No Space Beast Is Illegal On Stolen Land

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: No Space Beast Is Illegal On Stolen Land
Date: February 20, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into a range of topics from the satirical framing of "space beasts" and billionaire taxes in California to a deeply critical look at the U.S. political climate and upcoming State of the Union address. They blend news, cultural commentary, and sharp humor, covering everything from Prince Andrew’s latest scandal and media priorities to sporting comebacks and the decline of political norms in America.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Satire: Space Beasts and California Politics

• The show opens with humorous riffs on aliens as "unplaneted carbon beasts" and puns on immigration language, poking fun at political semantics.
• Discussion pivots to the proposed California billionaire tax—a purportedly “one-time” 5% levy that is polling well but eliciting major skepticism from the hosts.
  • Jack Armstrong: “Started as a one time emergency thing...” (01:41)
  • They point out the historic permanence of “temporary” taxes and joke about billionaires fleeing the state.

2. Populist Sentiment & Western Dissatisfaction

• Joe and Jack discuss a wave of populist/socialist mood spreading across Western societies.
  • Joe Getty: “It’s almost like California is almost like a drunk that needs to hit bottom. It’s just got to get so dysfunctional and terrible.” (02:52)
• They tie these feelings into broader trends, citing the international nature of discontent.

3. Potential for War with Iran & Media Attention

• Looking ahead, they preview an interview with military analyst Mike Lyons on escalating tensions with Iran.
• They criticize the lack of national dialogue or presidential explanation regarding military build-up.
  • Jack Armstrong: “We’ve never gone to war without having more of a discussion about it or the president justifying the reason for it.” (03:47)
  • Jack Armstrong: “Hey, media, you can write an article about how he hasn’t explained it, but maybe you ought to be making it a bigger priority of a story.” (04:23)

4. Prince Andrew, Epstein, and the British Monarchy

• Extensive, critical, and satirical dissection of Prince Andrew’s scandal, linking it to his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
• The hosts use a “Godfather” analogy to describe Prince Andrew as the family’s “Fredo”—the weak, manipulated sibling.
  • Jack Armstrong (on Andrew): “He’s absolutely Fredo… does deals with enemies of the family. And Michael finally kills him. The brother Charles is like—‘you’re giving secrets to Epstein so you can seem cool, and he’s treating you like you’re important and cool because he’s getting stuff from him, you moron.’” (06:21)
• Speculation on the British justice system's independence and how scandals serve as distractions from larger political issues.

5. Sporting Triumphs: Alyssa Liu vs. Eileen Gu

• They celebrate Alyssa Liu’s Olympic gold medal and contrast her story (escaping Communist China, skating for America) with Eileen Gu, who competed for China for monetary reasons.
  • Jack Armstrong (on Gu): “She should become a verb… like Benedict Arnold.” (12:06)
  • Joe Getty: “Goo said, ‘yeah, I’ll take your commie money…’ And Liu’s dad said, ‘F off you commie scum.’” (11:39)
• Media criticism for lauding Gu’s choice and ignoring the political implications.

6. Decline of Norms & the State of the Union Address

• The State of the Union is lambasted as an empty political tradition that’s lost its purpose in the era of constant presidential media presence.
  • Jack Armstrong: “It’s gotten stupider and stupider… more of just a campaign speech.” (23:01)
• Covered increased partisanship: Democrats and Republicans now plan rival events instead of joint attendance.
  • Joe Getty: “If we can’t have a gathering of our nation’s governors… we’re doomed as a country.” (25:15)
  • Jack Armstrong: “At some point, you just gotta call it off and go back to the norms…" (25:56)

7. Clips of the Week & Mailbag Highlights

• Montage of the week’s audio highlights ("Clips of the Week") blends political absurdity, world news, and comic relief.
• Listener messages are read, ranging from hockey game excitement to birthday haiku banter.
  • Listener BJ: "This was an unbelievable game. Two minutes left to elimination. They scored a tie. They win in sudden death over time." (33:41)

8. Call for Serious Leadership in Government

• The episode closes with admiration for leaders like Ben Sasse, calling out the prevalence of shallow, attention-seeking politicians.
  • Jack Armstrong (on Sasse): “There are people like that, you just don’t hear about them much because they’re not trying to be TikTok stars.” (31:37)
  • Joe Getty: "They look like a senator and they knew who’s ass to kiss..." (31:21)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Tax Skepticism:
  • Jack Armstrong: “The premise is hilarious always. Anyway, it’s just… this is just a unique time that we’re short of money.” (01:47)
• Prince Andrew as Fredo (Godfather Parallel):
  • Jack Armstrong: “Prince Andrew is so Fredo… I can handle things, I’m smart. So you know, Epstein is like a Shakespearean level understander of human nature…” (06:21–07:47)
• On US Political Dysfunction:
  • Joe Getty: “If we can’t have a gathering of our nation’s governors and the President says ‘good to see you, we’re all together in this’, we’re doomed as a country.” (25:15)
• On Flimsy Political Stars:
  • Jack Armstrong: “We got a whole bunch of people in Congress that just want to be TikTok stars and we’re never going to get anywhere with a bunch of TikTok stars.” (30:05)

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Important Timestamps

• Satirical Alien Immigration Talk – 00:53
• California Billionaire Tax & Populism – 01:23–03:23
• Iran War Media Critique – 03:23–04:30
• Prince Andrew, Epstein, and the Royals – 04:41–10:14
• Alyssa Liu vs. Eileen Gu Olympics Story – 10:37–13:57
• State of the Union & Decline of Political Traditions – 21:53–29:19
• Admirable Leadership vs. TikTok Politicians – 30:04–31:46
• Listener Mail: Women’s Hockey Win & Haikus – 33:32–34:56

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains Armstrong & Getty’s signature sharp, irreverent, and often sarcastic tone. They use biting humor to underline their political skepticism, historical references, and pop culture analogies, especially to critique public figures and media blind spots.

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Summary Takeaways

Listeners are treated to a whirlwind of topical news and cultural hot takes, with Armstrong & Getty skewering everything from tax policy and foreign policy opacity to royal scandals and media complicity. Their core message: American political and media traditions are in a state of accelerated decline—and the only hope is to return to basic adult behavior, serious debate, and fewer reality-show theatrics in government.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

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

[Jack Armstrong]

Live. It's Friday, the Armstrong and Getty Show. How you all doing? Deep within the bowels of our compound, surrounded by razor wire and Doberman pinchers.

[Joe Getty]

Go.

[Jack Armstrong]

And today we are toiling under the title of the show, why, oh why?

[Joe Getty]

Or they're not aliens. They're undocumented space humans.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're unplaneted carbon beasts. Right.

[Joe Getty]

So they eat people's brains. No alien is a load space beast, is illegal on stolen land.

[Jack Armstrong]

And there they are with no planet to be on. While the billionaires have yachts.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Tied in the billionaires.

[Jack Armstrong]

The billionaire tax in California, which I just saw the polling on, is overwhelmingly popular. The one time 5% tax. I'm using their language that's hilarious. To anyone that would believe that that's the history of pretty much all taxes.

[Joe Getty]

Sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Started as a one time emergency thing,

[Joe Getty]

but the one very temporary, very limited, just a small group of people, just for a moment.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, the premise is hilarious always. Anyway, it's just this is just a unique time that we're short of money

[Joe Getty]

that just to get us through the Spanish American War. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

This doesn't happen very often where we oversp and need a little infusion of cash. So, you know, I'm sure we'll be

[Joe Getty]

past this and it'll all, it'll all

[Jack Armstrong]

seem funny years from now when we talk about it. But one time, 5% tax on billionaires, which is causing billionaires to leave the state. But currently it's a, it's a 20 point win. It's a 6040 issue. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Good. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. It's not even close.

[Joe Getty]

Oh. There will not be a single billionaire left in California.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, God, you talk about a squandering of money. Oh my God, even Gavi's against it. Yeah, well, he was like, no, this

[Joe Getty]

is too effing stupid.

[Jack Armstrong]

If he weren't running for president, I don't know if he'd be against it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I don't know. He's way more tied into the super elite of Silicon Valley and beyond than he ever admits.

[Jack Armstrong]

True.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. It's almost like California is almost like a drunk that needs to hit bottom. It's just got to get so dysfunctional and terrible.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, to me it's. It's more about just the. This, this burbling populist socialist mood that's all across the country from or Western civilization, from Mandani to the 5% billionaire tax in California and lots of places in between.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, you're right. If it's going to find fertile ground, it would be in Cal. Unicornia.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're going to talk to one of our favorite political or military analysts, Mike Lyons, in hour two about this build up to war in Iran, which seems to be looking more likely, not less likely on a day by day basis.

[Joe Getty]

Which brings us to my first tentative title. Why, oh why at some point is Donald J. Going to address the American people and say, hey, look, here's the situation.

[Jack Armstrong]

New York Times had a big article about that, I think today in the paper on how we've never, this is what I've been saying all week long. We've never gone to war without having more of a discussion about it or the president justifying the reason for it. But I think one follows the other. I think maybe Trump has not done an address. He watches the news. We all know he watches it. He watches the news and nobody's reporting on it. Nobody's talking about it. So he's thinking, why would I bring it up? Why would I bring up something that might be controversial? Nobody's talking about it.

[Joe Getty]

That's not a crazy way to react to the lack of coverage. No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, media, you can write an article about how he hasn't explained it, but maybe you ought to be making it a bigger priority of a story.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

For crying out loud. As opposed to avalanches, which are interesting. Missing women, which are interesting, but certainly not very important to anyone's life.

[Joe Getty]

Well, we need to break into your screen, Jack, with live team coverage of Prince Andrew's release from a British prison.

[Jack Armstrong]

Man. How about the fact that they're going through all his giant homes, this home that he used to live in when he was still actually a prince. 30 bedrooms that they're, they're just tearing it apart looking for all kinds of it's all about the given secrets to Epstein stuff. It's not the girl stuff, I don't think, at least according to all the comments that all law enforcement has made. They're looking for all kinds of documentation that he was, he was doing stuff with Epstein he shouldn't have been done in terms of giving him information.

[Joe Getty]

I'm told that the British Justice Department, whatever they call it, is more independent than ours, which tends to be under the sway of the president and his party, let's all admit it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, because Kerstormer and the King were both caught, surprised by Andrew's Arrest. Neither one of them had were tipped off at all.

[Joe Getty]

Otherwise, I would suggest that this is all a smokescreen to obscure the fact that. What's his name? What is his. I can't. He's got a mental block on the big British big wheel. Heavyweight diplomat mover shaker guy who's under serious scrutiny right now because that'll bring down the Labor Party, but.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, so will a 13% approval rating.

[Joe Getty]

Our government is stupid and screwed up enough that I really don't have much time to consider other stupid, screwed up governments.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you're a Godfather fan, the movie, not the pizza or the idea or the concept of familiar relations. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

The christening and blah, blah, blah. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Godfather of the movie Prince Andrew is so Fredo. He's absolutely Fredo. He's kind of the useless part of a big powerful family. And the brother is the king or always gotten all the attention and everything like that. And I'm smart. I'm smart. So just like Fredo and the Godfather does deals with, you know, enemies of the family. And Michael finally kills him. The brother Charles is like what you're given. You're given secrets to Epstein so you can seem cool, and he's treating you like you're important and cool because he's getting stuff from him, you moron. He's getting stuff from you.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right, right. Spoiler alert. By the way, I mean, Fredo, it ends badly.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's the same sort of thing, though. He's feeling this family.

[Joe Getty]

How many times has the family, Chuck especially said to him, dude, you gotta cool it. You're way too visible with your debaucheries. You gotta quit with the stuff in public. You're embarrassing us. You're embarrassing the. The monarchy, the country. And then he'd be seen with the,

[Jack Armstrong]

you know, Ukrainian hoes. Was that Fredo there from the Godfather?

[Joe Getty]

What? Play that again.

[Jack Armstrong]

It ain't the way I wanted it. Barely understand that.

[Joe Getty]

The English language.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can handle things. I'm smart. I'm smart.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, there's the one that's the good one.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you know, I can't handle things. I'm smart.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, son.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can handle things. I'm smart. So you know, Epstein is like a Shakespearean level understander of human nature and schmoozer and knowing what buttons to press, just treated Prince Andrew like he was a really big deal and probably. Oh, that's a brilliant idea, man. You were really understand world economics on a level. You know, that sort of stuff.

[Joe Getty]

You're so right.

[Jack Armstrong]

He starts giving Epstein all kinds of state secrets.

[Joe Getty]

I'll bet he was an easy mark.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll bet he was too.

[Joe Getty]

Just keep the hotties and the booze coming. A little blow now and then, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

You add that to kind of a doughy, unimpressive guy and you know, you run hot chicks at him who pretend they're. They. They really like him. And yeah, he was easy. He wasn't EAS one.

[Joe Getty]

There he is. Prince Andrew. I. I gotta believe being fourth in line to the throne or something, that's not very rewarding work. I mean, that would.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you're smart, you would think, okay, so nobody's gonna pay any. I get all of the cool stuff of being a royal, but nobody's actually paying any attention to me. Awesome. Well, I'll see y' all next Christmas.

[Joe Getty]

If you had a soul, you would think, all right, kids literacy. I work on that. I can't really go off and get a gig at an ad agency or something like that as a royal. It just wouldn't work. But I could sure get heavy into some sort of charitable something or other. You know, marry a nice girl, have some beautiful kids and then live a good life. But no, he was a, you know what, Hound and a drunk and whatever else. And Epstein manipulated him into coughing up state secrets. So it would appear years later. And only because of the release of the. Yeah, filthy. Just dripping in the goo of. Of. Of infidelity to. To society's rules files. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Prince Andrew have a wife through all this?

[Joe Getty]

No, he was married to the Duchess of Pork. The Duchess of York. Sarah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sarah.

[Joe Getty]

Redhead. Sarah Ferguson was his wife.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I remember her from back in the day. I didn't remember.

[Joe Getty]

He was actually a pretty good looking lad and you know, literally a prince back in the day.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's true. Someday your prince will come. He was actually a prince.

[Joe Getty]

He was that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's start the show officially because I like this clip. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty on this. It is Friday, February 20, the year 2026, where Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Joe Getty]

And if you're really, really stupid. Stay tuned. We'll talk about space aliens. All right, here we go. Officially, according to FCC rules regs at.

[Jack Armstrong]

Mark, this is the greatest comeback I have ever seen.

The 20 year old from Oakland, Alyssa Liu. A script that would have been rejected as far fetched. Alyssa Lou is the gold medalist at the Olympics. That's what I'm talking about. So one of the great comebacks in skating history. Not the important part, because we're not that into skating. It's what Joe told us yesterday about the fact that. So she grows up in Oakland with a Chinese dad who escaped Tianan Square, hates the Communist Party, and skates for America. Just across the water in San Francisco, you got. What's her name? Goo.

[Joe Getty]

Goo. Eileen Goo. Goo versus Italy named Goo.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Goo versus Lou battle. Goo grows up with a Chinese mom, decides to skate for the freaking commies. No, no, no, no, you're made. You. No, you're skipping the important part.

[Joe Getty]

The commies come to both of them, and Goose says, yeah, I'll take your commie money that you exploit, you know, your racial minorities and, ah, I love some of that money. And Lou said. Lou's dad said, f off you commie scum. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

But Goo, the model says, sure, I'll take the money and I'll skate for the Communist Party and say all kinds of nice things about you to try to, you know, which is a giant PR win for the Communist Party.

[Joe Getty]

Right? And then I'll go on American media where they'll service me practically sexually.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the part that sucks. She can do that and it's a bad idea, but she should be paying a heavy penalty for that. She should be. She should become a verb, like, you know, or a descriptor, like Benedict Arnold.

[Joe Getty]

It's already a noun, but I see your point.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, like Benedict Arnold or something like that. Describe a certain sort of person is what she should be. As opposed to NBC. It's great. You honor your mother's heritage by skating for the Chinese. The Communists gave her $6 million so they can run ads constantly, as they have been doing for the last weeks, months and years, about how the Chinese system is so much better than the American system.

[Joe Getty]

Here's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's one of America's darlings who left that system because it's so awful over there.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. You know.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, that's maddening again. The maddening part is that the media plays along with me. I saw the hour. The good news is, though, you got Luna Goo Skates for America wins gold medal last night. She's also. I meant to bring this up yesterday. She's the opposite of quad. God. Have you followed this at all? So she retired a couple of years ago, then decided to come back. And I was listening to an interview the other day, and she said, it's awesome. She said, I feel nothing. It's just like practice for me. I don't care what happens. She said, I can't even. I wish I had the exact quote because it was so good. I can't even imagine anything happening here that matters to me.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Her comeback is actually a super interesting story, but really interesting about human beings and their psyches.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. But somehow she did the opposite of quad God. She fooled her mind into thinking it just doesn't matter. This is all who cares? I'm just going to go out there and have fun. Whereas he felt the entire weight of the entire the all of the sports world and America's media on him when he stepped out onto the ice.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. But to summarize.

[Jack Armstrong]

Woo Lou Boo goo. That is a good summary. We got Katie's headlines on the way. Stay here.

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So the State of the Union address is Tuesday. Some interesting information about that. And I never think the State of the Union is worth talking about if you're a longtime listener. You know, I begrudgingly talk about it, if at all, every year. But some things to talk about coming up about that.

[Joe Getty]

Let's figure out who's reporting what. It's lead story with Katie Green. Katie?

[Katie Green]

All right, the Epstein drama continues. Abc, former Prince Andrew released after arrest on suspicion of misconduct over Epstein. NBC Bill Gates pulls out of India AI summit amid Epstein scrutiny. And cnn. This is not over. Corporate America's Epstein reckoning gathers steam.

[Jack Armstrong]

Gathering steam. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Really?

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Katie Green]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Dramatic. You know, Mark Kalpernan in his newsletter over the weekend, he just, you know, he has his ear to the ground. Lots of people. He said there are some big revelations to come. Okay, I believe you.

[Joe Getty]

The, the Epstein fallout thing. I was reading how the corporations of America, which had rapidly incorporated DEI plans for their BO and they're hiring and all, are just chucking them right and left. They practically don't exist anymore. They're gone. That's how quickly they, you know, bow to trends. And the way the wind is blowing right now, it's poison to have anybody really associated with Epstein. So they're just cleaning house, you're out. Nobody will care a year from now. But that's fine.

[Katie Green]

From the Guardian. Trump weighs strikes as he gives Iran 10 to 15 days to agree to deal over nuclear programs.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Is that for real or is that. Yeah, you got 15 days and then you hit them Saturday.

[Joe Getty]

Or is that what Pete Hegseth told him he needed to get everything in place to give him a whack and need about 10 days.

[Katie Green]

From the New York Post. 300 Virginia High School students who ditched class for anti ice walkout get suspended.

[Joe Getty]

Good, good. Perfect. That's in Virginia. It be must being an outside, not a D.C. area part of Virginia.

[Jack Armstrong]

The idea that you can just walk out of class to protest some political issue and it be excused is ridiculous.

[Joe Getty]

Well, you're going up against the teachers union with that attitude.

[Katie Green]

Brace yourselves. Oh, from the New York Post as well. New York City's $20,000 swag procedure can make your pennis bigger, but you'll have to mold it into shape yourself.

[Joe Getty]

What? What the what the what

[Jack Armstrong]

what. What is it made of Silly putty?

[Katie Green]

You just gotta give it. Yeah, I dare.

[Joe Getty]

There are more questions than answers here. Hold on to that stupid story.

[Jack Armstrong]

The swag procedure. Yeah.

[Katie Green]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee, New Yorkers report warmth of collectivism feels strangely like a crushing tax hike.

[Joe Getty]

That's beautiful.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I've been wanting the State of the Union address to go away for years. It might actually go away finally, which should be good news. Among things on the way. So stay tuned.

Armstrong and Getty.

Sometimes things need to get worse before they can get better. I think we're in that situation with our ridiculous race to the bottom in our politics between the two sides trying to outdo the other in defying norms. So that will bring us to the State of the Union address, which I never want to talk about, but I do want to talk about this morning after we do Clips of the week.

[Joe Getty]

Alrighty then, let's take a fond look back at the week that was. It's the beloved Friday tradition, Clips of the Week.

[Jack Armstrong]

Do not despair. The Calvary is coming.

[Joe Getty]

I love the smell of night palm in the morning.

[Jack Armstrong]

Our plan is to walk into the building and show our right to work, ready to fight. China showed off humanoid robots for forming Kung Fu.

Last year, Sweden saw almost 200 bombings, more than any other country in Europe.

Actor Shia LaBeouf arrested, accused of attacking two men during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

[Joe Getty]

Well, one side recommendation I have is, like, don't worry about squirreling money away for retirement. In like 10 or 20 years, it won't matter. Right? I would ingest a Pizza Hut pizza right now. Happily including the Cat sauce. I mean the sausage.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no. Are aliens real? They're real, but I haven't seen them. At the heart of this path is a property tax increase. This would effectively be a tax on working and middle class New Yorkers.

We have money, so we must fight just for our rights. Look at the future and set our sights, guys. Police in the United Kingdom arrested Britain's former Prince Andrew on suspense. Suspicion of misconduct.

But I think that it also plays into a wider perception of Great Britain at the moment, which is that of a country crumbling. A massive US Military buildup is underway in the Middle East. We would very much like, as the

[Joe Getty]

President has said, to resolve this through a conversation. For we in America have no interest

[Jack Armstrong]

in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West's managed decline.

Would and should the US Actually commit US Troops to defend Taiwan? You know, I think that this is such a. You know, I think that.

Wow, this is a. I love Nicki Minaj.

[Joe Getty]

So beautiful.

[Jack Armstrong]

His skin's so beautiful.

[Joe Getty]

I said Nicki.

[Jack Armstrong]

So beautiful. Get off the man's back. Let him do his job. He doing the right thing. Back up off of it.

So I was really trying to lean into daring to love myself, daring to trust myself, daring to believe that I could do something wonderful tonight.

Here shoots. He stars. He stars.

It's clips of the week.

I did not watch any of the women's hockey yesterday. The final in which they beat Canada and won the gold medal. I did not realize that they were being shut out until four seconds left. They scored their one goal to tie it. With four seconds left, they were being shut out. Then it goes.

[Joe Getty]

So much for my prophecy of them whooping up on Canada. Whoops.

[Jack Armstrong]

Then it goes into overtime. And then they score a goal fairly quickly and win the gold medal. But, man, they were close to a shutout. So that's something that's very exciting. That's drama.

[Joe Getty]

Further angering our neighbors to the north. Boy, Canadians got to be pissed off about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

So if you've ever been a kid or had kids, you know, the whole he started it, she started it routine. As a parent, you many times have had to say. Or I've had to say, I don't care who started it. Stopping now.

[Joe Getty]

And the classic, I'm ending it, which is great. Kind of parenthetical, you know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. Because the. He pulled my hair. Well, she poked me in the eye. Well, he tipped over my juice. But he, you know. And you just keep going back.

[Joe Getty]

He kept bumping me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, he keeps giving me dirty looks. But you Keep going back. And that's exactly where we are with the Democrats and the Republicans. And it drives me nuts when people play along with it, like, yeah, well, they're just doing that because they did this. Okay, how far back do you want to go on any of this? We at some point just need to say, okay, let's stop.

[Joe Getty]

That's just because they're just doing it because John Adams farted during Thomas Jefferson's inaugural address.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I've been right, I've been wanting to get rid of the freaking State of the Union forever. We got a text from somebody saying the Constitution requires a State of the Union. Yeah, we know, we know. Yes, we know. But for a very, very long time, what happened was because the Constitution requires it is the executive branch would present to the legislative branch. Here is, here's the latest data we've compiled because that's what we do over here in the executive branch. Here's how many people we the like the average income or the crime rate or whatever the hell it is you want to know. And they give them. And it wasn't some giant political speech, but we all know in the modern era it's been some giant political speech. And then you stand up, they have this stand up and they cheer and then they sit down and they boo and it's just, it's all stupid. And it's gotten stupider and stupider and stupider over the years and more of just a campaign speech over the years. And we all know this. And then the audience is dwindled too. It's gone from everybody tuned in to only people who voted for the person giving the speech watch and everybody else doesn't watch at all is what it's become for several go arounds. It's just a dumb political exercise. Now also, as Joe always points out, it used to be you didn't hear from the President that much, but now they're on some cable news show or speaking on the plane or whatever, every damn day.

[Joe Getty]

So unless it's Joe Biden.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unless it's Joe Biden, unless you're a senile old man who comes out and

[Joe Getty]

shouts at us like a senile old man and is praised lavishly for it. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

So for instance, right now, as we speak and are recording this, if you're listening to the podcast, the big governor's meetings going on, that the President addresses all the governors every year, which has been happening forever. But then a couple of years back, some Democratic governors said they wouldn't show up to the meeting if Trump was Leading it. And so then you had some Democrats not show up. And then. So this year, Trump decided to announce he would only allow the Republican governors to come. He only invited the Republican governors. No Democratic governors. That's where we are. So similar thing with the State of the Union address. There's like five different attempts to have counter programming by the Democrats going on right now. I hope they coalesce into one and they just don't show up. And then that's pretty much the end of it. It's kind of where we are with this governor's meeting. Democrats just don't show up. And then so it's pointless. And we all say, all right, that's enough, and stop.

[Joe Getty]

Can I say this as Joe Getty American, neither, you know, an advocate for this or a critic of that. If we can't have a gathering of our nation's governors and the President says, heidi Ho, good to see you, we're all together in this. We're doomed as a country. That's pathetic and sad.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is sad.

[Joe Getty]

And I don't care how obnoxious and lefty one governor or another is, you put it aside in the name of national unity at times. If we can't do that, goodbye.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I'm right, but Trump would say, well, a third of the Democratic governors didn't show up last time. I mean, and then they would say, well, Trump badmouths us all in front of a boat, so why would I show up?

[Joe Getty]

Whatever, fascism, blah, blah, Nazis.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, blah, blah, blah, they started it is what ends up being the problem. So at some point, you just gotta call it off and go back to the norms, which was all the Republicans and Democrats show up as governors and you get together and have a little talk like grownups.

[Joe Getty]

I hate to be obvious, but in that scenario with your two boys, what was required? A blank in the room.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

Is anybody tracking with me?

[Jack Armstrong]

So for the State of the Union address, there are about a dozen Democrats in the House and the Senate who are going to skip the speech and not show up. They're going to attend a rally on the National Mall. It's Tuesday night, by the way, the State of the Union address, the worthless, stupid exercise that I can't believe. Well, the media continues to pretend it's something because they think maybe somebody will tune into these cable news channels nobody watches if they act like it hasn't been anything good. I haven't watched it for years. At the State of the Union address, I have not watched for years. So liberal groups like Midas touch and Move on or having a counter programming at the same time. A separate counter event dubbed State of the Swamp is being planned at the National Press Club by Representatives Eric Swalwell, Seth Moulton, Dan Goldman, Ron Wyden. They're going to do an event, too. So there's like a bunch of different events.

[Joe Getty]

Those guys, that's like a parody. Boy, you want to talk about weak act.

[Jack Armstrong]

Joy Reid is hosting an event on msnbc. Joy flipping Reed. There's a good mainstream counter to Trump. We'll host the People's State of the Union on the National Mall at the exact time the speech is going on. The alternative broadcast will air simultaneously. And they're trying to get as many Democrats to show up as possible. They've already got Senators Chris Murphy, Ed Markley, Jeff Berkley, Chris Van Hollen, others that I don't. I don't know who they are, but. So she's got a decent crowd showing up for that thing. So you got four or five different events that different people are going to.

[Joe Getty]

Great.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, to his credit, although I think he's just being politically smart, Hakeem Jeffries, the minority leader, is saying either don't come or go with silent defiance, but no protesting. Because last year, for a couple years in a row, whichever out of office party acts up has gotten more blowback than credit. I think Hakeem Jeffries thinks they raised money on it for themselves, but I don't think it helps the whole party. Hakeem Jeffries is probably thinking, who's the old guy who raised his cane last year and shook it? Green. Remember?

[Joe Getty]

What's his name?

[Jack Armstrong]

The line was Al Green, isn't it?

[Joe Getty]

That's Al Green.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's right. Singer, great soul singer.

[Joe Getty]

I'd rather listen to the first Al Green than this dumb son of a.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the funny line was, nothing shows, you know, the youth and future of our party more than an old man waving his cane at Trump. But yeah. So Kim Jeffries has decided now this does us more harm than good. So either go to one of these counter rallies or just there and be quiet. Don't cheer. But I hope that so many people don't attend that we finally decide. Okay. It's been getting more political year by year. More of just a campaign stop. Let's just call it good. No more. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Drop off a letter at the Capitol, which is enough for Washington.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's. That'd be absolutely fine.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

But at some point, the race to the bottom has to stop, Right? We can't just keep going further down this road.

[Joe Getty]

Well, unless there's a knife fight at the State of the Union or something like that. No, it's.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well like the governor's meeting right now. Okay. Now it's just the party of whoever's the president at the time is that we're going to do going forward. Stay the union dress. We all know how that all works. You cheer everything or sit down for everything. Bob. Big friggin deal.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

What are we doing?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I know, I know. It's. It's so discouraging. The longer this goes on, the more tired I get.

[Jack Armstrong]

Did you happen to.

[Joe Getty]

Sorry, it's just. It's all so discouraging.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think we've got a clip where gonna play later. But did you happen to listen to any of Ben Sasse's interview? I tweeted it out.

[Joe Getty]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is so damn good. And there are Democrats like him, true grownups, serious people. None of this ridiculous trying to raise money on TikTok. In fact he talks about that in the, in the interview he said we got a whole bunch of people in Congress that just want to be TikTok stars and we're never going to get anywhere with a bunch of TikTok stars. But you look at a guy like him and you think that's probably what it was like. Not completely, but mostly in like Congress in 1800. A whole bunch of serious people with differences over big issues. But they were serious.

[Joe Getty]

They were grown ups and the most brilliant men of their time. Women, when that day came.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And Ben Sashby. A few. One of the few examples if you don't know me as a Republican senator from Nebraska. He's dying of cancer right now. He got stage four pancreatic cancer and he talks about that. And he's not going to be around much longer, but he's brilliant. How often do you ever see a congressperson senator where you think they're smarter than me? They know more than me? Very seldom. Most of the time I hear these people interviewed and I feel above them and I think I'm pretty solid on that ground. And so are you above them. We all are. They're just.

[Joe Getty]

They look like a senator and they knew who's asked to kiss.

[Jack Armstrong]

Especially House.

[Joe Getty]

Most of them put out. Oh my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Especially your House members. But like Ben sasse with his PhD in history from Yale and his undergraduate from Harvard, he's freaking brilliant.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And there are people like that, you just don't hear about them much because they're not trying to be TikTok stars

[Joe Getty]

or they get run out of government like Ben Sasse or they get challenged

[Jack Armstrong]

by their own party usually and run out of office. But we need more people like that somehow that are serious, that could we all agree that debt is our biggest problem. Okay, let's figure something out, you know, that sort of thing. I feel like we're a ways away, but hopefully the end of the State of the Union address would be a step in the right direction. We've got Mailbag on the way. Stay here. Armstrong and Getty gonna talk about potential war with Iran. An hour two with Mike Lyons. Among other things, here's your freedom hating

[Joe Getty]

quote of the day from a communist. Continuing on our series, this one from Leon Trotsky. His life ended unexpectedly, didn't it Jack?

[Jack Armstrong]

Ice pick in the head. I've seen the very room he was killed in in Mexico City.

[Joe Getty]

Tough way to go. He said in a country where the sole employer is the state, opposition means death by slow starvation. The old principle who does not work, shall not eat has been replaced by a new one. Who does not obey, shall not eat. Ooh, that's Zoran Mumdani right there. That's Bernie Sanders right there. That's socialism. Who does not obey, shall not eat. In the words of the commies themselves. Mailbag, drop us a Note [e-mail] I want to talk about email versus text later, Jack. Don't let me forget David Davis. Good early morning gentle folks. He writes just a quick note that if you talk about the plight of the Royals before Jack gives a play by play of the women's hockey team win, I'll never listen to you again. That game was awesome. Last two minutes of the game, force over time. Breakaway goal to clinch the win. The celebration, the camaraderie, the pride, you could feel it all. And then this from BJ freakin correspondent. This was an unbelievable game. Two minutes left to elimination. They scored a tie. They win in sudden death over time.

[Jack Armstrong]

And wow.

[Joe Getty]

And believe it or not, they all sang our national anthem.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Joe Getty]

Wake up NBA, nft, mlb. Forget the solo singer. Play the anthem with the words on the screen so all the fans can can sing.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm gonna watch out with the kids tonight. We'll watch the end of it in the medal ceremony and I'm sure Winnie's brothers, the three brothers in the crowd, were getting a lot of attention to with their antics.

[Joe Getty]

Michael, I'm. I forgot to warn you, I need the haiku music, please, if you would. This is a very special haiku Shane in Roseville pointing out that Jack, whose birthday is tomorrow, hates haikus.

[Jack Armstrong]

I do.

[Joe Getty]

Therefore, the following haiku. Jack, are you familiar with the haiku the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, I am.

[Joe Getty]

Five syllables. The seventh and the five. It's the very limitations that set the artist free.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like every year of my school career. They made you write one for some reason. I don't know, we defeated that country.

[Joe Getty]

Why do we have to haiku? Wow, there are friends now. Happy birthday. Birthday Jack. I know you despise haikus, so this is not one ass. Wow. Wow, that's terrible.

[Jack Armstrong]

Quite a text conversation with extended family members over whether or not I can have birthday cake because I swore off desserts for the year. Oh, my nieces were all, yes, you can make the exception. My brothers were hardcore. No, no exceptions.

[Joe Getty]

I say.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, I. I think so too, but my brothers were in no way. You're changing the rules.

[Joe Getty]

Weak state. Oh, we got to talk about this later. Stacy and sd, which stands for San Diego or several drinks, whichever you prefer.

[Jack Armstrong]

She writes.

[Joe Getty]

Hot damn. Catching up on the podcast while drinking is a whole new level of fun. Just listen to Michelangelo's description of tree areas. And almost peed my pants laughing. Thanks for providing a humorist take on the chaos in the world for educating me on tree safety. Tree area safety.

[Jack Armstrong]

That was so good.

[Joe Getty]

Steve and Petaluma pointing out that those unbelievable Chinese robots we were watching the other day. There's a behind the scenes video. You can see they're being controlled by people behind the scenes who have sensors on the robots are imitating what the people are doing. So they are not autonomous.

[Jack Armstrong]

So is China trying to trick us that they're more advanced than they are? Is that what's going on there or what?

Probably Armstrong and Getty. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.