Ma'am... A Coyote Ate Fluffy

Summary

Summary of Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode: "Ma'am... A Coyote Ate Fluffy"

Release Date: April 30, 2025
Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!

---

In the April 30, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty navigate through a blend of critical economic updates, political analysis, social media dynamics, and lighthearted listener interactions. Entitled "Ma'am... A Coyote Ate Fluffy," the episode delivers a robust discussion on the shrinking U.S. economy, political turbulence under President Trump’s administration, the complexities of modern neighborhood interactions on platforms like Nextdoor, and humorous takeaways from listener mailbags. The episode seamlessly intertwines serious discourse with moments of levity, making it accessible and engaging for both regular listeners and newcomers.

Economic Downturn: The Shrinking GDP

The episode opens with a grave economic update, as Jack Armstrong highlights the disconcerting contraction of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP):

Jack Armstrong [01:03]: “The first quarter, the United States GDP shrunk by 0.3%. We went negative, we went backwards. 0.3%. Barely, but we went backwards.”

This negative growth marks the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, setting the stage for potential recession as Armstrong explains the significance of the dip relative to typical positive growth rates of 3-4%.

Jack Armstrong [01:24]: “Barely, but we went backwards. And usually you're hoping for like, 3, 4% positive. So it's not just as backwards. It's. It's a good 4% below where you'd like to be.”

Joe Getty deliberates on the potential causes, whether it's linked to President Trump’s policies since taking office on January 20th or stemming from global uncertainties.

Joe Getty [01:48]: “Anybody who denies that there is rampant uncertainty in the air around the globe is a liar.”

The hosts underscore the economic uncertainty, debating whether this downturn is a temporary setback or a harbinger of prolonged economic challenges. Getty encourages listeners to remain optimistic despite shaky forecasts.

Political Climate: Trump's First 100 Days

Shifting focus to the political landscape, Armstrong and Getty dissect President Trump’s initial 100 days in office. They contextualize his administration’s actions within the broader scope of economic policies and international trade tensions, particularly with China.

Joe Getty [26:20]: “Trump is doing magnificent stuff like this... But Republicans get murdered at the midterms.”

The discussion delves into the effectiveness of Trump’s tariff strategies against China, acknowledging both the economic pressures exerted on Chinese manufacturing and the resultant strain on U.S. economic relations.

Joe Getty [18:45]: “The high tariffs against China, which are a precursor to Trump, I suspect fashioning a much more reasonable deal that will accomplish some level of decoupling and yet not, you know, blow up.”

Armstrong reflects on Trump's statement regarding economic numbers and future projections, expressing cautious optimism about the alleged forthcoming economic boom.

Jack Armstrong [24:01]: “Trump has responded to that in the last couple of minutes... ‘Tariffs will soon start kicking in and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our country will boom.’”

However, they also critique the administration’s lack of legislative achievements within the first 100 days, contrasting it with historical precedents like FDR’s prolific legislative push.

Jack Armstrong [27:59]: “So Congress has been being becoming more and more irrelevant, term by term, my whole adult life. And it just turbo speeds this first 100 days with Trump and I don't know where this ends up.”

Social Media Struggles: The Nextdoor Dilemma

A significant segment of the episode addresses the pitfalls of political discourse on social media platforms, specifically Nextdoor. Armstrong voices his frustration with how political opinions permeate neighborhood interactions, detracting from the platform’s intended purpose of community support.

Jack Armstrong [02:20]: “I don't want to hear. I don't want to read their opinions on some issue and there is a lot of that.”

Getty concurs, highlighting how unsolicited political talk can alienate neighbors, regardless of whether they share the same views.

Joe Getty [04:17]: “People are often annoyed very much by people they agree with... It’s not just the people who disagree with you that are annoyed.”

The hosts lament the emotional toll of witnessing neighbors struggle with personal issues, such as the heartbreaking story of a cat named Fluffy being mauled by a coyote.

Jack Armstrong [04:50]: “I found it interesting emotionally, that, like, in general, if there is a, you know, a crime wave going through your neighborhood, you'd like to know about that... But then there's just apparently general malfeasance that happens into the middle of night... It's just too much sadness.”

News Highlights: A Mixed Bag of Stories

Katie Green, the co-host, delivers a rapid-fire news segment encompassing a variety of topics:

• Amazon and Tariffs: Reporting on Trump’s displeasure with Amazon’s consideration of displaying tariff charges at point-of-sale, sparking debates on transparency versus consumer annoyance.

  Jack Armstrong [13:36]: “Which may or may not be true.”

• Bill Belichick’s Girlfriend: The intrigue surrounding Jordan Hudson’s emails about book promotion, sparking media speculation.

• UPS Layoffs: Highlighting the impact of reduced business with Amazon leading to 20,000 job cuts at UPS.

  Katie Green [14:44]: “From The Washington Post, UPS set to lay off 20,000 workers as it reduces business with Amazon.”

• Social Issues: Stories ranging from Robert De Niro’s son coming out as a transgender woman to a man contracting a skin disease from unwashed thrifted clothing.

• Satirical Takes: The Babylon Bee’s humorous observation on AI-generated text messages in marital communications.

Mailbag: Engaging Listener Interactions

Listener contributions add a personal and humorous layer to the episode. Armstrong and Getty address intriguing questions and creative scenarios submitted by their audience:

• Could 100 Unarmed Men Defeat a Gorilla? The hosts humorously dissect the improbability of such an encounter, with Armstrong mocking the idea:

  Jack Armstrong [33:16]: “He would rip the heads off five guys. And then the other 95 guys would say, let us out. This is stupid.”

• Amazon’s Tariff Display Idea: Listener Burbank Luke proposes a comprehensive breakdown of taxes and tariffs on purchase receipts, prompting Armstrong to reminisce about past business practices.

Humor and Lighthearted Exchanges

Throughout the episode, Armstrong and Getty infuse humor into their discussions, balancing the gravity of economic and political topics. Memorable moments include playful banter about personal anecdotes, such as Jack’s son defeating him in chess, and witty retorts to listener comments.

Joe Getty [31:39]: “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”

Jack Armstrong [31:46]: “And no, but he is a. What's a. What's a sore winner?”

Closing Remarks: Looking Ahead

As the episode nears its conclusion, Armstrong and Getty tease upcoming discussions, including the Ukraine minerals deal and further economic analyses. They encourage continued listener engagement through their mailbag segment, emphasizing a community-driven dialogue.

Jack Armstrong [32:36]: “We actually haven't, Sean, but the nuclear carrier is extremely fast. It is important to be able to swiftly generate a headwind while launching fighters for the L that provides.”

---

Key Takeaways:

• Economic Concerns: The U.S. economy's slight contraction raises alarms about a potential recession, exacerbated by global uncertainties and domestic policy shifts under the Trump administration.

• Political Turbulence: President Trump's first 100 days are scrutinized, highlighting both achievements in immigration and trade, alongside declining approval ratings and limited legislative successes.

• Social Media Challenges: The intrusion of political discourse on neighborhood platforms like Nextdoor undermines community solidarity, causing frustration among users seeking support rather than debate.

• Diverse News Coverage: The podcast covers a spectrum of stories, from corporate layoffs and personal transformations to health scares and satirical takes on modern communication.

• Engaging Listener Interaction: Mailbag segments provide a platform for audience participation, blending serious queries with humorous hypotheticals.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [01:03]: “The first quarter, the United States GDP shrunk by 0.3%. We went negative, we went backwards. 0.3%. Barely, but we went backwards.”

• Joe Getty [04:17]: “People are often annoyed very much by people they agree with... It’s not just the people who disagree with you that are annoyed.”

• Jack Armstrong [02:20]: “I don't want to hear. I don't want to read their opinions on some issue...”

• Joe Getty [26:20]: “Trump is doing magnificent stuff... But Republicans get murdered at the midterms.”

• Jack Armstrong [31:39]: “When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser.”

Conclusion

"Ma'am... A Coyote Ate Fluffy" encapsulates Armstrong and Getty’s ability to tackle significant economic and political issues while maintaining an engaging and approachable demeanor. Their blend of insightful analysis, social commentary, and humor ensures that listeners are both informed and entertained, making complex topics accessible to a broad audience.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Foreign.

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and get ready.

[Jack Armstrong]

From Studio C. Si, senor. It is a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty Communications compound. And hey, y'all, Today we are toiling.

[Joe Getty]

Under the tutelage of our general manager, the economy. I was gonna go with Chinese manufacturers because they're hurting for certain. Holy cow. But then the economic numbers for the US Came out, and that was a bit of an oof as well.

[Jack Armstrong]

So here's you go, ladies and gentlemen. The first quarter, the United States gdp shrunk by 0.3%. We went negative, we went backwards. 0.3%. Barely, but we went backwards. And usually you're hoping for like, 3, 4% positive. So it's not just as backwards. It's. It's a good 4% below where you'd like to be.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. It's solidly in reverse. And that was before, quote, unquote, Liberation Day in early this month.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. So I guess the analysis will be how much this has anything to do with Trump since he took over January 20th, and this is the first quarter. January, February, March. But, yeah, it's not great. It's not great. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Anybody who denies that there is rampant uncertainty in the air around the globe is a liar. Now, whether this is merely a period of uncertainty followed by the greatest American century ever, or the golden age, or what have you, or it's just a mistake that needs to be rectified as quickly as possible, it depends who you ask.

[Jack Armstrong]

I believe, though, that beats expectations. At least all the expectations I had read.

[Joe Getty]

Not my expectations, buddy.

[Jack Armstrong]

So. Yeah. And then the whole. Anyway, more on that later. Hanson, I just got into a conversation about next door. Are you on next door for your neighborhood?

[Joe Getty]

I used to be.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's funny. That's what he said. That's what lots of people say.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. For the same reasons.

[Jack Armstrong]

Are you on next door, Michael? No, my wife loves it, though. Loves it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, she gets tips from, you know, like, we were looking for an AC.

[Jack Armstrong]

Guy, so she'll ask around and stuff like that. Katie?

[Katie Green]

I'm on it.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're on?

[Joe Getty]

Varies. Hood by hood.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Joe Getty]

According to the demographics of the people involved and ages and all sorts of Hansen's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Thing was, I don't want to. Their political opinions over there. I like them. We get along well. I don't want to hear. I don't want to read their opinions on some issue and there is a lot of that. It's like, is it because you don't have your own talk show or something that you just feel like, you know what I think of Trump's first hundred days? Why are you putting this on next door? This is for lost cats. And hey, I found a good, you know, air conditioner repairman.

[Joe Getty]

Right, exactly. And, you know, it's. I always feel slightly guilty pitching the idea that, you know, you don't need to tell everybody what you think, since I do it for a living. But on the other hand, I don't, you know, go around treating people's illnesses because I'm not a doctor and nobody wants me touching them. So stay in your lane. You know, I get the urge, trust me, I do. But you are alienating far more people than you are, you know, enlightening or, or impressing. In fact, this is the part that's often left out. People are often annoyed very much by people they agree with. It's not just the people who disagree with you that are annoyed. It's. I don't need people spouting off about politics in my, like my golf group.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. What do you get out of it, Katie? What do you like about nextdoor?

[Katie Green]

Kind of the same thing that Michael's wife does. I just, you know, if I'm looking for tips for housework or, you know, lost pets and whatnot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there's a lot of sadness. Like, tremendous sadness.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, really?

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like there's, there's just, you know, I don't know who they are, but they're a couple blocks over and they got, you know, a 19 year old cat that's dying. Leukemia. And they can't afford it and they're dying themselves. And it's just, I. Too much, too much sadness.

[Joe Getty]

And what finally drove me away was the. Does anybody know who drives that red car? It's very loud. Yeah, because we were, we were adjacent to like a retirement community and it was very much, if you're into classic TV, a forum for Mrs. Kravitz types, those who had just watched the neighborhood and look for fault or missteps or violations of the HOA rules or whatever. Just never ending.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there is a lot of. To the high school kid who drove by me today, you are way too close to the bike lane. You know, that sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's. Hey, that's a legit concern. High school kids not reading it.

[Katie Green]

There is one video that got posted the other day from a ring doorbell that somebody was outraged. They got doorbell ditched at about 6pm and they were. This is your kid.

[Joe Getty]

By God, if I catch them, I won't be held responsible for what I do.

[Jack Armstrong]

I found it interesting emotionally, that, like, in general, if there is a, you know, a crime wave going through your neighborhood, you'd like to know about that because that happens sometimes where, you know, people come in from outside of town and they go neighborhood by neighborhood. And if that's happening, it'd be good to know about. But then. But then there's just apparently general malfeasance that happens into the middle of night, always has, always will, that you don't know about. And I feel like I'm better off not knowing about it. Being alerted to every tiny thing that happens overnight makes you paranoid, and I assume it's always been that way.

[Joe Getty]

So why was there yelling at 11:30 last night? That's far past the time people should be yelling in public.

[Jack Armstrong]

Somebody was messing with my trash cans at 2am I could hear them all right. I guess maybe it was a cat. I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Really needs moderating. Yes, it does. Right around. Speaking of cats for that job.

[Jack Armstrong]

That'd be a fun job. Be the moderator for your local next door.

[Joe Getty]

Man. Speaking of cats, there was a. There were several. My cat Fluffy was out in the backyard last night around sunset, and she's lost. She's white and has a pink ribbon and blood. There are several of these and I wanted to write them all. Ma'am. A coyote ate Fluffy. Fluffy is dead. Because that was absolutely. You got people in the foothills of this year, Nevada and California, with outdoor cats wondered what happened to their cat. I'll tell you what happened to your cat. A coyote ate it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bam. Coyote ate your cat. Your cat is dead.

[Joe Getty]

He is dead. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Michael. Yeah. We lost a cat or two to coyotes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Joe Getty]

I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Again, the political opinions just surprise me. I just. I. It's the. Maybe this is a public service. To those of you listening. You got to tread really lightly on sharing political opinions. It's just this, man. There's a time and a place.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And not everybody agrees with you. So if you jump in with. If you care about your school for your kids, then you need to vote this way on H. And here's why.

[Joe Getty]

Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, I'm sure you feel passionate about it, but, man, you're gonna alienate more friends than good. You do in terms of convincing people to vote, in my opinion.

[Joe Getty]

Although the. The argument, as you just put it, I could take. It's the argument that presumes Everybody agrees with me, and it's only some weird lunatics that I'm not familiar with. Who could possibly disagree? You know, h. If you love children. Right. You know, that sort of thing. Yeah. What's the. What's the perfect comparison? Fluffy's dead.

[Jack Armstrong]

Fluffy is dead.

[Joe Getty]

Ma'am, you got two choices. Get a new cat or not have a cat. Fluffy is dead. Here, tell me this. And Katie, Michael, please feel free to weigh in. Political opinions are like medical symptoms. They're not to be brought up in most settings.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, that's true.

[Joe Getty]

Would if you would not bring up your medical symptom. I mean, if you would not say, boy, my gums are bleeding a lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or look at this, look at this sore.

[Joe Getty]

What does this look like to you? Yeah. If you would not post a picture of your lesion. Yeah. Don't, you know, hit people with your political views? I am staunchly in favor of political activism, political communication, involvement, forming of groups, lobbying, and running for the school, all that stuff.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure, that is fine, but you got to realize you're weighing into it. I don't think most people realize they're weighing into it in the way that they are. I think they. They feel like there's a. No cost to firing that stuff off.

[Joe Getty]

Yes, I would agree. Yeah. Facebook is infamous for it. How many people just roll their eyes and keep scrolling at their old friends who just badger them with. With politics all the time?

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's start the show officially. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Wednesday, April 30, with a shrinking economy, the year 2025. We're Armstrong and Yeti and we approve of this program.

[Joe Getty]

Let's begin officially then, according to FCC rules and regulations. So much to talk about. We'll talk about it at.

[Michael]

Mark, we've opened up your faucets and we've opened up especially me. I don't like taking a shower where the water goes drip, drip, drip onto my luxuriant air. I need a lot of water.

[Joe Getty]

I need everything I can get. Is this really happening? Or am I still asleep and I'm dreaming?

[Jack Armstrong]

So Trump did a big rally last night. We got a few headlines from that and more from an interview. He did a big long sit down on ABC News with Terry Moran, which at one point says, I'd never heard of you and I can see why.

[Joe Getty]

Or something like, oh, no.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, God, that was funny. Anyway, you got two choices. A new cat or no cat. But those are your two choices, according.

[Joe Getty]

To Joe Fluffy's soul Rest in peace.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie's got her headlines. We got Mailbag. We got more news of the day. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we mentioned the GDP numbers are out and we're. The negative actually shrank. And that's the first time since COVID that we've shrank. And then it was quite a while before that. So we know that doesn't happen very often.

[Joe Getty]

No, indeed. And it depends what expectations you looked at, whether this was significantly worse than expectations or not. But it's, it's not good. There's no solid reason the economy should be shrinking, honestly.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then that sets us up for the traditional definition of a recession. Two shrinking quarters in a row.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. And again, this was before Trump launched the confusing, abortive, chaotic mutual tariff thing with the charts and all. There was some anticipatory uncertainty leading up to that hostility with China. But we'll have to see how it all plays out. I mean, meanwhile, as we always point out, I, I am not the economy. I still have a paycheck. I am not in recession and neither is anybody else. So let's, let's all keep cool here. All right, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's lead story with Katie Green. Katie, hit it.

[Katie Green]

All right, starting with ABC. Trump marks 100 days with campaign style rally.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, there was reporting that he was really like restless in the White House and itching to get back out there. He's almost freaking 80 years old.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, a lot of people who are.

[Jack Armstrong]

Almost 80 years old are itching to sit on their chair all day long, not get up and stand in front of a crowd for an hour and.

[Joe Getty]

A half and riff.

[Katie Green]

Ad lib from cnn. A quote pissed Trump called Jeff Bezos after learning Amazon considered breaking out a tariff charge.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's an interesting story that played out while we were on there yesterday. The news broke that Amazon was going to put a little blurb in when you paid for things. This is how much was the tariffs. Trump got wind of it, hated it personally called Jeff Bezos, which it sounds like Jeff Bezos said, oh, no, it's a misunderstanding. We weren't planning on doing that at all. Which either is or isn't true.

[Joe Getty]

But they said it was one department's idea. It was never going to be implemented. Please, Donny boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which again, may or may not be true.

[Joe Getty]

But you've got a hot trophy wife. I've got a hot trophy wife. Come on now, let's not fight.

[Katie Green]

From the New York Times. President Trump says he could bring back wrongly deported man, but won't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, we'll play that excerpt from the ABC interview last night.

[Katie Green]

Now the important news. Jack from NBC, Bill Belichick's girlfriend Jordan Hudson posts coach email about book promotion.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, we had that yesterday. So not exactly sure what her point was there after the dust up over the weekend. This, this has the potential to be a great little good distraction soap opera to follow.

[Joe Getty]

Does this have the potential land up in a homicide investigation?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, no, it's not going to be on.

[Joe Getty]

There are weird dynamics at work here.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's not going to be on Dateline, I don't think, is it? But yeah, the young hottie, 50 year age difference.

[Joe Getty]

That's a, it's a good story. Which reminds me, there might be a new break in the crime of the century. The kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby.

[Jack Armstrong]

Really?

[Joe Getty]

That's right. The crime of last century.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. I thought you were going to go JonBenet, but you went way 100 years before that.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Stay tuned.

[Katie Green]

From The Washington Post, UPS set to lay off 20,000 workers as it reduces business with Amazon.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's a lot.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Amazon's delivery, they're doing their own deliveries now, their own trucks. Is that the big difference?

[Katie Green]

Yep.

[Jack Armstrong]

They drive too fast. All you Amazon drivers drive way too flipping fast through the neighborhood.

[Joe Getty]

And well, they would tell you, go ahead, Katie.

[Katie Green]

I was going to say and quit parking in the middle of the street.

[Jack Armstrong]

Street, Right. That's the.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they just, they just like just shut off their vehicle wherever they want to.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. They would respond to you. Well, we're giving an ins. We're given an insane schedule and if we're not on time, we get yelled at or fired or whatever. To which Amazon would then reply, no, we don't. It's a perfectly reasonable schedule and you can walk to and from your truck and still do your deliveries. To which they would reply, again, bull crap.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's an interesting topic. The most dangerous driver in my neighborhood on almost any given day is either the UPS or Amazon guy. That shouldn't be.

[Joe Getty]

Our UPS guy is very courteous. Your results may vary from Breitbart.

[Katie Green]

Robert De Niro's son comes out as transgender woman at age 29.

[Jack Armstrong]

I saw that pretty effeminate looking dude.

[Joe Getty]

From the New York you do you.

[Katie Green]

Sir from the New York Post. Man contracts a shocking skin disease from wearing thrifted clothing.

[Joe Getty]

Wash it first.

[Katie Green]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, always wash it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've worn a lot of either thrifted or ebayed used clothes. Lots. But yeah, you Wash them first.

[Katie Green]

Yeah, this looks like shingles all over his face.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh.

[Katie Green]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee wife beginning to suspect husband's thoughtful, relevant responses to her text messages might be AI generated.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. I don't do underwear or socks or T shirts.

[Katie Green]

Oh, thrifted underwear.

[Joe Getty]

I, I know how much money you make. You're not buying used underwear. Be, be good to yourself. Treat yourself. You've worked hard. I don't buy used underwear.

[Jack Armstrong]

I said I'm not buying used underwear. I don't.

[Joe Getty]

The fact that you would even bring it up, that, the fact that it's crossed your mind, apparently. How about socks? More news of the day.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, not socks either.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, wow. Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

I think maybe the border is the most significant because our country was really going bad. They were allowing people to come in prisons and now it's totally closed down. And you've seen, just Yesterday they announced 99.9%. Nobody thought that could happen.

[Jack Armstrong]

So that is from the ABC interview that aired last night in prime time. The question was, what do you think is your biggest accomplishment in the first 100 days? And he said the border, which is almost certainly true according to everyone. We've got more that coming up later, including his exchange about Pete Hegseth, which I thought was really interesting and like classic. That's why Trump is who he is and different than other people. With a very honest, I thought, relatable answer. But anyway, more on that later.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, just to drill down a little bit into some of the economic stuff. You need to separate China from everywhere else if you're going to be talking tariffs and the, the wisdom or efficacy what Trump is doing. Those are two completely different questions. Friends and allies. And then China, we ought to be in a trade war with China or at least we ought to be in my opinion, making significant moves toward becoming much more independent from China in all manufacturing, honestly, because we don't know when the bottom's gonna drop out, relations wise.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Before the almost inevitable, probably war. War happens.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. You're not wrong. Not to mention. Well, here's a special case within a special case. Pharmaceuticals, computer chips, other technologies that we need for our self defense that we bizarrely are dependent on China for. I mean, it's just a terrible idea. So that, that's a no brainer, as they say. Although apparently we lost our brain for an extended period of time because here we are dependent on them. But anyway, so the, the high, high tariffs against China, which are a precursor to Trump, I suspect fashioning a much more reasonable deal that will accomplish some level of decoupling and yet not, you know, blow up. The economy is having a hell of an effect on China. China's economy showed its first big signs of damage from the trade war as steep US Tariffs pummeled export orders and production at the country's factories. A gauge of new export orders fell this month to its lowest reading since COVID 19 was RA ravaging China in 2022, while overall manufacturing activity in China was the weakest in more than a year. So that's going to add pressure on Xi Jinping to reach a deal with on trade with Trump. But for now they are still making belligerent chest beating noises over in Beijing.

[Jack Armstrong]

So is this a who blinks first sort of situation?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I suspect very strongly that back channel negotiations are going on or lower level negotiations.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, Trump says they are and she says they absolutely are not. So I don't know which is true.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, very odd. I can't figure that one out. But in a social media post earlier this week, the Chinese government urged other countries not to submit to US Pressure and said China will, quote, never kneel down before Washington. Still, that's, they're, they're really hurting in China.

[Jack Armstrong]

Glad to hear it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, good. They're dirty commies, they have slaves. They're, they're one of the most racist cultures on earth. They're bent on world domination and then dominating every human being on earth and enslaving them. So boo. They're the bad guys. Trade War Uncertainty prompts wave of Companies to Yank Forecasts Headline from the Wall Street Journal mentioned this yesterday. I think we were just talking about GM that said, might have been one other, but they said, you know that forecast we put out a few months ago that we're gonna have 8% growth in profits around this. Well, we have no idea what they're going to be now. So please chuck that in the garbage can. New poll shows that more than 80% of senior executives are worried about tariffs and other policy shifts. So you got GM, JetBlue, Snap, Volvo, all sorts of companies saying, yeah, forget our guidances, we have no idea what's going to happen this year. UPS did not update its outlook, though it predicted lower shipping volumes and revenue. It also announced 20,000 workers would be laid off, as we discussed. And then Bill Galston in the Wall Street Journal, he's an editorialist, is going through Trump's approval numbers. The headline is Trump hemorrhages support 100 days in. And he's, if you analyze some of the polls he is, you know, the Democrats hate him. They hated him before most democr voters. A lot of swing voters have turned negative and indeed a small but sizable chunk of Republican voters have swung negative. And his positives to negatives, which Jack, you always point out, are going to flip as soon as the honeymoon period ends and events start to happen, that sort of thing. He was six points to the positive. He is now seven points negative. It's a total negative swing of 13.3 points since the beginning of his term.

[Jack Armstrong]

It happened faster because he got involved in, you know, trying to change America faster. But look at Obama's approval ratings after he really got into pushing Obamacare when he had the most political capital to spend. How much he dropped or Reagan after the first year or so doesn't mean that this terrifying couldn't be a disaster. And Trump ends up in the teens. I mean, that is still on the table. By the way, the economic news that's out, that the economy shrunk by 0.3%. Trump has responded to that in the last couple of minutes. Here's his statement. This is Biden's stock market, not Trump's. I didn't take over till January 20. Tariffs will soon start kicking in and companies are starting to move into the USA in record numbers. Our country will boom, but we have to get rid of the Biden overhang. This will take a while. Has nothing to do with tariffs, all caps. Only that he left us with bad numbers. But when the boom begins, it will be like no other. Be patient. I hope he's. I hope that's true. I hope he's right. I hope that's true.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, me too. I absolutely do. I, I'm rooting for him to win on this for reasons I was about to dive into. But you know, I'm, I'm looking back at the history of foreign policy, for instance. Well, domestic policy too, for goodness sakes. I mean, you got a hundred examples of this. Presidents who were good people mostly or, you know, really just good people surrounded by really smart advisors who got policies through that they thought would work and they did not. It happens all the time. History, I mean, you could go with just the last 20 years of history and there are too many examples to go through during a four hour program. Sometimes presidents are wrong because the world is complicated and the economy has a way of. It's a lot like my hair, ladies. I suggest which direction it ought to go, but it listens only some of the time. The economy's like that too. You think, well, I'll nudge it that way, it'll go that way and then doesn't. So it's possible Trump's just flat wrong. I hope he's not. But I'm looking at some of these poll numbers and, and, and thinking about, you know, the conduct of his administration so far. And immigration has been a victory so complete, so swift, so inspiring, it's practically without precedent. It's like if Abe Lincoln won the Civil War in a month. Having said that, his numbers on immigration have really declined because, and here's the Trump problem. You know the old saying that if you want to make an omelet, you gotta break a couple of eggs, you gotta break some eggs. Which is true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Have you ever tried to make an omelette without breaking the eggs?

[Joe Getty]

They're horrible, very chewy, for one thing, the shell. So much shell. Anyway, the problem with Trump is that if he's making a three egg omelet, he breaks seven eggs. He breaks some of the eggs that are in the carton, they're not part of. Why didn't you just not break those eggs? Here's the problem. Ah, you're a rhino, you're a boomer, you're a Reagan idiot. I'll save you writing your moronic emails.

[Jack Armstrong]

I like that accent, whatever that was.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, here's the problem. Trump is doing magnificent stuff like this, this, this judge in Wisconsin who I want to talk about who's clearly guilty of obstructing justice and, and she's gotten busted for it. If you don't know the story, we'll bring you up to speed. It's unbelievable. But, so anyway, and, and the people on the left, the press and the Democrats, oh, this is Trump's attack on the judiciary, blah, blah, blah. And, and the, the reforming education stuff, the getting rid of the woke stuff, it's great, it's so good, I can't believe it. But if he breaks too many eggs that aren't going into the omelets, Republicans get murdered at the midterms. Murdered. And all the good stuff stops. All that's left is executive orders, and those are limited in effectiveness, particularly as the judiciary gets involved in it. And they should. So please, just, just, just break the three eggs.

[Jack Armstrong]

I want to tell you the most interesting thing I heard yesterday about the first 100 days that has slipped by a lot of people. But first tell you about price picks with the playoffs going on especially. Got a couple of big games tonight that I'm very excited about. Warriors and Lakers both playing tonight. But anyway, turn your sports opinions into cash. Download the app today. By the way, if you use the Code Armstrong, you get $50 instantly. After you play your first $5 lineup, you choose more or less on a couple of, you know, two to six player projections, could be baseball or basketball or whatever, and you have your shot to win up to 2000 times your cash.

[Joe Getty]

It's amazing and it's super easy. The app is really simple. Just pick two or more players across any sport or a couple of different sports if you want and pick more or less on their stat projection. You can win big money. But again, you play a $5 lineup and you use our code ARMSTRONG, you get $50 instantly to play around with down the road and, and again, you know, just play to your level of comfort. I'm kind of a small time guy. I think it's fun. Again, a $5 lineup gets you $50 to play around and just use that Code Armstrong prize picks run your game must be present in certain states. Visit pricepix.com for restrictions and details.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Congress has been been becoming more and more irrelevant, term by term, my whole adult life. And it just turbo speed. This first 100 days with Trump and I don't know where this ends up. I mean Congress is, you know, your article one supposed to be the most powerful thing we got in our government and now they do nothing really. But so nothing happened with Congress in the first 100 days. All this great stuff that you know, you're just touting is, is great, but sure wish it would have been an attempt to craft some legislation and run it through and vote and turn it into law. So it'd be very difficult to overturn. They haven't even tried to approve a single judge in the first 100 days. No major legislation. Zero. So when you talk about the hundred day mark comes from FDR, but his first 100 days it was tons of legislation. It was all passing these laws, many of which we still unfortunately live with. But that's the advantage of passing a law. They stick around for a very long time. But just presidents don't do that anymore. And it's been going that direction and Trump just amplified that greatly.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, the engine of the country is supposed to be Congress. Article 1 branch, as Jack pointed out, and I was thinking about this the other day, Congress has become akin to something like the Queen of England. It has ceremonial duties.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

And it shows up to, you know, various ceremonies and we respect it and they get together and do their traditional things, but nothing ever comes of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's not good.

[Joe Getty]

No it's horrible. And you know, it's mostly horrible because someday, I'm told by historians, someday a Democrat's going to win again and have the White House and they're going to go hog wild and pass all sorts of executive orders and Congress, having completely forgotten how to do anything, is just going to sit there and say, well, they'll just give speeches and raise money on Instagram.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, we could be three years from all this stuff that happened in the first 100 days being turned back the other direction because it'd be that easy to do. Mailbags on the way. Bunch of other stuff. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Some breaking news. Maybe we'll get into more now or two. Ukraine ready to sign landmark minerals deal with U. S today. I wonder if that's what Trump and Zelensky were talking about privately in those chairs of the Vatican. Look, get this agreement. We're heavily invested. Think you know what that means? I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'd love to talk about that. And we should. We shall. Stay tuned. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day sent along by alert listener David. This is from none other than so crates Jack. So pronounce his name Socrates. When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. You suck. Trump is Hitler.

[Jack Armstrong]

God. My son. My son demolished me three times in a row in chess last night.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, did you slander him?

[Jack Armstrong]

And no, but he is a. What's a. What's a sore winner?

[Joe Getty]

He's a showboater.

[Jack Armstrong]

Showboater, I guess.

[Joe Getty]

Get off his food supply. That'd make the point. Sanctions, son. I've announced sanctions against. Fine.

[Jack Armstrong]

You won't be eating for a while.

[Joe Getty]

For your showboating the mailbag. Feel free to correspond if you like. Our email address is mailbagarmstrongandgetti.com that's [e-mail] Correspondence on a number of different topics, but we'll lead with this one, guys. Why are we fighting to the gorilla's strengths? This is on our topic of could 100 unarmed men defeat a gorilla in an in a fight, which we spent.

[Jack Armstrong]

Most of the show on yesterday.

[Joe Getty]

Probably, but it'd be a hell of a mess, is the answer according to.

[Jack Armstrong]

AI you'd have to be. You'd have to find 100 very motivated men. And I don't know how you would do that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, TH writes, humans are persistence hunters. You wear the gorilla down by getting it to constantly chase down different targets, goading it with the right timing. So it doesn't ever reach anyone. Then it's exhausted. Bam. Well, wait a minute. Gorillas can charge at 25 miles per hour, I think.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I think it would charge. It would rip the heads off five guys. And then the other 95 guys would say, let us out. This is stupid.

[Joe Getty]

What have we done? And then he points out we'll need 30 to 40 sacrifices to determine the correct timing, less if everyone's paying attention. Then he writes, well, make that 50 sacrifices. Yeah, I think people would be paying attention. All right, moving along, Chris, on the topic of. I'm sorry, it's a different email. Burbank Luke writes on the topic of the Amazon alleged idea of showing on your price how much is a tariff charge? Which that's. It's. I have problems with that idea. I like it in spirit. But anyway, he says, I'd love to see a breakdown of taxes, tariffs, fees, et cetera, at every point of sale, especially for gasoline. Burbank, Luke, clearly a Californian. I'm reminded of a convenience store owner in Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the 70s. That's 2. 57 for the comic books and 13 cents for the governor. He would say to all his customers. He did this all day with every customer. He was probably salty about Dukakis raising the sales tax from 3 to 5%. I was a kid and didn't appreciate the business man like I do now. I just came across another guy doing the same thing right here in the People's Republic. Yeah, portion out the taxes.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think that'd be great.

[Joe Getty]

And fees and everything else help people understand where their money is going. Let's see, on the topic of the 30 million, 60, $80 million aircraft falling off the aircraft carrier.

[Jack Armstrong]

60 to 70, depending on who you acts.

[Joe Getty]

And if you get the better stereo. Yeah, yeah, exactly. As you've had, no doubt a zillion listeners inform you. We actually haven't, Sean, but the nuclear carrier is extremely fast. It is important to be able to swiftly generate a headwind while launching fighters for the L that provides. That's a great point, Sean. I did not know that, but I believe it.

[Jack Armstrong]

But can it turn on such a dime that it would cause a plane to fall off the side?

[Joe Getty]

Patience, my lad. Robert writes. Guys, I'm a retired. Oh. His topic is to everything turn, turn, turn. Well played, my friend. I'm a retired Marine. One of the most spectacular things I've seen was watching the aircraft carrier making an emergency turn. It had every appearance of a hard 90 degree turn. You see a stunt driver perform in a car now I was at some distance on the USS Bonhomme Richard Richard which famously caught on fire in San Diego well it was lit on fire by a treasonous sailor but the agility of US aircraft carriers is a sight to see. Could the loss of an aircraft be because of a hard turn with other factors at play? Maybe I don't know Anybody serve on a carrier like to weigh in on that? Boy we've got great notes on anger in Canada on kids library books and the woke books being shut down their throats and much much more.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's all good stuff and if you miss an hour or a segment you can get the podcast it's Armstrong and Getty on demand Economic numbers out. If you haven't heard about that I'm sure there'll be analysis throughout the day. The economy is actually shrinking first quarter first time in a long time.

[Joe Getty]

Crazy Wisconsin judge who's gonna be behind bars and deserves it. Stay with us Armstrong and get.