that with radio shows now where you got like you and me as babies. And they use the audio from our show. That's pretty good.

[Michael]

Weird bearded babies. Yeah. My final thought is, I didn't get a chance to tell you. The Supreme Court is of course confirmed the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision to block a religious public park charter school. Weirdly, it was four to four because Amy Coney Barrett had recused herself. This might come up again. It's a bad decision. I will tell you why later on.

[Joe Getty]

Awesome. We are Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Michael]

So many people. Thanks a little time. Go to Armstrong and getty.com. many pleasures await you there.

[Joe Getty]

We'll see you tomorrow. God bless America.

[Michael]

Armstrong and get it.

[Joe Getty]

Stop.

[Michael]

Stop. Okay. Are you so interesting and so vicious and horrible and it's so beautiful.

[Joe Getty]

So bad, it's almost good. You know what I'm saying?

[Michael]

I cannot understand the word you're saying, so let's go with a bang. I don't know whether to stand on my head and poop wood nickels or. Or, or move into the woods and live like a bear. I don't know what to do.

[Joe Getty]

That first trick would be cool. I'd pay to see that.

[Michael]

On that high note.

[Joe Getty]

Thank you all very much.

[Michael]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Jack Armstrong]

Every year brands pour $32.5 billion into influencer marketing. And most still have no idea if it's working. If you're tired of chasing likes and guessing at results, it's time for Jive pr. In digital, we're the agency that turns influencer engagement into real, measurable sales. Our clients see a 50% lower cost per acquisition than with traditional ads, and every dollar is tracked from first impression to final sale. No more wasted budgets, no more guessing. Head to jiveprdigital.com to see if your brand is a fit.

[Joe Getty]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.