Schlep Is Such A Great Word

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Schlep Is Such A Great Word" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 8, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In the episode titled "Schlep Is Such A Great Word," hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a variety of topics ranging from linguistic nuances to pressing societal issues. The conversation is peppered with humor, personal anecdotes, and critical analyses of current events, offering listeners a comprehensive and engaging discourse.

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2. Exploring the Word "Schlep"

Timestamps: 01:10 - 01:42

Jack Armstrong initiates the discussion by highlighting the unique charm of the Yiddish word "schlep."

Jack Armstrong [01:10]: "Schlep is one of the greatest words that doesn't exist in other languages. It perfectly encapsulates the exhausting process of traveling with luggage through an airport."

Joe Getty concurs, emphasizing the versatility of the term in everyday scenarios.

Joe Getty [01:34]: "There's no better word than schlep for just that whole trip, trying to get your luggage out of the plane to the car, and then to the bus that takes you to the hotel."

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3. Media's Handling of Tragedies

Timestamps: 02:14 - 07:08

The hosts transition to a critique of how media outlets cover tragedies, specifically referencing a recent incident in Texas involving children drowning. Jack Armstrong questions the societal benefit of incessant media focus on such events.

Jack Armstrong [02:17]: "Is there any benefit to society from rolling around in the awfulness of these kids drowning? Any benefit whatsoever?"

Joe Getty reflects on the moral implications of media coverage, pondering if there are substantial policy changes stemming from these tragedies or if it's merely sensationalism.

Joe Getty [03:11]: "Is there a Greater significance other than the horror and grief? Is there policy that needs to be changed?"

The conversation underscores the tension between informative reporting and what Armstrong terms as "grief porn." They debate whether constant exposure to tragic events desensitizes the public or drives meaningful change.

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4. Political Updates and Commentary

Timestamps: 08:07 - 11:32

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to recent political developments. The hosts discuss former President Donald Trump's announcement of a UFC fight on the White House lawn, tying it to the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

Donald Trump [09:10]: "We're going to have a UFC fight championship fight on the White House lawns... 25,000 people."

Jack Armstrong expresses disbelief and amusement at the proposal, likening it to the satirical portrayal in the movie Idiocracy.

Jack Armstrong [09:32]: "It's uncomfortably close to Idiocracy, the classic movie of yesteryear."

They also delve into the topic of Nobel Peace Prize nominations, reflecting on past recipients and the perceived ease of the nomination process.

Jack Armstrong [10:28]: "Nominating someone for the Nobel Peace Prize is so easy that more people could get nominated if they knew how."

This segment critiques the politicization of prestigious awards and the potential for misuse in the nomination and selection processes.

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5. The Jeffrey Epstein Case and Conspiracy Theories

Timestamps: 19:32 - 31:54

One of the most intense discussions centers around Jeffrey Epstein's death and the surrounding conspiracy theories. The hosts reference Elon Musk's tweet about releasing Epstein's alleged client list, juxtaposing it with the DOJ's internal memo affirming Epstein's suicide.

Elon Musk (via Jack Armstrong) [20:18]: "We will release the Epstein list. We just need more time."

Jack Armstrong firmly believes Epstein's death was a suicide, citing the nature of Epstein's lifestyle and the inevitability of his downfall.

Jack Armstrong [30:31]: "The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide."

Michael challenges the conspiracy narratives, advocating for a more straightforward interpretation of the events.

Michael [23:32]: "If the Epstein thing is as straightforward as is being claimed, he was a rich perv... He was guilty, nailed... Why would you stay alive?"

The discussion highlights the divide between mainstream narratives and fringe conspiracy theories, emphasizing the hosts' preference for evidence-based conclusions over speculative claims.

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6. Social Issues: Mental Health Among Youth

Timestamps: 33:17 - 38:04

Shifting focus, Armstrong addresses the alarming rise in obesity and depression among children, referencing a recent study released on the day of the podcast.

Jack Armstrong [33:17]: "Our kids are fat and depressed at higher levels than they've ever been. And it's going up according to a study just out today."

Michael expands on the societal implications, linking mental health issues to a pervasive sense of national disillusionment among the younger generation.

Michael [33:44]: "Feeling like you live in a horrible country probably doesn't help with your mental health."

They discuss potential strategies for addressing these intertwined issues, advocating for honest conversations and proactive measures rather than avoidance or superficial fixes.

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7. Listener Mail and Analogies

Timestamps: 35:03 - 38:37

In the mailbag segment, listeners contribute analogies to describe complex societal problems. One notable analogy compares handling economic deficits and ideological challenges to managing a chess game with multiple threats.

Michael [36:18]: "Garrick writes... the deficit is a dog, to use the drunk Chessman's lesson. And you can name whatever else you want for the second dog. However, make no mistake, woke ideology is the gorilla."

Jack Armstrong uses this analogy to emphasize the importance of prioritizing significant issues (the "gorilla") over less critical problems ("dogs").

Jack Armstrong [37:44]: "Maybe we got two gorillas now we're in a world of hurt."

This segment underscores the hosts' belief in the necessity of strategic focus in addressing national challenges, rather than being distracted by simultaneous, less impactful issues.

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8. Closing Remarks and Future Topics

As the episode wraps up, Armstrong and Getty hint at upcoming discussions, including strategies for improving gut health, further explorations of societal tragedies, and deep dives into American domestic and foreign policies. They also tease segments on gender issues and maintaining sanity in a tumultuous world.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution and Timestamps

• Jack Armstrong [01:10]: "Schlep is one of the greatest words that doesn't exist, you know, in other ways."

• Joe Getty [01:34]: "There's no better word than schlep for just that whole trip."

• Jack Armstrong [02:17]: "Is there any benefit to society from rolling around in the awfulness of these kids drowning?"

• Donald Trump [09:10]: "We're going to have a UFC fight... on the White House lawns."

• Jack Armstrong [10:28]: "Nominating someone for the Nobel Peace Prize is so easy."

• Elon Musk (via Jack Armstrong) [20:18]: "We will release the Epstein list. We just need more time."

• Jack Armstrong [30:31]: "The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide."

• Jack Armstrong [33:17]: "Our kids are fat and depressed at higher levels than they've ever been."

• Michael [33:44]: "Feeling like you live in a horrible country probably doesn't help with your mental health."

• Michael [36:18]: "The deficit is a dog... woke ideology is the gorilla."

• Jack Armstrong [37:44]: "Maybe we got two gorillas now we're in a world of hurt."

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Conclusion

"Schlep Is Such A Great Word" offers listeners a balanced mix of lighthearted discussions and serious analyses. Armstrong and Getty navigate through personal anecdotes, linguistic delights, and critical societal issues with ease, inviting their audience to reflect on media ethics, political maneuvers, and the well-being of future generations. The episode stands out for its candid conversations and the hosts' dedication to addressing both trivial and weighty topics with equal fervor.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Michael]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong. Get it live from Studio C, senor.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Yeti communications compound. And hey, y'.

[Michael]

All.

[Jack Armstrong]

Today we're under the tutelage of our.

[Michael]

General manager, Donald J. Trump, Peacemaker.

[Jack Armstrong]

Gotcha. Nobel Prize peacemaker, perhaps. That's right.

[Michael]

Phoebe Netanyahu showed him the letter. He's nominating him. Not at all. A schmeckenda took us moment at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

What?

[Michael]

I'm. I'm fluent in Yiddish. Not all at all, but kissing. What was that phrase you used, boy? Probably better left unsaid.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was trying to explain as we went through laguardia Airport on vacation with our bags and stuff like that. At the end of the day, we were tired, traveling, etc. I was trying to explain schlep to them. Schlep is one of the greatest words that doesn't exist, you know, in other ways that the. Schlep is such a good word for just that whole trip, trying to get your luggage out of the plane to the car, and then you got to get to the bus that takes you to the.

[Michael]

There's no better, better word than lepping the luggage and the kids through the airport and then lepping them into the hotel and up to the room. Oh, okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got something stuck in my craw. I got to deal with it off the bat. Otherwise, if you leave it in your craw, your craw gets all red and infected. You need antibiotics. You don't want that.

[Michael]

Yeah. Michael, break out Mr. Armstrong's craw cream, would you?

[Jack Armstrong]

Got it.

[Michael]

We're going to have to. You have. You administer that. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I started it and now I'm disgusted by it.

[Michael]

I win.

[Jack Armstrong]

You win. That is funny. When somebody makes, like, an inappropriate joke and then you take it, like, further to where they are, they're the ones that feel uncomfortable.

[Michael]

Right. The.

[Jack Armstrong]

The coverage of the port, the tragedy in Texas. And we don't do tragedy on this show in the way that almost every other media outlet always has and we never have for whatever reason. Luckily, Joe and I agree on this, but I just. And I realize I'm an outlier on this sort of stuff. Maybe. But is there any benefit to society from rolling around in the awfulness of these kids drowning? Any benefit whatsoever? Is there any news value? Well, that's.

[Michael]

That's always the question for us. Is there a Greater significance other than the horror and grief. Is there policy that needs to be changed? Does it show something that ought to happen or is it just an unspeakable tragedy that's occurred? And. And you know, I'm. I'm for recognizing it and talking about it a little bit, but wallowing in it. And I just. I don't get that. I just, I.

[Jack Armstrong]

First of all, if I ever. If one of my kids ever dies tragically and you stick a camera in my face and ask me questions, I'm going to punch you in the freaking face. I don't understand that at all. I don't know how you do that for a living.

[Michael]

I think you are an outlier in that as several of the girls who are at the camp or camp counselors. I mean, it's 24 hours later, the bodies are still not counted. And they're doing interviews on various news outlets.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know.

[Michael]

Dolled up and looking nice.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I was thinking about this last night. I'm wondering if maybe some of it is because I've been in the news industry my whole life and I know I'm not. You know, I'm not. News reporters aren't callous a holes. But there is a certain amount of, ooh, this would be good. Rating meetings that goes on that I find troublesome. I guess maybe having been around getting.

[Michael]

One of the camp counselors who survived is a good. It's a great get.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

As they say in the news business. And it's really interesting and compelling. And you'd be praised by your boss for securing that interview. So you would persuade and control in whatever way you thought was necessary to get that interview. And I just. Having seen the sausage made, it's. It's gross.

[Jack Armstrong]

But the now when I see. Saw a bunch of these yesterday and what is a now haunting video. Here are the girls playing volleyball just hours before.

[Michael]

What is that?

[Jack Armstrong]

I just don't get that.

[Michael]

I understand. They were alive and now they're not anymore. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And every parent in the world spends every moment of their life from when their kid is born trying to avoid this sort of tragedy. Tragedy. And thinking about the possibility of it. So I don't really need a. Oh, that's what it would be like to have my cute little kid die in a dry. I believe all. All parents have kind of worked through that. They. We understand.

[Michael]

Yeah. There's no doubt that there is a market for grief porn or horror porn. We just choose not to serve that market.

[Jack Armstrong]

So anyway, it's amazing to me and I've always wondered, does the market exist as much as the news thinks? I guess that's my question. Does the market for that exist as much as news outlets think it does?

[Michael]

I think it does, honestly.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, yeah, that's just an outlier, I guess.

[Michael]

Well, the whole pulp fiction, true crime novels and magazines was seen in, you know, like the early 20th century as the entertainment of the rube, the more base instincts of humanity.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, maybe, maybe I'm just an outlier and I need to accept that. And you know, there you bring that up. There's a reason dateline in 2020 and all those shows are so popular, that sort of thing. The. When you immediately hear about something like this as a parent, your automatic evolutionary response is, what happened? How can I avoid this happening to my kids? So there's interest on that level, certainly. But you don't have to dive very deep on this to me and realize it's just one of those freak things that happened for the most part. And, you know, I definitely have them.

[Michael]

I definitely have a minute or two to consider some of the incredible heroism of the people who risk their own necks to save others.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's good.

[Michael]

And the kindness of strangers and community coming together, that sort of thing. I enjoy those stories. Certainly.

[Jack Armstrong]

I do think we've got a problem being in super safe first world America. Whenever there is a tragedy that we've just got to figure out who's to blame because we. It's part of being so safe. I think we're not used to having just toured museums and stuff like that and ancient Egyptians and all this. You know, the thousands of years I was talking to my kids about this. It's just amazing how awful life was for almost everybody who's ever lived. Compared to us, I mean, just awful. But you were so surrounded by death throughout human history. You almost certainly had a kid die if you didn't, or you're an outlier and your neighbors did. So I mean, it's not, it's not unusual. We.

[Michael]

And it's worth saying you are suffering from some malady which at the time could not be dealt with. Whether it was tooth decay or arthritis or some sort of fungal infection that itched all the time. It was not nearly so pleasant as it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hey, you get something stuck in your craw back in ancient Egypt, you're out.

[Michael]

Of luck, for instance. But now that's why they walk that way like an Egyptian.

[Jack Armstrong]

But now we're also safe. We're also safe and we expect everybody to live to a ripe old age. And it's just so anytime there is an unfortunate death, we feel like somebody's got to be to blame for this. There's got to be somebody to blame that did something wrong. It's Trump's cutbacks. It's Doge. Doge cutting back on the FEMA stuff. That's what caused it. There has to be something that caused it. And there doesn't have to be, especially with Mother Nature, have to be somebody to blame.

[Michael]

Well, that's too terrifying a notion for a lot of people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. That's what I'm saying. We're just not used to unfortunate things happening.

[Michael]

Boy, I'd really like to talk more about this, but I'm super anxious to get to tariffs. I really, really want to talk about specific rates, country by country, trade deficit figures.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just heard about what the. Bangladesh. Get ready for your underwear to be three times as expensive. Your socks and underwear come from Bangladesh, ladies and gentlemen. Anyway, we do have a lot to talk about. We got to start the show officially. I'm Jack Armstrong. He's Joe Getty on this. It is Tuesday, July 8, the year 2025, where Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Michael]

Okay, then, let's begin. Officially, according to FCC rules and regulations, the show starts at Mark.

[Donald Trump]

We're going to have a UFC fight. We're going to have a UFC fight. Think of this. On the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there. We're going to build a little. We're not. Dana is going to do it. Dan is great. One of a kind. Could have a UFC fight, championship fight, full fight, like 20, 25,000 people. And we're going to do that as part of 250. Also, we're going to have some incredible events.

[Jack Armstrong]

So part of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United states, because next July 4th will be that there is going to be a full on UFC championship fight on the White House lawns. I had missed that.

[Michael]

Steroided acrobats pretending to hit each other in the head. That's correct.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, I had missed that story last week. There you go. Huh? I like it. I like it.

[Michael]

It is uncomfortably close to Idiocracy, the classic movie of yesteryear, but oh, boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, man, oh, man. They're gonna build a little mini stadium that will hold 25,000 people on the White House lawn.

[Michael]

The Secret Service is thinking. Wait, what?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, that is. That's a good one right there.

[Michael]

Yeah. Oh, boy. Tariff talk.

[Jack Armstrong]

Freaking tariff talk. Good lord. Thank you. Oh, and since Joe's general manager was Donald Trump, peacemaker, why did we do a deep dive in the Nobel Peace Prize years ago? But we did. It might have been when Obama won it.

[Michael]

Yeah. Or when he did, he actually. That's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

He won when he'd been president for a couple of months.

[Michael]

Right. Because of the promise of the youth, of the brilliance of the young.

[Jack Armstrong]

Obama wasn't George W. Bush, it was Bush derangement syndrome.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah, exactly. So, yeah, we looked into how incredibly easy and meaningless it is to be.

[Jack Armstrong]

Nominated if, you know, like a college history professor, they could nominate you. I mean, the number of people that qualify to nominate someone for the Nobel Peace Prize is, it's, it's amazing that way more people don't get nominated. I think if more people were aware of how easy more people. It's like the, the, the star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I mean, you would just buy one. I'm surprised that, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger or whoever hasn't f figured out I need to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and those sorts of things and, and you know, find somebody to do it for them. Yes.

[Michael]

I recall at the time it was only a $25 fee or something like that to whatever it is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So being nominated is not the huge deal. And then the winning is always very quite political. A number of horrible human beings won the Nobel Peace Prize. Oh, yeah. But maybe Trump will. I mean, what he's done with his few things is pretty amazing.

[Michael]

There are a number of maneuvers going on. Read the Middle east that are worth talking about. Absolutely. The so called peace deal that they're working on. The recent declaration by a high ranking US official that Hezbollah is not a terrorist group, they're a political party. Let's work together. Intriguing. Troubling at first, but intriguing so that to come among many other things.

[Jack Armstrong]

And Katie's got her headlines on the way and there's one headline in particular that I am so excited about. And that's coming up next.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

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[Jack Armstrong]

I've got a big self improvement thing I'm trying to work on I want to talk about later, see if it's a stupid idea or not, but is.

[Michael]

It improving your gut health?

[Jack Armstrong]

No.

[Michael]

I've got information on improving your gut health. I've been a craze.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've been trying. Yeah, I know. It is a craze. And I don't know if it's one of those, you know, the latest. It'll go away. Nope. Or it's really important. I've been trying to eat certain kinds of yogurt every day because people swear by it.

[Michael]

You know, it helps your gut health. Ice plunges, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly.

[Michael]

And kale. And. Oh, lots of kale. Yes, yes. All right, so more on all of that stuff to come.

[Jack Armstrong]

Plunge into a tub of frozen kale.

[Michael]

Oh, boy. Oh, yeah. Nipping, killing multiple birds.

[Garrick]

You're adding years.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Michael]

Oh, please, please. Y hey, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green.

[Garrick]

Katie, starting with Fox News, US will quote, have to send weapons to Ukraine, Trump says days after Pentagon pause.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, big deal if you didn't see this late in the day. Yesterday, Trump said Ukraine's got to be able to defend itself. I'm very unhappy with Putin and we're going to give him the stuff again.

[Michael]

Yeah, I hope it's a steadfast policy. And not on again, off again and mercurial because you can't fight a war like that.

[Garrick]

From ABC News, hard hit Texas county had no flood warning sirens despite years of discussions.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's interesting. I got into a conversation with our boss about that yesterday. You know, all of the emergency alert stuff in the world of radio and everything else has been moving towards smartphones. And now we all go on vacation to places where we can't wait to get away from our smartphones, like those campers. And we want our kids to be away from the smartphone. And that's our new emergency alert system. Whereas when I was growing up, for instance, if there's a tornado warning, the town siren went off. That's how you knew and they got. We did away with that. Yeah.

[Michael]

And I read an interesting piece about how the left will try to blame, you know, the violations of the great green renewable energy, this, that and the other, or blame Doge or whatever and how that's a load of crap because this happens semi regularly in that part of the country because of the geography and blah, blah, blah. And it's actually pretty interesting if you're into geography and water and the rest. But if that is true though, then you'd think they would have some sort of system in place that was reliable for issuing warnings because there have been horrific losses of life there through the years.

[Jack Armstrong]

But it is a good point though. If our emergency alert system is going to be our first phones, ditching the phone to relax, how are we going.

[Michael]

To do that, right?

[Garrick]

CBS News, Alvarado ice facility attack. Eleven charged in ambush on ICE officers.

[Michael]

Yeah. The militant anti ICE activity by parts of the American left is getting more and more troubling. Got more details on that. It's gone mainstream too. There are now big organizations, websites, the rest, how to screw with ice, how to follow them, when to figure out when they're doing raids, the rest of it. So now, you know, in la, Trump has the National Guard out protecting the ICE guys and it looks a lot like, you know, the army is taken to the streets of America.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Don't like the look of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, it's not a bad visual.

[Garrick]

No doubt from the Wall Street Journal, TSA to allow shoes to stay on for airport security screenings.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, our long national nightmare of taking off your shoes is over. They've already rolled it out at certain airports. I guess not the ones I went to. And I was thinking about this when I was in line the other day on how that one freaking guy tried to set his shoes on fire. And for the next quarter of a century, everybody takes their shoes off. Whereas if he had, I don't know, had a bag full of food, there'd have been no more eating on planes. It was just, it was your reaction to one thing. But anyway, those days are over. Leave your shoes on.

[Garrick]

From the Washington Post. A Marco Rubio imposter is using AI voice to call high level officials.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's a good story.

[Michael]

Oh, boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

At least four dignitaries of foreign countries contacted by fake Marco Rubio.

[Michael]

Yeah. Oh. Hilarious and troubling study finds young drivers.

[Garrick]

Are glancing at their phones during a frightening 21% of every trip.

[Jack Armstrong]

That number's low. That number is way low. It's higher than that.

[Garrick]

And finally, the Babylon Be Iran puts McDonald's signs in front of remaining nuclear facilities. So Trump. Trump doesn't think about bombing them.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, Come on.

[Michael]

I doubt that would work as a ploy. Katie. You know your point about that half wit jackass with the shoe bomb? What if he'd had like exploding headphones? Yeah, so they'd have to ban it. So everybody just has to listen to their audio out loud through the speaker on their phones of everything.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's exactly right. We react to whatever thing happened not anticipating something else. It is the way we do it. Anyway, we got so much to talk about. I hope you can stay with it.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong Getty.

[Katie Green]

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[Henry]

People have been pushing for this release really for years. Fox News has told an internal memo circulated within DOJ definitively states that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide. And that quote, this systematic review revealed no incriminating client lists. There was also no credible evidence that found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. End quote. Now, Epstein, the disgraced billionaire, was charged with having sex with underage girls. He died in 2019 inside his cell at a New York City prison.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, the Epstein thing. Not a story Joe and I have spent a lot of time talking about. Elon tweeted this out yesterday. I don't know if you're familiar with the clown meme where you have different levels of clown makeup. The guy's applying his clown makeup as you go stage by stage by stage.

[Michael]

I'm not familiar with it, but I like it. I like the sound of it.

[Jack Armstrong]

And here's Elon Musk's tweet about the whole Epstein thing. We will release the Epstein list. We just need more time. The Epstein list is on my desk. I remember that a month or so.

[Michael]

Ago, Pam or Cash Patel said that. That's right. Talking about.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then yesterday the announcement. There is no Epstein list. So I haven't been following this story, but that is.

[Michael]

Confusing.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think I have an explanation for.

[Michael]

It a little bit.

[Jack Armstrong]

But Laura Loomer, the Trump whisperer that I think has more influence than she should, demands Pan Bondi resign. That's the Attorney General having lied to Trump's base and creating a liability for his administration. She's an embarrassment and she doesn't do anything to help Trump over the idea that she had been claiming. There's a lot, and we're going to give it to you for a while. And, well, and Cash Patel and Dan.

[Michael]

Bongino had made a living, you know, speculating about that sort of thing. And although Bonino said, hey, look, he made a great statement yesterday, I'm not paid for my opinion anymore. I'm paid for the facts and evidence. And there is no facts. There are no. There's no evidence.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, how about this? Is the headline from our witch newspaper Times or something. Trump administration acknowledges lack of evidence from Epstein documents after Attorney General Pam Bondi promised big revelations for months. Why'd the Attorney general. I mean, why'd she promise big revelations? She wasn't doing a talk show. The Justice Department noted a lack of evidence for conspiracy theories, including a client list in a jailhouse murder.

[Michael]

Something untoward is going on here. It might just be that, you know, Pam Bondi is part of the political entertainment complex that is Trump World, but it does seem odd that she had any idea that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, that they're hiding the fact that Michelle Obama is a man and part of a child sex trafficking ring. And the fires in Palisades park were all to destroy the homes of the Hollywood type who have tunnels leading to places where they ship kids for their sex. That is the belief of people I know.

[Michael]

I don't really have time for that. I'd rather tweak America's domestic and foreign policy slightly in directions of sanity. I don't have time to deal with a lunatic fringe.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I don't know what percentage of y' all believe that, but it's enough to make the Epstein thing up a story. I guess.

[Michael]

So. Well, I tell you what, if the Epstein thing is as straightforward as is being claimed, he was a rich perv, liked to swing with young chicks, everybody deserves to have been Busted has been busted. He was looking at life in prison. He killed himself in his cell. Yeah, we should have fixed those cameras. But it's all as straightforward as I just described it here. If that is the case, fate has done a really good job of supplying folks with a hell of a lot of weird questions that aren't answered, I will admit that.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right. Which happens sometimes. So the guy who shot Kennedy like two days later gets shot himself, transferring him from jail to jail, huh? Right.

[Michael]

By a very well connected mobbed up restaurateur. Blah blah, blah. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

But it seems after decades of looking at it and no new evidence that that is what happen. So yeah, that's a tough one. So what's the worst case scenario? Is not what I just laid out the tunnels under the Hollywood homes. No, that. That's in. Well, that's ridiculous. But. So what's the more manageable Epstein theory out there? That the Hillary. The Democrats are running a child sex ring, but. But then the Republicans are in on it too and wanted to hide it. Pam Bondi and Bongino, I know people personally very disappointed that Cash, Patel and Bungino and various people have like turned and must be in on it too or must be compromised or they have something on them.

[Michael]

Right. And the manipulators, the online manipulators, the QAnon types will find a way to spin that and explain that in a way that draws people in even more strongly. Oh my God. That's. That's how deep it goes. Which is why it's so exciting. It's like an ongoing serial to follow. But I'm sorry, what was your original question?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. No. Is that, is that the, is that the prevailing thinking of like a big chunk of people?

[Michael]

Oh gosh, I don't know. I think a more reasonable explanation would be that the, if the list were to be released, it would embarrass legitimately or not enough very important people at the top of the political financial pyramid of America that it would damage both parties and it would be hurting folks who are very, very well connected. So we're going to leave it alone.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wait a second. You just broke news on the Armstrong and Getty show with your.

[Michael]

I don't think I did.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you believe there is a list?

[Michael]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the administration is claiming there's not. That's what you just said. Are you, are you changing? You don't remember what you just said? He's senile.

[Michael]

Michael Jack graduated from Tucker Carlson's how to Argue Unfairly University for the weekend and is anxious to try out his newfound knowledge. Oh, they're calling him. They're calling Tucker Tayron Tucker now in the Free Beacon. Or I saw had a softbally interview with the President of Iran that was like his softball ass kissing interview with Putin.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or I saw Tucker Qatar Katarlson. Yeah, Tucker Katarlson.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was trying really hard.

[Michael]

Speaking of dredging up the past. No, one more thing on Epstein though, for God's sake. I thought we were going to touch.

[Jack Armstrong]

On it and move on.

[Michael]

Well, you're a conspiracy theorist.

[Jack Armstrong]

As much as it, the attention, the, the amount of attention it got yesterday. I mean it's surprising to me because it's a non story to me. But so the reality is the guy was a full on pervert. A whole bunch of people didn't know about his pervy stuff. They were just hanging around what they thought was, you know, fun, sexy parties, but not like underage and all that sort of weird stuff, right?

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And so Clinton and Bill Gates and all these people, they just wanted to go to parties where there were hot chicks.

[Michael]

I have known guys like that kind of. And folks who I tend to, I tend to miss these things. They're engaged in things that are pretty out there and perverse. Drugs, swinging, whatever. Um, and I never have a clue because I'm. Because people have a way. It was like back in the day when, when pot was, was illegal and, and, and gay folks back in the day too knew this. You had ways of hinting and using terminology and winking and nodding and establishing. Oh, okay, you're cool, we can talk about this a little more. Um, and, and guys like that, who again I miss out on because I'm faithfully married, I don't do drugs and, and, and I. That sort of debauchery, at least not at this point in my life, I don't get, I don't return those signals. So I am always kept out on that outer circle. And then maybe you're down to party and you get a little closer to the inner circle of the really evil stuff going on. But just because I said, yeah, I'll part, you know, I hear Epstein throws these incredible parties. He's got an island. It's. It's cool. That doesn't mean you know about the real perv stuff necessarily.

[Jack Armstrong]

Another interesting thing you said, you don't engage in that sort of debauchery at this time in your life, but maybe in the future, like five years from now, you will in retirement. You're going to. Is that what you're suggesting?

[Michael]

What are you doing here? What? What is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not at this point in my life. Now, in retirement, I have plans to really go crazy.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah. Hot and cold running debauchery. Are you kidding? I'm looking into buying my own island.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, please.

[Garrick]

I thought that was just a bit of a stretch. Jack, just.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, no.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah. Not for his new Tucker Carlson inspired inquisitorial style. Become a monster.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, that's enough. Then it got a cover. The Epstein thing got coverage on every news outlet yesterday. So just for whatever reason.

[Michael]

Well, I tell you what. Gosh dang it. What the heck, Stick to plans as long as we're talking about it. Where is that. Where's that other stinking. There it is. Got all sorts of great audio. Give me Patel and Bongino. 43.

[Donald Trump]

As far as you know he killed himself.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm telling you, he killed himself. I'm not paid for my opinions anymore. I'm paid on evidence. That's it. The evidence we have in our files clearly indicates that it was, in fact, a suicide.

[Michael]

All right, employees of Pam Bondi, who. Who said this in February, hit us with 42.

[Jack Armstrong]

Michael, the DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients. Will that really happen?

[Joe Getty]

It's sitting on my desk right now to review.

[Jack Armstrong]

See, there's. There's the. That's the crime. That's. That's where things went wrong. The Attorney General should not have hinted that there's some there there when there's not. That's not what you're supposed to be doing.

[Michael]

Well, right. That is indefensible. I mean, she didn't say all of the Epstein facts are on my desk or the file is on my desk. He said, is there? Are you going to release the list? And she said, it's on my desk for review. I mean, that was an unequivocal statement, inference, implication that the list exists. She didn't couch it in anything. And if I was looking for a conspiracy, I tell you what, that's some.

[Jack Armstrong]

Pretty good grist for the mill as far as him killing himself. I've thought from day one that it made perfect sense for him to kill himself. The life he lived, the kind of lifestyle he had. And now you're gonna spend the rest of your life in jail. You're guilty, you know, you're nailed. Why would you stay alive?

[Michael]

Right?

[Jack Armstrong]

And the fact that nobody was watching him, which adds to the conspiracy. That's because that's what happens at lots of prisons. The people are supposed to make the rounds or whatever. But they take naps or do they don't pay attention? They're supposed to, but they don't.

[Michael]

Yeah. Witness the 10 guys walking out of the Louisiana jailing notes. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

That wasn't an outlier either. So.

[Michael]

Yeah. I tell you what though, Pam Bondi and the other guys in their effort to really keep the, the conspiracy theory crowd excited, they, I think they stepped in it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's not good. You know, you don't want to be playing around with stuff like that just to.

[Michael]

No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Keep people interested or on your side.

[Michael]

Yeah, I, I have some friends who really, really like Pam Bondi because she's fully invested in the this is show business, this is partisan. Let's do this thing. I don't like that in the attorney general and I, I thought she was great for a long time. Very bright, aggressive, smart. I just no, no, no. Let other people be that. Hopefully you enforce the law.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hopefully the Epstein thing for, for the mass. Vast majority of people is over as of yesterday. That story is over I think for most people. Most people, yes. So we got Mailbag on the way. We will have to get in some more of the news of the day. The fact that Trump came out late yesterday and said we're going to arm Ukraine. What is going on there? Among other things to talk about. Stay with us.

[Joe Getty]

AR and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

I'm being serious here. I often people can't tell when I'm serious. I realize that. So this is a serious my serious tone and voice. Our kids are fat and depressed at higher levels than they've ever been. And it's going up according to a study just out today. We'll have to talk about that in hour two of the Armstrong and Getty show.

[Michael]

And they hate their country too. Other major poll show.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's nice. So our kids are fat. And actually it might be tied together because, you know, feeling like you live in a horrible country probably doesn't help with your mental health.

[Michael]

Right. And we've been in charge of raising them. So look in the mirror. We'll talk about that. But not in a discouraging, sad, depressing way. In a hopeful, positive way, kind of speaking of which, gender bending madness update, sanity Strikes back edition coming up later in the show. Right now it's a freedom loving quote of the day again celebrating the Great Thomas Sowell's 95th birthday while we were on vacation. Could do two a day for the next year and not exhaust his brilliance. But when you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, that's pretty good.

[Michael]

That's the truth bomb. 30,000 pound truth bunker buster.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is a good one. That, that, that should be. I should have heard that before in my life.

[Michael]

Yeah, well in the number of policies that and social programs that violate that principle. I mean we could talk about that for hours.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wasn't even talking about government or anything like that. Just interpersonal relationships or parenting or all kinds of different things.

[Michael]

Right, Right. When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear. Mailbag, please do drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongygetty.com is the email address.

[Jack Armstrong]

And sometimes they're telling them what they, they want to hear is not like to take advantage of them. So it's just like to avoid the.

[Michael]

Difficult conversation which is what you want, right? Yeah, indeed. On the topic of wallowing in grief and tragedy, Scott in Pleasant Hill writes on flood news. Dennis Miller once said he could not digest and feel sorry for every tragedy in the in the country. Right. It was just not possible. Right. He apologized. He said, I know it sounds uncaring, but I can't live my life thinking about every tragedy and loss.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. That we started the show with this and I was trying to figure out if I'm an outlier or not. What are we, we gonna confine it to Americans or do we want to go abroad? Because you could find one of these.

[Michael]

Somewhere in the world every single day.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they're every Bit as awful.

[Michael]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's just, you know, bad things happen, damn it.

[Michael]

And as we've discussed many times, human beings are not made for this. We're not meant to take on the complexity, the pain, the ugliness, and the horror of the entire world. We're just supposed to be able to take in what's around us. What we can see and hear wasn't.

[Jack Armstrong]

Possible until fairly recently heard about it at all. It would have been a paragraph in a newspaper that you read, which wouldn't be near the emotional thing. As you know watching interviews with parents.

[Michael]

Garrick and Davis loved your story about the drunken chess coach in New York City. Jack, if you missed that, I believe it was hour four of the Armstrong and Getty show. I don't know the Armstrong and Getty on demand. Whenever it was, you try not to miss a segment. Anyway, it was absolutely charming. But one of the lessons that the drunk chest coach tried to impart to your son was that if you got a giant gorilla and two dogs menacing you, you got to deal with the gorilla first.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, Right.

[Michael]

Anyway, Garrick writes, I know you guys like to talk about it, but the deficit is a dog, to use the drunk Chessman's lesson. And you can name whatever else you want for the second dog. However, make no mistake, woke ideology is the gorilla. And it might be a little hurt now, but it's snapping arms and tearing testicles off. Believe that. Unnecessarily graphic. But the problem, though, Garrick, is that in. In chess, you really have to fend off one challenge at a time, because you can only move one piece at a time. Whereas inside. In government, indeed, you can deal with both gorillas, a couple of dogs, and, I don't know, a crazed zebra as well. If you.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, but what's your focus? We often focus on the dogs and not the gorilla. Like the gorilla might be the national debt, and we were ignoring that gorilla.

[Michael]

I tell you what, between the national debt and an ideology that teaches the young to despise their country, it's difficult to choose.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Michael]

Right. Which one's actually the gorilla?

[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe we got two gorillas now we're in a world of hurt.

[Michael]

Oh, yes. We don't really have time for more. Yeah, boy, this is a really great point from Henry the listener, but we don't really have time to Mamdani the communist.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I want to hear that. We got three more hours. We'll fit that in along with a whole bunch of other stuff. If you missed a segment an hour, as Joe said, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand. That a report that's out today about kids and it's going the wrong direction. How long are we going to let it go the wrong direction before we make it a national crisis? Good God. More to come on the Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an I heart podcast.