Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Shut Up, Pope."
Date: April 13, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty (with Katie Grimes)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into a heated week in international politics, centering on escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, President Trump's aggressive foreign policy, and a much-discussed public spat with Pope Francis over war and peace. The hosts, true to form, blend news analysis, irreverent humor, and personal gripes—most notably about politics intruding into everything from church sermons to rock concerts. The show also touches on AI bias, cyber-scams, and the challenges of parsing news in the information age.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump vs. the Pope – Stay in Your Lane (03:30–06:10)

• Main theme: The hosts react to Pope Francis's pacifist comments regarding U.S. military policy, expressing frustration with religious leaders opining on global politics.
• Jack Armstrong (04:03):
  "The Pope should just shut up. Shut up. I don't want to hear from you priests about international politics. I want to hear everything you have to say about personal salvation and Jesus… Don’t give a freak what you have to say about international policy in politics and your moronic position on war."
• The hosts argue that peace at all costs is naive and compare the Pope’s stance to a “child’s view.”
• The 60 Minutes interview with church leaders prompts discussion about mixing politics and religion:
  "… if I have to listen to you rail against Trump and his policies, no freaking way I’m sitting there for that." (05:07)

2. Blockading Iran – Counting Down to Confrontation (06:10–13:22)

• The U.S. is set to begin a naval blockade of Iranian ports—a major escalation. The hosts discuss Trump’s logic and the expected global fallout.
• Joe Getty:
  "Fans of blockades, this is very exciting. We're counting down till the 10am eastern time blockade of all the Iranian ports." (06:24)
• Speculation abounds on whether the blockade will be effective, the possible Iranian response, and the lack of international support.
• Jack Armstrong (06:37):
  "They're making more money than they made before the war started… so yeah, how about no ships go in and out?"

3. Disillusion with Celebrity Politics (08:26–09:37)

• A segment on Springsteen concerts morphs into a wider lament about musicians and other celebrities lecturing audiences on politics.
• Armstrong:
  "About a third of the way through the concert, [Springsteen] comes out… and I think, that's my bathroom break. I am not going to sit through that." (08:26)
• The hosts suggest most fans just want the music, not the political “fireside chat.”
• Joe Getty:
  "I'd like to ask Bruce, what do you think he's accomplishing?... Do you think anybody’s mind is changed by your screed?" (09:37)

4. Echo Chambers & Selective Outrage (09:55–10:33)

• They argue that public figures often preach only to those who already agree, alienating (and dehumanizing) dissenters.
• "You just don't give a flying whatever about the many millions of people that don't agree with you…" (10:05)

5. Tensions Mount: Blockade, Nukes, and AI Bias (10:58–13:22)

• The hosts officially launch into the news day:
  • Trump’s threats—blockade and possible military escalation
  • Market response:
    "You want to see a stock market go down? Let a couple of nuclear bombs be dropped on us… But the stock market has not gone down very much at all." (11:20)
• Armstrong details his argument with ChatGPT over the Iran nuclear deal:
  "It came out with a political position about how the Obama agreement was perfect. It would have been just fine if we’d left it in place, only Trump…" (11:56)
• AI bias and news curation are discussed as a growing problem.

6. Personal Cybersecurity Fails (13:28–15:19)

• Joe Getty recounts falling for a phishing scam:
  "I had an email account hacked over the weekend. My own stupidity. I should tell that story. I thought I was immune to falling for anything like that." (13:28)
• He explains how hackers filtered all his emails to trash and how AI tools helped him recover control.

7. Rapid-Fire News Headlines (20:20–23:24)

• Katie Grimes reads and reacts to top headlines:
  • U.S. blockade of Iran Strait begins—market reacts, Iran threatens retaliation
  • Rep. Swalwell suspends his California governor campaign after sexual assault allegations:
    "What, he's gonna step down just because an entire cheerleading team of women came forward and said they raped him?" (21:29, Armstrong sarcastic)
  • Trump posts image of himself as a Jesus-like figure after criticizing the Pope (21:54)
  • NYC to open first city-owned grocery store ($30M price tag)
  • A whimsical headline: “BB the Parrot goes on underwater adventure in his custom-built submarine” (22:24)

8. Behind the Blockade: Failed Diplomacy and Realpolitik (26:35–36:21)

• Talks between the U.S. and Iran have collapsed after 21 hours in Islamabad; diplomatic efforts failed—blockade moves ahead.
• Hosts dig into the unpredictability of Iran’s motives and the absence of real international coalition support.
• "The Wall Street Journal asks… what would happen to the ships that the US military intercepts?... What, we shoot at it, board it, and then confiscate?" (30:52, Armstrong)
• Tense speculation: Could things spiral into a major historical event?
• Armstrong (36:04):
  "We might be… the big event is to come. Like, the big event starts tomorrow or something."

9. Historical Perspective: Wars Chosen & Unavoidable (38:22–39:26)

• Armstrong and Getty muse on whether this is a “war of choice,” arguing that Iran’s nuclear pursuit made conflict with the U.S. inevitable:
  "The status quo prior to the current conflict was absolutely not going to last. Iran was going to get a nuke and be a terrible, terrible threat. So couldn’t we have just kept going…?" (38:22)

10. Teddy Roosevelt’s Warning, Audience Mailbag, & The Nature of Soft Societies (43:24–44:14)

• Joe Getty shares a “Freedom Loving Quote of the Day” from Teddy Roosevelt:
  • "Materialism, luxury, safety, even sometimes an almost modern sentimentality weakened the fiber of each civilized race…"
• Audience mail: Discusses complexity of Iran negotiations, the fog of war, and (on the lighter side) how military conflicts help modernize the armed forces.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Armstrong (04:03): "The Pope should just shut up. Shut up."
• Armstrong (05:07): "If I have to listen to you rail against Trump and his policies, no freaking way I’m sitting there for that."
• Getty (06:24): "Fans of blockades, this is very exciting. We're counting down till the 10am Eastern time blockade of all the Iranian ports."
• Armstrong (08:26): "That’s my bathroom break. That’s when I go get in line to get a slice of pizza and use the restroom. I am not going to sit through that."
• Getty (09:37): "Do you think anybody’s mind is changed by your screed? Do you think anybody learns anything?"
• Armstrong (11:56): "It came out with a political position about how the Obama agreement was perfect… I actually went to Claude and Gemini for more information and kept coming back at ChatGPT until it basically agreed that I was right and it was wrong."
• Getty (13:28): "I had an email account hacked over the weekend. My own stupidity."
• Armstrong (21:29): "What, he's gonna step down just because an entire cheerleading team of women came forward and said they raped him?"
• Armstrong (36:04): "We might be in that situation now where this past month we've been getting, you know, a lot of chatter… and the big event is to come."
• Teddy Roosevelt (43:24): "Materialism, luxury, safety… weakened the fiber of each civilized race. In turn, each became, in the end, a nation of pacifists. Then each was trodden underfoot by some ruder people…"

Key Timestamps

• 03:30: Start of main content, "Trump calls for Strike" headline, immediate lead into Trump vs. The Pope.
• 04:03: Armstrong “The Pope should just shut up” rant.
• 06:24: Countdown and analysis of U.S. blockade of Iranian ports.
• 08:26: Springsteen and celebrity politics.
• 10:58: Official launch of the news, Trump/market/AI bias.
• 13:28: Getty’s phishing scam & cybersecurity woes.
• 20:25: Katie Grimes runs the headlines.
• 21:29: Swalwell jokes & political scandal.
• 26:35: Blockade background, failed US-Iran talks.
• 36:04: The sense of being on the verge of a historic event.
• 38:22: Discussion of war, choice, and inevitability.
• 43:24: Teddy Roosevelt pacifism quote & audience mailbag.

Tone & Style

The conversation is informal, rapid-fire, heavy on sarcasm, and peppered with pop culture references and personal anecdotes. Armstrong & Getty skirt the line between caustic criticism and existential worry about world events, often using humor to make pointed political commentary.

For Listeners Who Haven't Tuned In

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand is a whirlwind of news analysis, skepticism of institutional authority, and weary humor about a world where politics seem to permeate every aspect of life—from the pulpit to pop concerts. If you want unfiltered takes on geopolitical brinksmanship, media spin, and cultural fatigue—with a little help from Teddy Roosevelt—this is the episode for you.