Some Raptor Steals Your Ball & Flies Away

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand – Episode Summary

Episode: "Some Raptor Steals Your Ball & Flies Away"

Date: October 27, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

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Overview

This episode opens with a deep dive into current U.S. military actions near Venezuela, segueing into discussions of global influence, socialism’s collapse in South America, and U.S.–China strategic spheres. The hosts riff on everything from international espionage in Silicon Valley to the absurdity of politicians’ self-styled biographies. Memorable tangents include jokes about "breathing through your butt," playful baseball commentary, and musings on campaign season posturing. The tone is irreverent, fast-paced, and always skeptical.

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Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Military Posture and the Venezuela Situation

[00:28–03:39]

• The U.S. military has conducted strikes against vessels alleged to be drug smuggling operations, mainly off Venezuela.
• Jack highlights the massive U.S. firepower assembled near Venezuela (aircraft carriers, Marines, etc.):

  “We’ve got the world’s biggest aircraft carrier...with another 5,000 sailors… in addition to the 10,000 Marines that are already there…” (00:54)

• The hosts debate whether this is a prelude to invasion, with Joe noting invasion would be “very bad” and costly (03:56).
• Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) claims Maduro's days are “numbered” and should flee to Russia or China (03:04).

2. U.S. Sphere of Influence and the New Cold War

[04:26–05:46]

• Jack discusses D.C. chatter about dividing world “spheres of influence”:

  "China was going to run their part of the world, and we're going to run our part... That’s the way Trump sees it. And that's where a lot of the heavy hitters see it.” (04:26)

• Venezuela’s vast oil and rare-earth reserves are asserted as core U.S. interests in this regional assertion.
• Joe expands: With China flexing in the South China Sea, U.S. policy becomes “more hawkish,” possibly supporting regime change in Venezuela and Cuba (05:34).

3. Socialism, Collapse, and Emigration

[06:59–08:46]

• Discussion of how socialism "destroyed" Venezuela’s economy:

  “Venezuela's economy was crippled by disastrous socialist policies and mismanagement.” — Joe (07:21)
  “One of the richest countries in the world became socialist and now...70% of the people there are poor.” — Jack (07:30)

• Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled—about a fifth of the population (08:09).
• Joe points out how 60 Minutes openly blamed socialism for Venezuela’s collapse—a rarity in mainstream media (08:21).

4. Socialism’s Addictive Effects & Argentina’s Market Turn

[10:47–13:02]

• The duo discusses how government handouts in socialism make reform painful but necessary.
• Joe praises Javier Milei in Argentina for winning a legislative victory and drastically reducing inflation:

  “He’s brought inflation down from...200% a year. Do you know what it was two years ago? 200%.” (11:58)

• They advocate for free markets and criticize governments where elites get rich at citizens’ expense.

5. Comedy Tangent: Baseball Announcer Vin Scully & Socialist Warnings

[08:56–09:28]

• Jack recalls legendary Dodgers announcer Vin Scully warning fans about Venezuelan socialism.

  “Socialism failing to work as it always does. This time in Venezuela...who do you think is the richest person in Venezuela? The daughter of Hugo Chavez. Hello?” (08:56)

6. Espionage and Sexpionage in Silicon Valley

[16:24–18:32]

• Joe describes reports of Chinese and Russian spies targeting Silicon Valley through “sex warfare”—attractive women attempting to marry or seduce tech workers.
• The espionage has shifted from trained agents to “ordinary citizens, investors, crypto analysts, businessmen, academics,” making detection harder:

  “We’re not chasing a KGB agent in a smoky guest house in Germany anymore...” (18:31)

7. Real-life Spy Stories & Paranoia

[25:16–29:00]

• More on ordinary people being used in sophisticated spy operations—including a Russian woman who went from modeling academy to “soft power school” to aerospace industry insider.
• Jack jokes about being targeted by a “Montenegrin” woman and muses it could be espionage.
• Joe describes how U.S. universities were warned about Chinese operatives years ago but dismissed warnings as racist (19:32).

8. “Breathing Through Your Butt”: Human Enteral Ventilation

[29:00–32:19]

• Joe reports on new research into administering oxygen via the human rectum (“enteral ventilation”):

  “Scientists have tested out enteral ventilation, a possible method of administering oxygen with a liquid delivered through the rectum…” (29:34)

• This could help patients with respiratory failure as a supplement to ventilation; inspired by certain fish that absorb oxygen through their intestines.
• Jack & Joe riff irreverently on terminology:

  “Is ass breather going to be a thing?” — Jack (30:27)

9. Politician Word Salads: Newsom & Kamala

[22:18–43:20]

• Gavin Newsom: The hosts lampoon Newsom’s vague, sometimes incoherent style, highlighting his attempts to create a “hardscrabble” backstory despite elite connections:

  "He tries to come off as like Abe Lincoln in a log cabin." — Jack (32:56)

• They mock Newsom’s recent comments:

  “Every day in the backyard, just bouncing the basketball, throwing the ball against the wall until the ball is just like fraying, man. And you entertaining yourself.” — Newsom, as paraphrased by hosts (41:45)

• Kamala Harris: The hosts play clips and criticize her vague answers about running for president and claims of “a life of service.”

  “Don’t hit me with your I’m in a life of service bull s. It makes me angry that you do that.” — Jack (39:20)

10. Trump’s “Third Term” Teaser & Media Reactions

[36:37–38:12]

• Audio from Trump refusing to rule out a “third term” by running as VP, saying it would be “too cute”:

  “I wouldn’t do that. I think it’s too cute… I would love to do it… Am I not ruling it out? You’ll have to tell me.” — Trump (36:43)

• Jack and Joe point out it’s just Trump “making the media dance.”

  “Have you ever had a kid do this to you in your life?” — Jack (37:54)

11. “Stories Nobody Else Cares About”

[23:40–25:16]

• They riff (from a Mark Halpern tweet) about how everyone thinks their travel or customer service nightmare stories are interesting, but they rarely are—unless a “raptor steals your ball and flies away.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is like cooking an egg with a blowtorch. F-35s, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, submarines—aren’t normally what we need to go after small boats.” — Joe Getty (00:41)
• “What’s going on there?... This whole sphere of influences thing… China was going to run their part of the world and we’re going to run our part… Venezuela, which has the largest stockpile of oil reserves on the entire planet…” — Jack Armstrong (04:26)
• “We boot them out and institute a more American friendly regime... That’s totally defensible to me. Here’s the rub: that’s really, really hard to do. Expensive in both blood and treasure.” — Joe Getty (06:03)
• “Only cop killers with fake African names who are later revered on college campuses go to those communist regimes.” — Joe Getty (08:46)
• "I do want to call somebody... a butt breather someday." – Joe Getty (32:08)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:28–03:39 | Venezuela crisis, military build-up, U.S intentions
• 04:26–05:46 | China–U.S. spheres of influence, Venezuela’s resources
• 06:59–08:46 | Socialism’s impact on Venezuela, mass emigration
• 10:47–13:02 | Socialism’s 'heroin', Argentina's economic reforms
• 16:24–18:32 | Espionage: “sex warfare” in Silicon Valley
• 25:16–29:00 | Real-life espionage, Montenegrin “spy” musings, Chinese agents in academia
• 29:00–32:19 | "Breathing through your butt" scientific news
• 36:37–38:12 | Trump flirts with “third term”; media’s obsession
• 39:20–40:31 | Kamala Harris’s possible campaign, “a life of service”
• 41:11–43:20 | Gavin Newsom’s mythmaking, more politician word salad

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Tone and Style

The episode is classic Armstrong & Getty—irreverent, skeptical, and full of asides, with serious political analysis never far from a sharp one-liner or running joke. Their criticism of both right and left is robust, and “word salad” from politicians is a recurring target.

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Useful for Listeners

• Explains complex geopolitical issues like U.S.–China “sphere of influence” via conversational analysis
• Offers sharp, often mocking critiques of U.S. politicians’ rhetoric
• Illuminates modern espionage trends with real-world examples
• Mixes in offbeat scientific news for comic relief
• Packed with memorable quotes and moments of sharp humor

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For anyone who missed the episode, this summary captures the essential arguments, tone, and spirit of Armstrong & Getty’s October 27, 2025, show—no ads, all substance and style.

Transcript

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

The George Washington Broadcast Center. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Since September, the US military has blown up at least 10 vessels, killing more.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Than three dozen alleged drug smugglers, most.

[Joe Getty]

Of them off the coast of Venezuela. What I can say is that I've.

[Jack Armstrong]

Used this phrase before.

[Joe Getty]

This is like cooking an egg with a blowtorch. F35s, Arleigh Burke class destroyers, Submarines aren't normally what we need to go after. Small boats, fishing boats.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I was really interested in 60 minutes first story last night about Venezuela. I like when these news magazines, they take a story that's in the news and then they like give you a bigger picture, more in depth version of it when they got more time to flesh it out. But the amount of firepower we have around Venezuela right now, we've got the world's biggest aircraft carrier that, thank God we own, headed there with another 5,000 sailors on it, in addition to the 10,000 Marines that are already there and all kinds of warplanes and this and that and, and, you know, you better back off Venezuela.

[Joe Getty]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know you said we're not going to take questions till the end, but all that stuff to do what?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I think I got a, I definitely have a theory and it's beyond a theory. I think it's clearly true. Coming up. But here's more from that guy who was, whatever, where he was, I don't remember. He. Was he a former ambassador or thinker.

[Joe Getty]

Or just something like that?

[Jack Armstrong]

James Story is his name, but this is him describing the government of Venezuela.

[Joe Getty]

Let's, let's be very clear. This is a criminal organization masquerading as a government. This is an individual who is under indictment for narcotics trafficking, commits human rights violations, someone who has used the apparatus of the state to throw people in jail, to torture them, to kill them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, pretty miserable place to live. But there's lots of place, miserable places to live in the world. We don't put the world's biggest aircraft carrier off their coast, get 10,000 Marines ready to invade.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's, Venezuela is a neighbor. I mean, look at a map. It's right across the Caribbean from us.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's, I looked it up last night. It's about 1200 miles from Florida, which ain't that far. Be like how far we are from Denver. They interviewed a bunch of people there on the street who like most of your These kind of countries were scared to speak openly because you don't get to talk out loud. This is Senator Rick Scott of Florida, who's the closest to Venezuela, talking about Maduro and the message he should be getting from Trump.

[Joe Getty]

Republican Senator Rick Scott of Florida says Maduro should hop on a one way flight himself. If I was Maduro, I'd head to Russia or China right now because his days are numbered. Something's going to happen. Whether it's internal or external, I think something's going to happen.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

The firepower that's off the coast, right? This is a lot of US forces.

[Joe Getty]

Are we about to invade Venezuela? I don't think so. I mean I, if we do, I'd be surprised.

[Jack Armstrong]

He'd be surprised if we invaded Venezuela. I don't think so.

[Joe Getty]

Why don't you keep checking on that and get back to us?

[Jack Armstrong]

And it wasn't like a, it wasn't a. Oh, hell no, of course not. What are you crazy, right? Probably not. We might be, you know, they might be landing Marines on the beach of Venezuela and then doing what with it?

[Joe Getty]

Taking it over, well, occupying it for many years at the cost of many lives would be very bad.

[Jack Armstrong]

Senator Scott went on, what do you.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Think removing Maduro would signal to other socialist regimes?

[Joe Getty]

It'll be the end of Cuba. Cuba relies on subsidized Venezuelan oil to prop up its economy. America is going to take care of the Southern hemisphere and we're going to make sure that there's freedom and democracy.

[Jack Armstrong]

So what's going on there? That I think, and clearly true. We were talking about this maybe six months ago. Mark Halpern was writing that the big conversation that was going on in D.C. and I don't know how this isn't like expanded out to more of an into the national consciousness, but everybody is talking about this whole sphere of influences thing that China was going to run their part of the world and we're going to run our part of the world. And that's just the way the world's going to get divided up. And that's the way Trump sees it. And that's where a lot of the heavy hitters see it. And China's going to take Taiwan at some point and they're going to control shipping in that part of the world. And that sucks because we've had free shipping around the world for a very, very, very long time. But those days are over. But we're going to control our part of the world. And Venezuela, which has the largest, I didn't know this largest Stockpile of oil reserves on the entire planet and a whole bunch of those rare earth minerals that China has that we don't have, we are going to start taking our part of the world just like China's taking their part of the world. And that's, that's what the future is going to hold.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and the two things reinforce themselves too because I mean if, if China is being a big bully there in the South China Sea and all those incredibly important shipping lanes, then we turn even more toward our hemisphere manufacturing, for instance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

And away from Asia. You know, I could really easily make a hawkish argument for why, at least in principle, booting out the Maduro regime in Venezuela or as the, you know, the, the, the communist regime in Cuba, why that's completely defensible. The very, very short version of it is even if those are initially systems that are embraced by the populace, self determination, which we are in favor of, the. They become utterly mobbed up kleptocracies. Communism always does, socialism always does. And that's certainly the case in those two places. So you've got powerful goons who have taken over those countries to the detriment of the United States of America. As we are the most powerful non goon on earth, why would we permit that? It's not self determination, it's kleptocracy masquerading as self determination. So we boot them out and institute a more American friendly regime that's totally defensible to me. Here's the rub that's really, really hard to do. Expensive in both blood and treasure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, Venezuela wasn't always like this. As they pointed out on 60 Minutes.

[Joe Getty]

Freedom isn't the only thing in short supply in Venezuela. Hunger, chronic blackouts and a scarcity of essential medicines plague the country today. More than 70% of residents live in poverty.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

It is a stunning reversal of fortune for a nation that was once one.

[Joe Getty]

Of the wealthiest countries in the world. Venezuela's economy was crippled by disastrous socialist policies and mismanagement.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, one of the richest countries in the world became socialist and now is 70% of the people there are poor.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean the video from there was absolutely amazing. And so here's one of the people they interviewed on the street of what it would be like if they, if we got rid of Maduro.

[Joe Getty]

Back at the market in Caracas, this woman said the $50 a week that she earns isn't enough to feed her family.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

And courageously answered this question.

[Joe Getty]

What do you think would happen if President Maduro was removed from office. Venezuela would change, she said. We would all be free. She told us she has plans to.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Move to Spain in a few months.

[Joe Getty]

Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country in the last decade, roughly one.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Fifth of its population.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

How about that? I'm just.

[Jack Armstrong]

As a.

[Joe Getty]

An aside, I'm pleasantly surprised to hear 60 minutes state so unequivocally how a prosperous, beautiful. By the way, a nation was brought to its knees by socialism.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

Ari Weiss effect. I don't know, maybe.

[Jack Armstrong]

And then always people flee socialist countries to go to free countries. Nobody's fleeing the United States other than Rosie O' Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres to.

[Joe Getty]

Go to Venezuela or Cuba. Yeah, only cop killers with fake African names who are later revered on college campuses go to those communist regimes.

[Jack Armstrong]

And we've been known about this, Vin. You know, we got the. We got the World Series going on tonight with the Dodgers and the greatest announcer in Dodger history, Vin Scully warned us about this a long time ago. Socialism failing to work as it always does. This time in Venezuela, you talk about giving everybody something free and all of a sudden there's no food to eat. And who do you think is the richest person in Venezuela? The daughter of Hugo chavez. Hello? Anyway, Owen 2.

[Joe Getty]

Greatest baseball call ever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Killing a little time before they get that O2 pitch going.

[Joe Getty]

We need more of that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I need more of that tonight.

[Joe Getty]

E. Fouls went off. And while he's returned to the plate, quick discussion of rent control and why it's a terrible idea.

[Jack Armstrong]

And if Ukraine got Tomahawk missiles, they might be able to get some of that ground back. Anyway, Shohei Otani on deck.

[Joe Getty]

The problem with tariffs is that it stifles competition at home. Here's the three one, right?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, and I think if Bandani wins, he'll be the face of the Democratic Party. Well, that brings up smell.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, more of that. I wonder if we could get implied oral consent from Major League Baseball and do our own play by play. Anyway, another important point to make about this sort of thing after a quick word from our friends at Webroot who point out that the scariest part of October is not ghosts and ghouls and goblins. It's being vulnerable to cyber criminals.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, no doubt. That's why you need webroot. Total protection from lightning fast antivirus to identity theft protection with dark web monitoring where they look for your info out there in the dark web. Secure VPN and unlimited cloud backup.

[Joe Getty]

Yep. Up to a million bucks in fraud, expense reimbursement. I mean, that's amazing. US based customer support. Love it. Change your October from cybersecurity to cybersecurity with 60% off Webroot total [e-mail] Armstrong that's 60% off for a limited time, but only when you go to webroot.com Armstrong Armstrong one more time webroot.com Armstrong it's tough to leave socialism and communism behind because the working people become completely dependent on the government's handouts and upward mobility is crushed. But you're selling them the possibility when you get back to market economies and freedom, you're selling them on the possibility that they can move up. But first you've got to wean yourself from the heroine of socialism. And it's not easy. That's why I am so geeked. I'm so enthused that Javier Milei in Argentina, speaking of big beautiful countries that ought to be prosperous, he and his party just had a huge victory in the equivalent of the midterms, the big legislative elections, because there has been some pain. He's brought inflation down from oh, do I have it in front of me down to 32%. Their inflation is 32% a year. Do you know what it was two years ago? 200%.

[Jack Armstrong]

Ours at our worst year is the 1o delivery. Ours at our worst was like 9 and that was for a cup of coffee and we all went nuts.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, but the people of Venezuela, who. And the Peronists they call them, it's the old communist socialist who. And this is the truth. Every single time. When you concentrate power in the government and all the business has to flow through the government, the government and their cronies get crazy rich and control everything to their benefit, not to the benefit of the people, you idiots. Anyway, there was some thought that the people would be chafing under, you know, the austerity and the tougher times. But no, they responded with with a huge victory to keep going down the road toward free markets. And I'm just so happy I can't stand it.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's why the 1619 project is inaccurate. We'll come back with the seventh inning stretch. We do need more of that.

[Joe Getty]

I know, I'd love that. I'd listen to that telecast. It's like the, the Manning cast on Monday Night Football with Eli and Peyton.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

We could do a similar thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

We got more on the waist here anyway.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, and two Armstrong and Getty.

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[iHeart Radio Announcer]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Yo yo yo. How you doing? You excited about a new week, huh? Back to work. Isn't it good to be back to work and see that stuff on your desk you didn't do Friday? Ah, that's a good feeling. Shut up.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, a lot of good stuff to talk about to squeeze in the show. More than we can get. To update from how things are going for conservatives at Harvard. Not well. Any pretense that they've cleaned up their act is silly. Both of these stories sound like they're presented for prurient reasons. Neither one of them are. They're actually quite interesting. Coming up in a moment. Breathing through our butts has been declared safe after the first human trial. I'm not laughing, I'm coughing. Actually a little of both.

[Jack Armstrong]

There was a Human trial.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can I. If I like. If I squeeze really hard, can I breathe through my anus?

[Joe Getty]

You try hard enough. That's right. Everybody try. No. I'll explain in a minute or two. I found this really interesting.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm aware of exhaling that way. A lot of people do that and they shouldn't.

[Joe Getty]

This is from the Times of London. Female spies are waging sex warfare to steal Silicon Valley secrets. China and Russia are both sending attractive women to seduce tech workers, even marrying and having children with their targets.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

In a desperate attempt to get ahead and stay ahead. Kind of makes you tech and AI.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's. You're not a sex worker if you actually marry them and have children. You're a. I don't know what you are.

[Joe Getty]

You're a spy. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Nobody's calling them sex workers. They're. They're spies. Chinese and Russian operatives are using sex warfare to seduce and spy on Silicon Valley professionals. James Mulvin, on the chief intelligence officer of Pamir Consulting, which provides risk assessments for American companies investing in China, said he was one of the many men recently targeted by foreign seductresses hoping to gain access to US secrets. Quote, I'm getting an enormous number of very sophisticated LinkedIn requests from the same type of attractive young Chinese women. It seems to have really ramped up recently. He described at how. How at a business conference on Chinese investment risks hosted in Virginia last week, two attractive Chinese women showed up and attempted to gain entry. We didn't let them in, but they had all the information about the event and everything else. He said it's a phenomenon. And now I will tell you, it's really weird.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. That, that is a heck of a commitment to your country that you're going to meet a guy who. Him, marry him, have kids with him. I mean, that's really caring about your wow.

[Joe Getty]

Or you're. Well, you're in the spy service. It's. I've read various autobiographies of both men and women who are in the KGB and how you get recruited young and you're trained the all day, every day.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of raising a kid. If you've done it, it's a lot of work. It's your whole life. I mean, you're doing all that as.

[Joe Getty]

Part of your being a spy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Right, Right. Let's see. Oh, here's. Here's the interesting part, and I've been trying to tell you this for a long time. Both Russia and the CCP are using ordinary citizens, investors, crypto analysts, businessmen, academics, to target their American counterparts rather than trained agents, which makes the espionage harder to spot. Quote, we're not chasing a KGB agent in a smoky guest house in Germany anymore, said one senior U.S. counterintelligence official. Quote, our adversaries, particularly the Chinese, are a whole of society approach to exploit all aspects of our technology and Western talent.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can you imagine? You find out your wife and mother of your two kids, you've been married for 10 years, only did it to spy for the communists.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I know.

[Jack Armstrong]

Boy, would that be rock your world shattering.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I want to get to the breathing through your butt thing in a bit, but I don't have time because I want to wrap this up. Yeah. Anyway, what was I going to say?

[Jack Armstrong]

Pretty sure I can't. I've been trying.

[Joe Getty]

Well, not with that attitude you can't. I've told the story many times, but it's worth retelling it. It was about a decade ago that the FBI went to a particular large California university and their counterintelligence folks warned the president of the university, you have a lot of Chinese agents on your campus masquerading as researchers. And they were told, quote, get off my campus, you racists. There are thousands, tens of thousands Chinese nationals in the United States right now doing the work of the Communist party. Spending all day, every day doing the work of the Communist Party. I stand by those words.

[Jack Armstrong]

So you claim humans can breathe through their anis?

[Joe Getty]

Pretty much, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you're going to explain that coming up.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Stay with us Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

After the 2026 midterms, you're going to give it serious thought.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. I'd be lying otherwise. I'd just be lying, and I can't do that. Governor, you have long said that if.

[Jack Armstrong]

You ever run for the White House, you need a compelling why, a reason. Are you moving closer to figuring out your own why and your own decision?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And he's just said, if you have a compelling why, you can endure any how.

[Joe Getty]

And so I don't think.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think the biggest challenge for anyone.

[Joe Getty]

Who runs for any office is people see right through you. If you don't have that why.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's got a little bit of the Kamala Harris problem. I've noticed that he never answers questions.

[Joe Getty]

And even when he tries, it's. It's mystifying what he's trying to say sometimes. Right. He. He's not quite the.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, no, no, he's not.

[Joe Getty]

Word salad shooter Kamala Harris.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's not mockable, but he doesn't. Maybe. Maybe it's on purpose. Maybe it's a skill and maybe that'll help him. But you know the famous clip about the trans athlete thing? He never said anything.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Right. Yeah. He hints at things.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And hopes you'll nod your head. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And assume that he agrees with you.

[Joe Getty]

Here's. Here's the why. Here's how you answer that question. Why you're running for president having ruined California. The only way to cover up my miserable record is to ruin the other 49 states so California doesn't stand out anymore.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, we'll have more than enough time to talk about the next presidential election. I'll tell you that. I just was telling Hansen in the hallway, I said, I Don't know if I got another presidential election in me, so I'm in no hurry to get to that. Came across this. Mark Halpern tweeted this out in his newsletter today. He said, I do this. I tweet this out every couple months as a public service. The only thing is interesting is hearing someone's air travel nightmare story, is hearing their customer service nightmare story. They're both approximately equally compelling. He's being sarcastic, of course. He said, I tweet this out every couple months as a public service, and we all should know. I think that's an interesting phenomenon, but we all should be aware of them. The things that are really interesting in your own life when they happen, that are of no interest anyone else in the retelling. We should all have a list of those things so that we don't be handy, so we don't embarrass ourselves or bore other people. But it's. It's pretty. Sounds pretty true, though. Somebody else's travel nightmare story or customer service nightmare story is not usually that good.

[Joe Getty]

Some of it. Unless you are a master storyteller. Right. And inflect it with, you know, humor and irony and that sort of. No, just in the mirror. No, no, don't bother. It's like a buddy of mine, years ago, he showed up to play golf with hat that says nobody cares how you played. That's true.

[Jack Armstrong]

That might be a good one. How your golf round went. Unless you're really talking with someone else's for some reason. Highly wants to know the specific.

[Joe Getty]

Some raptor steals your ball and flies away. I mean, that's cool, for instance. Yeah, right? Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Get your foot bit off by an alligator. That'd be a story.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, pretty good. Made a couple of birdies. That's plenty long enough. Anyway, having said that, back to the. The spying, particularly on Silicon Valley stuff, and how both Russia and the Communist Chinese are using ordinary citizens rather than professional spies, which makes them harder to spot in all sorts of assignments. And there's all sorts of figures for how much it costs the US and theft and. And all sorts of cases of people being arrested having stolen documents from their job at Tesla, for instance. But listen to this, would you? One former counterintelligence official who now helps Silicon Valley founders divest their foreign investments said he recently invested investigated the case of one beautiful Russian woman who worked at an aerospace company and married an American colleague. He discovered that she had gone to a modeling academy in her 20s, but later attended a Russian soft power school before disappearing for a Decade and reemerging in the US As a cryptocurrency expert. But she doesn't stay in crypto. The ex official said she's trying to get to the heights of the military space innovation community. The husband's totally oblivious. Showing up, marrying a target, having kids with a target, and conducting a lifelong collection operation. It's uncomfortable to think about, but it's so prevalent. He said, if I wanted to be out of the shadows, I'd write a book on it, and I would read that book.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, that's interesting.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I'd say, man, you're. You're right. I mean, I get, like. I'm such a fan of the Americans and the fabulous Kerry Russell's new series the Diplomat. But, you know, the deep undercover Russian couples that. That move, the illegals, they call them, who moved here, very Americanized, spoke unaccited.

[Jack Armstrong]

English, like if you're a Marvel movie fan. Like the Black Widow's parents. That's the whole thing. They're here from Russia having a really fake. Fake marriage, relationship, raising kids. Russian spies the whole time.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. But that sort of thing is real. But that's. The couple is in on it. They're colleagues.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

If they're not truly in love. Yeah, but you're a solo act, and you marry some poor dupe in the aerospace industry and knock out a couple of kids with them, all to serve the great Vladimir Putin.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

I wonder if that's why.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've got a woman pursuing me in my life, and I can't try to figure out. I've been. I've been assuming it's some sort of scam, but it's never revealed itself as, like, the obvious sort of scam. Maybe it's this. Maybe she's willing to, like, fully go through with the whole thing. Although, what would you get out of me? You wouldn't get anything out of me.

[Joe Getty]

Is Russia desperate to do better podcasting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or something like that? Inside information on the radio industry. The podcasting industry.

[Joe Getty]

Please ask me. Well, what do you want to know? Um, Derr. Is she of any particular ethnicity or.

[Jack Armstrong]

Claims she's from Montenegro? That's an accent.

[Joe Getty]

Former Soviet Republic.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

Right. Yeah. Yeah. Huh. That's interesting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, spy spies everywhere. This opening is unnecessarily irreverent, and I don't appreciate it. Hold on to your butts, because one day you might be breathing through them. Scientists have tested out enteral ventilation, a possible method of administering oxygen with a liquid deliver through the rectum that is then absorbed into the intestines, I remember, did that in humans for the first time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie, Joe and I have been doing a radio show together since 1992, so that is 33 years. Okay. I remember one of the first air checks we ever had was Joe said the word rectum. And I said, you can't say that word on the air.

[Commercial/Ad Voice]

And.

[Jack Armstrong]

And Joe said, well, what if I had two cars and wrecked them? Can I say this?

[Joe Getty]

I'm a bad driver. I wrecked them.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I think of that every time he says the word rectum.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

So beautiful memory, but you used a.

[Jack Armstrong]

Bunch of fancy words there. I don't want you to bury the lead here. You're. You're claiming that humans in the future may be able to.

[Joe Getty]

Well, no, you're not going to breathe through your hind end, but it paves the way for future studies.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're talking out your hind end, but you're not breathing through it.

[Joe Getty]

I do that all day long. This technique can help patients with respiratory failure. Enteral ventilation is meant to replace mechanical ventilators, and I'm sorry, it's not meant to replace them, but it's a complementary oxygenation route, the back door, if you will, to provide partial oxygen support while allowing the lungs to rest in the case of severe lung disease or malfunction.

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't say back door. You can't?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. It's not even a metaphor. I mean, it's just, you know, kind of straight, so.

[Jack Armstrong]

We regularly use the term mouth breather for an idiot. So ass breather. Will that be a thing?

[Joe Getty]

No, no, that's indelible.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's a real ass breather. Thank God.

[Joe Getty]

So if future childs show that this is effective, it could potentially help newborns and premature infants who are struggling to establish lung function after birth. Could also aid patients with severe respiratory failure or acute respiratory distress syndrome, which I'm not familiar with, or other situations in which temporary oxygen supplementation is needed because you just can't deliver enough through the lungs.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it's like having a blowhole, like a dolphin or a whale.

[Joe Getty]

It's really nothing like that at all. No, I don't think it is. No, that's inaccurate.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're a blowhole.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, what she said. I can't improve on that. So, anyway, it could be really cool. There are aquatic species.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, boy. Has anybody started manufacturing the pants that would be required for this? Wow. Because you would need special pants.

[Joe Getty]

This is. This is what it's like to work with a fool all these damn years. Where was I? Oh, there's one more interesting. Oh. So the scientists studying this were inspired to develop this by certain aquatic species such as Loches L O A C H E S that I'd never heard of in my life, who absorb oxygen through their intestines to survive in low oxygen environments.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hmm. Anyway, fantastic. What do they think of next? It's.

[Joe Getty]

It's a really an inspiring scientific story for those who are adults get their minds out of the gutter. I do want to call somebody, somebody a butt breather someday.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's a real ass breather, that guy. I hate to go back to this. I haven't heard this yet. So apparently Gavin Newsom took a whirl at explaining his hardscrabble upbringing because all politicians have to have that. You can't like be born upper middle class and live your old days. You gotta pull yourself up by your bootstraps or overcome some hardship or something like that.

[Joe Getty]

He's been one of the most connected people in America since he was a teenager. But he tries to come off as like Abe Lincoln in a log cabin.

[Jack Armstrong]

I haven't heard this story yet, but we've got that also have Kamala Har sending. She might run. So. Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Please.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we'll get to that a little bit later. We do want to tell you about this though. I, I every day when I pull away from my house, and this is honest, God's truth, I pull away from my house, I'm happy. I got the Simply Safe sign out there in the yard. And better than the sign is the actual product that I've got. The cameras, the sensors, the all that different sort of stuff. So that you can't be breaking into my house. Yep.

[Joe Getty]

There's a new way to keep your home safe you need to know about. It's called Simply Safe. Completely different from what you think of when you think of home security. Because typical security systems don't really pre someone from entering your home. They just squawk when somebody's already inside and that's too late. Real security should stop a crime before it even starts. And that's why you trust Simplisafe.

[Jack Armstrong]

So this is the deal. 60 day money back guarantee, no long term contracts. Why wouldn't you try this? And Simplisafe is simple in that you could set it up yourself. If you want to have some help, you can get some help.

[Joe Getty]

And it starts when someone steps onto your property. AI security cameras identify the threat and alert Simply Safe's monitoring agents. They're pros, they're great. It really is innovative and much less expensive. Right now our listeners can save 50 off SimpliSafe home security [e-mail] Armstrong that's simplisafe.com Armstrong there's no safe like simply.

[Jack Armstrong]

Say, you know, this would be perfect. We got Kamala talking about running, we got Gavin explaining his hard upbringing and the American spirit. And we got Trump on the plane talking about a third term just a few moments ago. Ask about the 202028 ad. So all that on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstro Getty.

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[iHeart Radio Announcer]

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[Joe Getty]

One theory on how you might try to serve a third term is that you could run as the vice president.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd be allowed to do that.

[Joe Getty]

Is it the White House or the White House Council. Do your legal position.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, you'd be allowed to do that. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't do that. I think it's. It's too cute. Yeah. I would. Wouldn't rule that out because it's too cute. I think the people wouldn't like that. It's too cute. It's not. It wouldn't be right. I would love to do it. And I have my best numbers ever. It's very terrible. I have my best numbers. If you read it, am I not ruling it out? You'll have to tell me. All I can tell you is that we have a great, a great group of people, which they don't. That's Donald Trump, in case you couldn't hear it. He's on the plane, he's flying around, going to all these different countries over in Asia. You could run as vice president. He said, yeah, I could do that, but that's a little too cute. They're talking about the third term Trump thing. And then they ask him like three times if he's ruling out running again in 2028. How do you not get that this is him just getting you to dance to his tune to make you leap. MSNBC will have 10 panels all day long about this. Doesn't rule out a third term. How do you not get that he's doing that? Have you ever had a little like a kid doing this to you in your life?

[Joe Getty]

Teasing a seven year old?

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

You just ignore them.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Do the, the Rachel Maddows of the world not get it? Or do they know, but their listeners, their viewers, lap it up.

[Jack Armstrong]

Your audience likes it so much. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

It's a, you know, it's a perpetual emotion machine. Trump loves them. They love Trump.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Kamala Harris, I guess, hinted enough on BBC that she might run again, that that got people excited. This is how that went.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

Stories of your baby nieces, Amara and Leila. When are they gonna see a woman in charge in the White House? In their lifetime for sure. Could it be you possibly. Have you made a decision yet?

[Joe Getty]

No, I have not.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

But you say in your book, I'm not done.

[Joe Getty]

That is correct.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

I am not done. I have lived my entire career, a life of service, and it's in my bones. And there are many ways to serve. I've not decided yet what I will do in the future beyond what I.

[Joe Getty]

Am doing right now.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've known a lot of people in my life that actually do dedicate their lives to public service, either as their career or like, as A hobby. You know, anybody who's coaching little League or being a boy scout troop guy or whatever, but you freaking politicians who become rich and famous sign multi gazillion dollar book deals. Don't hit me with your I'm in a life of service bull s. It makes me angry that you do that. That is just so.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, it's, it's. I'm going to continue my service by making a quarter million dollars a year serving on the boards of five different corporations.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the however many twice a year, however many million dollars she got from that book she just wrote. Anyway, she. She gets confronted with the idea of her possibly running again.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

But you've been very clear that it's a possibility you might run again to become president. And in my experience interviewing politicians, when someone says, I'm not done, it means they are thinking seriously about running. But when you look at the bookies odds, they put you as an outsider, even behind Dwayne the Rock Johnson. I mean, is that underestimating you? I think there are all kinds of polls that will tell you a variety of things. I've never listened to polls. If I listen to polls, I would have not run for my first office or my second office.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

And I certainly wouldn't be sitting here in this interview.

[Joe Getty]

But the bookies put the odds at four bazillion to one. That's not even a real number.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've never believed the polls or looked at them. Yeah, when you were losing every swing state and every poll pretended that you.

[Joe Getty]

Should have taken a glance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, exactly. Might be every once in a while, just worth taking a quick look. Hey, I'm losing every swing state according to the polls. I'll be darned. Anyway, so that's that. I hope she runs. That'd be hilarious. Gavin Newsom is going to run and is, you know, got a serious shot of being the nominee. He's starting to lay out his, first of all, the whole question, are you going to run or not? And acting like that's a big deal. When they finally cave and say, yes, who. If you're interested in that, good for you. So Gavin Newsom over the weekend said, yes, he's going to run or considering it.

[Joe Getty]

And yes, I plan on being one of the 17 nobodies on a stage early next year. Yes, exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

And here he is laying out his hardscrabble upbringing. But also, you know, it was also.

[Joe Getty]

About paying the bills, man.

[Jack Armstrong]

It was just like hustling and.

[Joe Getty]

And so I was out there kind of raising myself, turning on The TV.

[Jack Armstrong]

Started, you know, just getting obsessed, you.

[Joe Getty]

Know, sitting there with the, you know, the Wonder Bread and five stacks of like the white stack, five story. Come on, macaroni and cheese. Are you talking about me? Every day.

[Jack Armstrong]

Every day in the backyard, just bouncing.

[Joe Getty]

The basketball, throwing the ball against the wall until the ball is just like fraying, man. And you entertaining yourself. That's it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whole thing. What is he talking about?

[Joe Getty]

There are some days we were so poor I couldn't use new hair gel and had to use from the day before.

[Jack Armstrong]

But didn't he grow up in Nancy Pelosi's orbit somehow?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, oh, yeah, yeah. His family was connected to the Pelosi's and I think the Gettys and.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah, but that's once again, like.

[Joe Getty]

I was saying earlier about paying the bills, man. Paying the chardonnay bill, the Pinot noir bill, servants, they had to be paid.

[Jack Armstrong]

Who's going to pay the driver? I mean, you know, he picks you up and takes you places. Somebody's got paid.

[Joe Getty]

The driver, the nanny, the assistant nanny. It was about paying the bills.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I've latched on to a thing with Gavin Newsom. Now, officially, he doesn't say anything. He's like you said, he's better than Kamala Harris. It's not laughable. Word salads where everybody mocks it, but he doesn't actually say anything. He gets credit for these clips.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, but he doesn't think he's going somewhere. But he never says it. Then like throws out another three quarters of a sentence that never actually land.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because he never ever said where he is on trans sports thing. He never said anything about it. I agree.

[Joe Getty]

It's about fairness and there are concerns. Yeah, of fairness.

[Jack Armstrong]

But right there. What did he say there? What did he even claim? I don't know what happened there.

[Joe Getty]

He used to like bounce a ball.

[Jack Armstrong]

A lot or have a peanut butter. I turn on the tv, you know, and have, and have a sandwich and what?

[Joe Getty]

Craft macaroni and cheese.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, you named some foods.

[Jack Armstrong]

What if you missed a segment? Get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[iHeart Radio Announcer]

This is an Iheart podcast.