Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "That's Why I Take The Bullet Train Everywhere"
Date: September 23, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty, Margie
Producer: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
This episode is a fast-paced, irreverent look at current political headlines and culture wars, focusing on California’s economic and climate policies, the ongoing TikTok ownership drama, education and “anti-American” history, Kamala Harris's new book and rumored presidential run, and the complexity of political boycotts in modern America. The show, as always, features sharp banter, a skeptical lens on political spin, and a strong emphasis on cultural narratives and media influence.
Key Topics & Discussion Highlights
1. TikTok’s Future: The Billionaires Step In
[01:15 - 02:25]
- Jack Armstrong announces that Trump claims "billionaires Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and the Murdochs will be involved in the deal for TikTok".
- Margie and Jack riff on the optics of an elderly Rupert Murdoch managing a teen-centric platform.
“Your beloved TikTok will be perfectly safe in the hands of this 94 year old man.” – Jack Armstrong [01:38]
- Margie points out confusion in the reporting about whether the TikTok algorithm will stay the same, questioning if a changed algorithm is really still TikTok.
“If it’s a different algorithm, it’s not TikTok, it’s something else you’re calling TikTok.” – Margie [02:10]
2. California’s 'Donor State' Myth & Economic Realities
[02:25 - 09:34]
- Jack critiques Governor Gavin Newsom’s claim that California is a ‘donor state’ subsidizing ‘moocher’ red states, heavily referencing Stephen Malanga’s piece in City Journal.
- Federal funds received by states are broken down, making the point that California’s lower share of federal payments is due to demographics and state policies—not bias.
- Businesses leave California because of a hostile regulatory environment; state receives less in federal contracts.
- California does receive plenty in federal grants due to high poverty and undocumented immigrants.
- Takedown of the “red moocher states” meme:
“That red moocher state thing is a complete myth.“ – Jack Armstrong [06:24]
3. California’s Climate Policy “Own Goal”
[06:26 - 11:48]
- Jack and Margie lampoon the backfire of California’s anti-fossil fuel regulations, arguing it has only increased pollution and gas prices.
- The state now imports dirtier oil from places with worse environmental records, gas prices may exceed $8/gallon, and infrastructure can’t meet import demand.
- Margie quips, referring to California’s infamous hi-speed rail:
“That’s why I take the bullet train everywhere. I took the bullet train to work…” – Margie [09:34]
- Jack labels California energy policy “the biggest own goal I’ve ever seen.” [09:49]
4. The “Bad America” Narrative in Education & Public Spaces
[11:48 - 20:00]
- Margie shares her frustrations with history teaching in her son’s school: curriculum focuses on land acknowledgments and settler colonialism rather than foundational American history.
- Both hosts criticize the shift in public plaques and textbooks to emphasize the negative aspects of America, drawing analogies to obituaries and anniversary speeches:
“Why are we focusing on the most negative part and acting like that’s the only thing to look at?” – Margie [17:46]
- Jack says this is a deliberate effort by activists “to end Western civilization as it stands and turn it into a Marxist paradise.” [17:56]
5. Kamala Harris’s Book, Presidential Ambitions & Media Tour
[21:49 - 33:38]
- Margie predicts Kamala Harris will discover that “none of the heavyweight people” will support her, and will drop out soon.
- Discussion of Harris’s book 107 Days—its delays, the criticism from Mark Halperin (“wishy washy” [22:31]), and analysis that Harris reduced Pete Buttigieg “to a label and dismissed him as unelectable solely because of his sexuality.” [25:08]
- The hosts skewer Harris’s rambling interview style:
“She’s the greatest parenthetical speaker in the history of speaking.” – Margie [27:47] “Let’s practice. I want you to say, the dog got wet in the rain.” – Jack Armstrong [28:48] (followed by hilarious word salad impressions)
- They cite Hector Barajas’s withering critique:
“From her released excerpts, 107 Days isn’t a campaign memoir, it’s a political obituary. Harris comes across as petty, insecure, and consumed with excuses.“ – quoted by Jack Armstrong [31:13]
6. The Boycott Maze & The Disney Octopus
[35:35 - 39:17]
- The hosts, with a clip from Jon Stewart as Rupert Murdoch, talk about the absurd difficulty in boycotting any major entertainment conglomerate like Disney given their reach:
“I just can’t… not have Hulu because it’s under the Disney umbrella of something else that I don’t agree with politically.” – Margie [37:06]
- Margie mentions personal experience with being “flipped off” for driving a Tesla Cybertruck, calling out the futility and complexity of politicized consumer choices.
7. Improv in Comedy & Final Thoughts
[39:17 - End]
- Margie shares a tidbit from Rob Reiner’s appearance on Bill Maher: the original Spinal Tap was “entirely ad libbed” [39:14].
- The crew reflects on the nature of improv, comedic genius, and the editing process.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On California’s climate backfire:
“Super high prices, dirtier gas, dirtier oil, more environmental damage... but you get to say ‘we don’t do that dirty, dirty oil stuff in California.’” – Jack Armstrong [08:51] -
On educational narratives:
“If more people knew about it, there would be riots in the streets. Well, when—it's astonishing to me there aren’t riots in the streets. I’m not calling for riots. I'm calling for a shutdown of government schools.” – Jack Armstrong [12:34] -
On Kamala Harris’s book tour:
“She is the greatest parenthetical speaker in the history of speaking.” – Margie [27:47] -
On political boycotts:
“I don’t live my life that way. I can’t…not have Hulu because it’s under the Disney umbrella of something else that I don’t agree with politically. Just seems like such a complicated way to live.” – Margie [37:06]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:15 – Trump announces billionaire involvement in TikTok deal
- 02:10 – Debate over TikTok’s future algorithm
- 02:25 – Gavin Newsom’s ‘donor state’ claims and Malanga’s debunking
- 06:26 – Climate backfire and California’s war on oil
- 09:34 – “I take the bullet train everywhere” satire (episode title tie-in)
- 11:48 – Plaques and the “bad American” history narrative in public spaces
- 15:05 – Public school history: focus on negatives, curriculum complaints
- 21:49 – Kamala Harris’s book and presidential ambitions dissected
- 25:08 – Critique of Harris’s DEI logic regarding Pete Buttigieg
- 27:47 – Margie: “She is the greatest parenthetical speaker...”
- 35:35 – The impossibility of effective political boycotts
- 39:14 – Rob Reiner’s fully improvised Spinal Tap
- 41:09 – Final thoughts and crew wrap-up
Summary
This episode skillfully skewers the contradictions of California politics and culture, makes light of Kamala Harris’s media efforts, unpacks the pitfalls of “conscious consumerism,” and rails against the increasing focus on historical negatives in American education. The trademark Armstrong & Getty tone—skeptical, biting, and wry—permeates the discussion, offering listeners a touchstone of irreverence and contrarian insight in a media landscape dominated by spin.
Recommended for:
Anyone looking for a punchy, cynical, and policy-focused take on current events with comedic interludes and sharp social commentary.