Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: She Was Doing Wet Work
Date: November 19, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the explosive release of the Jeffrey Epstein files by Congress, the bipartisan reactions, and the damning details emerging about influential figures who associated with Epstein. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dissect the political theater, the identities and actions of elite acquaintances exposed in new emails, and the possible implications for former and current political heavyweights. The hosts blend sharp skepticism, irreverent humor, and biting criticism as they interrogate both the hypocrisy and the continued cover-ups intertwined with the Epstein saga.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Congressional Release of Epstein Files

• Bipartisan Vote & Public Reaction
  • The House voted 428–1, with the Senate unanimously consenting, to release the Epstein files.
  • Vigils by Epstein victims at the Capitol were met with cheers and emotional relief upon the passing of the bill. ([00:40])
• Media & Political Hypocrisy
  • Jack calls out the mainstream media for suddenly centering victims, when the issue could have been acted upon under previous administrations:
    • "You didn't feel that way for four freaking years when Democrats controlled the House and could have passed this exact same bill. Or Donald Trump can release this at any time. So could Joe Biden, but he didn't. And you didn't care about it at all then.” —Jack ([01:12-01:52])
  • Trump changed his position on the bill, opposing it before supporting it last minute; nearly all Republicans ultimately voted for it.
  • Joe highlights current left-wing talking points shifting blame to Biden (“the mummy”), despite collective previous inaction. ([02:05])

Why the Files Were Withheld So Long

• Mutually Assured Destruction Theory
  • Joe posits that both parties may be protecting their own:
    • "Unless it's mutually assured destruction, they're guilty pervs on both sides. That is a possible explanation of why it's languished." —Joe ([02:57])
  • Despite D.C.'s reputation for leaks, no definitive evidence has surfaced implicating Trump or others, raising questions about what, if anything, remains hidden. ([03:30])

Dissecting the Newly Released Emails

• Elite Complicity & Chumminess
  • Jack and Joe review journalist Joe Nocera’s analysis of the released emails:
    • Elite friends, like Larry Summers and Kathy Ruemler, stayed close with Epstein even after his conviction for underage sex crimes.
    • Many emails revolve around strategizing to defend Epstein and themselves, rarely mentioning victims.
    • Michael Wolff, Steve Bannon, and others appear in messages minimizing or deflecting Epstein’s offenses.
  • Joe summarizes the culture revealed:
    • "There is a club out there of rich and powerful that crosses political lines, where the whole, you know, we're fighting the other side so hard thing disappears.” —Jack ([09:19])
    • F. Scott Fitzgerald’s "careless people" quote from The Great Gatsby is invoked to describe this elite detachment. ([08:55-09:19])

Notable Incidents from Emails

• Larry Summers, after his presidency at Harvard and years after Epstein’s conviction, sought Epstein’s advice on how to pursue a young female mentee:
  • "He’s wanting to sex up this young economist who sees him as an older mentor, and he’s looking to Jeffrey Epstein for advice on how to work the thing." —Jack ([10:33])
• Kathy Ruemler, Obama’s former counsel and now Goldman Sachs lawyer, exchanges buddy-buddy emails with Epstein, mocking Trump and seeking career advice—contradicting claims their relationship was merely professional. ([11:09])
• Ghislaine Maxwell admitted, in an email to Epstein, knowledge about the alleged "massage" with Prince Andrew at her house—a direct contradiction to public denials. ([12:39-13:08])

Trump, Clinton, & the Political Fallout

• Trump’s 2015 Remarks on Epstein

  • Trump was already publicly associating Epstein with Clinton and Prince Andrew before his first presidential run:
    • Trump to Halperin: "That island was really a cesspool... Just ask Prince Andrew. He’ll tell you about it." ([21:30-21:49])
  • Hosts opine that if Trump were worried about exposure, he wouldn’t bring up Epstein so early; perhaps it’s evidence he knew he was in the clear—or felt insulated.

• Three Burning Questions (Mark Halperin’s List)

  • The Trump-Epstein relationship: How close were they, and why did they fall out? Why did Trump travel on Epstein’s plane when he notoriously preferred his own? ([23:05-24:34])
  • Ghislaine Maxwell’s “cushy” prison conditions after an eight-hour meeting with DOJ brass: Was she rewarded for protecting Trump or downplaying his involvement? ([24:34-25:28])
    • "It’s a pure quid pro quo. If it’s not, I’d be shocked." —Joe ([25:00])
  • Did Epstein really kill himself? Halperin remains skeptical due to the many irregularities. ([27:39-28:14])
    • Armstrong & Getty debate the plausibility of suicide versus murder/conspiracy, with the sloppiness and corruption at the jail leaving the truth unprovable. ([29:27-31:34])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Elite Detachment:
  • "They preferred his friendship to looking straight away at his crimes. It is shameful. And even all these years after the first Epstein revelations, shocking." —Joe, reading Nocera ([13:23])
• Cynicism Toward the Powerful:
  • "There's a club out there...where the whole, you know, we're fighting the other side so hard thing disappears." —Jack ([09:19])
• Larry Summers/Epstein Dynamic:
  • "Getting your advice from Epstein about how you reacted—well, annoyed shows caring. No whining. Show strength." —Joe, paraphrasing Epstein's advice to Summers ([10:57])
• Maxwell’s Quid Pro Quo:
  • "You sit down for an interview and make it infinitely clear that Donald Trump did nothing untoward...In return, we send you to the Kush prison." —Joe ([25:13])
• On Epstein's Death:
  • "Due to the sloppiness and corruption at the jail in New York. It will never be provable that he didn't [kill himself]." —Joe ([29:27])

The “Headline of the Day” & Lurid Details

• A victim, in a new interview, describes Epstein’s penis as “tiny, extremely deformed, shaped like a lemon”—echoing similar details from Weinstein and other high-profile sexual offenders. ([17:54-18:42], [32:18-34:12])
• Audio from a deposition surfaces as lawyers debate whether discussing the shape of Epstein’s genitalia is material or just meant to embarrass. The hosts riff irreverently on the “lemon or egg” debate, tying in analogous references from other scandals. ([32:43-34:59])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• The Bill’s Passage & Media Response: [00:39–02:05]
• Joe Nocera Email Review – Elite Chumminess: [05:41–13:23]
• Larry Summers’ Embarrassment & Harvard Apology: [14:54–16:01]
• Trump’s Early Public Comments on Epstein: [21:30–22:28]
• Mark Halperin’s Three Big Questions: [23:05–27:39]
• Epstein’s Death – Suicide or Not?: [27:39–31:34]
• Lurid “Headline of the Day” & Deposition Audio: [17:54–18:42], [32:18–34:59]

Episode Tone & Style

Armstrong & Getty’s tone oscillates between sharp skepticism, mockery, and incredulity—never shying away from gallows humor or deeply cynical observations about politics and the elite. They mercilessly lampoon the hypocrisy of both parties regarding Epstein, mock the self-serving apologies of implicated figures, and gleefully dissect the bizarre details (sometimes veering into the salacious, as with the “egg-shaped” revelation).

Additional Noteworthy Moments

• On Ghislaine Maxwell’s treatment and quid pro quo speculation ([24:34–25:45]):
  • Quacking/duck references used to drive home the obviousness of the exchange.
• On conspiracies about Epstein’s demise ([31:02–31:34]):
  • Hosts blend dark humor with genuine skepticism: “Hillary Clinton comes walking in with a bed sheet... That’s Hillary Clinton, LAUGH Michael… click clock click clock, sensible heels walking down the hall of the prison...” —Jack ([31:10–31:41])
• Repeated jabs at the Streisand Effect—Summers’ contrition only bringing more attention to his emails. ([16:30–16:43])

Conclusion

“She Was Doing Wet Work” encapsulates Armstrong & Getty’s blend of sharp sociopolitical critique and irreverence in the wake of the Epstein files’ release. With both lampooning and genuine outrage, they illuminate the bipartisan complicity, elite protectionism, and ongoing cultural fascination with the Epstein scandal—leaving listeners with more questions than answers, and a deepened sense of distrust toward those in power.