The Bulk of America!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode Title: The Bulk of America! Release Date: July 21, 2025 Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts

---

Introduction

In the July 21, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty delve into a mix of political controversies, media critiques, and pop culture phenomena shaping the United States. Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, the duo offers their signature blend of humor and critical insight, engaging listeners with timely discussions and sharp commentary.

---

Political Claims and Controversies

Tulsi Gabbard's Allegations Against Obama

The episode opens with a heated discussion about Tulsi Gabbard, a figure recently claiming that former President Barack Obama and his administration engaged in nefarious activities aimed at undermining then-President Donald Trump.

• Joe Getty expresses skepticism, stating, “[Tulsi]… has serious evidence that Obama and his cohorts did some bad stuff and claimed some stuff that wasn't true. It’s all gonna come out soon” ([00:44]).

• Jack Armstrong questions the timing and motives behind Gabbard’s statements, suggesting she might be attempting to regain favor with Trump: “You sure she's not just saying this to get back on Trump's good side because she's not allowed in the meetings anymore?” ([01:03]).

The hosts remain doubtful about the substance of Gabbard's claims, predicting that the accusations may fade from public discourse within weeks: “give it six weeks and nobody will be talking about it either” ([01:08]).

---

Media Critique: NPR and PBS Bias

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to critiquing public media outlets, particularly NPR and PBS. The hosts reference articles and opinions suggesting these platforms have shifted from journalism to advocacy.

• Joe Getty cites Yuri Berliner, a notable critic, highlighting NPR’s alleged departure from unbiased reporting: “...npr, you did this to yourselves. You abandoned any pretense of journalism and just went straight progressive advocacy” ([20:20]).

• Michael adds to the criticism by quoting NPR’s leadership, who deny any inherent bias: “She 100% doesn't think there's any bias at NPR” ([19:30]).

The discussion underscores a belief among the hosts that public media have become echo chambers for progressive ideologies, detaching from the ‘bulk of America’ they are meant to serve.

---

Current Events: Middle East Tensions

Trump vs. Netanyahu Over Syria Bombings

The hosts touch upon the escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly focusing on President Trump's disapproval of Benjamin Netanyahu for actions in Syria.

• Michael describes Gaza as "one of the most hellish spots on earth right now," emphasizing the humanitarian crisis: “...there's a lot of people that don't have a lot of food and water and when they try to get it, they get shot at by somebody and it looks hellish” ([04:28]).

• Joe Getty comments on the broader implications of Islamism, stating, “Islamism leads to nothing but horror” ([05:20]).

The conversation reflects the hosts' concern over ongoing conflicts and their impact on global stability.

---

Pop Culture and Social Trends

Coldplay Cam and Celebrity Scandals

The episode shifts to lighter topics, including the viral Coldplay cam trend and celebrity interactions.

• Joe Getty humorously describes the Coldplay cam as “the most American thing I've ever seen” ([04:19]), highlighting its widespread adoption across ballparks nationwide.

• Michael comments on the public's fascination with wealthy individuals, mentioning a couple involved in a Coldplay concert scandal: “They both will be okay… but I think it adds a layer of people not feeling sorry for them at all” ([03:22]).

Sports Team Names and Political Statements

A segment discusses President Trump's controversial stance on sports team names:

• Michael shares Trump’s demand to reinstate the “Redskins” name, pushing back against political correctness: “Trump is calling on the Washington Commanders to bring back the Redskins name…and the Cleveland whatever they are to become the Cleveland Indians again” ([16:20]).

• Joe Getty sarcastically remarks, “I weep the day that American sports teams have to jump and obey the President's orders” ([17:05]).

The hosts express amusement and frustration over the intersection of politics and sports branding.

---

Technology and Aviation Incidents

B-52 Bomber Near Collision with Commercial Flight

• Michael reports on a near-miss incident involving a B-52 bomber and a Delta Airlines commercial flight over North Dakota: “A B52 bomber almost collided with a Delta Airlines commercial flight full of people over North Dakota yesterday” ([13:34]).

• Joe Getty muses about the outdated nature of B-52s, questioning their continued use: “Who knew we're still flying B52s around” ([13:51]).

The discussion highlights concerns about aviation safety and outdated military technology.

---

Social and Cultural Observations

Decline of Shared Culture and Network TV

The hosts lament the erosion of shared cultural experiences, such as network television shows:

• Joe Getty references Ben Sasse’s thoughts on the decline of programs like Stephen Colbert’s show, viewing it as a sign of diminishing communal experiences: “another sign that our shared culture of network TV is dying” ([07:33]).

• Michael reminisces about the benefits of common viewership, noting the ease of conversation when multiple people watch the same shows: “It felt a lot better than being at a dinner table full of people and everybody's mentioning different shows that nobody else has seen but them” ([08:06]).

The conversation underscores a nostalgia for unified media consumption and the fragmentation brought about by diverse media preferences.

---

Social Issues and Public Health

Obesity and Body Image in Youth

• Joe Getty announces the upcoming release of his book on obesity, aligning it with broader discussions on public health.

• Michael recounts an NPR report on the impact of societal standards on youth body image: “...how muscular various superheroes are or whatever… more kids are overweight and are going to have medical complications or death because of that than ever before” ([24:06]).

The hosts critique societal pressures that contribute to unhealthy body standards among children, linking it to broader public health concerns.

---

Listener Engagement: Mailbag Segment

Audience Questions and Comments

In the Mailbag segment, listeners share thoughts and pose questions:

• Frequent Correspondent Sean humorously addresses a comment about Jack's hiking mishaps, intertwining it with historical atonement: “Here’s an opportunity for Jack to correctly atone and declare the indigenous ownership the land he was hiking on” ([34:20]).

• Jess criticizes media coverage of the Epstein files, expressing frustration over superficial reporting: “I read the first thousand words and I'm like, they're not saying anything” ([37:01]).

The segment showcases the hosts' interactive rapport with their audience, blending humor with critical analysis of listener feedback.

---

Notable Quotes

• Tulsi Gabbard on Obama’s Conspiracy: “[Tulsi]… had her legs looked at like 20 paragraphs in” ([37:22]).

• Joe Getty on Political Ideologies: “It's a cult. The woke cult of criminal injustice” ([15:12]).

• Michael on Media Bias: “Most Americans have a positive view of castles but a negative view of the Black Plague” ([19:56]).

• Joe Getty on NPR's Bias: “How you doing on reporting on the cast report or the US Health report… show mutilating kids and feeding them powerful hormones” ([26:51]).

---

Conclusion

In this episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty effectively navigate through a labyrinth of contemporary issues, from political conspiracies and media bias to pop culture trends and social health crises. Their candid and often humorous approach provides listeners with a critical lens through which to view the complexities of modern American life. By intertwining serious discourse with lighthearted banter, the hosts maintain engagement while encouraging thoughtful reflection on the topics discussed.

---

Note: Advertisements and promotional segments were omitted to focus solely on the episode's content.

Transcript

[Joe Getty]

This is an iHeart podcast broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

Live.

[Joe Getty]

From studio CC Senior Brand new wheel. What's gonna happen?

[Michael]

Oh my gosh, it's exciting to think about. It's gonna be awesome or horrible or just mundane like every other week of your life. And you wonder, what are we doing here today? We're under the tutelage of our general.

[Joe Getty]

Manager, Tulsi Gabbard, who has serious evidence that Obama and his cohorts did some bad stuff and claimed some stuff that wasn't true. It's all gonna come out soon. Maybe in a double feature with the Epstein files. Not clear to me yet.

[Michael]

You sure she's not just saying this to get back on Trump's good side because she's not allowed in the meetings anymore?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it kind of has an odd taste to it. I mean, did Obama and his people try to undermine Trump every way they could, even after the election back in the day? Of course they did. Oh, lied like rugs. That's right, Hank Jr. But I just. This all seems a little vague and give it six weeks and nobody will be talking about it either.

[Michael]

Maybe six days. But here's my favorite headline I saw over the weekend. This is from the Sunday New York Times. I took my dog to a pet psychic and it improved my dog's life.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Michael]

We'll get into that, sir.

[Joe Getty]

Madam pet psychic actually made the New.

[Michael]

York Times in a it works sort of way.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, pet psychics like a real psych. A real psychic. Joe, did you just say that like a human psychic? Pet psycho. How would your dog seems to depressed? Do you play with it? Not very much these days. Well, play with it more. It worked. The psychic completely connected with my pet.

[Michael]

You know, that's an excellent point. I've been mocking pet psychics like something apart from regular psychics, but there's no difference.

[Joe Getty]

Same thing whatsoever.

[Michael]

Why would a pet psychic be more ridiculous than a regular psychic? That's pretty funny that I fell for that myself.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, but I admire their. Their balls and doing it because I mean like a human being might. She resents her mother for trying to control her boyfriend. Something something. Dogs don't have that stuff. They got like three or four things.

[Michael]

Did your mother ever tell you to do things you didn't want to do? I thought so.

[Joe Getty]

Did she disapprove of someone you cared about very much?

[Michael]

Yes, she did. When I was in high School. My sophomore boyfriend.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Okay. All right. You know what? The whole fool and their money are soon parted thing, that might be like one of the laws of physics.

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And you just have to let it.

[Michael]

Work similar to gravity. Other thing is, I try to avoid getting into the real news. The story that has blown up so much over the last week. The couple caught at the Coldplay concert. The interesting development on that is they both turn out to be mega rich. Like insanely rich.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, is that right?

[Michael]

Oh, he's worth $50 million. She comes from one of the richest, most prominent famil in the Boston area. She married into $5 billion business or something like that. They're both insanely rich. I don't know why that matters, but I mean, he quit over the weekend. He's now stepped down. But they'll both, they'll both be okay. But I think it adds a layer of people not feeling sorry for them at all.

[Joe Getty]

I loved. I don't want to steal your thunder about that video. Was that that you sent around or was it Katie to the crew? Evidently ballparks all over the country now are having what they call the Coldplay cam. Did you say that, Michael? Yeah, it's brilliant. It's hilarious. So they, they put a couple on the screen and then you're supposed to quickly turn your back or dive under the seat in front of you and hide. Everybody's doing the Coldplay cam. That might be the most American thing I've ever seen.

[Michael]

That is pretty funny.

[Joe Getty]

We may have our faults, but we are funny people. Americans, that could last forever too.

[Michael]

That could be a thing that just lasts for. And, and you have to explain to people 15 years from now why that's a thing.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, you either kiss or you can like dive behind the seats and hide because. Yeah, right.

[Michael]

Back in 2025, this couple, they. They're both married with children. They both have full on families too, which is so. I don't know. So there's a big axio story out today that Trump's very unhappy with Benjamin Netanyahu for bombing Syria and a variety of other things. I was just listening to a report out of Gaza that is one of the most hellish spots on earth right now. Regardless of how it got there or who, who, who he thinks mostly to blame or whatever the reality of it is, there's a lot of people that don't have a lot of food and water and when they try to get it, they get shot at by somebody and it looks hellish. Like living in hell.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I would agree it's miserable.

[Michael]

Now, if you're listening to npr, it's all the Israelis faults if it's fault. If you list other people, it's Hamas is the one, you know, taking the food so they're starving. There'd be plenty of food if they weren't.

[Joe Getty]

Blah, blah, blah.

[Michael]

You know, that whole story. But man, what a horrible situation for humanity. And I wonder what Trump's going to do about that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, Islamism leads to nothing but horror, by the way. You could certainly fault the Israelis for a couple of aspects of this. But again, we'll talk about it more later. I want to go back to everybody's favorite story. At one point, that astronomer CEO Andy Byron. We were just discussing who was caught canoodling and Coldplay. He was the top trending Google search in America.

[Michael]

I don't doubt it.

[Joe Getty]

Something incredibly good or incredibly bad has happened if you are the top Google search in America.

[Michael]

That's true. Good looking guy. I mean, he could be the golden bachelor. He's not that old, but he, he's very, he looks like a, a soap oper are. And he's unbegodly wealthy.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and is his hot little canoodler. There's co Canoodler. She's a cutie herself.

[Michael]

But also wealthy. Yes.

[Joe Getty]

Michael, you put these people on Dancing with the Stars.

[Michael]

Oh, oh, so clearly true.

[Joe Getty]

They don't need the money.

[Michael]

You tease the new season. You just put black over their faces and a special surprise that will have all of America talking. And then it's them. They come out and Dancing with the.

[Joe Getty]

Stars, they're a team, unlike an Urkel or the, you know, whatever. I don't watch Dancing with the Stars. Some sort of class C celebrity C list or. They don't need the money.

[Michael]

No, they don't need the money. They need the rehabilitation.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, right. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, you're right.

[Michael]

You go on there and you're kind of the underdog and you dance pretty good and America starts rooting for, you know, so what, you blow up your families, your kids will get over it. Look at you dance.

[Joe Getty]

Right? And the choreographers, the choreographers will mix in the whole hiding thing as part of the dance steps, you know, and America will cheer and well, the really old people who watch network TV at night will cheer and just love it. Right.

[Michael]

The hide will become a dance move like the twist or something. It's just everybody's doing it on the good thing.

[Joe Getty]

Instead of dapping, you'll be hiding. Oh, speaking of popular culture, at some point I ought to get to Ben Sasse, who's one of my favorite thinkers, wrote a piece about the end of Colbert's show. Not that that matters, but how it's just another sign that our shared culture of network TV is dying and soon the last vestiges of that. Everybody knows what I'm talking about when I say the Late Show. That is going away.

[Michael]

Right. And times change and when you're older, you tend to think that it was better the way it was before. Sometimes that's true. I think the whole we had something we all watched and talked about and was, was, was pretty nice. I know it felt a lot better than being at a dinner table full of people and everybody's mentioning different shows that nobody else has seen but them.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right.

[Michael]

And then if two couples end up on a show that they've both watched, then they get to talk about it.

[Joe Getty]

For a while, but. Right, exactly. And everybody else is on the outside. Yeah, yeah. Shared experience, shared culture. It really matters. Is this a, an experiment that we're conducting here and we being humanity with a utter lack of the sort of connection that has bound us for millions of years. I will, should be interesting.

[Michael]

It'll be fun to watch. Okay, let's start the show officially on a Monday again. Who knows what's going to happen this week. This could be a big week for you. Or you get marched to your car with a box, all your possessions from your desk and that's it. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty on this. It is Monday, July 21, the year 2025. We're Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Joe Getty]

Okay, here we go. According to FCC rules and regs, show starts at Mark.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

President Obama and his leadership team, people who did not want to accept the will of the American people in electing Donald Trump in 2016 and therefore cooked up this treasonous conspiracy to again try to effectively and they did effectively launch a years long coup. The sitting President, United States.

[Michael]

Well, color me very skeptical that there's going to be any meat on this bone. If there is perfectly happy to talk about it. But there have been several rounds of, on both sides of the aisle of claiming these sorts of things that have not panned out.

[Joe Getty]

I am of two minds on this story. First, you know, I could restate what you just did, but there's no need. And I do suspect Tulsi is trying to get on the ins with Trump instead of being on the outs as she seems to be lately. The other aspect of this is that the idea that Obama and company so disliked, distrusted, hated Trump, that they were trying to undermine him before, during and after the election and even after he was inaugurated. It feels to me like the Joe Biden was senile story. Yeah, we know it's unforgivable. It's awful. But unless you are, you know, Slate or the New York Times or npr, all that stuff has been pretty well known.

[Michael]

Yeah. And while the Brennans of the world were probably would be involved, I doubt that Barack Obama was orchestrating this at the top end. I just find that hard to believe.

[Joe Getty]

Well, yeah, I don't, that's funny. I don't at all. I think he despises Trump.

[Michael]

I'm sure he does. I don't think he was calling his DNI in and his various intelligence heads to fabricate a plot though.

[Joe Getty]

I don't, yeah, I, I, I don't feel the need to use such dramatic language. Well, Tulsi is, well, she's Tulsi.

[Michael]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

I'm just saying on the substance of the thing. Did they get together and talk about this? Y. Yeah, I'll bet they did. Is that quote unquote fabricating a plot? I don't know.

[Michael]

We got other news to catch you up on throughout the day. We got headlines on the way. I have been, as I've said, reading this book about World War II. We're coming up on the 80th anniversary. I'm just trying to get ahead of it here. In a couple of weeks it's going to be a lot of conversation about dropping the bomb because it'll be the 80th anniversary and whether we should have or not and all that sort of stuff. Have a lot of info on that. Reading this in depth book about the final weeks and months of World War II. That's going to be a big topic I guarantee you here in a, in just a couple of weeks like it like happened after the Oppenheimer movie. So I hope you can stick around. If you have any comment at any time. Here's our text line 415295 KFTC Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Lets be real. Life happens. Kids spill, pets shed and accidents are inevitable. Find a sofa that can keep [e-mail] starting at just $699. Our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out. So you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry free living. Made with liquid and stain resistant fabric, they're kid proof, pet friendly and built for everyday life. Plus changeable fabric covers. Let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. Neat flexibility. Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space, whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. It's time to upgrade to a stress free mist proof sofa. Visit washablesofas.com today and save that's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions May apply.

[Michael]

A B52 bomber almost collided with a Delta Airlines commercial flight full of people over North Dakota yesterday. That's scary. Mistakes were made. Get into that a little bit later. Story that's getting.

[Joe Getty]

Who knew we're still flying B52s around. I mean that's techno. You can look at it one of two ways. Either that's technology that's really endured or man, that's an antiquated aircraft.

[Michael]

Right? But a story that's getting a lot of attention is this off duty border patrol agent shot by an illegal in the face nearly died during a robbery. I think it's being misconstrued a little bit in that you've got an illegal and a border patrol agent, but the illegal and his partner didn't know that such a border patrol agent. So I don't think it's an immigration story. I think it's a we catch people when they commit crimes and then let them go over and over and over and over again story. I think it's one of those stories.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah, I see your point. Yeah, we should have booted his ass out of the country as well.

[Michael]

But sure, yeah, but he. It's another one of those stories about guy has committed so many damned crimes of various levels and then not been prosecuted or let go because of no bail laws until he finally does something extra, extra awful. We do this all the time. There's a. There's one in California, new one in California we'll talk about later. That those stories bother me more than practically anything. As a guy out in the world trying to live his life and protect his kids. That we catch dangerous bad people and then let them go to do it again.

[Joe Getty]

Based on a bizarre political ideology. It's a cult. The woke cult of criminal injustice. And you want to hear something semi disturbing? You got the whole Mum Donnie thing in New York City, right? I was just reading and we can get into this in a bit. But Socialists, Democratic Socialists of America now dominate the Portland, Oregon city council. And a Somali American socialist has won the backing of Minnesota Democrats in The race for Minneapolis mayor. Omar Fattah, the state senator, Somali American socialist, is running on many of the same policies as New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mumdani, including rent control and higher taxes on the wealthy. As my, my gym buddy, my trainer, my personal trainer Dave says, you get what you train for. And we have been teaching kids this crap in schools. Well, the teachers and the teachers unions happen, so it's not a surprise that they grow up and they vote for this garbage. But man, it's disturbing and dangerous to see unfold.

[Michael]

Speaking of training, here's one of my favorite little meme thingy shower thought things I saw online. It was a. It's a woman bending over in the street, grabbing her knees. It says, if you're ever feeling sad, just go for a run because then you'll realize that your physical health is way worse than your mental health.

[Joe Getty]

That's funny.

[Michael]

My favorite story that's out there today is Trump calling on the Washington commanders to bring back the Redskins name and the Cleveland whatever they are to become the Cleveland Indians again. And he's demanding it. I don't know what levers he can pull as president, but it's hilarious.

[Joe Getty]

Please. Yeah. I weep the day that American sports teams have to jump and obey the President's orders when they become politically correct.

[Michael]

And feel like they, you know, you can't be the Cleveland Indians. The Redskins one's a little harder to defend other than I don't know how many people are being hurt by this, but the Indians one is just dumb. There's nothing wrong with that.

[Joe Getty]

I guess I don't care either way. Oh, just got 30 seconds left. Is that just a naked attempt to distract from the Epstein thing?

[Michael]

I don't know. He says this sort of stuff every day, no matter what's going on.

[Joe Getty]

That's a good point. The world just. Even as our technology gets terrifyingly smart, I feel like the world is just getting dumber everywhere.

[Michael]

Clearly it is. Yeah. That's funny that those two things are going on at the same time. We should discuss that. Or look at that. We got a lot on the way.

[Joe Getty]

I hope you can stay here.

[Michael]

If you missed a second, we get.

[Joe Getty]

The podcast Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Life's messy. We're talking spills, stains, pets and kids. But with Annabe, you never have to stress about messes again. At WashablesOfAs.com, discover Annabe sofas, the only fully machine washable sofas inside and out, starting at just $699, made with liquid and stain resistant fabrics. That means fewer stains and more peace of mind. Designed for real life, Our sofas feature changeable fabric covers, allowing you to refresh your style anytime. Need flexibility? Our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa effortlessly. Perfect for cozy apartments or spacious homes. Plus, they're earth friendly and built to last. That's why over 200,000 happy customers have made the switch. Upgrade your space today. Visit washablesofas.com now and bring home a sofa made for life. That's washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Joe Getty]

Chuck Schumer claimed defunding PBS will cause many people to die because they won't know when hurricanes are taking place. Yeah, cuz I always get my weather from the Cookie Monster Idiot.

[Michael]

Wow. What kind of joke is that? That's just call it. That's just calling some people an effing idiot.

[Joe Getty]

That's Is that just the the logical end game of our culture? Now that's a effing idiot.

[Michael]

Speaking of that sort of thing though, the defunding of PBS and NPR got an interview with the lady who runs NPR. She 100% doesn't think there's any bias at NPR, which is how you get as biased as they are, I guess. Is that. That seems like mainstream news to you? But anyway, I'll read from that a little bit later.

[Joe Getty]

Or is she the classic Marxist who just denies, denies, denies. They just lie?

[Michael]

It could be. I don't know. I know. I know some people exactly like her that actually think no, this. What, what do you mean this is biased because they live in that world. Also a funny poll. I don't even know who came up with the asking people this question. Turns out most Americans have a positive view of castles but a negative view of the Black Plague. We'll get to that coming up.

[Joe Getty]

Wow, that's good. That's good. I getting back to NPR briefly, Matt Taibbi and his folks were writing about it and and it is really, really good. I wish we had unlimited time. I'd read it to you. But he talks about the the theme of the article is that NPR and PBS to some extent treat America like it's a weird foreign country that they really don't approve of. And and he did a bunch of searches on their site for various themes including patriotism. And what it came up to is came up with his black patriotism when love of country means holding it accountable or as America turns a year older, polls find patriotism has slipped a bit or greatness is not A given. You know, it's, it's all critical, hypercritical. Anyway, speaking of bad journalism, here's your crappy journalism of the week awards. We, I suppose we could have theme music for this, Michael, but I don't think it's necessary. We've got a couple of choices. This one's getting a lot of attention. New York Times opinion page. I was one of Biden's border advisors. Hear how to fix. Here's how to fix our immigration system. I'm sorry I stumbled. I was one of Biden's border advisors. Here's how to fix our immigration system, which apparently is not a joke.

[Michael]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

So I was in charge of Trump's security at Shanksville. Here's what's wrong with the secret service, right? I ran Chernobyl. Here's what's important with nuclear safety. Good lord. Unbelievable. So that's choice number one. Choice number two is an Axios report on the decline in border crossing since Trump took office, which has gone from, you know, 25,000amonth released into the country to zero. It includes the following line, and I quote, no one knows precisely why migrant traffic along the U. S. Mexico border has fallen so much. Wow. No one knows. Now getting back to our brief and unimportant disagreement over Catherine Mayer there at npr. Did the person who wrote that line actually believe that?

[Michael]

That one's hard to defend.

[Joe Getty]

And then finally, Yuri Berliner, whose name you might recognize. He was the guy who wrote that brilliant essay about why he was leaving npr. What was that, about a year ago or so? I don't know. I'm old, so time flies. And he's out with a new one, saying essentially, npr, you did this to yourselves. You abandoned any pretense of journalism and just went straight progressive advocacy. He lists several of his favorite NPR headlines that when they became a caricature of themselves. Uh, let's see, which skin color emoji should you use? The answer can be more complex than you think. What black women's group finds health and healing on bikes. But sometimes racism too.

[Michael]

Oh, boy.

[Joe Getty]

Bringing diversity to Maine's nearly all white lobster fleet. Because the poor lobsters are really disturbed every time they get yanked out of the water and thoroughfest into boiling water. It's a white fella doing it. Here's a couple more. Diet culture can hurt kids. This author advises parents to reclaim the word fat.

[Michael]

Oh, boy. I was listening to a report on NPR today about the how it's worse than ever. The messages we're sending to young boys about how Muscular they need to be. And they were talking about how muscular various superheroes are or whatever. While we have an obesity epidemic, more kids are overweight and are going to have medical complications or death because of that than ever before by many, many.

[Joe Getty]

Multiples ever on the planet.

[Michael]

But clearly kids are just obsessed with needing to be muscular because of cartoon.

[Joe Getty]

Figures and toxic masculinity too. And then Yuri's last headline, and this one I think is perfect because it just, it could stand in for every headline on npr. These drag artists know how to turn climate activism into a joyful blowout.

[Michael]

See that? That's the sort of story every day. I always say this. Every day I get in my car and I get. Check NPR as soon as I get my car in the parking lot just to see, okay, will it be a woke story today? And like 8 out of 10 times it's just full on woke craziness like that one. Yeah, well, these drag queens help with climate change. And then the other two times it's something way left of center, but it's never anything even mainstream or certainly not leaning conservative in any way whatsoever.

[Joe Getty]

I too will flip it on occasionally. And I usually. And this, I actually say this out loud to myself sometimes. All right, who's the victim of what? Yeah, and then I'll turn it on.

[Michael]

Well, I'll just read the last paragraph from this interview I think the New York Times did with the lady that runs npr. Remember, she's the one that said free speech is we've taken it too far or something like that.

[Joe Getty]

She said. Oh, no, no, she said. She said this whole getting to the truth or being accurate, sometimes that gets in the way of what we're trying to do here.

[Michael]

Right, right. That was the whole advocacy journalism thing.

[Joe Getty]

Right?

[Michael]

This argument about public media being biased is a stalking horse. We report on soybean farmers and LGBTQ activism. Okay, well, anytime I hear a report on soybean farmers, it's about how more gay soybean farmers are leading to. Or something like that. It's.

[Joe Getty]

And how you doing on reporting on the cast report or the US Health report or every report around the world that shows mutilating kids and feeding them powerful hormones when they're momentarily confused because you confused them about their sex is a horror and unsupportable by any scientific measure. How you doing on reporting that npr? Oh, my lord.

[Michael]

But she ends with having non white voices and perspectives on air does not make us woke. Covering the existence of disagreement and difference in our country does not make us biased. It Makes us reflective of the complex, diverse nation we serve.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'm so glad they got defunded.

[Michael]

No kidding. Covering the existence is disagree.

[Joe Getty]

Evil.

[Michael]

Or she, she's to the point of mentally ill. If she actually believes that, and I think she probably does, but.

[Joe Getty]

Well, how about. How's that for a Mott and Bailey argument, though? I mean, you're a castle in your court or an argument. Or we say you're just. You're crazy. Crazy woke and progressive. And what was that last quote from her you read? I mean, that was just. That was four stars.

[Michael]

Yeah. Covering the existence of disagreement and difference in our country does not make us biased.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's what we're criticizing you for. That's right. That's what people are pissed off about. Good job, Catherine. Boy, she beat the crap out of that straw man. Let him up, he's had enough. Good Lord.

[Michael]

Well, I just always look at it from a standpoint of would this serve the bulk of America since it's getting taxpayer funding. If you're not getting taxpayer funding, you have no need to serve the bulk of America. You can serve whoever the hell you want, but if you're getting the bulk of America.

[Joe Getty]

Is my new book about obesity, by the way, just funny coincidence, coming out.

[Michael]

Next week, but like, you know, looking at a bell curve, you need to be that inside, you know, standard deviation where you cover like 90% of people and it's not ever, almost ever in what they're covering. It's like that little sliver on the left. Well, why would I fund that? Well, we're not anymore, right?

[Joe Getty]

Michael, hit it.

[Tulsi Gabbard]

For our most tricky disagreements. Seeking the truth and seeking to convince others of the truth might not be the right place to start. In fact, a reverence for the truth might be a distraction that's getting in the way of finding common ground and getting things done.

[Michael]

How crazy a thing is that to.

[Joe Getty]

Say, One of my favorite Bob Dylan songs has the refrain, sometimes Satan comes in as a man of peace. Sometimes Satan comes as a good looking blonde chick at a media company.

[Michael]

Wow, you think she's Satan?

[Joe Getty]

I think she's evil. I absolutely think she represents and promotes that which is evil. I, as always, seek to battle her ideas with better ideas. And I'm not calling for anybody to hold an exorcism of her or anything else insane. But yeah, that's, that's evil. That is the voice of and the message of overt, unmistakable evil. May she be damned to hell if there is a hell, and if there's not, maybe May she be damned to whatever's the most unpleasant option.

[Michael]

At least defunded of taxpayer funds.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Michael]

And again, before we go to break so we can get to Mailbag, if you're ever feeling sad, just go for a run. Then you'll realize that your physical health is way worse than your mental health. Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

Oh. You know, on that theme, I was playing golf over the weekend with some friends and both my partner and I just had a horrendous front nine and it was, oh, congratulations to the great Scott Scheffler, who we were talking about his attitude and his love of his family, blah, blah, blah. Last week he won the British Open by four strokes, obliterating the field. He is unbelievable. He is the best golfer ever since Tiger. Anyway. Oh. So we were both terrible and, and it got to the point where we were laughing about it and it sucks to suck. Was. Was the motto.

[Michael]

It sucks to suck. That's pretty funny.

[Joe Getty]

I suck. And you know what? It sucks to suck. And I was reminded of that. So I like that one. In this one, the. The Coldplay fan who kind of accidentally exposed that tech tycoons affair by tweeting out that video. Okay. She was criticized for it, blah, blah, blah. And her blunt message is terrific. And I know you hipsters know this already, but I like it. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[Michael]

Oh, that's a good one. That's an FA fo sort of thing.

[Joe Getty]

Exactly. Play stupid games, win stupid prize prizes. I like that.

[Michael]

Oh, wow. That is really good.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Michael]

As a, as a version of, you know, how did you think this was going to turn out? You're laying the groundwork for this sort of disaster.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. It's cousin to you lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. You know, you're going to, you're going to do that stuff, you're going to. Not going to like how it ends.

[Michael]

Really good. Play stupid games with stupid prizes. I've done that many times in my life. Usually with the quick revelation of, yeah, how'd you think this was gonna turn out? Genius. Okay, we got Mailbag on the way next. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's nothing like sinking into luxury. @washablesofas.com you'll find the Annabe sofa, which combines ultimate comfort and design at an affordable price. And get this, it's the only sofa that's fully machine washable from top to bottom. Starting at only $699. The stain resistant performance fabric slipcovers and cloud like frame duvet can go straight into your wash. Perfect for anyone with kids, pets or anyone who loves an easy to clean spotless sofa. With a modular design and changeable slipcovers, you can customize your sofa to fit any space and style. Whether you need a single chair, loveseat or a luxuriously large sectional, Annabe has you covered. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your home. Right now you can shop up to 60% off store wide with a 30 day money back guarantee. Shop [e-mail] Add a little to your life. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Michael]

Lindsey Graham did an interview on Fox last night and said Message to Putin. Donald Trump is the Scotty Scheffler of American politics and he will put a whooping on your ass.

[Joe Getty]

No.

[Michael]

How about that? How about that? Tying into the news story of the.

[Joe Getty]

Day, threaten him with a golfer. Yes, here's your freedom loving quote of the day from the great Thomas. So the list continuing because he says so many brilliant things and because I didn't change the theme in time today. So we'll just keep going with Thomas a couple of them. The first lesson of economics is scarcity. There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.

[Michael]

Good one.

[Joe Getty]

So true. Politics is really the art of ignoring, you know, virtually all of the sciences. And on that theme of economics and capitalism, this was one of the soul's great arguments about how capitalism is superior to all other systems, not only financially but morally. Capitalism knows only one color. The color is green. The color of money. All else is necessarily subservient to it. Hence race, gender and ethnicity cannot be considered within it. Or if you do, it's to your own detriment. You'd be an idiot. If you can do business with and profit from business with another ethnicity or whatever, you'd be an idiot not to.

[Michael]

Or not hire the best people, regardless of whatever.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Right. And your bigotry will be punished. Mailbag. You can drop us an email mailbag at Armstrong&getty.com let's dive right in. Mike Guys, is it not funny? And also downright concerning that Orwell's 1984 end the movie Idiocracy are coming to life at the same time. Yes, it's downright concerning, Mike. I cry myself to sleep every night and cry myself awake in the morning. Moving along.

[Michael]

I'll tell you what keeps Elon Musk up at night. According to a tweet he had stay.

[Joe Getty]

Tuned up and coming regular correspondent Frequent correspondent Sean writes. I heard Jack callously talking about the nine times he fell while hiking. The luxury of colonial oppression falls on a trail. I know a group of people who would love the chance to fall nine times on a hike. The indigenous people who once lived on that land.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Here's an opportunity for Jack to correctly atone and declare the indigenous ownership the land he was hiking on and declare some of those falls in their name.

[Michael]

I fell, Nate. I fell in the name of the Pawtuckwocks.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, exactly. I would like to declare before we get started that the land I have just fallen on my ass on was the land of the Patockwack Indians and blah blah, blah. Now let's do what we were going to do before. We said that the Pataqua took this.

[Michael]

From the Makawakas by killing all the males and raping all the women, which is often the case, by the way, when land was taken.

[Joe Getty]

Yet we're being enlightened over here, please. So this is from the fellow who charmingly signs his emails bong hits for Jesus. He said. Did you skip the punchline on purpose? You guys, you're very funny and good wordsmiths, but I always thought the punchline was an integral part of the joke. I mentioned this last week. Here's the part I read. Well, back then a dad had three to four kids. Nowadays kids have three to four dads.

[Michael]

Hey now.

[Joe Getty]

And the punchline I left out is climate change is crazy.

[Michael]

That is pretty funny.

[Joe Getty]

Is it? I think it's hilarious. I don't get it. Is it just the absurdity of it.

[Michael]

Yeah, because it's got nothing to do with it. Climate change rarely has anything to do with whatever people are talking about.

[Joe Getty]

But. But yeah, okay.

[Michael]

It's used all the time.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, okay. Paolo writes. I think he pretty well covered the taxpayer defunding of NPR and pbs. But here's one more way to think about it. Imagine that up till now there had been no public funding for them. Would anybody be making the case that we should start giving them taxpayer money now? No. Then why should we keep giving them taxpayer money? Once a policy gets in place and puts down roots, people begin to expect it, depend on it, defend it, however little sense it presently makes. Kind of like the immigration mess that.

[Michael]

Last the one before with the joke. I'm going to start using that more often. It's like when we used to say after anything bad going on, we'd say thanks Obama.

[Joe Getty]

Or when we saw in the early days of wokeism to call everything racist. Every single point of disagreement was because of racism. To, you know, mock it away. Uh, Jess writes, I read it so you don't have to. A New York Times, top of the fold, number one article on their website. Big, long article about how the Epstein files probably are being suppressed because they have damning evidence against Trump. And as Jess puts it, because one time when this lady was 20, 20 years ago, she had her legs looked at, like 20 paragraphs in. And it's funny, she said, I read this so you don't have to. I read the first thousand words and I'm like, they're not saying anything. This is ridiculous. Some girl said Trump looked at her and it made her uncomfortable. Twenty years ago, or whenever it was, I thought, that's it.

[Michael]

Surely the Epstein thing's over, right? This is a new week. We need a new. We need a new dumb story.

[Joe Getty]

Hopefully that's what you mean by Epstein.

[Michael]

True. If you missed a segment or an hour, get the podcast. We got a lot more coming.

[Joe Getty]

Stay here. Armstrong and Getty. This is an I heart podcast.