Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "They Found a Trained Gorilla"
Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty dives into several major current events with their characteristic irreverence and critical analysis. The central themes include U.S. military action against Venezuelan drug smugglers, the international implications of labeling groups as "terrorists," AI-generated misinformation, freedom of speech concerns in the UK, demographic shifts in America, viral White House rumors, the ongoing Epstein case, and the political upheaval sweeping Europe in response to immigration. The episode mixes pointed commentary, skepticism, and humor—demonstrating the duo's style as they question media narratives and governmental responses.

Major Topics & Discussion Points

U.S. Military Strike on Venezuelan Drug Boat

(03:59 - 13:47)

• Incident Overview:
  The episode begins with hosts reacting to reports of a U.S. strike on a Venezuelan drug-running boat, allegedly killing 11 gang members linked to the Tren de Aragua.

  • President Trump released a video of the strike.
  • Debate centers on the language of the coverage ("claimed" vs "said") and the justification for such military force.

• Host Skepticism Over 'Terrorist' Label:

  • "The word claimed is a prejudicial term." – Joe Getty (04:28)
  • Discussion on the trend of labeling drug organizations as "narco terrorists" to justify extreme action.
  • Jack Armstrong: "I thought a decade ago the term terrorist had lost its usefulness." (05:06)
  • Critique of the U.S.'s readiness to execute drug dealers abroad despite different practices at home—"Those people got the death penalty and the trial was very short." – Joe Getty (10:07)

• Build-Up & Policy Implications:

  • Reports on significant U.S. military deployments near Venezuela, including destroyers, a missile cruiser, and 2,500 Marines.
  • Joe questions America's strategy: "I don't know if we're prepared for, but we appear to be capable of a full Normandy beach landing there in Venezuela if we want to." (08:14)
  • Armstrong calls for a more assertive foreign policy: "No, let's go over there and whoop their ass...within reasonable parameters a little more aggressive exercise of our national prerogatives." (08:28)

• Philosophical Debate:

  • The nature of power, global morals, and the risks of setting a precedent as the world's unilateral enforcer.
  • "How long do we get to be the only country on planet Earth that just snuffs people? Whenever, wherever, when we decide it's important." – Joe Getty (13:47)
  • Armstrong: "Until somebody's strong enough to a) make a stop or do it themselves." (14:06)

AI, Fake News, and Misinformation

(15:36 - 16:14; 31:49 - 34:44)

• Maduro’s AI Denial:

  • After the Venezuelan boat strike, Maduro’s regime claims the video is AI-generated disinformation—an expected dodge, according to the hosts.
  • Armstrong: "Yeah, it was AI. The guys on the boat AI went in that direction…" (15:57)

• Viral White House Video Rumor:

  • A viral video purportedly shows someone throwing a bag from an open White House window.
  • Trump says the video is fake, citing that the windows are sealed and armored.
  • "Let me see that video." – Trump, reviewing the footage directly (33:02)
  • White House confirms the video as real but attributes it to contractor maintenance.
  • "They found a way or got a permit or had a trained gorilla open the windows or something." – Armstrong jokes (34:38)
  • Significance: Showcases both the ease of misinformation and official attempts to fact-check rumors in the AI era.

Freedom of Speech & Censorship in the UK

(21:02 - 25:56; 46:24 - 50:29)

• The Arrest of Graham Linehan:

  • Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan was arrested in the UK over tweets considered offensive by authorities.
  • Armstrong recounts: "He was met by five armed police officers…over three tweets." (22:08)
    • Linehan’s tweets: Critiquing trans issues, calling for reporting, and insulting rally photos.
  • Released on the condition he stop posting to X (formerly Twitter).
  • Joe Getty: "[Charles C.W.] Cook points out, the fact that they arrested him at Heathrow shows...that was like a real planned out [operation]." (25:23)
  • Framing the story as a dire warning about free speech: "The UK has become a country that is hostile to freedom of speech, hostile to women, and far accommodating to the demands of violent, entitled, abusive men who have turned the police into their personal goon squad." – Linehan (24:10, summarized)

• Broader European Turbulence:

  • Armstrong: "This is such a huge headline: for the first time, populist or far right parties are leading the polls in the UK, France, and Germany." (48:54)
  • Explanation: Public backlash against mass immigration and the suppression of dissent.
  • Armstrong: "The European authorities...have made an unholy bed and now they’re trying to lie in it. The resolution of this is not going to be pretty and it is not going to be easy." (49:04)

Demographic Shifts & Immigration in the U.S.

(29:45 - 31:13)

• U.S. Population Declines for First Time:
  • Getty cites an AEI study: "Our population in that 250 years has never declined until this year." (29:45)
  • Immigration has historically propped up growth, but "we ain't replacing the dead people with live people anymore."
  • Armstrong warns: "It all depends on population and economic growth or it goes ker bluey—blows up like a Venezuelan drug dealer's boat." (30:43)

Epstein Files, Media Hype, and Political Agendas

(35:01 - 41:36)

• Congressional Push to Release Epstein Documents:
  • Ongoing Capitol Hill event with Epstein’s victims advocating for public release of files.
  • Getty: "Of all the victims that are up there...they were asked...Did any of you see or hear Donald Trump himself doing anything inappropriate...And they all said no, no, no, no, no. All of them." (37:13)
  • Armstrong & Getty both doubt a major "bombshell" remains, describing the story as: "a nothing burger with nothing buns and nothing sauce and nothing cheese." (35:16)
  • Concerns over unsealing grand jury testimonies, potentially wrongfully implicating innocent bystanders—"You can’t make a habit of releasing grand jury testimony..." – Getty (39:04)
  • Armstrong highlights political motives: "[Democrats] were stating it out loud...this is a great wedge to...shake Trump’s popularity among his core." (39:33)
  • Discussion of Ghislaine Maxwell’s recent statement that Trump did nothing wrong and her view that Epstein was murdered, not a suicide.

Europe’s Political Upheaval & Populist Surge

(46:24 - 51:25)

• Political Realignment:
  • Far-right parties lead polls in the UK, France, and Germany—reflecting discontent with unchecked immigration and inflation.
  • Armstrong: "What are the options? Stop rampant immigration and hope that they assimilate over time...or your country becomes something very different forever." (50:41)
  • Tease for next hour: "How the Muslim Brotherhood is capturing Europe...nobody in American media is talking about it." (50:51)

Notable Quotes

• "The word claimed is a prejudicial term." – Joe Getty (04:28)
• "I thought a decade ago the term terrorist had lost its usefulness." – Jack Armstrong (05:06)
• "Now blowing people up for transporting drugs is...I'm not sure that's in our legal code." – Jack Armstrong (08:28)
• "How long do we get to be the only country on planet Earth that just snuffs people...?" – Joe Getty (13:47)
• "[Graham Linehan]: I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist, locked in a cell like a criminal...all because I made jokes that upset some psychotic cross dressers." (24:10 paraphrase)
• "Our population...has never declined until this year." – Joe Getty (29:45)
• "Blows up like a Venezuelan drug dealer’s boat." – Jack Armstrong (30:43)
• "[The Epstein story is] a nothing burger with nothing buns and nothing sauce and nothing cheese." – Jack Armstrong (35:16)
• "They found a way or got a permit or had a trained gorilla open the windows or something." – Jack Armstrong (34:38)
• "Populist or far right parties are leading the polls in the UK, France, and Germany...this is huge." – Jack Armstrong (48:54)
• "The European authorities...have made an unholy bed and now they’re trying to lie in it." – Jack Armstrong (49:04)
• "What are the options? Stop rampant immigration...or your country becomes something very different forever." – Jack Armstrong (50:41)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• U.S. strikes Venezuelan drug boat / narco-terror debate: 03:59 – 13:47
• AI denial and fake video discourse: 15:36 – 16:14, 31:49 – 34:44
• UK comedy writer arrested for tweets – censorship debate: 21:02 – 25:56
• Demographic decline & U.S. immigration: 29:45 – 31:13
• White House viral bag video – fact checking, satire: 31:49 – 34:44
• Epstein file release, victim testimony: 35:01 – 41:36
• European populist surge, immigration backlash: 46:24 – 51:25

Memorable Moments

• Armstrong’s ongoing riff about "having a trained gorilla open the windows" at the White House (34:38, 34:53), poking fun at both bureaucracy and conspiracy theories.
• Getty and Armstrong’s deadpan dismissal of the Epstein bombshell rumors ("a nothing burger with nothing buns and nothing sauce and nothing cheese" – 35:16).
• Armstrong anticipating the media’s (and politicians’) opportunism around Epstein: "Their stated freaking goal. They don’t even bother to hide it anymore." (39:33)
• The candid, comical analysis of European turmoil: "Unholy bed" analogy and forecasting of ongoing political shifts (49:04–50:29).

Tone & Style

• Critical, skeptical, and highly conversational.
• Frequently satirical and irreverent, often lampooning political double standards, media coverage, and bureaucracy.
• Uses humor to soften darker or more controversial analysis.

Summary prepared for listeners seeking clear context, discussion flow, key insights, and engaging moments from "They Found a Trained Gorilla."