Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "Nimble & Stout"

Date: November 5, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Main Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

The "Nimble & Stout" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand dives into Supreme Court debates over executive power regarding tariffs, media coverage on AI-generated music, California’s election outcomes and political trends, the perils of identity-focused political appointments, and amusing asides about Toy Story, AI assistants, and celebrity encounters. The hosts maintain their hallmark blend of witty banter, critical analysis, political skepticism, and cultural commentary throughout.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Supreme Court Tariff Authority Debate

(03:16 – 16:10)

• Context: The Supreme Court is hearing oral arguments on whether the Trump administration—and by extension, the President—has the authority to unilaterally impose tariffs, thus shaking the global economy.

• Discussion:

  • The hosts express skepticism about such sweeping executive power. Jack Armstrong:
    "Without knowing any of the law, it just doesn’t seem like the way the system ought to work." (04:16)
  • Joe Getty highlights the importance of justices probing their own arguments to ensure robust judicial reasoning:
    "Often Supreme Court justices will try to find flaws in their own arguments, which is really a pretty good thing for all of us..." (07:26)
  • Complexities over who pays tariffs are detailed: the actual burden varies by product, sometimes absorbed partially by manufacturers, importers, retailers, and consumers.
    Joe Getty: "A tariff is a tax. The question is who pays it? And again, you got to go practically product by product..." (10:23)
  • Commentary on oral arguments: don't read too much into justices' questions—clues, not proof, of their stance.

• Notable Quote:
  Jack Armstrong sums up: "That's my favorite thing about the oral arguments... You cannot tell anything from the arguments. And then we go back to listening to the arguments, to trying to deduce what we think is happening. Having just stated that you can't tell." (07:57)

• Expert Assessment:

  • Summing up legal pundit Jonathan Turley’s take, Armstrong reads:
    "Sauer...is doing a brilliant job in fending off probing questions...he has been very nimble and stout in his defense. That's what we try to be, nimble and stout. Yeah, every day." (11:51)

2. Dynamics Among the Supreme Court Justices

(12:18 – 16:01)

• Liberal Justice Divide:
  Joe Getty describes a growing rift between Justices Kagan (more institutionalist, less confrontational) and Jackson (more activist, outspoken).
  Getty notes:
  "Katanji Brown Jackson...believes that she should be an activist and talk to the press all the time and go outside the court and make strong statements...justice Kagan...ag...understands how important it is that Supreme Court justices act like Supreme Court Justices." (12:20)

• Worry About Politicizing the Court:
  They warn of the risk that politicization could turn the Supreme Court into a partisan brawl, akin to Congress or cable news.

• Notable Quote:
  Jack Armstrong:
  "And pretty soon, the Supreme Court is like the House of Representatives or a panel on a cable show." (15:16)

3. Election Results and California Gerrymandering

(27:21 – 32:01)

• California’s “Pro-Democracy” Redistricting:

  • Ballot measure (backed by Gavin Newsom) wins in a landslide by pitching partisan gerrymandering as ‘saving democracy.’
  • Armstrong & Getty critique the measure’s real intent—to entrench party power.

• Gavin Newsom’s Response:
  Newsom frames the vote as defiance against Trump and celebration of democratic values:
  "No crowns, no thrones, no kings. That's what this victory represents..." (29:37)

• Skepticism:
  Armstrong, unimpressed:
  "I vomited." (30:01)
  Getty: "He doesn't have the chops to win the presidency unless the Republicans really cough up a loser." (30:02)

• Insight:
  The hosts highlight a decline in democratic standards disguised as progress.

4. AI Music and The Rise of AI Agents

(39:05 – 39:49, 34:00 – 35:00)

• AI-Generated Art’s Cultural & Legal Implications:

  • Early in the show, Armstrong muses on the threat of AI-generated music to traditional creative industries, questioning the need for human songwriters:
    “Why would record companies need to pay anyone anything? Why would you need to have a writer...?” (03:35)
  • They point out CBS’s confusion in covering AI musicians, suggesting legacy media doesn’t “get it.”
  • Short-lived artistry: Joe Getty predicts AI art will have a “very, very short shelf life because anybody can do it.” (39:29)

• AI Assistants in Real Life:

  • Amusing anecdote about Jack’s son debating a chatbot (Grok): the AI tries to act empathetically, leading to a discussion about AI’s “salesman” tone.
    Joe Getty: “Like a salesman who's trying to be my best friend. Yes. I'm not a fool. I know what you're doing here.” (21:24)

5. Pop Culture: Toy Story’s Origins

(21:30 – 22:42)

• Behind the Scenes:
  Tom Hanks revealed the first version of Toy Story was scrapped after two years of work because it didn’t fit Pixar’s vision. The project was rebooted and became legendary.
  "We recorded a Toy Story movie for about 80 minutes of it that was completely thrown out..." (21:43)

• Emotional Connection:
  Joe Getty reflects:
  "As he grew, my kids were growing and when he went off to college was right when I think one or both of my older kids were going off to college and holy cow did that yank at the heartstrings..." (22:42)

6. Political Memoirs & Identity Politics: Karine Jean-Pierre’s Book

(43:10 – 49:03)

• Review of KJP’s "Independent":
  Brutal reviews from both left and right; accusations of incompetence and lack of substance.

  • Notable quotes from Joe Getty/Andrew Stiles (Free Beacon): “It is the worst political memoir ever written in the history of the English language. This is not hyperbole.” (44:06) “The same people who celebrated her historic promotion...are now rolling their eyes every time she falls back on identity politics instead of actually answering questions, she reinforces the worst stereotypes about Democrats.” (46:50)

  • The title claims “Inside a Broken White House”; when pressed for details, KJP claims she meant the Trump White House (where she didn't serve), not Biden’s.

  • Armstrong notes:
    “She kind of has to do that or she’d be the least patriotic person in America if she was supposed to admit...he wasn’t capable of being president.” (48:50)

Humorous & Memorable Moments

- "Nimble & Stout" Banter

“Some days he’s more nimble, I’m more stout, some days vice versa. You just gotta see how you feel.” (12:13, Joe Getty)

- Celebrity Encounter Musings

“The guy next to me in line at Starbucks is friends with Tom Selleck, and I’m super excited to hear his stories.” (31:16, Jack Armstrong quoting Molly Hemingway’s tweet)

- Satire of Name-Dropping

“How do you know somebody’s friends with Tom Selleck?” (31:28, Joe Getty)

- Closing Reflection

“Our politics are so broken. It’s very difficult to figure out how it would improve.” (49:03, Jack Armstrong)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Supreme Court Tariff Debate: 03:16 – 16:10
• Liberal Justice Schism: 12:18 – 16:01
• California Gerrymander Win & Newsom Speech: 27:21 – 30:17
• Toy Story Origins: 21:30 – 22:42
• AI Music & Agents: 03:29, 39:05 – 39:49
• Celebrity Anecdote: 31:16 – 32:52
• Karine Jean-Pierre Book Take-Down: 43:10 – 49:03

Episode Tone & Language

Maintaining Armstrong & Getty’s trademark sardonic, fast-paced banter—the episode mixes wry political skepticism, lighthearted asides, and pointed critiques of power structures and cultural trends.

Summary Takeaway

"Nimble & Stout" exemplifies Armstrong & Getty’s sharp-witted engagement with legal, political, and cultural news. It’s a lively, opinionated journey through the week’s biggest questions: the balance of power in America’s institutions, the unpredictable fallout from new technologies, and the circular spectacle of modern identity politics—all punctuated with humor and a dash of nostalgia.