The A&G Replay Monday Hour Two

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary Title: The A&G Replay Monday Hour Two
Release Date: May 26, 2025
Host/Authors: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!

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1. Media Credibility and Critique of Jake Tapper (01:13 – 09:10)

Discussion Highlights: Jack Armstrong and Mark Halperin delve into the current state of media credibility, focusing on Jake Tapper's recent actions and statements. The conversation begins with Jack referencing a breaking story about Walmart raising prices due to tariffs, highlighting its significance given Walmart's position as the world's largest retailer.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Halperin (02:40): "Jake Tapper cannot hear the cosmos screaming at him, saying, Jake, you can't defend you. This is not working. You're just reminding people of what a liar you are."
• Jack Armstrong (04:07): "He regularly calls this, and he's absolutely correct. The biggest media failure in U.S. history. It absolutely is."

Key Points:

• Wall Street Journal’s Reporting on Biden (05:39): The hosts discuss the Wall Street Journal's critical piece on President Biden's mental fitness, noting the significant pushback it received from Democrats and media figures like Jake Tapper.
• Tapper’s Book and Media Strategy (06:31): Jack criticizes Tapper for portraying Wall Street Journal reporters as heroes despite their contentious reporting on Biden, emphasizing a perceived media bias and double standards.
• Erosion of Media Trust (09:10): Mark Halperin underscores the declining trust in mainstream media, comparing its current state to historical failures and expressing concern over its impact on holding political figures accountable.

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2. Shifts in Work-Life Balance and Corporate Policies (15:00 – 18:08)

Discussion Highlights: Jack Armstrong and Mark Halperin examine the evolving dynamics between employers and employees, particularly the decline of work-life balance as companies respond to economic pressures. They cite examples of major corporations reducing perks and increasing work expectations amidst a competitive job market.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Halperin (16:39): "They're pulling no punches and saying employees need to work harder, complain less, and be glad they have a job."
• Jack Armstrong (17:16): "If you can concern yourself with work-life balance, you should consider yourself among the more privileged workers in the history of work on planet Earth."

Key Points:

• Economic Demand Driving Career Education (14:44 – 15:00): The hosts discuss the increase in career-focused education in high schools, driven by employers’ demand for job-ready graduates.
• Corporate Tone Shift (16:39 – 17:59): Examples include Emma Greed of Skims advocating that work-life balance is the employee's issue, and Starbucks' CEO urging remaining staff to "step it up" after significant layoffs.
• Historical Perspective (17:16 – 18:08): The conversation contrasts current corporate attitudes with past practices, noting that previous generations rarely prioritized work-life balance, framing it as a modern luxury.

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3. Trump’s Policies and Public Statements (23:11 – 29:34)

Discussion Highlights: The hosts critique former President Donald Trump's recent policy announcements and public statements, particularly his actions regarding energy regulations and economic measures. They analyze Trump's rhetoric towards corporations like Walmart and his approach to immigration enforcement.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Halperin (24:35): "Gone are the government-wide efforts to force electrification of the economy through appliance regulations. All part of a historic action the Trump administration announced today."
• Jack Armstrong (26:52): "Trump should stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices. Walmart made billions last year far more than expected."

Key Points:

• Energy Regulation Reversals (24:29 – 26:05): The hosts discuss Trump's rollback of Biden-era energy regulations, highlighting the removal of strict standards for gas stoves, dishwashers, and showerheads, which aims to save consumers over $11 billion.
• Criticism of Trump's Retorts (26:05 – 29:34): They express disdain for Trump's aggressive tweets against Walmart and Kamala Harris, equating his approach to that of progressive figures like Bernie Sanders. The discussion emphasizes that while Trump's policies aim to reduce regulatory burdens, his rhetoric may not yield significant political benefits and could harm economic stability.

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4. Immigration and Border Security Debate (31:38 – 34:44)

Discussion Highlights: Armstrong and Halperin explore the contentious issue of immigration, specifically focusing on border security policies under different administrations. They debate the effectiveness and motivations behind enforcement measures, referencing past actions by both Trump and Obama.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Halperin (31:38): "The border is secure. March numbers are in. This year, Border Patrol encountered 230 people per day. Last year it was 7200."
• Jack Armstrong (32:22): "Peacetime migration in world history. And all it took was a couple of executive orders and empowering the Border Patrol, and it ended in the blink of an eye."

Key Points:

• Comparative Analysis (31:38 – 32:33): The hosts compare President Trump's immigration policies with those of former President Obama, noting that Obama deported more people, yet under Trump, deportations of criminals increased by 80%.
• Debate on Policy Origins (33:11 – 34:44): A segment featuring Michael challenges the attribution of certain immigration rhetoric to Trump, revealing that a quote initially thought to be from Trump was actually from Obama. This misattribution leads to a broader discussion on white nationalism and the administrative handling of undocumented migrants.

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5. Interpersonal Exchanges and Notable Incidents (20:15 – 38:45)

Discussion Highlights: The episode features lively exchanges between the hosts, including personal opinions and reactions to recent events. Notably, they discuss President Trump's derogatory remarks about Bruce Springsteen and reflect on the absurdity of such statements.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong (21:29): "This dried out prune of a rocker. His skin is all atrophied. Ought to keep his mouth shut until he gets back into the country."
• Mark Halperin (37:13): "We're a nation of immigrants. Boom."

Key Points:

• Trump’s Remarks on Bruce Springsteen (20:26 – 23:25): Armstrong shares and criticizes Trump's personal attacks on musician Bruce Springsteen, mocking the president's language and intent to silence dissenting voices.
• Satirical Commentary (37:10 – 38:45): The hosts engage in satirical back-and-forth, mocking exaggerated ideas about restricting free speech and imposing arbitrary standards for adulthood, highlighting the absurdity of such notions in a democratic society.

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6. Conclusion and Final Remarks (39:01 – 40:24)

Discussion Highlights: As the episode wraps up, the hosts promote their podcast availability and briefly touch upon the ongoing discussion about immigration, reiterating their stance on border security and the effectiveness of executive actions.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Halperin (39:05): "Just download our podcast, Armstrong and Getty on Demand. It's the podcast version of the broadcast show, available anytime, any day."
• Jack Armstrong (31:38 – 32:39): Summarizes the effectiveness of past immigration policies and reflects on the political ramifications.

Key Points:

• Podcast Promotion (39:01 – 40:24): Armstrong and Halperin encourage listeners to download the podcast for on-demand access, emphasizing its availability across all major platforms.
• Final Thoughts on Immigration (31:38 – 32:39): The conversation concludes with a reaffirmation of their views on secure borders and the impact of executive orders on immigration enforcement.

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Conclusion

This episode of "Armstrong & Getty On Demand" presents a robust critique of current media practices, corporate policies, and political rhetoric. Jack Armstrong and Mark Halperin engage in candid discussions, highlighting their skepticism towards mainstream media figures like Jake Tapper, analyzing the shifting landscape of employer-employee relationships, and scrutinizing the actions and statements of political leaders such as Donald Trump. The hosts also navigate complex topics like immigration and border security, offering their perspectives on policy effectiveness and political motivations. Throughout the episode, their dynamic interplay and pointed commentary provide listeners with a thorough examination of pressing societal and political issues.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Talkspace User]

When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Talkspace User]

I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couple's therapist through Talkspace too.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com/military.

[Mark Halperin]

The Armstrong and Getty Show Tension.

[Jake Tapper]

Walmart shoppers. Instead of rolling back prices, America's biggest retailer just announced they're raising them and they're blaming Trump's tariffs. How many more stores are going to have to follow Walmart's lead?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that story broke while we're on there yesterday. I should have mentioned it. I just wasn't in the mood, but probably should have. It's a big deal. Walmart saying they're gonna raise prices because of tariffs. For one thing, they're the biggest retailer in the world. Like Jake said there. Lion. Lion. Jake Tapper.

[Mark Halperin]

And I was just gonna say the list of voices I can hear on our show that don't immediately sour me to what they're saying is shrinking. David Muir of ABC News, please. I know if I needed to know what time of day it was and he had, wouldn't ask him because I don't want to hear his stinking voice. And Jake Tapper, I'm sorry, sorry. Jake, the great Sherlock Holmes style solver of mysteries who figured out that Biden was senile. Please.

[Jack Armstrong]

More on that a little bit later. I'll tell you what it is personal between Mark Halperin, who's got a new TV show that's on YouTube every night. It's on YouTube and somewhere else. It's really good. I mean, it looks like a TV show. He's sitting there in a suit and tie with a TV sort of background and has guests. But man, he is killing Jake Tapper. And then with receipts every single night. Maybe I ought to get into that while we're on it. Why the hell Not.

[Mark Halperin]

Why not?

[Jack Armstrong]

So Tapper has got this book coming out next week, right, where he's going to try to be the hero of the story and, and bring you all these behind the scenes details of what was going on with the COVID up. And practically everybody's. Well, not true. I was going to say everybody's reaction. But no, the New York Times and the Washington Post and CNN's own media person have reviewed the book. Like, oh my God, Jake Tapper has uncovered some secrets that are. Oh, wait till you hear this.

[Mark Halperin]

Okay, why don't we just say everyone who's not guilty of precisely the same crimes as Jake Tapper have reacted this way to Jack. Jake Tapper's book.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And so Jake Tapper, as we mentioned yesterday, hired some PR firm when it became fairly obvious that some people are like, oh, give me a break. You can't set the fire, put out the fire and then take credit for taking, you know, put out the fire and act like you didn't. I mean, we're not just putting up with this. And so Mark Halperin, whose main thing is as a news guy, I think he's got two things going for him. One, he got driven out of the industry when he got me to around what, 20, 20, 21 somewhere in there. And I think a lot of people, he's like, you didn't come to my defense. Screw you. So I don't think he cares if he hurts any feelings here with calling out.

[Mark Halperin]

We were one of the first shows to have him back on, by the way. You know, I'm not sensing a lot of gratitude, but anyway, and, and the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Other end of it is I, he, he really is concerned about, and if people don't believe the media, we can't hold any presidents accountable. He said you can't hold Trump accountable because he lost all of your credibility with Biden and you know, vice versa. So just the media can't do its job and we're doomed if the media can't hold either party accountable, which is obviously a problem. He regularly calls this, and he's absolutely correct. The biggest media failure in U.S. history. It absolutely is. What would compare to pretending that the president is fine for all those years anyway? So I think we. First of all, I can't just look at the list quickly. Hanson, that clip I sent you to get. Okay, here it is, here it is. I want you to play 40 and let me set this up real quick. So back toward this was before the election. Wall Street Journal does a, not even really strong piece about how Biden's brain doesn't work anymore and it made such waves in the world of media. The Wall Street Journal says the president isn't fit mentally to be in office and he certainly should be president for another four years.

[Mark Halperin]

I remember presenting it to the good folks on our show where we decided, yeah, this is good, solid, a good solid accounting of that which all of us can see with our own eyes.

[Jack Armstrong]

But man, it got somebody saying serious pushback. And that's when Joe Scarborough and MSNBC went nuts and said, hey, look at the camera. F you if you don't believe this is the best version of Joe Biden. I mean, people pushed back hard, including Jake Tapper, who had on various guests to counter the Wall Street Journal narrative and let them say their piece completely unchallenged on his show back at the time yesterday he has the gall in trying to rewrite history to have these Wall Street Journal reporters on and called them heroes. Here it is, clip 40.

[Jake Tapper]

They're with me now. Two of the heroic reporters were covering this intensely during the Biden years, Annie Lynskey and Siobhan Hughes. They are with the Wall Street Journal. They reported on the decline of Biden's mental acuity back in June of last year. The piece then quotes, behind closed doors, Biden shows signs of slipping. Participants in meetings said the 81 year old President performed poorly at times. The White House said Biden is sharp and his critics are playing partisan politics, unquote. This is not the first time you guys have been on. I said it last year before the election and I'll say it again. The journalism you did was vital. And the smear campaign by Democrats against you two is disgraceful, which you participated.

[Jack Armstrong]

In the smear campaign by Democrats against the Wall Street Journal reporters at the time. He helped along. And again, getting to the home Mark Alperin thing, his TV show last night, I mean he's been dedicating so much time to this. He had a segment where the next day or the day of the Wall Street Journal, peace. Tapper had on coons, Senator Coons, big Biden advocate and surrogate and on there and just tore into the Wall Street Journal and says, where's the Wall Street Journal criticizing Trump for when he gets a name wrong? And Tapper let him say his giant piece, no pushback whatsoever. So he participated. And the Democrats tearing down the Wall street journalists then has the balls to have them on yesterday and call them heroes. I mean that is another level.

[Mark Halperin]

And to make the point repeatedly in his introduction that I've been on this story the whole time. I said this last year. I'm saying it now along with that other stuff I said all through the Biden years that I'm sure everybody remembers. Jake Tapper cannot hear the cosmos screaming at him, saying, jake, you can't defend you. This is not working. You're just reminding people of what a liar you are. You cannot be your main advocate because you got no credibility chum.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know if it's going to matter because it's people in the usual circles. If you read the Washington Post, in the New York Times, you're, you're, they're taking in this book like, oh, my God, did you hear? And in Fox and everybody leaning right who already knew Joe Biden was in the situation. He is, you know, are laughing at this book. But he must. He must be worried to do what he did yesterday. This was yesterday.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

He had the Wall Street Journals on, reporters on and called them heroes. I mean, how do you sit there and do that?

[Mark Halperin]

It's pathetic. It's desperation. And it's so clearly desperation. That's what, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would be embarrassed. I would be embarrassed to go that far.

[Mark Halperin]

Yes. You know, it's funny. I just had the feeling wash over me that the utter dishonesty of the mainstream media has been recognized by the vast, vast majority of the American people. They're less popular or less trusted than any institution but Congress, which should make you shudder as a fan of the Constitution. And their punishment's already been exacted upon them. They're laughing stocks.

[Jack Armstrong]

Here's the problem, though. It hurts us. If it, if it only hurt them, I'd be fine with that. I don't care. But it's not. This is Halperin's point. It's bad for the country. So you're. They've been punished. They've gotten what they deserved, but with having an 8% approval rating. But that's a terrible place for us to be as a country. And they're not.

[Mark Halperin]

I agree.

[Jack Armstrong]

And they're not trying to dig themselves out of it. They're making it worse. Well, I'll read from Mark Halpern's today.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, and I'm not against it. I'm having lots of fun.

[Jack Armstrong]

He quotes Politico today in his newsletter. This is Politico Today. It was. What happened in that debate was a shock to me. Jake Sullivan told Playbook's Jack Blanchard at Politico security summit on Thursday. I think it was A shock to everybody. So Jake Sullivan saying this week that it was a shock to everyone around Joe Biden when he showed up that bait and asked, acted that way. Halpern writes, no one can legitimately say they were shocked by what happened in the debate because Biden exhibited all the same behaviors in public for years and goes on to say, oh my God, reporters need to stop asking Democrats, were you surprised by the debate or should Biden have run for reelection? Or did you see signs of decline in private? The correct question at this point is, given Joe Biden's obvious mental decline in public, why didn't you speak up? That should be the only question every single time.

[Mark Halperin]

Right, right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And, and if you're going to talk to reporters, it should be to the reporter. Given his obvious decline, why weren't you reporting on that?

[Mark Halperin]

There are only two possible. Well, yeah, for the politicos. The one question reporter is another. But the only possible answer for politicos would be, I place my party above my country. Well, the second answer might be, look, I go along to get along. That's what politicians do. Third answer. And if they were going to be honest, they would say, this Kamala Harris is an effing idiot. I figured we were better off with old man Biden and his inner circle than that half wit from California and her band of renegade dopes. What a powerful metaphor.

[Jack Armstrong]

The, the why to that is, and this is what Halpern points out all the time, is that they hated Trump so much they just didn't want him to win. Whatever kept him from winning.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, that's. That's answer for right? Yep.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. And, but to go so far to bring in those Wall Street Journal reporters. They should have called him out there on the show. You're calling us. I wish one of them would have said, you're calling me a hero. You had guest after guest on to tear us apart at the time.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, that's weird, Jake. I was an idiot last year. Now I'm a hero. Huh? That's great.

[Jack Armstrong]

Hero, heroic coverage because they were able to report what everybody already knew. This, this is. Well, I keep quoting Mark Halpern. He said last night, we're through the looking glass. I don't even know what to say anymore.

[Mark Halperin]

Well, right. Yeah, yeah. What's your next book, Jake? Nixon was a little paranoid. You got a book about Carter? He's a well meaning fellow, but didn't do very well. You got any more crazy revelations? Nobody saw God.

[Jack Armstrong]

I, I mean, can he go any. Can, can Jake Tapper go any Further than this, calling them heroes.

[Mark Halperin]

Well, the harder he tries, the more sad and pathetic it is. Which is what I was trying to say about the cosmos. I mean, Jake, you just gotta let it lie, dude. You are the last person who ought to be saying these things.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Do you think he's just completely self unaware? That's what I wonder. I have been self delusional about things before and then when it becomes evident to me how wrong I was, I'm amazed. It's like, wow, the human brain can do that. Or my human brain did this. Or. But he doesn't seem to want to have that. How interesting would that be if he did? If he'd be willing to come on the air and say I was so against Trump winning and so just buried deep in the idea of not helping him that I ignored the obvious.

[Mark Halperin]

That would be interesting.

[Jack Armstrong]

It would be more interesting. Well, it'd be more believable than this.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, you raised an interesting point, or Michael did at the end there. You've never had any brain but the one you've had. You know, all of us obviously can say that. I wonder if there are people who are just way, way, way more pliable to that sort of groupthink than I can imagine being. It's got to be true.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Mark Halperin]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Mark Halperin]

The Armstrong and Getty Show. Classes that years ago were pushed to the side in favor of coursework.

[Jack Armstrong]

Prioritizing test scores in stem now seen.

[Mark Halperin]

As a huge opportunity. According to1 survey, 66% of all high schools now offer career education. And it's being driven by economic demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have construction companies and I have other employers coming to me wanting students right out of high school to be career ready. We need employees.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. We had a story last week about kids being recruited straight out of high school for like, you know, $75,000 a year jobs in welding and that sort of thing. Interesting how that's turned culturally. Speaking of which, you know, it's, it's partly the change, the amount of change that's making everybody crazy these days. It's also the pace of change. Like I remember it wasn't very long ago that we were telling the youngsters who are like bringing their whole selves to work and taking spirit days and the rest of it. I mean, because it seemed like employees had all the power and there was that employee shortage.

[Jack Armstrong]

Monday and I'll work half a day Tuesday and take Fridays off.

[Mark Halperin]

I demand four day work, two on Friday. Yeah. And we're trying to tell you trust us, this will not last. Well, it has not. Not long ago, Everybody's Replaceable is the headline the story the New Way Bosses Talk About Workers not long ago, bosses routinely praised workers as their most prized asset. Today, with a giant question mark hanging over the economy, less so today after the temporary maybe trade deal with China. But executives are pulling punches, pulling no punches and saying employees need to work harder, complain less, and be glad they have a job. Work life balance is your problem, said Emma. Is it's greed or grid day or something. Emma Greed is not a good name for this article, but she's the co founder of the Skims shapewear company.

[Jack Armstrong]

I should ask my dad how many times in Lawyers seemed concerned about his work life balance when he was a young man out there starting his Work.

[Mark Halperin]

Life balance is your problem, she said. Starbucks, after cutting in more than a thousand jobs, their new CEO Brian Nichols, said remaining corporate staff need to step it up or and own whether or not this place grows. Jamie Dimon, in a profanity laced internal meeting, told employees lamenting a return to work mandate that he didn't care I've had it with this kind of stuff. I've been working seven days a week since COVID I come in, where is everybody else, man?

[Jack Armstrong]

If you can concern yourself with work life balance, you should consider yourself among the more privileged workers in the history of work on planet Earth. If it is even an option. That means you've got shelter and enough food and you can start to decide, you know, how much do I need?

[Mark Halperin]

Right? Right. And that's not to say it's a bad idea or you shouldn't. You just have to keep it in perspective. The shift in tone marks a shift in power. Now the companies are shrinking their white collar staff. With jobs harder to find. Many workers are seeing perks disappear and their grievances ignored.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or that if you don't have the luxury of being concerned about work life balance that you're somehow unique in the history of working.

[Mark Halperin]

Right? Right? Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Again, how many of our parents ever had the ever had it cross their mind?

[Mark Halperin]

And interestingly, they they mentioned a 2023 episode where this one company told staffers, leave Pity City. Well, that comment, made in a video call, immediately went viral, sparking days of headlines and worker backlash. The CEO quickly apologized, said her comments were insensitive. Now it's like they're all saying it.

[Jack Armstrong]

See how long this lasts.

[Mark Halperin]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty the Armstrong and Getty show.

[Joe Getty]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Talkspace User]

When my husband came home from his military deployment. Readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Talkspace User]

I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couples therapist through Talkspace too.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Mark Halperin]

The Armstrong and Getty show. Well, we're very honored.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, it's crazy.

[Joe Getty]

Just because of you, I'm here.

[Michael]

You're the only reason I'm here.

[Mark Halperin]

My life. How was it?

[Jack Armstrong]

Are you free to talk a little bit?

[Michael]

I'm on speaker and there's a bunch of cameras.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's Eden Alexander. He was a hostage of Hamas for three years. How long has it been?

[Mark Halperin]

450 days or something like I don't remember exactly. Since October of 23.

[Jack Armstrong]

He was on the phone with Trump yesterday saying, the only reason I'm here, you're the only reason I'm here, you saved my life. Trumpet negotiating with somebody in Hamas and bypassing Israel on that whole thing and getting the guy out. So that was a good story over the weekend. We mentioned on Friday how Bruce Springsteen had bad mouthed Trump in the United States while he was kicking off his world tour in Great Britain. And we are annoyed by that. It was after we got off the air on Friday that Trump truth this out about Bruce Springsteen. I see that. Highly overrated. Bruce Springsteen goes to a foreign country to speak badly about the president of the United States. Never liked him. Never liked his music or his radical left politics. And importantly, he's not a talented guy.

[Mark Halperin]

I love stuff like that. Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's just A pushy, obnoxious jerk, all caps, who fervently supported crooked Joe Biden and mentally incompetent fool in our worst ever president who came close to destroying our country. If I wasn't elected, it would have been gone by now. Sleepy Doe. Joe didn't have a clue as to what he was doing. But Springsteen is, quote, dumb as a rock, unquote. I like how he puts that in quotes. I don't even know exactly what that means. And couldn't see what was going on. Or could he? Which is even worse. This dried out prune of a rocker. Prune. Also in quotes. His skin is all atrophied. Trump writes. Let me close with the sentence. I'll say it again because it's just too good. This dried out prune of a rocker. His skin is all atrophied. Ought to keep his mouth shut until he gets back into the country. That's just standard fare. Also in quotes. Then we'll see how it goes for him.

[Mark Halperin]

All right. I'm glad you find it so amusing. I just.

[Jack Armstrong]

I find it very amusing.

[Mark Halperin]

On what level? Help me understand.

[Jack Armstrong]

His skin is attributed. I think it's hilarious that the President of the United States is making fun.

[Mark Halperin]

Of an old rock and roller for his heaven.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sam. I just can't believe it's even happened.

[Mark Halperin]

Right. And we can't be held responsible for what we find amusing. That's fine. I just find it troubling. It's just weird. It's hella weird. Yeah. So anyway, although none of that's really of any consequence. And, And, And. And Bruce is obnoxious and a blowhard and a limousine liberal and ought to shut up and plays damn music. Anyway, having said that, he's a grown in quotes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Why do you think he puts random words in quotes? What does that.

[Mark Halperin]

That happen line? It's just a way to emphasize that word.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, it's a. It's an emphasis.

[Mark Halperin]

Capitalizing it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or. Or. Okay, gotcha. Okay. I didn't get you onto that. There you go.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. You know, Hunter Thompson used to do this way back in the day. And people do it online, too. They capitalize a word. Yeah, I like all caps, but just capitalize it to emphasize I do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've never used a quote. Okay.

[Mark Halperin]

As an amateur linguist, I think it's interesting how, you know, print language evolves to imitate speaking language. Anyway, so. Yeah. And the other thing Trump tweeted out, and for the record, I've got a couple of things that I've been wanting to talk about how Trump, the Trump administration has essentially put out the word disparate impact. The theory of disparate impact, meaning if a lower percentage of black people get accepted to be cops, that's proof that the test is racist. They said that's. That's wrong. It's racist and it no longer will guide any federal policy. Huge victory for common sense, for meritocracy. The rest of it. Nobody's talking about that move. It's incredibly important. I say well done. So the Trump's Energy Department.

[Jack Armstrong]

So this. So the Trump government said that. That that's the way they're going to look at it.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because the Supreme Court unfortunately has said disparate impact is a thing.

[Mark Halperin]

Bring it up again. That was an obscene couple of rulings. Just idiotic. Indefensible. Anyway. And another thing, I love this headline. Free the gas stove. Trump's Energy Department has axed dozens of Biden appliances and regulations. Like a hundred thousand pages of phony green new scam regulations are gone.

[Jack Armstrong]

God. I heard a good one the other day because I have this last two dishwashers. I've had your modern dishwasher because of all the dumb regulations they you. As has been pointed out by many people, you practically have to wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher because they don't do what they used to do because of all these different environmental regulations.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. So before I kick Trump, I just wanted to mention that. I mean, for instance, let's dig into this a little bit. Gone are rules banning a wide swath of gas stoves. Gone are the strict water standards governing dishwashers and shower heads. Do you want. Gone is the government wide effort to force electrification of the economy through appliance regulations. All part of a historic action the Trump administration announced today. Reversing dozens of energy regulations, saving consumers more than $11 billion and cutting more than 125,000 words from the United States code of regulations. Great stuff. Great, great, great. Save you money. Hallelujah. Amen. Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

I like when Trump says things like Bruce Princeton, he has no talent. What?

[Mark Halperin]

I just find that so bizarre. He's always screaming that Kareem Abdul Jabbar wasn't even tall.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

That's just absurd.

[Mark Halperin]

Anyway, so he was tweeting truth and out a bunch of stuff the other day, including, and I'll just go ahead and shout the stuff that's in all caps. Walmart should stop trying to blame tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made billions of dollars last year far More than expected between Walmart and. They should eat the tariffs and not charge valued customers anything. I'll be watching and so will your customers. Well, many exclamation points, as usual.

[Jack Armstrong]

I agree with Bernie Sanders or disagree with Bernie Sanders. I don't like Bernie when he does this sort of thing. Oh, that was Trump, you say?

[Mark Halperin]

Yes, this was also Trump. After causing catastrophic inflation, Comrade Kamala announced that she wants to institute socialist price controls. Her plan is very dangerous because it may sound good politically. This is communist, this is Marxist, this is fascist. Yes, both statements by Donald Trump. Last year he blasted Kamala Harris's proposal for price controls on groceries. Now he's attacking Walmart for warning that it will have to raise prices in the wake of the tariffs.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and you know, in claiming that Walmart would only raise prices to make more profit, you made, you made enough money last year, basically, is what he's saying. He made billions last year. Okay, when has this become a conservative thing? You tell companies you've made enough money.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, I'll be going to play your golf courses for free, sir, because you made enough money last year. So, and, and the other part of it is, you know, it's, it's a rebuttal of what he's claimed himself for months. He said the foreign producers will pay the full cost of tariffs, but now he's admitting that Walmart and American retailer will have to eat some of the costs or pass them on to their customers. And Walmart's net profit margin is less than 3%. Now, it's an enormous company. So if you have 2.8% profit on a company of that size, that's a hell of a number. But it doesn't have a bunch of room to absorb the higher costs caused by tariffs. Retail competition is incredibly intense and Walmart's longtime comparative advantage has been lower prices. And what bothers me is, number one, Trump trying to tell Walmart how to run its business. And number two, like that vague threat of retribution.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, that's not cool.

[Mark Halperin]

I'm against that, no matter who's the president. Sorry if you're just a hardcore, you know, Trump fan, or you figure if admitting anything is wrong, that'll weaken the case and Democrats will win and the rest of it. You know, I see your point, but I just. No.

[Jack Armstrong]

Very, very Bernie aoc. You could imagine either one of them shouting that on the no Oligarchs tour.

[Mark Halperin]

Right? Yeah, Walmart, plenty of money. They have too much profit. We'll hold the Walmart accountable if they.

[Jack Armstrong]

Raise prices That's a very Bernie Sanders thing to say.

[Mark Halperin]

And as always, my real concern and the reason I bring this up is the dumb stuff Trump does might derail the fabulous stuff he does. And that wouldn't kill me.

[Jack Armstrong]

Do you mean dumb politically or for the way conservatism ought to work politically? I think the Republicans, you know, going for this big, beautiful bill that gives perfectly healthy working age men free health care might be a good idea. That's what bothers me.

[Mark Halperin]

Right, right. I think, yeah. The, the saying what he said about Walmart and the rest of it I don't think is going to make much political difference. I think the whole tariff thing will, though. It'll mess up the economy either a little or a lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't even know where we are in terms of politics and the parties and stuff. It's very difficult for me to figure out. There are probably, to the extent that they saw it, many, many, many, many would consider themselves Republican voters who said, yeah, screw Walmart trying to raise prices on us.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, yeah, these are weird times. There are no political parties. As we were discussing earlier, Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe Getty]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Talkspace User]

When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Talkspace User]

I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couple's therapist through Talkspace too.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military.

[Mark Halperin]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Mark Halperin]

But speaking of immigration, I'm trying to remember the situation before Trump got in office. How was the border doing?

[Jack Armstrong]

The border is secure.

[Mark Halperin]

Oh, that's right. That's right. March numbers are in. This year, Border Patrol encountered 230 people per day. 230. Last year it was 7200. Biden's miserable betrayal of the country on the border. I hope there are some historians who are honest enough to make it clear how unconscionable it was.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, Bob Woodward. No, you know. Right where in his book. Called it the biggest migration in world history.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Peacetime migration in world history.

[Mark Halperin]

And all it took was a couple of executive orders and empowering the border Patrol, and it ended. It ended in the blink of an eye.

[Jack Armstrong]

It also ended his presidency. So I don't understand. Getting back to the. I don't understand the politics of some of these issues. It's not like it's popular.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah, yeah. It's terrible. So we've been talking about, you know, tribalism and politics and the way progressive minds think and how it's different from conservatives on and off. I think you'll find this as interesting and amusing as I did, Michael. We're gonna start with clip number 81. We will discuss briefly. And then there's a bit of a reveal.

[Michael]

Donald Trump announced this past week that he would be urging ICE and other administration authorities to seek out people living here. Illeg. Illegally. They'd broken law to deport them. So I have a quote for you here that's been making the rounds on social media about the deportation of criminal, illegal aliens. We are a nation of laws. Undocumented workers broke our laws, and I believe they must be held accountable, especially those who may be dangerous. That's why over the past six years, deportations of criminals are up 80%, and we're going to keep focusing on threats to our security. What's your thought on that quote and that policy in general?

[Mark Halperin]

I think that policy comes from a.

[Jack Armstrong]

Place of, like, white American nationalism. Donald Trump has kind of, like, embraced this rhetoric of, like, racism and xenophobia that is not beneficial to our country at all.

[Michael]

I don't think that that quote really stands true. This administration has totally not done anything moral. This is really awful. Amnesty does not necessarily mean that we're losing border security. I think that Trump feels that way. I think that's a bad decision because, like, the United States should be open to, like, immigrants. Like, it's like they call it lands with the free for a reason. We just have to advocate for those kinds of people.

[Jack Armstrong]

And people like in Congress, like Ocasio Cortez, who is helping people overcome these kinds of things.

[Michael]

Crimes do not nullify your human. And people are coming here in search of opportunity.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God. Several of those were hard to take.

[Mark Halperin]

Yeah. Trying to reason with those people in the short term would be a fool's error.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, you'd have to have a class because they're. They're greeting card rhetoric level knowledgeable or have thought about this. Not at all. They called the land the free for a reason. I mean, what kind of argument is.

[Mark Halperin]

Just so transparently stupid? But wait, there's a twist.

[Michael]

I'm going to show you the person that said that, quote.

[Mark Halperin]

Undocumented workers.

[Michael]

Is that surprising?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Michael]

It's surprising because I thought it was the Trump administration that said something like that. Yeah, it's quite surprising. I thought this was from Trump.

[Jack Armstrong]

I didn't expect it to be Obama either.

[Michael]

Why did you not expect it to be Obama?

[Jack Armstrong]

Because I'm stupid. I just, I get, I don't know, like it just never, it never occurred to me that it could be Obama.

[Michael]

Is that surprising that it's a quote from President Obama? Yeah, that was surprising for sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[Michael]

Do you think it's still a practice of white nationalism though, to deport criminal legal aliens?

[Jack Armstrong]

I think the way Trump's doing it.

[Michael]

Is, but President Obama, to this point in Trump's presidency. Obama actually deported more people though, so it's in practice. It was more from Obama though.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's your question? Can I boil this down? What's your question? I think I can boil this down very simply. Self governance doesn't work and children should.

[Mark Halperin]

Be seen and not heard. And we must institute a nationwide compulsory child test. Are you still a child? And only when you receive the A of adulthood tattooed upon your body will you be able to speak your damn stupid mind. And there will be a variety of standards, Jack. If you enlist in and serve in the military honorably for at least a year, if you are married, if you have a child, if you have paid income taxes for five years, there will be a number of standards. I have an open mind about this, but unless you are those things. For instance, if you are a college gender studies major, never had a job. I don't want to hear an effing word out of you. You don't know enough to, to, to advise an eight year old on the world. Okay, Just keep learning. That's fine. That doesn't mean you're a bad person. It doesn't mean I hate you. I don't want the new person in the office to explain to me how things really work around here. K Unfair.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was going to go with a blanket rule of you can't vote till you're 30, but yours is probably more fair for people who get up to speed on reality a little earlier.

[Mark Halperin]

Right? Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh God, that hurts my heart.

[Mark Halperin]

I've said this before and I wish, you know, we had the power and influence to spread it. It's my only Lust for like more reach of the show, which is great now. It's going really, really well. And thanks so much for the support and for listening, but I don't. I don't want to make any more money. I'll take it if it comes, but I just want to sanity to prevail. And I wish more people knew this Adulthood life is a big, complicated complex. It's like the Ford Motor Company, okay? It's really complicated and huge and sprawling. And if you die at the age of 88 your last week on Earth, you will learn something you didn't know. You young folks, you college kids especially, you've been convinced by your professors that you can walk into the reception area of Ford Motor Company and tell everyone exactly how it works and how it should be run. As you stand there in the reception area having not explored any of that giant, sprawling corporation. That's what you are doing. That's why you're so blanking annoying, which I was at your age. But nobody paid a damn bit of attention to what I said at your age. And they were better for it. And I was better for it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, Boomer. They call it the land of the free for a reason. Oh, my God.

[Mark Halperin]

We're a nation of immigrants. Boom. Headshot got me. The Statue of Liberty says. Oh, I can't argue against that. It's a. You can't argue with a statue. A poem on a statue. Everybody knows that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Quick question for you. What if you happen to miss this unbelievable radio program?

[Mark Halperin]

The answer is easy, friends. Just download our podcast, Armstrong and Getty on Demand. It's the podcast version of the broadcast show, available anytime, any day. Every single podcast platform known to man.

[Jack Armstrong]

Download it now. Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Mark Halperin]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Joe Getty]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Talkspace User]

When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Talkspace User]

I just answered a few questions online, and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me, and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up, and they accept. Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couples therapist through Talkspace, too.

[Joe Getty]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military. Go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.