Lying, Union Lackey, Piece Of Crap!

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary - "Lying, Union Lackey, Piece Of Crap!"

Release Date: February 20, 2025
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Source: iHeartPodcasts

---

Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a heated discussion surrounding former President Donald Trump's controversial statements about Ukraine, his perspective on ending the war, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy. The conversation spans political analysis, personal anecdotes, and light-hearted banter, offering listeners a comprehensive look into the complexities of international relations and domestic opinions.

---

Trump's Comments on Ukraine and Zelensky

The central theme of the episode revolves around Donald Trump's critical remarks regarding Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

• Trump's Criticism of Zelensky:

  Jack Armstrong (03:03):
  "I can't understand why you got a bad mouth, Zelensky, and call him a crook and all this stuff on the way out the door."

• Getty's Counterpoint:

  Joe Getty (03:50):
  "Especially because it's like word for word the Kremlin's talking points about he's a dictator and refused to have elections. Coming from Putin. Right."

• Trump's Perspective on the War:

  Donald Trump (02:29 - 02:46):
  "I figure Russia's lost 900,000 soldiers... Zelensky has done a terrible job. His country is shattered and millions and millions of people have unnecessarily died."

---

Analysis of U.S. Foreign Policy and the G7 Statement

Armstrong and Getty analyze the implications of Trump's stance on the G7's position regarding Russia's aggression.

• G7's Shift in Stance:

  Jack Armstrong (04:18):
  "The Financial Times is reporting that because we're coming up on the three-year anniversary, this year the US is opposing calling Russia the aggressor... Trump doesn't want the United States involved in a statement where we called Russia the aggressor."

• Halperin's Insights:

  Jack Armstrong (06:46):
  "Mark Halperin's newsletter outlines that ending the war is not easy and won't be pretty... Trump ran on ending the war like I said a little bit ago."

• Impact of Coddling Europe:

  Joe Getty (09:46):
  "The coddling of Europe, militarily, diplomatically, economically, by every recent president not named Trump is one of the great foreign policy debacles in the history of the United States."

---

Pros and Cons of Trump's Approach to the Ukraine Conflict

The hosts discuss the potential effectiveness and drawbacks of Trump's strategy in addressing the Ukraine-Russia war.

• Trump's Potential Strategy:

  Jack Armstrong (26:55):
  "Does bashing Zelensky make it so Putin will come to the table? I was thinking about that, actually."

• Getty's Skepticism:

  Joe Getty (27:25):
  "Putin's a reptile. If you badmouth Zelensky to make Putin feel like there's a chance of a deal, possibly you're not going to outplay Putin at poker."

• Zelensky's Position:

  Jack Armstrong (28:32):
  "Zelensky has to convince his people that he had no choice but to accept a deal that gives Russia Crimea and Donbas."

---

Historical Context and Comparisons

Armstrong and Getty draw parallels between current events and historical foreign policy decisions.

• NATO Expansion and Provocation:

  Jack Armstrong (28:57):
  "Charles C.W. Cook argues that Ukraine's path towards NATO expansion was provocative. If Russia had gone to war with us, are we to blame?"

• Comparisons to Past Conflicts:

  Joe Getty (31:59):
  "Profiteering and wartime are like inhaling and exhaling. It was one of Lincoln and Stanton's greatest challenges during the Civil War."

---

Public and Political Reactions

The episode touches on the diverse reactions from the public and political figures regarding Trump's statements and policies.

• Public Opinion on War Ending:

  Jack Armstrong (06:46):
  "Tens of millions of Americans, from major MAGA to Sanders supporters, want the war to end."

• Internal Political Dynamics:

  Jack Armstrong (07:32):
  "Trump doesn't want the United States involved in a statement where we called Russia the aggressor... hoping it's some master negotiating."

• Listener Perspectives:

  Mo (31:59):
  "Profiteering and wartime have never existed without each other... pointing out waste and fraud during wartime is not proof positive that Zelensky is a bad guy."

---

Light-Hearted Segments and Personal Anecdotes

Beyond the heavy political discourse, Armstrong and Getty engage in humorous exchanges and personal stories to balance the conversation.

• Nail Biting Discussion:

  Jack Armstrong (34:41):
  "My fingernails are the longest they've ever been in my life, and I'm disgusted by it."

  Joe Getty (35:05):
  "Do you swallow the nails? Oh, Michael, a good question, but disgusting."

• Consumer Issues and Anecdotes:

  Joe Getty (19:58):
  "Maybe Trump can have Elon Musk take a couple of days to talk to the people who reflexively reply all to group emails."

---

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Armstrong and Getty reiterate the complexities of foreign policy decisions and the personal impacts of political actions.

• Final Reflections:

  Jack Armstrong (26:52):
  "Bashing Zelensky makes it so Putin will come to the table? It's not going to lead to a better outcome. More dead people on both sides."

  Joe Getty (33:34):
  "There's truth there."

• Looking Forward:

  Jack Armstrong (37:33):
  "Stay with us as we continue to explore these critical issues."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. Joe Getty (03:50):
   "Coming from Putin. Right. Seriously, how stupid are you if you fall for that?"

2. Jack Armstrong (04:18):
   "Trump doesn't want the United States involved in a statement where we called Russia the aggressor."

3. Jack Armstrong (06:46):
   "Mark Halperin's newsletter outlines that ending the war is not easy and won't be pretty."

4. Joe Getty (09:46):
   "The coddling of Europe... is one of the great foreign policy debacles in the history of the United States."

5. Jack Armstrong (28:57):
   "Charles C.W. Cook argues that Ukraine's path towards NATO expansion was provocative."

6. Jack Armstrong (34:41):
   "My fingernails are the longest they've ever been in my life, and I'm disgusted by it."

---

Key Takeaways

• Complexity of Foreign Policy: The episode underscores the intricate nature of international relations, especially concerning the Ukraine-Russia conflict and U.S. involvement.

• Diverse Perspectives: Armstrong and Getty present multiple viewpoints, highlighting the tensions between political strategies and public opinion.

• Personal Touch: Amidst serious discussions, the hosts infuse humor and personal stories, making the content relatable and engaging.

---

Note: This summary focuses on the substantive content of the episode, excluding advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content segments to provide a clear and comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the full episode.

Transcript

[Ashley Kinetic]

This is Ashley Kinetic from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. It feels like everyone is talking about GLP1s these days. Those are Ozempic and Semaglutide. And with Future Health you can find out if they're right for you too. Maybe you feel like you've been struggling with your weight for years and no matter how much you diet and exercise you just don't feel healthy. Just go to try fh.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health AT&T has a.

[Unknown Announcer]

New game guarantee because most things in life are not guaranteed like getting through self checkout by yourself. Not guaranteed in a world where Nothing is guaranteed. AT&T is bringing something new to the table. AT&T is introducing a guarantee with connectivity you depend on, deals you want and service you deserve or they'll make it right. Learn [e-mail] guarantee at&t connecting changes everything. Terms and conditions apply. Visit att.com guaranty for details. The Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl Champions.

[Joe Getty]

It's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fly, Eagles, fly.

[Unknown Announcer]

Celebrate the big win with the official licensed Super Bowl Champions gear, available [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The Eagles win at Super Bowl 59.

[Unknown Announcer]

From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion.

This Saturday, February 22nd at 1:30pm Eastern. It's the Pro Volleyball Federation's first All Star match. The league's biggest stars will clash in a can't miss event hosted in the Indy metro area, home of the indie Ignite. Catch every serve, spike and save live on cbs. Don't miss this historic showdown of volleyball's finest, the Pro Volleyball Federation All Star Match this Saturday at 1:30pm Eastern on CBS. Be there.

[Jenny Garth]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio, the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

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

[Donald Trump]

I figure Russia's lost 900,000 soldiers. I think that Ukraine's lost probably 700,000 and it's a terrible thing. You'll see body parts, bodies and body parts all over the field. All over. We see them through very accurately through satellites. I love Ukraine, but Zelensky has done a terrible job. His country is shattered and millions and millions of people have unnecessarily died. And you can't bring a war to an end if you don't talk to both sides. You gotta talk. They haven't been talking for three years.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy. So this is such an interesting topic and I can't wait to see how it plays. Read the books someday when the behind the scenes stuff is, is laid out. Because I guarantee you his Secretary of State doesn't agree with a lot of what his boss is saying right now. I'm hoping Trump has got some sort of three dimensional chess plan that's going to wrap this up in some sort of way. But, but like I've been saying, if, if he just thinks, hey, this is Europe's war, it's not our war, I don't believe it's in our interest. I want it over. We're not supporting him anymore. I don't agree with that. But that's a policy decision and he ran on that and he won. So, you know, it is what it is. But I don't understand why you got a bad mouth, Zelensky, and call him a crook and all this stuff on the way out the door.

[Joe Getty]

And especially because it's like word for word the Kremlin's talking points about he's a dictator and refused to have elections. Coming from Putin. Right. Seriously, how stupid are you if you fall for that? I mean, and honestly, he was freely elected. His approval ratings are, you know, over 50% and they're not allowed to have an election during wartime. So the idea that he's a dictator is just ridiculous. So I don't know what Trump is working at.

[Unknown Announcer]

I.

[Joe Getty]

Seriously, I'm so befuddled.

[Jack Armstrong]

Got some interesting info on that in a second from Mark Halpern's newsletter today as he talks a bunch of people behind the scenes. But the Financial Times is reporting that because we're coming up on the three year anniversary at the beginning of this thing. Right. So the first couple of years, the G7 has put out a big statement about it. This year the US Is opposing calling Russia the aggressor. The aggressor. In the G7 statement on the third anniversary of the beginning of the war, it says here in the Financial Times threatening to. Which is a lefty outfit, but threatening to derail a traditional show of unity, according to five Western officials familiar with the matter. I'm sure that's true. So Trump doesn't want the, doesn't want the United States involved in a statement where we called Russia the aggressor. I'm not exactly sure why I Hope it's some master negotiating.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Again, I don't understand why the negotiating has to include badmouthing Zelensky. Here's a little more Trump in Miami last night.

[Donald Trump]

On top of this, Zelensky admits that half of the money that we sent them is missing. They don't know where the money is. He said, well, we don't know where half of it is. That's great. Wonderful. He refuses to have elections, is low in the real Ukrainian polls. I mean, how can you be high with every city is being demolished? It's hard to be high. Somebody said, oh, no, his polls are good. Give me a break. Every city is being demolished by who? They look like a demolition site, every single one of them. And the only thing he was really good at was playing Joe Biden like a fiddle. He played him like a fiddle. That's an expression we use, Yasser, to say that he's pretty easy. Pretty easy.

[Jack Armstrong]

This whole it's your fault your cities are rubble because a giant country attacked you and you're doing your best to stop them from turning your cities into rubble because obviously you don't want that to happen. But you can't stop them because you're the, you know, you're the small country. It's your fault. You should pay a political price for it. I don't even know. I don't understand the logic of this at all, but.

[Joe Getty]

Well, yeah, and I'm hoping it will emerge, and I know you're about to get to that. But as I've said before, there are things Trump does that I, that we're on the same side of. I agree with 100%. And he utterly butchers explaining it to the point that if you don't know exactly what he's talking about, you have no idea what he's talking about. And I hope this is one of those.

[Jack Armstrong]

So here's some Mark Halperin's newsletter. Today, lost in nearly all of the dominant media coverage of Donald Trump's efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia are these 10 points. One, ending the war is not easy and won't be pretty. Yeah, people need to realize that. Two, Trump ran on ending the war, like I said a little bit ago. Three, tens of millions Americas of Americans, from major MAGA to Sanders supporters, want the war to end. I did see some polling the other day. It's getting close to 5050 on support for Ukraine. So for Trump's long standing pro Putin rhetoric is really impossible to explain or justify. But it didn't keep the Maven of Mar A Lago from being tough on Russia as president the first time around. Sanctions, pipeline cancellation, etc.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And at least so far. I read this last week. Kind of lost in the shuffle of, you know, the, The. The. Everybody. Oh, my God. Trump said Zelinsky caused this, which is another thing to say to me. He didn't. Hasn't canceled a whole bunch of arms and money that's still going there. So something, you know, I don't know what that is. Uh, number six, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris built a military and a diplomatic coalition to halt Putin's march to Keef, but they had no plan to end the war on any terms. Not a minor point. How was this going to play out if Kamala Harris won? Just keep dripping along, barely keeping them afloat for some reason, because it looked like it looked bad if we didn't or something.

[Joe Getty]

I can't even indulge in the what if Kamala had won fantasy for more than, like, 30 seconds because it's so sickening to me. Just in. In every single way. And they were. They were a miserable, miserable failure at foreign policy. No question about it. That doesn't mean every single thing they did was wrong. But, yeah, it's true. They had no plan. So see how it goes and hope so.

[Jack Armstrong]

Halperin pointing out Biden Harris had no plan to end the war. And he also says, number six, Zelensky, he's skilled at the media and has had Churchillian moments, but he has no plan to end the war on any terms because what are you going to do, number seven, except defeat? Right? Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And I don't. I don't think it's an indictment of.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, but, But Trump has a plan to end the war. Biden Harris didn't. Zelensky doesn't.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

7. There's no way to end the war without giving Putin something, and maybe quite a bit, including things that no civilized person would want to bestow upon a thug who did what he did. But there's just no other way to end the war. That's just freaking reality, which I hate in the current state of things, but it is true. I love this one. Number eight, the coddling of Europe, militarily, diplomatically, economically, by every recent president not named Trump is one of the great foreign policy debacles in the history of the United States.

[Joe Getty]

Right, Right. Even as an Obama, for instance, or even a Bush or. Or a Biden would. Would say, hey, y'all gotta step up. You gotta do better. But that was as Far as it went, it was the, you know, the parent in the grocery store. Stop that, Johnny. Stop that, Johnny. Stop that, Johnny. Oh, and when Trump, there's no enforcement or arm twisting.

[Jack Armstrong]

And when Trump first term came along and made a big deal of them not paying the amount of their, on their military, they're supposed to with their NATO agreement. Oh my God, he wants to destroy NATO. He's not supporting our allies. I like Mark Halperin's judgment that our coddling of Europe on these issues is one of the great foreign policy debacles in the history of the United States. And that might play out in a giant way that makes history books, you know, in a decade or something, in a way we don't want.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yep. Europe had to be dependent on the US post WW2, but like a 33 year old living in their parents basement, we never cut off the teat. We never said, hey, you got to stand on your own and stand up as an equal and an ally and quit, you know, glomming off of us. That's absolutely true.

[Jack Armstrong]

And also this Trump and his foreign policy national security team might be blundering in to a colossal error on Ukraine. But the above list, all the things we just mentioned, suggest that they should be given a chance to prove they know what they're doing. There's a lot of complex pieces involved. And all those things were true.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, there's a lot of nuance to this. I mean, because for instance, the G7 statement not listing Russia as an aggressor seems ridiculous, Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Ridiculous.

[Joe Getty]

But the statement was abandoning the traditional show of unity. And if JD Vance were to call the show. First of all, jd, thanks for listening. But if he were to call and say, hey, what is your traditional show of unity gotten you so far? I would have to say, well, not much in the way of concrete results other than draining Russia's resources. That's not a reason though, to make up crap and repeat Kremlin talking points. But you know, it's not 100% ridiculous.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we never actually got around to some of these tweets from a former member of Zelensky's administration. He tweeted this out the other day about what's going on right now. We have always lived in this reality. We just didn't want to admit it. The difference between Biden and Trump is that Trump says out loud, loud what Biden was thinking and doing about Ukraine. Biden was against NATO expansion, against providing Ukraine with enough support to retake occupied territories when it was still possible. And against strong sanctions on Russia. Trump was just making it explicit. Biden stood with Ukraine, the war, as long as it took for him to leave office, but without giving them enough aid to win. Trump wants to end the war, but is not going to provide the aid either. But Biden was not going to provide the aid if he stuck around. At the same time, this guy, a former Zelensky cabinet member, said Trump isn't cutting off military support that's already in place so far, which a point I made already. And previous US Presidents have followed a similar policy. They didn't provide serious military aid, didn't impose tough sanctions, for example, after Crimea, Bush and Obama letting Putin get away with various things, and didn't bring Ukraine into NATO despite constant statements about support and future possibilities. So to a certain extent, Trump is just doing well. He's doing the same thing. He's just saying it. And that's what he's getting so much grief for. Except for the stuff. And this is why I wish he'd lead out the why you got a bad mouth Zelensky and call him a mediocre comedian and a thug and a dictator. I don't understand that at all. I have no explanation for why that has to be part of it.

[Joe Getty]

It's a temper tantrum because Zelensky challenged him on not being at the talks and some of the other stuff he'd said. So Trump had a tantrum.

[Jack Armstrong]

But if you leave that out, Trump could say, I Biden wasn't going to do anything any different. He just wasn't. He was going to pretend he was going to keep saying, we're with you till the end, while not doing anything that was going to lead to a better outcome, that we're going to end up with me as more people die.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's absolutely a defensible position when you describe it like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

But that only works if you leave out the badmouthing Zelinsky and claiming that Ukraine started it for some reason, which.

[Joe Getty]

Is one of the most bizarre things I've ever heard in my life. You know, the, the whole. There are, there were. There was part of the foreign policy establishment that back in the 2000 teens was saying, hey, don't be leading Ukraine down the primrose path. As the one diplomat put it, that they're going to just come over to NATO and go with the west and it's going to be fine and dandy because Russia is going to go crazy over that. And indeed, there was a lot of truth to that. But to state and again, Sometimes when Trump is doing the right thing, he describes it so badly it's impossible to know what his thinking is. But for a generation of Ukrainians to say, you're giving us a choice between the thug kleptocracy of Kremlin or being part of the west with free markets, human rights, free speech, et cetera, we want that second one to suggest that that provoked Russia to invade them. To me is. Well, it's. It's a pile of crap.

[Jack Armstrong]

We'll see how this plays out over the coming days. Weeks, months, years and centuries as it all fits together.

[Joe Getty]

No, we won't. I'll be dead.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, maybe he'll be. I got plans.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right. After a lot more in the way. Stay here.

[Ashley Kinetic]

Armstrong and Getty, this is Ashley Kineti from the Ben and Ashley I almost Famous podcast. You probably know somebody who's on Ozempic or Semaglutide right now. These are really popular medications that people are using to lose weight. If it seems like all other options aren't working for them, go to. Try FH.com to find out if weight loss meds are right for you, try FH.com Try FH Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health.

[Unknown Announcer]

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super bowl champions.

[Joe Getty]

It's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fly, Eagles, fly.

[Unknown Announcer]

Celebrate the big win with the official licensed super bowl champions gear available [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The Eagles win at Super Bowl 59.

[Unknown Announcer]

From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion.

This Saturday, February 22nd at 1:30pm Eastern, it's the Pro Volleyball Federation's first All Star match. The league's biggest stars will clash in a can't miss event hosted in the indie metro area, home of the indie ignite. Catch every sirhusk bike and save live on cbs. Don't miss this historic showdown of volleyball's finest. The Pro Volleyball Federation All Star match this Saturday at 1:30pm Eastern on CBS. Be there.

Every day, our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.

[Joe Getty]

Thank you for calling Amica Insurance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, I was just in an accident. Don't worry, we'll get you taken care of at Ameca.

[Unknown Announcer]

We understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human amica. Empathy is our best policy.

[Joe Getty]

Delta confirming that it is offering $30,000.

[Jack Armstrong]

To each passenger, no strings attached and.

[Joe Getty]

Only one person remains in the hospital.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, so here's $30,000. Sorry we landed upside down. Okay, so is that so you don't sue them? You probably have to sign some sort of thing or.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I suspect it's a preemptive settlement. It's not clear exactly what caused it yet. I'm really curious to hear that. I've gone deep into the helicopter slash airplane wreck at Reagan national. Man. Multiple screw ups. Multiple.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sorry about that landing upside down thing. Here's a. Here's $30,000. Let's we still be friends. Yes, Katie.

[Joe Getty]

Well, technically they landed right side up then flipped upside down. So at least they didn't give them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like a voucher for a free flight. Right?

[Joe Getty]

They do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or worse. Like sorry we ruined your entire Christmas and you're not going to get to your family. Here's a free drink on the next flight. A drink coupon. Yeah, basically. Here's $4.

[Joe Getty]

I'd be okay with having a tire pop if I got a thousand bucks.

[Jack Armstrong]

Out of it or something. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Can you scale these down? I don't want to make that trade of the plane flips upside down. I'm hanging upside down, there are flames and smoke and then I get $30,000. But maybe for $3,000 a bag falls on my head.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. I don't think it works like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll be okay.

[Joe Getty]

I see your point. So coming up, some very fun, light hearted stuff I have about, you know, consumer issues. Also freaking Hamas. Handing over the bodies of four Israeli hostages, two beautiful little children, an 84 year old peace activist who advocated coexistence with Palestinians. Just terrible. Just see the story about the hero dog that passed away. America's most decorated special forces as secret service dog. No beautiful Malinois black and just. Oh, seeing him with his handler who loved him and all since my dog is old and sick and who knows how long he's gonna last. Very touching. But man, I love dogs anyway. Yeah, this dog had performed all sorts of great services and feats of daring. Do like he was trained to do, including when that guy got onto the house grounds when Obama was in office, I think, and charging toward the White House. This is the dog that said no, you're not. Oh yeah, and brought him down. Beautiful beast too. Anyway, on a much less positive note, I was just going through email during the commercial break. Can we have some sort of national intervention. Maybe Trump can have Elon Musk take a couple of days on this to talk to the people who reflexively reply all to group emails including I'm part of an organization. The guy said at the end of the email reply to me only thanks. 5 minutes later Mr. Reply all hits everybody with his whether he'll be there or not and the rest had a couple of comments.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hi Karamba, what drives that you feel like? Everybody see your comment.

[Joe Getty]

I think it is not 5050 but part of the group is old people who don't understand the difference between reply all and reply could be yeah, honestly. And secondly guy who likes other people to hear his conversation, right? Seeing them in line at the grocery store restaurants.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes you're absolutely right. It's that person which they're annoying.

[Jenny Garth]

Armstrong and Getty hi, this is Jenny Garth from I Do Part two. Who do you know on Ozempic or Semaglutide right now? Everyone right? These game changing weight loss meds are everywhere and FutureHealth makes it easy to get started. Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three [e-mail] FutureHealth is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by FutureHealth the Philadelphia Eagles are.

[Unknown Announcer]

Super Bowl Champions it's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fly Eagles, fly.

[Unknown Announcer]

Celebrate the big win with the official licensed Super Bowl Champions gear available [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The Eagles win at Super Bowl 59.

[Unknown Announcer]

From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion.

This Saturday, February 22nd at 1:30pm Eastern. It's the Pro Volleyball Federation's first All Star match. The league's biggest stars will clash in a can't miss event hosting the Indy metro area home of the indie Ignite. Catch every serve, spike and save live on cbs. Don't miss this historic showdown of volleyball's finest, the Pro Volleyball Federation All Star Match this Saturday at 1:30pm Eastern on CBS. Be there.

Every day, our world gets a little more connected, but a little further apart. But then there are moments that remind us to be more human.

[Joe Getty]

Thank you for calling Ameca Insurance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, I was just in an accident.

[Unknown Announcer]

Don't worry, we'll get you taken care of.

At Ameca, we understand that looking out for each other isn't new or groundbreaking. It's human. Ameca empathy is our Best policy.

So, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, still trying to mitigate the fallout of her much criticized handling of the historic wildfires in la. She has now apparently started an investigation into why she claims no one told her not to go on that infamous trip to Ghana ahead of the deadly firestorm.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is the problem with you being old, Karen Bass. If you were younger, you would realize the news cycle on this passed so many days ago. All you did was remind people that you took off and stayed gone during the worst of as disaster in California history.

[Joe Getty]

Right outside of greater la, people had moved on to other fair, but, oh, that's right, the mayor of LA was taking some sort of pleasure junket. Even though the fire danger was crazy high and she'd gutted the budget and left the city unprepared for a natural disaster. Everybody knew it was coming.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, we're sad.

[Joe Getty]

That's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't just not travel every fire season because there might be a fire. Once she was there and the fire started, she stayed till the end of the dang thing. That's the crime.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Union lackey, slash goon phony progressive Karen Bass. Okay, so now she's. We're gonna get to the bottom of this. How was I not told? She wants to know next clip.

[Unknown Announcer]

It was gonna be a very, very short trip over a weekend and two business days. Although there were warnings that I frankly wasn't aware of. Although there were warnings, I think our preparation wasn't what it typically is.

[Joe Getty]

What do you mean there were warnings you weren't aware of?

[Jack Armstrong]

Because I know we were talking about.

[Joe Getty]

It on the news.

[Unknown Announcer]

It didn't reach that level to me to say something terrible could happen and maybe you shouldn't have gone on a trip.

[Joe Getty]

Why didn't it happen to me?

[Unknown Announcer]

I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

I mean, I think that that's one.

[Unknown Announcer]

Of the things we need to look at.

[Joe Getty]

This is straight out of the Gavi Newsom playbook. In California, under the one party benevolent leadership of the Democrats, these terrible problems happen. And then they vow angrily to get right to the bottom of how this happened. Who let this happen. We're gonna root out the evil doers.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. I've never been so mad. Can you see how many homeless people we've got here? I've never been so angry. This can't stand.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. Back to Charlie Painter's report.

[Unknown Announcer]

The fire department is responding sternly to the mayor's claims she was not warned, saying the department followed all standard preparation procedures. Quote, prior to the Palisades fire, the LAFD emailed two separate media advisories, conducted multiple live and recorded media interviews about the predicted extreme fire weather, and notified city officials about the upcoming weather event show.

[Joe Getty]

She's a lying piece of crap, I think is the bottom line here. Lying union lackey piece of crap. Keep voting the same way, folks, and wait for that different result to come down the line. Tell you what.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, we got a couple of responses of the one of the stories of the day, definitely the week now, like I said, maybe your decade or century is how this whole thing between Ukraine and Russia is going to handle it. And, and you know, why is Trump claiming Ukraine started it and badmouthing Zelinsky? So couple of thoughts on all of this that I thought were interesting and.

[Joe Getty]

Then I've got a couple too that I thought were quite compelling.

[Jack Armstrong]

I won't say who's this from, but somebody we work with. Does bashing Zelinsky make it so Putin will come to the table? I was thinking about that, actually. Trump has worked with a lot of probably mobsters in trying to get deals done in New York over the years. And the extent to where you had to make them feel like the tough guy and the, you know, the guy who calls the shots all the time and everything to do business with them at all and get what you wanted, probably somewhat similar to Putin.

[Joe Getty]

It. It could be. The only thing that bothers me about that is that Putin's a reptile. And if you badmouth Zelensky to make Putin feel like there's a chance of a deal, Putin is thinking, okay, now he's badmouthing Zelensky to make me think there's a better chance of a deal. Possibly you're not going to outplay Putin at poker.

[Jack Armstrong]

On the other side of it, Zelensky, we got this text. Zelensky has to convince his people that he had no choice but to accept a deal that gives Russia Crimea and Donbas. And he needs to blame the US for putting Ukraine in an impossible position where this was the best and only outcome. I wouldn't be surprised at all. I don't know about. I don't agree with this, but I wouldn't, writes this texter. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Zelinsky and his team requested of Trump that they behave like this publicly to cover Zelinsky's needs. The likely resolution of this conflict hasn't changed since six months into it. He needs cover for agreeing to it. That happens sometimes in international politics. We all know that that was kind of happening between bibi and Bibi and Netanyahu, I think, where he'd say, I gave a Stern talking to Bibi Netanyahu and then they'd send him a bunch of planes and bombs.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, Biden and Biden.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So. So that point of view you just read, it's not a crackpot?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, absolutely not.

[Joe Getty]

My, my only criticism of it, I don't agree with it, but it's, it's, it's a reasonable point of view, is that I don't think Zelensky has the slightest interest in staying in power past.

[Jack Armstrong]

No.

[Joe Getty]

You know, whatever juncture he can lead.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no. God.

[Joe Getty]

Although I think he's an actual patriot. You got one more or I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Either way, one more. This is pushing back to the whole NATO thing that you brought up earlier. I don't think Charles C.W. cook of National Review was listening, but he was arguing with people who make that argument that Ukraine and US did start the war by talking about Ukraine being part of NATO. Alaska became a state 10 years after NATO was founded. That was a provocative NATO expansion. We made Alaska a state so we would have territory there, keep an eye on Russia, be able to have a military base, all that sort of stuff. Was that provocative? If Russia had gone to war with us, are we to blame if they had attacked us or whatever?

[Joe Getty]

The problem that I have with that point of view, and again, it's not insane, it's just that it always underestimates the cost of being passive or submissive or not being robust.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

They always act as if if we weren't mean, nobody would be.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And yeah, that oversimplifies your argument. And it's, it saves me time though.

[Jack Armstrong]

One more thing from Charles C.W. cook. He said there are rumors now that Trump is playing seven dimensional chess.

[Joe Getty]

I love Charlie. So got this from Mo, longtime correspondent and listener. As a militant MAGA supporter, I too am baffled by WTF Trump is doing with Ukraine. I do agree with and support the position that Ukraine and zelensky are corrupt, etc. I have two very brief answers to that. And the first part is not, I'm not trying to blow my horn or anything like this, but my like giant senior project way back in school was, was about the Soviet republics that were not Russia. And then when they crumbled right after I got graduated, it's been so interesting to watch how they have assimilated mostly into the west and have moved beyond the Soviet style communism corruption into a more Western way of doing business. And it's been halting and imperfect. It always is. Yes, there continues to be corruption because the only way to get ahead in a communist system is to be corrupt, essentially. And so working through that is a really difficult thing. The second caveat I would throw in is that profiteering and wartime are like inhaling and exhaling. They have never existed without each other, ever. It was one of Lincoln and Stanton's greatest challenges during the Civil War, the extent to which profiteers in the north and the Union were screwing the government and making it harder to end the war. So to point out waste and some fraud during wartime as some sort of proof positive that therefore Zelinsky is a bad guy and must go. It's just not the way it works. I'm not sure why that's so much chaos.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's all true, but I'm not sure why it matters anyway. We went to war with Iraq first time around because they invaded Kuwait, which was not a democracy. If. If Saudi Arabia got attacked by Iran, we'd be on Saudi Arabia's side and fight with them. They're not a democracy. They're all kinds of corrupt and everything. It doesn't.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

If Ukraine is friendly to the United States, we can't live in a world where a country that's an enemy of Europe and the United States gets to invade it.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Right. On the other hand, it's a good conversation, and dissent is more than welcome. You know, you can drop us an email mailbag at armstrong and getty.com or text 415295 KFTC. Disagreement makes my ideas stronger or convinces me that yours are better. You're doing us a favor by disagreeing anyway. But Mo goes on to say one thing Trump said in the incredibly good interview with Musk on Hannity, and it was super informative and entertaining. I would agree. In the course of a fairly casual conversation, he said, I believe I have the power to end the war. If I do, I should do it. And Trump has said many things that strike me as sincere to indicate his horror at the human cost of the war. And he honestly thinks, I think, that somebody needs to end it because it's horrific and it's needless.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. That gets to that point we've mentioned a couple of times. It's not gonna. There's not gonna be a better outcome. All you'll end up with is many, many, many more dead people on both sides.

[Joe Getty]

There's truth there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, Absolutely is. Personal problem after this. So we're in the middle of basketball season now, and baseball season's about to start, I don't know which one of those you're most into, but you've got opinions about sports. You could turn them into money with the Prize Picks app.

[Joe Getty]

Yep, it's really fun and Easy. Join over 10 million users. Sign up today for Prize Picks. Best place to get real money. Sports action.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. You download the Prizepix app, you sign up Today, you get $50 instantly when you play five bucks. You don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus. It's guaranteed. So, you know, you see some player that's hot and you think, oh, they're gonna do better than that. Tonight, you jump on the Pricepix app.

[Joe Getty]

Prizepix also offers weekly promotions that can lead to big payouts like Taco Tuesday. Each Tuesday, Prizepix discounts select player project to 25% to provide even more value for your lineup. So again, all you have to do to explore this is download the app today. Use the code Armstrong to get $50 instantly after you play just a $5 lineup for your first $5. Prize picks is the app Armstrong is the code. Get 50 instantly when you play five prize picks. Run your game.

[Jack Armstrong]

My fingernails are the longest they've ever been in my life, and I'm disgusted by it.

[Joe Getty]

Are you homeless? Do you need a place to stay?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, Katie.

[Joe Getty]

I. I was just wondering if you've.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ever heard of nail clippers. Right. So that was.

[Joe Getty]

That was. That was insulting.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have nail clippers. I've never used them much throughout my life because I have the really bad habit of chewing my nails.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, really?

[Jack Armstrong]

I've always had it. Yeah. And I. I've gotten away from it a couple of times with just a little bit of discipline. And I'm trying to do it again, but I keep forgetting to trim my nails because it's not part of my routine since, you know, I keep them chewed to a nub anyway usually. But now they're really long, clean. Not like Bob Dylan in the movie or Timothee Chalet in the movie. Watch that. And that's a very accurate thing. If you go to the Bob Dylan movie, his portrayal of Bob Dylan with the long, dirty fingernails is accurate.

[Joe Getty]

But how do you play guitar like that?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Long fingernails are anathema to playing guitar.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, but I need to buy clippers. It's gross. I've never trusted guys with long fingernails.

[Joe Getty]

Well, if you need to borrow the $2 come through, we can start a GoFundMe when they're available everywhere. So do you swallow the nails? Oh, Michael, a good question, but disgusting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I do not.

[Joe Getty]

My fingernails are so like thick and hard. I don't think I could chew them off. Have you been spitting them in, Joe, all these years? When I turned my back. Idiot.

[Jack Armstrong]

One of the reasons, and it's a terrible habit, not an uncommon one, but a terrible habit, especially as an adult. But I have a family member with OCD who chews them down to bloody and just can't stop. And so I'm hoping that by, you know, because, you know, doing that in front of him is not helping with trying to convince him it's a bad idea. Once again, an example of having kids making you a better person because you have to live up to various things you believe in.

[Joe Getty]

So annoying.

[Jack Armstrong]

It would be so freeing. Once they go and I can go back to old me. Pastry eating, nail biting, jack cross walking, all kinds of things.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jaywalking rather.

[Joe Getty]

So what do we want to do next? I have many, many options.

[Jack Armstrong]

There are some more clips because they they did a two day version of Elon and Trump together on Hannity and they had another round of and some are pretty good, including our.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'd love to hear that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe the clip of the year. We've played it a couple of times already. It could end up being the clip of the year just because it matters so much to us.

[Joe Getty]

That would be Elon's second win, by the way. Unprecedented.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Unknown Announcer]

Well, you know, things are getting weird and they're getting weird fast.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was clip of the year two years ago. Stay with us.

[Unknown Announcer]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jenny Garth]

This is Jenny Garth from I do part two. Everyone's talking about GLP1s like Ozempic semaglutide. With Future Health you can find out if they're right for you too. Just go to tryfh.com that's trifh.com and find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three minutes. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health.

[Unknown Announcer]

The Philadelphia Eagles are Super bowl champions.

[Joe Getty]

It's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fly, Eagles, fly.

[Unknown Announcer]

Celebrate the big win with the official licensed super bowl champions gear available [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The Eagles win at Super Bowl 59.

[Unknown Announcer]

From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion.

This Saturday, February 22nd, at 1:30pm Eastern. It's the Pro Volleyball Federation's first All Star match. The league's biggest stars will clash in a can't miss event hosted in the Indy metro area, home of the Indy Ignite. Catch every serve, spike and save live on cbs. Don't miss this historic showdown of volleyball's finest. The Pro Volleyball Federation All Star match this Saturday at 1:30pm Eastern on CBS. Be there.

@ Ameca Insurance, we know it's more than just a house. It's your home. The place that's filled with memories.

[Jack Armstrong]

The.

[Unknown Announcer]

Early days of figuring it out to the later years of still figuring it.

[Joe Getty]

Out.

[Unknown Announcer]

For the place you've put down roots. Trust amica home insurance Amica empathy is our best policy.

I really want to, I really want to emphasize to people that this is a very important point. If we don't solve the deficit, there won't be money for medical care, there won't be money for Social Security. We either solve the deficit or all we'll be doing is paying debt.

[Jack Armstrong]

It'd be a pretty dry clip of the year, but it's gonna be, it's, I guarantee it's gonna be in the running just because it's so flipping true.

[Joe Getty]

And important and the fact that him saying that out loud is novel and surprising just is shocking.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know the answer to this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Why does every single news report about Elon Musk include the phrase world's richest man?

[Joe Getty]

Because news is for stupid people. Or I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I think they're trying to insinuate some sort of untowardness and that he's cutting things while being the richest man in the world. And that's supposed to be ironic or scary or something?

[Joe Getty]

Scary. Yeah. We well in ironic. Yeah. For dumb people. Again, it's obvious and this has been well documented that our society has gone from admiring success and hoping to emulate it to wanting to demonize it and acting like being successful is is self evident proof of being a bad person. It's a very socialist, awful way to approach life.

[Jack Armstrong]

But this was a Part 2 of the Hannity interview. First interview with Trump and Elon together last night. And you probably haven't heard a lot of this, so here's a little more.

[Unknown Announcer]

Provided the economy grows faster than the money supply, which means you stop the government overspending and the waste and the output of real useful goods and services exceeds the increase in the money supply, you have no inflation and you also drop the interest payments that people pay because if the government waves too high. Yes. The reason the interest payments are so high is because the national debt keeps increasing. So the, the government is competing for, to sell debt with, with, with the private citizens. This drives up the interest rate. So if you have a, if you have a, if you cut back on the deficit, you actually have an amazing situation for people because you get, you get rid of inflation and you drop the interest rates.

[Joe Getty]

Yep.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which one you want to.

[Joe Getty]

Let's go with 26. Trump was talking about media.

[Donald Trump]

There are so many people, you know, you're talking about the radical left. They have the lowest ratings. MSNBC is dying. CNN is dying. They're all dying. The New York Times is doing lousy. The Washington Post is doing horribly. They're all doing badly because people don't buy it anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's true.

[Joe Getty]

Well, let's let CNN respond in the person of Kara Swisher. 28. Michael. It's like a sequel to I love you man, but bad. Like a bad one. It feels like a buddy comedy. It's a very, it's rom com in some way. Although it's not funny. It's a very strange. I thought George Bush, if I used his term, that was weird. That was some weird ass. Yeah, some weird stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

You know, it's funny. I can hardly even get myself worked up to be annoyed with CNN and MSNBC anymore. They're just such clowns and their significance is dropping so steadily. It's like, okay, if you and your 31 viewers enjoyed that, there they are talking seriously and soberly about America's debt problem and the damage it will do and how to solve it. And all you've got is that was like a sequel to I love you man. It was weird. And that was some weird s. No wonder you're going away. You're terrible.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, I've been saying this now for. By the way, today is the one month anniversary of Trump becoming President of the United States. Does it seem like he's been president for a month? God, how many presidents have have happened in US History where nothing happened in the first month? I mean nothing.

[Joe Getty]

Karl Rove wrote an interesting column saying, hey, Trump's gotta slow down some so the American people know what you're doing.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would agree.

[Joe Getty]

Celebrate the victory at the bor, Tour the border, straight states, talk to the governors because news junkies know what's happening. But the average American might not have noticed yet. I think he had a decent point.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I think there's all kinds of small things slipping by, whether it's you know, getting rid of plastic paper straws. Or maybe the Transport Singer. Just because there's so many news stories per day.

[Joe Getty]

Hour four is on the way. If you don't get hour four, subscribe to our podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand. Listen to it later. Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Jenny Garth]

Hi, this is Jenny Garth from I Do Part two. Who do you know on Ozempic or Semaglutide right now? Everyone right These game changing Weight loss meds are everywhere and FutureHealth makes it easy to get started. Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just three [e-mail] FutureHealth is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. Results may vary. Sponsored by Future Health the Philadelphia Eagles.

[Unknown Announcer]

Are Super Bowl Champions it's over.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fly Eagles fly.

[Unknown Announcer]

Celebrate the big win with the official licensed Super Bowl Champions gear, available [e-mail].

[Jack Armstrong]

The Eagles win at Super Bowl 59.

[Unknown Announcer]

From jerseys to hats to must have collectibles, we've got everything you need to rep your team with pride. Don't wait. These styles won't last. Shop [e-mail] and gear up like a champion.

This Saturday, February 22nd at 1:30pm Eastern. It's the Pro Volleyball Federation's first All Star match. The league's biggest stars will clash in a can't miss event hosted in the indie metro area, home of the Indie Ignite. Catch every circus spike and save live on cbs. Don't miss this historic showdown of volleyball's finest, the Pro Volleyball Federation All Star Match this Saturday at 1:30pm Eastern on CBS. Be there.

Creativity doesn't wait. It moves. Shifts, evolves just like you. And with the Yoga PC from Lenovo, your tools finally keep up. Stunning, smart and sustainably sourced yoga PCs from Lenovo are designed to amplify your creativity with AI powered performance. Whether you're sketching, editing, animating or composing, yoga moves with you adapting to your creativity, to your rhythm. With beautiful displays and the flexibility to shift from laptop to tablet, yoga unlocks new ways to inspire and create. Because at Lenovo, we believe your tools should fuel your flow, not hold you back. Yoga PCs from Lenovo support you at every step of your creative journey. So check out lenovo.com yoga and supercharge your creativity with yoga, empowering creators everywhere.