There's No P.E. In School!

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "There's No P.E. In School!" – Episode Summary

Release Date: July 7, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction and Vacation Recap

The Armstrong & Getty show kicks off with Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty sharing their experiences from a recent family vacation. The hosts humorously reflect on the challenges of vacationing with children, highlighting the absence of physical education in schools as a contributing factor to their fatigue.

Notable Quote:
Jack Armstrong [03:21]: "It's because there's no PE in school anymore, Michael."

This opening segues into a broader discussion about the decline of physical education programs and its impact on both children and adults.

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2. The Impact of Eliminating Physical Education

Jack and Joe delve into the consequences of removing P.E. from school curricula. They emphasize how this decision affects the physical well-being of students, leading to decreased fitness levels and increased fatigue in daily activities.

Notable Quote:
Jack Armstrong [03:21]: "It's because there's no PE in school anymore."

Joe Getty [03:25]: "You're right. You're absolutely right."

The hosts discuss their personal experiences, noting how the absence of structured physical activity has left their children less capable of keeping up during vacations and other physically demanding tasks.

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3. Reflections on Recent Legislation: The "Big Beautiful Bill"

Shifting focus, Armstrong and Getty address the passage of a significant legislative package they refer to as the "big beautiful bill." They critique the bipartisan nature of its passing, noting that no Democrats voted in favor and only two Republicans broke ranks.

Notable Quote:
Jack Armstrong [07:54]: "Not one Democrat voted for Trump's big beautiful bill. Only two Republicans broke ranks."

The discussion highlights key components of the bill, including:

• Tax Policy: Permanent extension of the 2017 tax cuts, with temporary tax breaks for overtime, income, and tips. The hosts argue that these cuts disproportionately benefit the wealthy.

• Immigration Enforcement: A substantial increase in funding for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), reflecting a hardline stance on immigration.

• Defense Spending: A slight uptick in defense budgets, aligning with conservative priorities.

• Welfare Reforms: Introduction of work requirements for welfare programs like Medicaid and SNAP (food stamps). The hosts criticize these measures as punitive and likely to harm vulnerable populations.

Notable Quote:
Michael [26:37]: "The reform of SNAP, that's your food stamps in an unholy deal with Satan who signed the deal in the blood of the innocent."

Armstrong and Getty express skepticism about the long-term viability of such expansive spending bills, drawing parallels to fiscal irresponsibility reminiscent of post-2008 financial crisis policies.

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4. News Highlights and Current Events

The hosts cover several pressing news topics, providing their perspectives and critiques:

• Texas Flooding: A devastating natural disaster resulting in at least 80 deaths. They discuss the unprecedented rapid rise in river levels and question the effectiveness of current disaster preparedness measures.

  Notable Quote:
  Jack Armstrong [14:42]: "Texas flooding. At least 80 killed across the state. That is one of the worst stories I can remember hearing."

• US-Israel Relations: President Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House, pushing for a ceasefire deal in Gaza. Armstrong and Getty express doubt about the feasibility of the agreement without stringent assurances against Hamas.

  Notable Quote:
  Michael [15:57]: "I would like to talk about that. I am as certain as I've been about anything that this is, this will not happen."

• Ukraine's Defense Strategies: Ukraine adopts unconventional methods, such as using fishing nets to trap Russian drones, showcasing innovative yet desperate defense tactics.

  Notable Quote:
  Angie [16:38]: "From the New York Times, Ukraine turns to fishing nets to catch Russian drones. Wow, haven't heard this story. I'll have to read that."

• Elon Musk's Political Aspirations: Musk announces the formation of a new political party, the "American Party," aiming to challenge the existing political landscape. The hosts speculate on the potential impact of his financial resources on the political sphere.

  Notable Quote:
  Jack Armstrong [16:56]: "Elon Musk wants to start a new party and that could be pretty damned interesting because Lord knows he's got the money to throw behind it."

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5. Listener Mailbag and Feedback

Engaging with their audience, Armstrong and Getty address listener comments and questions:

• Physical Fitness Concerns: A Texas Marine named Kevin comments on Jack's vacation activities, highlighting the physical strain caused by the lack of P.E. in schools.

• Political Terminology Confusion: A listener named J from San Jose raises questions about the definitions of "democratic socialism" and the potential consequences of Trump's policies.

  Notable Quote:
  Michael [37:13]: "What's a democratic socialist? Aren't these two different political ideologies?"

The hosts provide clarifications and reinforce their stances on fiscal conservatism and government spending, emphasizing the dangers of unchecked legislative expansion.

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6. The Decline of Fiscal Conservatism

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to critiquing the erosion of fiscal conservatism within both major political parties. Armstrong and Getty argue that ongoing large-scale spending bills are unsustainable and reflect a departure from traditional conservative principles.

Notable Quote:
Jack Armstrong [29:11]: "Fiscal conservatism, as we have been saying for quite a while, is completely dead. It does not exist as a concept in either party."

They draw attention to historical parallels, referencing the post-2008 financial strategies and the continued trend of expansive government spending during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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7. Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook

As the episode nears its end, Armstrong and Getty express concerns about the long-term implications of current legislative trends. They ponder the future of the Republican Party and the potential reshaping of the political landscape with figures like Elon Musk entering the fray.

Notable Quote:
Jack Armstrong [32:19]: "We got so many things to talk about, so many stories from vacation I can't wait to talk about."

The hosts encourage listeners to stay engaged and informed, teasing upcoming discussions on political developments and reiterating their commitment to advocating for liberty and fiscal responsibility.

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8. Key Takeaways

• Decline of Physical Education: The elimination of P.E. in schools has tangible negative effects on physical fitness and daily activity levels among students and adults alike.

• Controversial Legislation: The "big beautiful bill" exemplifies bipartisan legislative practices that prioritize party cohesion over transparent, responsible policymaking, resulting in policies that may disproportionately benefit the wealthy and increase government spending unsustainably.

• Current Events Perspective: Armstrong and Getty provide critical analysis of major news stories, reflecting a conservative viewpoint that questions governmental and institutional actions in crises and political maneuvers.

• Fiscal Conservatism Under Threat: The hosts argue that both major political parties have moved away from fiscal conservatism, leading to increased national debt and economic instability.

• Engagement with Audience: By addressing listener feedback, Armstrong and Getty foster a community-oriented dialogue, emphasizing the importance of informed and active citizenship.

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This episode of "Armstrong & Getty On Demand" blends personal anecdotes with in-depth political commentary, offering listeners a critical perspective on current educational policies, legislative actions, and broader societal issues. Through engaging discussions and notable insights, Armstrong and Getty encourage their audience to reflect on the direction of national policies and advocate for responsible governance.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Michael]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

And now here's Armstrong and Getty. The big beautiful show is back. Live from studio C, Seor Armstrong and Getty compound surrounded by razor wire and barking dogs to keep us protected. And today we're under the tutelage of.

[Michael]

Our general manager, us, Angie. Tanned, rusted and ready, back from vacation also. Well, theoretically. And the poor people of Texas. Good God, the flooding, what a horror.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm tan. I'm way too tan. Probably be paying the price for that with skin doctors years from now. Ready? Yes, very ready. Rested? No, definitely not rested.

[Michael]

You are dark enough to get away with railing against white people in a public place and people thinking, oh, I bet he's. What is he on, a Hispanic? You're very dark.

[Jack Armstrong]

I could pull that off. Exactly.

[Michael]

All you care about is white people, what white people want. People are thinking, I wonder, what is he?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. He has no accent. No, I don't. Yeah, I went too hard on vacation, as I usually do. I go hard on vacations. I always have, I always will. It's just the way I'm built. But I wore me and the kids out. We probably vacationed one to two days too long. Probably should have ended it just a tad earlier. Was a was. I think we reached our maximum moment of three people being together, you know, all the time. 48 hours before we finished. I'd say, oh, boy, you know, it's such a long time to do everything together all the time and work out where are we gonna go, where we're gonna eat, you know, blah, blah. Just everything you do on vacation, it was enough. It was enough by the end.

[Michael]

Yeah. Yeah. Have you thought about, like, scheduling it? Well, of course scheduling and takes some of the fun out of. But scheduling in, you know, solo times is it. People go off and do their own thing for a while. Did you do that at all?

[Jack Armstrong]

The one kid I can with the other kid, I can't. So.

[Michael]

Yeah, all right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So that's not really an option yet. I. What we basically did is I would go with one kid and then the other one would take a break and I would go with the other kid. The one. The person that never took a break was the oldest person. Although I did notice they can't keep up with me. I kept saying to him, I'm 60. Why can't you guys keep up? My legs are tired. Yeah, well, you. Why? Why?

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's because there's no PE in school anymore. There's no PE in school anymore, Michael.

[Michael]

You're right. You're absolutely right.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's because there's no PE in school anymore. That's exactly right, Michael.

[Michael]

What's shaming your own children?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes. Yes. We left the Met, where we probably stayed for too long in New York City. Ended up going to New York. I'll talk about that later. That was completely.

[Michael]

Wait a minute, the Met's not in the south.

[Jack Armstrong]

Florida pulled a complete audible in the middle of vacation when we decided we were tired of being hot. And I booked flights to New York and then we went to New York and did stuff there for a couple of days. But because that's the way I roll on vacation, everything's completely random in the seat of the pants and I love it that way. But we're at the museum for probably too long. My sophomore in high school said, when I get older, I'm never going to a museum.

[Michael]

Wow. Wow. It's like you had him digging a ditch in the mud or something.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. It was like I was punishing them for some reason. Glad he had a good time. Yeah, no kidding.

[Michael]

Never going to a museum again.

[Jack Armstrong]

Any who. Are you rested?

[Michael]

Yeah, more or less, yeah. And fed. Good Lord, am I fed and watered, if you know what I mean. There was no shortage of excess over the week. It was big fun, very laid back by your standards, as we had folks in visiting a folk and my daughter. So it was a lot of good family time. Played golf, ate, drank, that sort of thing. I'm not going to say staycation except in making clear that I'm not saying it right. I guess that's what it was.

[Jack Armstrong]

I came back lighter than I left. That's how much walking we did. So I'm happy about that. Even though there was a tremendous amount of eating, it was still freaking hot in Florida. Good freaking. God. And I knew it was going to be and. And kind of went there on purpose because it's not near as crowded, but it was hot. We were in the Everglades, like not very far from where Trump was for the whole unveiling of the alligator Alcatraz. Like I was just not too many miles away. But it like really disrupted traffic and everything. We did a 15 mile bike ride through the Everglades in the heat and that was, that was pretty grueling. That was pretty grueling because it was 90, 90 degrees with 70% humidity and it was just oppressive. 15 miles and Henry wanted to turn around. I called him weak, he got angry and then he finished. So I consider that a win. Sure, he'll be talking to therapist about that the rest of his life, but he went ahead and finished the 15 mile ride and he's not dead.

[Michael]

He'll become some sort of super achieving Navy seal type and he'll never stop hating you.

[Jack Armstrong]

We finished the 15 miles and I mean we were gassed. I mean just beat red and so tired and there was no water on it. You could. Only the water he took, which we ran through very quickly and. But I, I got back and I was talking to the. What are you, a park ranger? Park rangers. And said to one of the girls, I said, man, has anybody ever died on that? She said, yeah, last week a guy, he had a heart attack and died. Oh, okay. I was just kind of kidding. But anyway, what are you gonna do? Saw lots of alligators. That alligator Alcatraz. That's a good idea. They escaped from prison. Or I guess they're illegal immigrants. That's where. Housing illegal immigrants in the Everglades. And the idea is that if you try to escape, you'll be eaten by alligators. I don't know if that's cruel and unusual, that unsaid. It seems like it seems rude to.

[Michael]

Actually say that loud. We are going to accommodate you here while the paperwork is being processed and we suggest you stay on campus. Enjoy your stay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I would present it this way. People come from all over the world to vacation here. The Everglades. I mean, people pay to come here. That's how desirable a spot we have put you, by the way. I wouldn't try to leave.

[Michael]

The place is surrounded by 15 foot lizards will rip your head off. Just thought you'd want to know. Anyway, get comfy and enjoy your stay.

[Jack Armstrong]

And bugs that are like from the prehistoric era, just like the size of a baseball. Like, what the hell is that thing?

[Michael]

Cockroaches. You could ride to town.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't even know what the bugs were. I couldn't tell.

[Michael]

Saddle on that thing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Grasshoppers that should have, you know, individual names and be able to vote. I mean they were.

[Michael]

Should have numbers on the back so the FAA can identify them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Exactly. Anywho, I feel really bad that we missed out on a week of talking about the big beautiful bill that passed. Although we will get to talk about tariffs which kick in on Wednesday. So lucky us. Let's start the show officially before we get to some of the news of the day, some of it awful. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty on this. It is Monday, July 7, the year 2025. We're Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Michael]

Let's leap into action then. Officially now, according to FCC rules, Reg's show starts at mark. The American Revolution is the most important event since the birth of Christ in all of world history.

[Jack Armstrong]

Love it. How was your fourth of July? Did you spend a little time thinking about the whole independence from Great Britain, forming a new nation in a way that had never been done before as Ken Burns the documentarian. Just to point it out there, I just watched that whole interview that Ken Burns, he's got a documentary coming out in November about the revolution and the importance of it. And it was refreshingly old school boosterism for the idea of the United States of America and our creation of and what we're trying to accomplish in a way that I haven't seen in 20 years.

[Michael]

Wow. Color me slightly surprised. I know Ken has been a bit of a liberal one in recent years, but good for him.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've always loved his documentaries though, and. And I think I'm going to talk about this more later as it fits into my vacation and going around and seeing different things. I really, really think that whole moment, that weird period that we, we have said needs to be named, that we all just lived through is over. There's some cleaning up to do. Plenty, plenty of cleaning up to do. But it is over. The fact that CBS had a 15 minute interview with Ken Burns about the founding of the country and that they talked about it in all positive terms.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

As opposed to the 1619 project which looked like it was going to rule the day a couple of years ago. Oh my God, that's refreshing.

[Michael]

Yeah. My concern is an obvious one. The generation of kids were indoctrinated into this evil, awful idea that America is a force for badness and not goodness. They're gonna have to work their way through the system, the system of governance and culture and the rest of it. I'm hoping we can sand off some of those edges because it's not their fault. It really isn't. The people we trusted to educate them perverted their minds.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is still just so incredibly annoying going to a ton of museums over vacation and museums now every plaque you read has got to include some sort of displaced people used to live here or because of climate change or Europeans came and wiped out the or just every plaque has to have some sort of woke Western civilization is bad statement in it and it's so flipping annoying.

[Michael]

Yeah, I read that months and months ago that one of the top priorities Trump and company have to pursue to turn the culture around or to to continue to help it turn around is to root out that sort of stuff at museums. Specifically, they were talking about the Smithsonian, which is just rife with that sort of garbage.

[Jack Armstrong]

And my final note on that, we were at the Museum of American Natural History. The American Museum of Natural History, one of the most famous museums in the world and famous for some movies that a lot of kids, including my kids, liked the Night at the Museum and All the Things Come Alive and those are great movies. But of course it included Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt on the horse, the statue from in front of the museum rides in and Teddy Roosevelt runs the who very charming movies. Except for that giant statue of Teddy Roosevelt on the horse no longer exists. And I'd forgotten about that walking up to the museum. I hadn't been there since they took that statue down. And it's just nuts. It's just nuts that that actually happened.

[Michael]

I know, I know. What a strange, strange time. Got to keep fighting it. That infection is still there. I just read a We probably ought to take a break, but I just read an impassioned piece in Slate, that awful lefty website, talking about how Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania banning big announcement while we were on vacation that glad into my heart banned dudes from competing in women's sports and rescinded all the records and apologized to the women who were abused, blah, blah, blah. But this piece of Slate was arguing that that was a horrific thing to do, it was exactly the wrong thing to do, and we need to stand up more than ever for dudes pretending to be women. So I tell you what, that thinking is not gone.

[Jack Armstrong]

Elon Musk wants to start a new party and that could be pretty damned interesting because Lord knows he's got the money to throw behind it. Among the many, many things we're going to talk about since we're back, here's our text line 415295 KFTC Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie Green]

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[Joe Getty]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free.

[Jack Armstrong]

Free.

[Joe Getty]

With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Jack Armstrong]

That giant piece of legislation passing is a pretty big deal and we'll have to talk about that later. Whether we like it or not.

[Michael]

I think it's a lot like life. A lot of great stuff. A lot of pain, tragedy, suffering, occasional vomiting. Just. It's a metaphor for life. Jack.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, well, maybe, but it's.

[Michael]

No, not.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's another step in that we're just, we're just broken the way we do things. It just completely, completely broken.

[Michael]

That is correct. Yes, Absolutely true. Oh, boy. All right, let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie.

[Angie]

All righty. Starting with ABC News, Texas flooding. At least 80 killed across the state.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is one of the worst stories I can remember hearing. That whole thing just.

[Michael]

I think we all asked how in the world could that happen in the modern world? And the answer is the river levels rose more rapidly than anyone has ever seen. 25 freakish weather phenomena.

[Jack Armstrong]

25, 30ft in 45 minutes.

[Michael]

Yeah, so you're incomprehensible.

[Jack Armstrong]

You're banked along a river like my Kid has done with Boy Scouts or lots of camps have been throughout history because camping near a river is a thing. And it starts raining, you think, holy crap. Well, in 45 minutes it's 30ft deeper. And yeah, there's, there's an awful lot of who's, you know, what can be done to prevent this? I don't know. Sometimes bad things happen. That's horrible.

[Angie]

Horrible, horrible story from the Washington Post. Trump hosting Netanyahu at the White House as US Pushes for a cease fire deal in Gaza.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, this could be a very big deal.

[Michael]

I would like to talk about that. I am as certain as I've been about anything that this is, this will not happen. It cannot happen.

[Jack Armstrong]

Really.

[Michael]

Yeah, it's as I often say, the math just doesn't work.

[Jack Armstrong]

Even with the stick carrot and stick with the carrots out there of Saudi Arabia. Other countries signing on historic deals with Israel. They get all these Arab countries to sign on to historic agreements if you lay off Gaza.

[Michael]

The only way it works is if Israel gets incredibly, unprecedentedly strong assurances about keeping Hamas in check from now till the end of time.

[Angie]

From the New York Times, Ukraine turns to fishing nets to catch Russian drones.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, haven't heard this story. I'll have to read that.

[Michael]

Yeah, that horror grinds on, by the way.

[Angie]

Yeah, the photos are pretty amazing. They look like tunnels made out of these fishing nets. But the drones get all caught up in there. So that's how they're protecting the roadways and transportation.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trump and Putin talked on the phone while we were gone. We'll have to get into that whole story.

[Angie]

From USA Today, train wreck. Trump slams musk after billionaire announces new.

[Jack Armstrong]

Political party, the American party. As Elon says, we're going to go broke. Something need to change. Both parties are doing it, which is right.

[Angie]

More on that later from Fox News. Red States, consider, quote, alligator Alcatraz spinoffs as White House urges them to follow DeSantis lead.

[Jack Armstrong]

I feel like you can't have an alligator Alcatraz in Kansas. I just feel like there's a problem there that's insurmountable.

[Michael]

Call it Prairie Dog Leavenworth. I don't, I don't know. I also think that this is getting at least 35% extra coverage because people like saying alligator Alcatraz.

[Jack Armstrong]

No doubt it is fun to say.

[Angie]

From the Associated Press. Lawyer says Diddy got standing ovation from inmates after court victory.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God. Why?

[Michael]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

He's going to prison though, right? He's still going to prison.

[Angie]

Yeah, he's still, he's he's still guilty of I think three of the charges, I believe.

[Jack Armstrong]

A couple.

[Michael]

It'll be interesting to see what he's sentenced to. Transporting sex workers across state lines. How serious a crime is that these days?

[Angie]

And finally, the Babylon Bee journalists up late trying to decide whether to compare Trump's bill to Jim Crow or the Holocaust.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right. We have to weigh in some of the punditry around that, which a lot of was fairly flattering about just how dominant Trump is as a political force in the country right now.

[Michael]

As a lame duck no less. It's pretty impressive.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it really is. We've got so much to get to. I hope you can stay here. The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Michael]

Armstrong and.

[Katie Green]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Not one Democrat voted for Trump's big beautiful bill. Only two Republicans broke ranks. The top House Democrat delayed its passage by speaking for a record setting eight and a half hours.

[Joe Getty]

We're fighting hard to defend during this extraordinary moment of assault.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, whatever directed at the American people, shut up.

[Joe Getty]

Yes, as a result of this one big ugly bill.

[Jack Armstrong]

Got it.

[Michael]

So that's how we're gonna get over the next election. Fellow Republicans, let's assault the American people. They'll never see it coming.

[Jack Armstrong]

Cry and shame that we were gone vacation last week and didn't get to discuss the big beautiful bill while it was all coming together in the voting and all that. But it did pass and just some overarching views on the whole thing before we get to some of the details. First of all, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts yesterday when we got back and one of the reporters was Talking about how you could walk around Capitol Hill and if you asked Republican Congress, people who voted on this thing, maybe half of them could tell you five things that were in it. I mean, most people don't know for a variety of reasons. It's so giant, so complicated, comes together so fast and things get yanked in and out and whatever and it just becomes a tribal are you with us or against this thing at the end? And this isn't, Trump didn't invent this. This is the way we've been doing it now for quite a few administrations. We do these two big to fail bills that have so much stuff in it that you gotta have in your party, if your party holds power that you end up voting for it. And, and, and you know, the president, the various presidents have figured that out. I guess you just make this giant, giant. Yeah, but you'll be voting against the tax cuts, for instance.

[Michael]

Right. Funding the military. Right. Et cetera.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. If you decide you don't like the part about this or the part about that, and, and that's just the way we've started doing things. And, and it's not gonna work. We're going broke quickly. I hate the national conversation we have around it. Almost every single thing you hear is either a flat out lie or at least a distortion.

[Michael]

Yeah, that was the point I was about to make. The frustrating part of trying to comprehend this, whether you're a citizen or a congressman, is that there are wildly differing narratives about every single aspect of it. And they're about a big million aspects of it. For instance, New York Times, you know, the, the minute it passed had a very sincere looking woman on their front. You know, they're the top of their website explaining how he has. This clearly benefits the rich at the cost of the poor. It's a tragedy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah, I'm glad you mentioned that. The tax cuts part, starting with, starting with. And I always complain about it. Hey, Republicans work on pushing back. If you're on one of those Sunday shows and they start talking to you about tax cuts, say, well let's not call em tax cuts, let's call em the tax rate. They've been the rate for eight years. So this isn't a tax cut, it's a how long does something have to be the current rate right before you're just extending the current tax rate and you call a tax cut? I mean, don't allow the left to always create the language that you then have to dance around. Okay, that, that, that aside.

[Michael]

Well, let me, let me just add this to that thought, just very briefly, and if you can't make this argument, resign from public life. Yes, lower taxes help those who pay taxes more than those who don't pay taxes. I will concede that point. So the whole. It helps the rich much more than the, well, of course, a quote unquote tax cut. Jack will yell at me. Of course a tax cut helps people who pay more taxes.

[Jack Armstrong]

But doesn't that seem reasonable if, if it's been the rate for eight years, how long do you get to call it Trump's tax cuts before it's just the current tax rate?

[Michael]

As long as it helps your partisan agenda as a fake journalist.

[Jack Armstrong]

But only on FOX yesterday, excuse me, only on Fox yesterday did Shannon Bream push back against one of the Democrats who said this is all about helping the rich. The tax cuts benefit the rich. And Shannon Bream said, well, the IRS's own data shows that a higher percentage of the tax cuts go to lower and middle class taxpayers. That's the IRS's own data. Well, that may be true, but they had to go. But nobody else even pushed back on it on any other show that I ever see, either the hosts or even the Republicans. They just are so bad at making the argument. That argument happened eight years ago. These were primarily, they helped more lower middle class, maybe against tax cuts, fine. But that, you know, it's just a lie that it's for the rich. So please.

[Michael]

Right, right. So maddening. So a very, very brief digest of what's in this thing. It the legislation which not a single Democrat voted for, of course makes permanent the 2017 tax cuts, adds new temporary tax breaks for overtime, income and tips as well as for completely unworkable. Completely unworkable, Idiotic, unworkable. A bad idea. Pandering on the campaign trail in Nevada purely but temporarily fulfilling that promise kind of sorta with some carve outs that was just, it's, it's politics. A massive increase in funding for Immigration Customs Enforcement, slight increase in defense spending. Also major elements of the bill, the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Work requirements for welfare, as I heard.

[Michael]

A cade and snap, as I heard described.

[Jack Armstrong]

And this is the left is the crying, you know, millions of people will die in the streets and all that sort of stuff because of this. Even though it's a classic example of you start a program to help a certain group of people and then it grows over time and it's so far away from its initial what it was supposed to do, you can't even recognize it, but you try to carve it back a Little bit to what it was originally supposed to be. And you know, people scream and yell that, you know, they're going to be dying in the streets, but it's not.

[Michael]

I, I loved how the mainstream media, they, in, in describing that, they would talk about the reform saying able bodied men, for instance, able bodied adults who are getting Medicaid, which was originally intended for something very different, they now have to work at least a little bit before they get other people's tax money.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Michael]

But they would always say cuts to Medicaid, the program to provide medical care for the poor and helpless. Well, the poor and helpless are untouched by this reform. So we know what you're doing describing it that way. It was originally that, yeah, but it's, it's grown. So that's an absolutely dishonest description of what Medicaid is.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the fact that it's going to make able bodied men work now to get their benefits is a bit of a stretch. And it becomes just a. Are you willing to do the paperwork to pretend that you're looking for a job? If you are, you get to keep getting your benefits while you don't work. If you're too lazy to even go about filling out the paperwork where it makes it look like you're getting work and you don't. First of all, if your kids are under 14, you don't even have to try to get work. And if you. And volunteering counts as a work. So you can either work or be volunteering. So all you gotta do is find any organization or person who's willing to sign a piece of paper that claims you're volunteering. So, so much for the, you know.

[Michael]

Yeah, I'm running our neighborhood watch. Takes a lot of time, 40 hours a week. I'm always on it. I'm always watching. Few more details of this. The reform of snap, that's your food stamps in an unholy deal with Satan who signed the deal in the blood of the innocent. GOP lawmakers from New York and California held out until they got the increase in the state and local tax. Deduct the salt deductions up to 40 grand for the next five years with some phase outs if you earn more than half a million bucks. Defunds pro Planned Parenthood for one year, which is lovely. Yeah, they're going to sue Planned Parenthood. Suing, phases out green energy tax credits in spite of Republicans who enjoy that delicious pork screaming about it. Also slightly increases the child tax credit, which, you know, there's a history of that too. That's pretty interesting. It's a perfect example. We'll get into this later, but there's a. There's a plan for this new savings thing, the, the MAGA Savings plan for kids. The government will put in some seed money you can contribute to your kids private investment account. It's not a bad idea at all. And it's a fairly, you know, limited expenditure by the taxpayers at this point, but it is guaranteed to metastasize. Guaranteed. And this lovely little idea for getting kids some seed money when they're born is going to become another giant entitlement program. So sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

And again, the overarching thing is probably the most important that we're just continuing down the road of these giant bills that spend insane amounts of money and they throw all this stuff together and the party that's in power, enough people vote for it to push it through. I heard somebody describe it this way and it's perfect. Coming off a vacation. You know how you go on vacation? For some reason you trick your brain into believing that money and calories don't count while you're on vacation. So you eat like you wouldn't normally eat and you spend like you wouldn't normally spend. Then you get back home and it's like all of a sudden you're not going to just 90 bucks for this or whatever. Sure. It's crazy. I heard somebody explain and I think it's what's happened. It started with Obama during the financial crisis of 2008. And that which seems tiny bill now 700 some billion dollars that we all freaked out about and formed the Tea Party around. It's tiny compared to what we do now. But anyway, we started acting like that's normal. We started spending after that all through the COVID So financial then Covid and then we just spend like we're on vacation. It's like you come home from vacation and you lock in your vacation spending and just continue to spend like you're on vacation from that point forward. That's what we're doing as a federal government. Doesn't matter which party is in power.

[Michael]

That's a great way to put it. I love that we got to keep selling that idea. Speaking of, you know, spending, eating and drinking on vacation at one point, on vacation just a couple of days ago, we had homemade apple crisp lemon meringue pie and Judy's banana split cake, which is a layer of graham cracker crust with sugar and all cream cheese. Then a pineapple, bananas, strawberries, cool whip, etc. On the top. Just spectacular we had all three of those desserts in the fridge at one time to be eaten morning, noon and night.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's awesome.

[Michael]

I was cake for breakfast. Never mind cake by the Ocean cake at 8am I was in the Florida.

[Jack Armstrong]

Keys for three, four days. I had key lime pie four days in a row.

[Michael]

Yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

And actually got to the point where I just couldn't stomach the idea of another.

[Michael]

Boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

I can't do it. I'm going to vomit.

[Michael]

And that's our country, he says, winding back to the main point of the segment.

[Jack Armstrong]

But fiscal conservatism, as we have been saying for quite a while, is completely dead. It does not exist as a concept in either party. Which is why Elon claims he's going to start something called the America Party to rescue us from from rescue us from going bankrupt. Which we are going to do. I mean, that's not like. That is not Harem Scarum. Just trying to get people scared. Whatever. No, we are going to. You can't spend more than you take in forever. It ends at some point, right?

[Michael]

Agreed. I'm. I'm intrigued. And when Trump vanishes from the scene, what is the Republican Party?

[Jack Armstrong]

No kidding.

[Michael]

I don't think this idea is a non starter at all.

[Jack Armstrong]

Interesting. We got mailbag on the way. Lots of stuff. Stay here.

[Michael]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Maybe my favorite thing on vacation. Did you see the video I tweeted out of the guy balancing the tire on his head as he rode his bike around Washington Square Park?

[Michael]

Missed it, but it sounds delightful.

[Jack Armstrong]

It is. I'll have to talk about that later. It was amazing.

[Michael]

You don't see that sort of thing no, every day.

[Jack Armstrong]

No you don't.

[Michael]

Right. Here's your freedom loving quote of the day in honor of his 95th birthday while we were on vacation. The great Thomas Sowell this week, maybe every day this month from my favorite thinkers of all time include. Thomas could have been one of the founding fathers, except for the unfortunate state of race relations in the 1700s. True that, but one of the wisest men who's ever strode the earth, in my opinion. Here's today's freedom loving quote of the day. Some things are believed because they are demonstrably true, but many other things are believed simply because they have been asserted repeatedly and repetition has been accepted as a substitute for evidence. People will just repeat the lie over and over and over again until you think it must be true. A man can decide he's a woman, for instance. What a ridiculous notion. Mailbag. I mean, you can decide that, but you certainly can't become one. Mailbag. Drop us a note [e-mail] Kevin, the Texas Marine welcoming us back. Thank you, Kevin, very much. He, he says that the very last show before vacation when Jack is already on vacation.

[Jack Armstrong]

Left early. I shouldn't have done that. That's why I'm so tired.

[Michael]

That's fine. That may have been the best hour of radio I have ever listened to. A full hour with Tim Sandifer talking about the revolution in the Declaration of Independence. Fantastic. I have listened three times to catch all the details.

[Jack Armstrong]

I will listen to that.

[Michael]

I will listen to it again. That would be the 27th. June 27th. Armstrong and Getty on Demand, the interview with Tim Sandiford. Terrific. Just enjoyable. Thank you for the kind words, Kevin. And you know, part of the reason I'm enthusiastic about recommending that is not just self aggrandizement to get our numbers up, but because I am firmly, practically religiously convinced that we need to all go on the war path for liberty for the United States, for the founding principles and the great, great nation that we're so privileged to be citizens of, with all of its flaws. Of course we need to be be positive about that because we've let the forces of negativity own the battlefield for a very long time. Anyway, having said that, Ryan from Houston points out that everything is political these days, including. Oh, whoops, that's the other one, isn't it? The. For instance, the parliamentarian. Oh, I'm sorry. It's funny, I conflated two emails in my head. Paolo's talking about how everything is political these days, including the Senate Parliamentarian what the hell is that? Nobody ever, nobody knew there was one. And now she's in the crosshairs. And also in the scotus. You got Katanji Brown Jackson calling the conservatives monsters and Amy Coney Barrett yelling back at her. Shame you don't know anything about the law or the Constitution. We'll get into the details of that high level cat fight later on in the show.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'm glad you're up on that. I just saw some of the headlines and thought, man, that's a Armstrong and Getty story right there.

[Michael]

Yeah, can't wait to talk about it. Here's Ryan from Houston. He points out it's a shame our country is doomed. First off, you got a vocal minority who believes we're installing incinerate incinerators at Alligator Alcatraz, taking immigrants into cargo planes and throwing them shackled into the oceans. They've alleged that online.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Michael]

Luckily, in the face of that most heinous war crime, all they want to do is tick tock about it. But with the massive spending bill once again causing the death of untold millions, we will not survive every news story being at Defcon1 every day. We had a decent run, he says. He's right. The Never Ending DEF CON 1. Let's see another J in San Jose has a couple points to make. He says, what's a democratic socialist? Aren't these two different political ideologies? Are these people bipolitical? Do we need to add a letter? If we had time, I could get into, you know, what democratic socialism is. It's pretending to reject socialism, sure. But saying the heretofore recognized limits on government interference taxation at all. We're going to wipe those away and just creep a little bit further and further and further and further and further. It's just permission to go, you know, beyond the bounds that we all used to accept. And then the other point he makes is Trump's second term already seems too good to be true for him and his supporters. Too consequential, too unique, especially for a second term. Probably too transformational not to end in his tragic demise. I'm not in the business of wishing death on anyone except mosquitoes. But in history, the immense power Trump seems to be wielding has often been the beginning of the end. This doesn't seem like the kind of story that ends with Trump doing the YMCA from a wheelchair after he retires. Wow. It's a lighthearted way to say Trump is so consequential they'll never stop coming for him.

[Jack Armstrong]

There is a long way to go in the second Trump term, though. Long way.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Three and a half years left.

[Michael]

Wait, what?

[Jack Armstrong]

No, and that seem crazy.

[Michael]

Let me check those.

[Jack Armstrong]

It just started. What? Anyway, we got so many things to talk about, so many stories from vacation I can't wait to talk about. If you missed the segment or an hour, get the podcast. Subscribe to Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Michael]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.