Try Planting a Lawn

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand — "Try Planting a Lawn"

Date: March 19, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jack and Joe dive headfirst into California’s ambitious and controversial environmental engineering project—the “Butterfly Bridge” (aka the Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing or Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing). The hosts scrutinize government spending, efficacy, and intentions behind such lavish conservation efforts, using trademark wit and skepticism. They then segue into broader discussions about political rhetoric on climate change (with special attention to Governor Gavin Newsom), the current escalation in the Iran war and its geopolitical risks, and, for a palate cleanser, a lighthearted riff on viral CEO food videos, including the famous Costco hot dog.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

---

The Butterfly Bridge: Conservation or “Boondoggle”?

[00:30–09:43]

• Project Background & Budget Overruns

  • California’s “Butterfly Bridge” is designed as a massive wildlife overpass across the busy 101 freeway to let animals safely cross.
  • Initial cost: $54 million promised by the state. New overruns bring it to at least $114 million.
    • Jack Armstrong [05:03]: “The total cost has risen to about $114 million with 21 million in overruns and increasing state funding. But that’s always the so far.”
  • Jack and Joe lampoon California’s reputation for do-gooder projects that end up as “money holes” with endless fundraising.

• Skepticism about Effectiveness

  • The practicality of animals—from mountain lions to butterflies—using the bridge is widely questioned.
    • Joe Getty [03:54]: “It’ll probably be at night if I understand mountain lion habits. But…”
    • Jack Armstrong [03:58]: “You have to believe the mountain lion is going to figure out that there’s a place I can cross here to get to the other side of the freeway.”
  • The hosts mock the notion that a land bridge meaningfully helps flying animals like butterflies or bats.

• “Seed Scouting” and Jobs Programs

  • A clip with Megan McCardell describes the process of searching for native plant seeds for the project, which Jack and Joe see as an example of taxpayer-funded “dream jobs.”
    • Megan McCardell [05:58]: “To be able to just be roaming the Santa Monica mountains looking for seeds in that sacred solitude was such a blessing…”
    • Joe Getty [06:28]: “Ever try to plant a lawn, just spread out some dirt and you’ll have all the native plants…”
  • They question the legitimacy and real impact of the roles supported by such funding.

• Memorable Moments

  • Joe Getty [08:26]: “She probably legally had her name changed to Butterfly. Ocean Feather.”
  • Jack Armstrong [09:09]: “That could be all the state tax money you ever pay in your life… that just went to this stupid complete waste of money.”

---

Climate Change Rhetoric (Gavin Newsom & the Media)

[12:20–18:47]

• Newsom’s Focus on Climate

  • The hosts turn to Governor Gavin Newsom’s climate change campaigns, lambasting what they see as his cherry-picked statistics and misleading rhetoric on wildfire and heat deaths.
    • Jack Armstrong [13:39]: “Man, he seems pretty wily to me. I don’t understand why he doesn’t understand that ship has sailed a bit.”
    • Joe Getty quoting Bjorn Lomborg [14:52]: “Warming has helped reduce age-adjusted cold related deaths by more than 5000 a year.”
    • Jack Armstrong [14:52]: “By more than 5000 a year. My God.”
  • They point out data indicating that while heat deaths have slightly increased, reductions in cold deaths far outpace them, and that wildfires are actually down globally, except in specific North American contexts.

• Media Critique

  • Mocking the New York Times for unsubstantiated claims linking climate change to restaurant woes in LA:
    • Joe Getty [12:20]: “It’s like a cult… They don’t mention bums and junkies? The artificially high $20 an hour minimum wage, crime? No, it’s climate change…”

---

Iran War Escalation & Geopolitics

[19:07–31:49]

• War Developments

  • Discussion on the latest ballistic missile barrages from Iran, Israeli strikes on Iran’s gas fields, and coalition building to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
    • Pete Hegseth [20:02]: “We’ve struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure… today will be the largest strike package yet…”
    • Jack Armstrong [20:28]: “This war is clearly escalating by any measure…”

• Possible Global Ramifications

  • Speculates on potential for the conflict to draw China and Russia in, disrupting global supply chains.
    • Jack Armstrong [21:00]: “The Strait of Hormuz is blocked for how long? The Strait of Taiwan is open for how long?”
    • Joe Getty [22:27]: “If China moved on Taiwan, that would cause a brutal worldwide chip shortage and probably a global recession bordering on depression…”

• Europe & Allies

  • Notes the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan all expressing readiness to help secure shipping, a major diplomatic unity shift.
    • Jack Armstrong [22:59]: “The fact that Israel hit the largest gas field in the world… and Trump being very angry about it…”

• Iran’s Strategy

  • Iran’s efforts to drive up energy prices and destabilize regional governments debated.
    • Joe Getty [26:26]: “And the Gulf states will react with we’re tired of getting bombed… That’s their strategy.”

• Military Realities

  • The difficulty of reducing Iran’s military capacity despite thousands of strikes; boots on the ground seem inevitable.
    • Joe Getty [27:56]: “At some point we have to get all of the highly refined fissile material that Iran has, and that’s going to be a hell of an operation…”

• Memorable Exchange

  • Pete Hegseth [29:39]: “To borrow a page from Admiral Ernest King In World War II, we’ve decided to share the ocean with Iran. We’ve given them the bottom half. We’ve damaged OR sunk over 120 of their Navy ships…”

---

Lighthearted Closing: CEO Fast Food Videos & March Madness

[32:17–36:23]

• CEO Viral Videos

  • Trend of food chain CEOs eating their products on camera for PR—Costco hot dog video praised for authenticity vs. McDonald’s CEO video mocked as phony.
    • Jack Armstrong [34:57]: “He [Costco’s CEO] kind of looks like a regular guy… actually enjoying his Costco hot dog the way I enjoy them…”
    • Joe Getty [34:57]: “And like a fine burger product.”
    • Jack Armstrong [36:01]: Shares an anecdote about spilling mustard on himself while eating a Costco hot dog.

• Callback to the Butterfly Bridge

  • Jack revisits the wildlife bridge story, calling it an example of California’s most absurd taxpayer spending.
    • Jack Armstrong [33:03]: “That is one of the more hilarious stealing of taxpayer money stories ever.”

---

Notable Quotes (with Speakers & Timestamps)

• “It’s a money spigot for cronies. That’s what it is. Every project. Never mind what they call it, it’s a money spigot.”
  — Joe Getty [05:18]

• “The whole concept is so silly.”
  — Jack Armstrong [07:14]

• “Self evident that… now that’s ridiculous. Climate change is self evident just as a human being on Earth. I can tell.”
  — Jack Armstrong [15:41]

• “She probably legally had her name changed to Butterfly. Ocean Feather.”
  — Joe Getty [08:26]

• “The butterfly is going to say to its youngsters… Now kids, remember, let’s fly over this bridge and not down by the roadway where we might get hit by a semi truck.”
  — Joe Getty [33:15]

• “He [Costco’s CEO] kind of looks like a regular guy, a little fat, really, actually enjoying his Costco hot dog the way I enjoy them…”
  — Jack Armstrong [34:57]

---

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• Butterfly Bridge & Public Accountability: [00:30–09:43]
• Climate Change & Newsom Critique: [12:20–18:47]
• Iran War & Geopolitical Risks: [19:07–31:49]
• CEO Videos, Hot Dogs, and March Madness: [32:17–36:23]
• Funny Anecdote (Costco Hot Dog / Mustard): [36:01]

---

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their trademark skeptical, irreverent, and conversational style—mixing wry humor with earnest frustration over issues of government spending and political narratives. Segments are peppered with quick quips, sarcasm, and playful banter, ensuring the episode remains both informative and entertaining.

---

Conclusion

For listeners who didn’t catch the episode:
Jack and Joe serve up incisive criticism of California’s costly “Butterfly Bridge” (and the broader trend of well-intentioned but extravagantly budgeted public projects), lampoon the political use of climate rhetoric, dissect the dangers and unpredictability of the escalating Iran conflict, and lighten things up with commentary on the authenticity (or lack thereof) of viral CEO food videos. It’s a brisk, irreverent ride through state and global issues—balanced with signature Armstrong & Getty humor.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast, guaranteed human

[Joe Getty]

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

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

[Jack Armstrong]

$54 million the state has put up for this program and will complete the job within another $10 million. By the way, I told Wallace we're not going to ask for any more money. We're good, we're good, we're good. I think we're good. I don't know. So the butterfly bridge. This is what we're going to talk about here. And it's a kind of a wacky idea and then it's turning into yet another money hole that we do in California and all over the country really. But we specialize it in California. You come up with a do gooder idea and then yet come up with a ridiculous budget and then you go way past the budget and you just keep asking for money. The butterfly bridge. It's officially the Wallace Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, also known as the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing in Southern California. It's a massive vegetated wildlife overpass going across 101 which is a big freeway in California. If you don't know that it's a giant overpass that they're going to grow

[Joe Getty]

stuff on, it's sometimes called the Newsome Cougar and butterfly bridge. I hope there will be Chardonnay stations. So that is the cougars as they cross the bridge can get refreshments.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the bridge connects habitats between the two areas of Southern California which will in theory help wildlife safely cross the busy freeway. If the wildlife happens to have a smartphone and are on waves navigation system of some sort that can tell them that this is the best way to cross.

[Joe Getty]

You got two mountain lions, one's about to walk into the road, the other one says yo yo Jim, Jim, let's take the bridge, it's much safer.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it originally came up because there was so much roadkill along the freeway or somebody decided there was more roadkill there than other places or whatever, including butterflies or all kinds of wildlife and that they needed some sort of like bridge for the, the beasts all everything from butterflies to mountain lions and everything in between could get across. And it's, it's about an acre. It's. So it's pretty big. I mean the overpass is an acre. If you can picture an acre, it's pretty damn big. Making it the world's largest wildlife crossing. You know why? Because nobody else has done this dumb idea that probably won't benefit a single ant anyway. It's behind on funding. It's as all these sorts of things happen. Let's hear from this Beth Pratt who's involved in the raising more money for it.

[Joe Getty]

When we started stage one, and we're waiting to start stage two, the world changed beneath us though this spring, construction costs increased considerably although we were holding reserves to finish construction. All those are exhaustive at this point because of tariffs, inflation, and so many other factors impacting construction projects, not just ours. So we need your help one more time to get us to the finish line and help us build back those reserves so that we can ensure that we finalize construction by November so we can all cut that ribbon together. What a moment that will be. And like you, I can't wait to see that first mountain lion cross.

It'll probably be at night if I understand mountain lion habits. But.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, you have to believe that, I mean, while an acre is fairly large, it's very, very small for a giant area of Southern California. And you have to believe the mountain lion is going to figure out that there's a place I can cross here to get to the other side of the freeway. I just, I don't know that I believe that any this is gonna benefit anything other than whoever's getting all the money. It's gonna be mountain lions, deer, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, bears, rabbits, lizards, birds, and smaller creatures like monarch butterflies, bats and rodents that will use the butterfly, literally fly. So you heard from the groundbreaking there. That was Gavin Newsom, the groundbreaking on earth day in 2022, where he said that we're going to get $54 million from the state. We won't ask for any more money. $54 million of taxpayer money for this thing that will probably never benefit. Like I said, an ant. And of course they haven't been able to build it and they need lots and lots of more money.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, it's more than doubled in price. Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

The total cost has risen to about $114 million with 21 million in overruns and increasing state funding. But that's always the so far. I mean, we're always never even close to the end of these things.

[Joe Getty]

It's a money spigot for cronies. That's what it is. Every project. Never mind what they call it, it's a money spigot.

[Jack Armstrong]

Critics call it a boondoggle or jobs program or money spigot. While supporters emphasize long term safety and biodiversity align with California's conservation goals.

[Joe Getty]

Who could be against reduced wildlife vehicle

[Jack Armstrong]

collisions so that we won't have any more SUVs hitting bats and lizards.

[Joe Getty]

My God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or a bob cat.

[Joe Getty]

The lizard carnage has been unspeakable.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, I haven't heard this clip. This is another do gooder that we just happen to have. Here we go. 91.

[Megan McCardell]

So seed scouting is going out into natural lands, and you're identifying populations of plants that you want to be able to return to when they set seed. So I literally had months to myself to work to get exactly what was needed done for this particular project. And so to be able to just be roaming the Santa Monica mountains looking for seeds in that sacred solitude was such a blessing. And it was such a blessing to be part of this particular team and group.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Joe Getty]

Hey, baby, I got a hint for you. You ever try to plant a lawn, just spread out some dirt and you'll have all the native plants you can use within about two weeks.

[Jack Armstrong]

So somebody told this poet dreamer, we're going to give you a salary to go roam the mountains and hunt for seeds to plant on this overpass. And she felt like she'd won the lottery because she did. You got the poet job in California that we taxpayers are paying for. That won't do any good for anything. The idea that this is going to cause lots of animals to figure out, well, that's the. The overpass. If you need to get over there, if you go in that direction down there. So you all us foxes and deer and bats and lizards, we all head down to the overpass and cross there.

[Joe Getty]

Didn't you read the animal newsletter, Jim? There's an overpass.

[Jack Armstrong]

Now, you see, because we're animals and we understand roads and the dangers of roads, so we wouldn't try to pass here when we know word of mouth or beak that there's an overpass down there. I mean, the whole concept is so silly.

[Joe Getty]

Well, and you. You made it sound more efficient than it is. She wasn't going out to gather the seeds. She was doing a separate scouting TR to find the plants that might someday have the seeds that would just blow through the damn air again. Just spread out some dirt. Trust me, all the native plants you can see will be growing.

[Jack Armstrong]

How much did she get paid? This is what. Maybe I'll do it someday when I'm retired or whatever. There's so many documentary films or news pieces. I wish somebody would do find out the people that are getting the money for this project and interview them and lay it out for people. This lady, whatever her name is, how many hours did you work? What did you get paid. What were the other benefits that came with the seed sprouting job for this ridiculous, fanciful unicorn project? And then there's probably hundreds of examples of just with this project of things that would blow people's minds.

[Joe Getty]

She probably legally had her name changed to butterfly. Ocean feather. Speaking of which, Gavin Newsom figure out

[Jack Armstrong]

that that's where to cross. See, the lizard doesn't know it's a road.

[Joe Getty]

Got a brain like a sesame seed. Oh, boy. Gavin Newsom's utterly hilariously fictional climate. False alarms coming up in a moment or two.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God.

[Joe Getty]

That sort of thing does stuff like this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Get off the ground.

[Joe Getty]

Thanks for taking my money. And while California taxpayer there, and while

[Jack Armstrong]

$114 million so far is a drop in the bucket for what we spend in California, as we always like to point out, that could be all the state tax money you ever pay in your life and all your neighbors right there that just went to this stupid complete waste of money.

[Joe Getty]

It's a land bridge for animals that fly. Oh, boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, luckily for the animals that have GPS and understand roadways.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Exactly. Exactly. All right. The Gavin stuff's worth staying tuned for, Trust me.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's next.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Howie Mandel]

The Bleacher Report app is your destination for sports right now. The NBA is heating up, March Madness is here, and MLB is almost back. Every day there's a new headline, a new highlight, a new moment you've got to see for yourself. That's why I stay locked in with the Bleacher Report app. For me, it's about staying connected to my sports. I can follow the teams I care about, get real time, scores, breaking news and highlights all in one place. Download the Bleacher Report app today so you never miss a moment. Hey, it's Howie Mandel and I am inviting you to witness history as me and my how we do it gaming team take on Gilly the King and Wallow 267's million doll as gaming in an epic global gaming league video game showdown. Four rounds, multiple games, one winner, plus a halftime performance by multi platinum artist Travy McCoy. Watch all the action and see who wins and advances to the championship match against Neo right [e-mail] that's globalgamingleague.com everybody games.

[Megan McCardell]

Has the news been getting you down? I'm Megan McCardell and I'm here to help. I'm the host of a new show from Washington Post opinion called Reasonably Optimistic. And it's an antidote to the pessimism that's riddling America right now. Every Wednesday I'm going to talk to people who see a path forward.

[Jack Armstrong]

It does seem to me that there is some awakening of a desire to act together to solve problems where they are.

[Joe Getty]

You know, I am a believer in America and it's worth fighting for.

[Megan McCardell]

Join me Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Howie Mandel]

Bubba Wallace here from 23 Xi Racing.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know what's slower than a pace car? Waiting at the car.

[Howie Mandel]

That's when I fire up Chumba Casino.

[Jack Armstrong]

It turns those slow minutes into fast fun. With new games every week, you'll never get bored.

[Howie Mandel]

Next time you're stuck in the slow lane, speed up with Chumba. Play [e-mail] let's Chumba sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Jack Armstrong]

No purchase necessary VGW Group void where

[Joe Getty]

prohibited by law 21 terms and conditions apply.

[Jack Armstrong]

Breaking Celebrity News Breaking celebrity news Chuck Norris is in the hospital in an emergency, according to TMZ in Hawaii. So full team coverage on the way.

[Joe Getty]

Stick the kick in the gut. Oh, Chuck, get well soon.

[Jack Armstrong]

Chuck Norris doesn't listen to Armstrong and Getty. He doesn't Armstrong and Getty listen to Chuck Norris.

[Joe Getty]

How? The hospital is in Chuck Norris?

[Jack Armstrong]

How old, how old do you think Chuck Norris is?

[Joe Getty]

83?

[Jack Armstrong]

86? Pretty good guess.

[Joe Getty]

Thank you. So let's talk about Gavin's ridiculous, hilarious inaccuracy on climate change. I'm going to start with this, though. Leave it to the New New York Times. They're writing an article about struggling LA restaurants, and that's not exactly the focus of the story, but one of the lead sentences is some local chefs find it inconvenient, blah blah, blah, when LA restaurants are facing existential threats from climate change, inflation and immigration enforcement. And the facing existential threats is actually hyperlinks to two New York Times articles about the challenges facing the LA restaurant industry. But neither one of those articles mentions climate change in any way. But the New York Times listed it as one of the factors in the hyperlink to those stories. It's like a cult. Oh, they don't mention bums and junkies? The artificially high $20 an hour minimum wage crime? Any of that? No, it's climate change that's making it tough to run a restaurant in la. Unbelievable. But let's move on to Gavin him, shall we? The climate change thing is is currently one of his big planks that he really hammers on why he should be president and what a leader he is in California.

[Jack Armstrong]

Man, he seems pretty wily to me. I don't understand why he doesn't understand that. That is kind of like that ship has sailed a bit.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, because I don't think it's sailed among the hardest core 30%. He might argue. Hey dudes, primary voters. That's what I'm talking to right now. And he might be right anyway. But I'm going to be quoting now some nice writing by Bjorn Lomborg. Gavin Newsom Raising alarms on climate change again and getting basic facts wrong California Governor vows to sue the Feds over the Trump administration's repeal of the EPA's 2009 endangerment finding, which was the main legal basis under the Clear act for mandating reductions in carbon dioxide emissions. Declaring carbon dioxide a pollutant in essence is what it did. Mr. Newsom claims the reversal will trigger more deadly wildfires and more extreme heat deaths. So let's start there with the dead people. Age adjusted heat related death risk in California has risen modestly in recent decades, enough to account for 90 additional deaths likely linked to higher temperatures over the last 2030 years. 90. But he admits the other side. Warming has helped reduce age adjusted cold related deaths by more than 5000 a year.

[Jack Armstrong]

By more than 5000 a year. My God.

[Joe Getty]

Citing only the tiny heat increase while ignoring the cold related deaths is insanely misleading.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's what politicians do. But yeah. And it's not even close. If it were a wash, it would be hilarious. But it's not even close.

[Joe Getty]

As for wildfires, Mr. Newsom is long wrongly focused on California in the Western U.S. while ignoring that global warming is global. He has repeatedly referred to California as the tip of the spear of climate change. Why? Including after last January's Palisades fire years earlier amid west coast wildfires, he claimed climate change's role cannot be denied. The science is absolute. Self evident. All of those are quotes. Global data contradicts this. NASA satellites. Yeah, go ahead.

[Jack Armstrong]

Self evident that. Now that's a. Now that's ridiculous. Climate change is self evident just as a human being on Earth. I can tell.

[Joe Getty]

And that it caused the wildfires was undeniable, absolute and self evident. NASA's satellites have trapped fires globally for more than 25 years. In the early 2000s, about 3% of the world's land burned annually in total acreage, an area about twice of the size of Mexico. The trend since has been downward. 2022 hit a record low of 2.16%. 2025 nearly matched it, only slightly more. That's a reduction of over 25% in 25 years, sparing an area of land larger than Texas and California comb. North America is the only continent where burned areas increasing, but it accounts for only 2.2 of the global total.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the interesting thing about climate change, especially at this point, is so they always go with the settled science and like list their facts and figures to make the point. But now we have, it's been around enough this craze that we have plenty of facts and figures to refute it with, like you're just doing. But nobody ever gets into those. Right?

[Joe Getty]

Right. And then this author points out that the main reason for these really devastating wildfires in California is all the building in the border areas between, you know, urban and like wilderness areas. I know I had a house there and it was uninsurable. Wildfire CO2 emissions have plummeted globally as well, hitting a satellite era low last year, down 3 billion tons from early 2000 levels. This undercuts claims of supercharged fires and feedback loops of carbon release because less of the world's landscape is burning. The result is less air pol, especially in heavily populated areas. And indeed it's spiraling in the other direction. Less and less and less carbon going into the air. The wildfire decline is a century long pattern driven by human adaptation, better land management, farming practices, suppression of tamed global fires. Some claim that intense fires are worsening, citing a 2024 Nature paper that declared extreme fire events doubled globally from 2003 to 2023. I remember hearing about that. But a subsequent Nature review demolished that claim. The original study inflated trends by clustering fire hotspots and meas their radiative power as intensity. Properly analyzed, extreme fire didn't burn more. Its frequency decreased by about 35%. Yet NASA's fire homepage still prominently features the original study's claim. And there's more to this. It's just, well, global. Global fires are dramatically declining in extent. Emissions, pollution, death risk and intensity. Mr. Newsom's rhetoric may energize his supporters, but Americans deserve evidence based policies, not cherry picked alarm.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, you might be right. Maybe he thinks this is still the hot ticket to get the nomination, being big on climate change. But in terms of it being a national issue, the ship has sailed off the charts. I'm sure in our public schools it's still very, very hot topic, if you'll pardon the expression.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, maybe someday I can get into Another piece by Mr. Lomborg, who wrote a great thing for the free press. How reality destroyed Europe's green energy dreams. They devastated Themselves, economically and socially, to achieve nothing.

[Jack Armstrong]

So yesterday was the biggest escalation of the Iran war since the first day. I realize a lot of you might not be paying attention and might not know that, but it's true. And where that goes, as anybody guessed. But we've got a little bit of info on that, among other things on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just as the Gulf foreign ministers and other foreign ministers from the region, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, the Pakistani foreign minister here as well, the Azerbaijan foreign minister also, just as they were gathering in Riyadh, the heaviest ballistic missile barrages on the capital since the war began. Yeah, Iran upped its game yesterday in terms of attacking some of its neighbors. Israel attacked Iran's giant natural gas field. And Pete Hegseth vowed this today.

[Pete Hegseth]

To date, We've struck over 7,000 targets across Iran and its military infrastructure. That is not incremental. That is overwhelming force applied with precision. And again, today will be the largest strike package yet, just like yesterday was, as I've said from day one, our capabilities continue to build. Iran's continue to degrade. We're hunting and striking death and destruction from above.

[Jack Armstrong]

So this war is clearly escalating by any measure from both sides. And the things people are willing to hit is going up.

[Joe Getty]

So, yeah, I'm interested in that math. Pete just laid out that we're escalating. Their ability to do anything is declining. Will that mean, you know, capitulation fairly soon, or can they maintain that cornered beast flailing and doing damage for the indefinite future? I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

So let me do it in this order. I talked about historian Neil Ferguson and his piece in the Free Press about how the Iran war goes global, with his sub headline being the Strait of Hormuz is blocked for how long? The Strait of Taiwan is open for how long? The administration is now trying to salvage a plan that seems to be disintegrating on contact with the enemy. As often happens, it may still be salvageable. The Islamic Republic may yet oblige Trump by expiring. I do not rule that out. And, and I remember correctly at the beginning of this, Neil Ferguson was a supporter, thought it was the right thing to do. But plans often disintegrate on contact. However, if Trump's advisors do not keep their wits about them, they may overlook the fact that they, they have created a huge strategic opportunity for China and Russia, especially if they act in concert. A Taiwan crisis would upend the international economy in geopolitical order. If China and Russia decided to close the Strait of Taiwan at the same time, we're all focusing on how the hell to get the Strait of Hormuz open, that would be a big problem for the world. I don't know how. How difficult that would be or how likely it is, but, I mean, we're obviously otherwise occupied to a great extent.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know if Neil gets into this. This is what comforts me. But it's the sort of prediction that you make and then realize, oh, I didn't know that when it goes south. But according to a number of really persuasive things I've read recently or. Or listen to, if China moved on Taiwan, that would cause a brutal worldwide chip shortage and probably a global recession bordering on depression, which would be devastating to China right now. So I don't think they dare do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know, man. Chaos is a ladder. If I wanted to change the history of the world and have the United States no longer be the hegemon that it has been for the last 80 years, really upending everything seems like a good idea, but I don't know. Be rolling the dice, no doubt. So eventually, books will be written about what Marco Rubio is doing behind the scenes that got this to happen. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan released a joint statement today expressing their readiness to contribute to efforts to ensure the safe passage of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. That was not the language. Those were not the noises they were making the last 72 hours. Why they all came together and decided to make a statement on that today. I have no idea why.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Possibly thinking about what Neil Ferguson was writing about. Look, we gotta get this open, because what if something happened somewhere else? I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Or the transactional Trump said, hey, all those tariffs, forget about them. You join us in this, we'll call it good. Who knows?

[Jack Armstrong]

Who knows? Different piece. Just because this has been a topic now for. Well, since the war began. Did we do this because of Israel? Are we doing this? Are we dancing to Israel's tune or that whole thing? And Joe Kent, the guy that left the center for counterterrorism and went on Tucker yesterday and says, oh, yeah, Israel in their lobby, they. They got us to go to war. Ian Bremmer, to his credit, tweeted out, netanyahu has been pushing for an Iran war with every American president for many decades. Doesn't make Israel responsible for a decision made solely by the US Commander in Chief.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Appreciate that. I think that's obviously true.

[Joe Getty]

And Iraq and Israel's Been right about Iran for decades.

[Jack Armstrong]

Correct. Where this goes is absolutely anybody's guess. I'll tell you, 24 hours ago, I would have not bet that all those countries would have signed on to a letter saying we're all on board with helping you open the strait. I didn't think that was going to happen. So who knows what's going to happen the next day. The fact that Israel hit the largest gas field in the world in Iran and apparently with out telling us and Trump being very angry about it and with a long truth social post last night saying that will not happen again. Israel, we didn't want Israel to do that. We didn't know they were going to do it and it will not happen again. As if he's can forbid Netanyahu from doing that sort of thing. Israel, Iran, by the way, after getting hit like that, hit Qatar next door, who shares that oil field with them, also hit the oil field. Oh yeah, you're gonna hit the oil field. We're gonna hit the oil field, the gas field. And we didn't do it, says Cutter. Right.

[Joe Getty]

Why are you hitting us like you're hitting everybody? But boy, that strategy is backfiring like crazy that. I tell you what, we're going to lash out and punish everyone in the region for the actions of Israel and the US and anybody who's helped them or hasn't. We're just going to punch everybody in the face.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, so is their theory that it's just going to drive up energy prices and democracies will. It doesn't matter what's the best thing long term democracies will react with gas is too high. This is the Gulf.

[Joe Getty]

And the Gulf states will react with we're tired of getting bombed. You got to stop attacking Iran. That's their, that's their strategy.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know if that's going to happen, though. A Saudi representative I saw on Fox this morning said that they're contacting their Gulf neighbors to talk about bringing this to an end, being attacked by Iran, bringing that to an end no matter what they have to do economically, diplomatically and militarily. So are we going to see Saudi planes and Qatari planes and UAE planes, all probably purchased from the United States, flying next to Israeli planes bombing Iran.

[Joe Getty]

Well, here's some old guy wisdom that if that guy still maintains that Twitter account where he quotes me, he'll probably quote me. In life, there are many things that go very, very well that are still extremely difficult. Building a career, raising a kid, that sort of thing. And Even if this effort continues to go quite well from virtually any vantage point, it could still be incredibly difficult. For one thing, as we discussed earlier, at some point we have to get all of the highly refined fissile material that Iran has, and that's going to be a hell of an operation, fraught with risk, including it's extremely radioactive and volatile. Plus, you know, getting the Strait of Hormuz open and kept open, even if it goes great, is going to be really costly and involve human beings with guns on the ground.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah. We haven't talked since earlier about the couple thousand Marines being sent and now a couple thousand more Marines being sent. It certainly looks like it's headed toward boots on the ground sort of conflict, doesn't it?

[Joe Getty]

There are aspects of it, like the two things I was just talking about that absolutely. You can't do them right above entirely,

[Jack Armstrong]

and then those have a tendency to grow. Doesn't mean this one will, but historically they do.

[Joe Getty]

One thing we've learned is apparently you can't bomb someone back to the Stone Age, as they seem to still be using modern ordinance.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm surprised.

[Joe Getty]

Bronze Age, maybe.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know anything about this, but. But I'm surprised after. What did Hegseth say? We've hit 9,000 targets? Something like that. That they still have the capacity to fire rockets and missiles and kill people in Tel Aviv and attack an oil field in Qatar and everything else they did yesterday.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

That 9,000 targets doesn't take out all of their launchers. I mean, Mike Lyons has been told since day one of the war, you know, it's, you don't have to take out the arrows, you take out the archers. But apparently we haven't taken out all the archers.

[Joe Getty]

Well, some of it's that we've hit their army and their navy and their air force and command and control and stuff like that. But takes a while.

[Jack Armstrong]

We have that hilarious exit. Which one was that about the Navy. I really enjoyed that.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah, that was good.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

If you like hard ass, you get some here.

[Jack Armstrong]

54.

[Pete Hegseth]

The last job anyone in the world wants right now, senior leader for the irgc. Or besiege.

[Jack Armstrong]

Temp jobs.

[Pete Hegseth]

All of them. And to borrow a page from Admiral Ernest King In World War II, we've decided to share the ocean with Iran. We've given them the bottom half. We've damaged OR sunk over 120 of their Navy ships. With battle damage assessments pending for many

[Jack Armstrong]

more, we're sharing the ocean with them. We'll give them the bottom half.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I Know what he means?

[Jack Armstrong]

Who's that for? I like it. I'm not against it. But who's that for? Is that to keep the American spirits up?

[Joe Getty]

If I'm in the Navy and I hear that I'm yelling with all my might, with all my shipmates cheering like

[Jack Armstrong]

a maniac, I'm all for that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. He's all about the war fighters, Pete. How history judges him, ultimately, I don't know, but I believe he is 100 sincere in his protectiveness of and love for our actual fighters.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, you mentioned this earlier, and I think it's true. History is going to judge Pete Hegseth completely based on how this war turns out and maybe Donald Trump, even all the stuff that's gone into Trump's presidencies, including January 6th. The whole thing might get judged by how this turns out, depending on how it goes.

[Joe Getty]

Right? Right. As I mentioned briefly, he is. Trump is now 41 points underwater overall on cost of living, and it's 60 points underwater among independents. So the, you know, the. The next bloodbath is going to be

[Jack Armstrong]

the midterms, and then he'll be impeached. So that'll be our last two years of his second term. Super couple of impeachments. That'll be fun. But I have no idea where this war is going. None. Like I said, I wouldn't have predicted all those European countries in Japan saying, we'll help you open the strait. What that means,

[Joe Getty]

how do we get them there? How did we get them there? The carrot or the stick?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, well, what got them on board with this letter? And then how long does it take them to get boats there or planes or troops or whatever they're gonna do to help us open the strait.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Don't know. The CEO of Costco, taking a page from the McDonald's guy, said, oh, my God, what is this? Oh, wow. How do I eat this? That guy, the CEO of Costco, has put out a video. He had one of their hot dogs. And what he said will shock you or not shock you, among other things on the way. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

March Madness has begun. And I just saw during a timeout, Ohio State's mascot, Buddy or Bucky or something. The Buckeye. Anyway, Bucky the Buckeye.

[Joe Getty]

Yes, indeed.

[Jack Armstrong]

He was hilarious. He was. He was pretending he had a basketball and doing all kinds of moves, going between his legs, behind his back, stuff like that, then shot the ball and then strutted around. It was very entertaining. What a fun thing to do for some theater major. Probably you know, the more I think about it, too, that whole butterfly bridge thing in California that we talked about earlier this hour, that is one of the more hilarious stealing of taxpayer money stories ever.

[Joe Getty]

It's very California.

[Jack Armstrong]

This might be of taking it to the limit to complete absurdity makes the bullet train seem like cancer research in terms of spending taxpayer dollars. I wonder.

[Joe Getty]

There's part of me that wonders. I mean, you can make the argument, okay, mountain lions have to be able to get across and. And what was the foxes and other things, but they included things that fly on the list, like the. The butterfly is going to say to its youngsters. Now, kids, remember, let's fly over this bridge and not down by the roadway where we might get hit by a semi truck. I mean, to include flying beasts as being benefited by a land bridge. I think that's just seeing how far they can go.

[Jack Armstrong]

You laugh, I laugh. Okay, different topic. It's been very popular now, couple of weeks because the CEO McDonald's put out a video of him eating a sandwich. And then a bunch of CEOs from other restaurants put out videos and everything like that. Here's the CEO of Costco sitting down at a Costco table to have a hot dog. $50 for this hot dog. He's now eating it, putting ketchup on it. The hot dog price will not change as long as I'm around. Still amazing. Amazing quality, amazing value. That's $150 well spent. Are you going to have another one at your next building you go to? Absolutely. See, he came off exactly the way you would want to come off if you're trying to promote that sort of item. He kind of looks like a regular guy, a little fat, really, actually enjoying his Costco hot dog the way I enjoy them, as opposed to the McDonald's guy who had just reeked of. You've never eaten a burger at McDonald's, have you? It's the first time you've ever seen one is the way he came off.

[Joe Getty]

And like a fine burger product.

[Jack Armstrong]

And he took a tiny, tiny little nibble of it. And I'll save that for later.

[Joe Getty]

So phony.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God, the Costco guy. Looks like I'm a guy who eats Costco hot dogs. Lots of my every one I go. Every store I go to, I eat one.

[Joe Getty]

Give me some onions.

[Jack Armstrong]

They're sharp and steady. Tune in tomorrow. Don't you forget it.

[Joe Getty]

For more from Armstrong.

[Jack Armstrong]

Dude, you got to put out a whole album of that stuff. I like it.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'd buy it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, here's your host for final thoughts, Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

For the record, I'm neither sharp nor steady, but you know, whatever, it's art. Hey, let's get a final thought from everybody on the crew to wrap up the day. There he is, Michelangelo in the control room. Michael, wish these CEOs would quit putting out these videos. I've got to eat a big arch new whopper. A Costco hot dog. I'm gonna get fat.

[Jack Armstrong]

I do like me a Costco hot dog.

[Joe Getty]

Jack, a final thought for us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, There's a funny YouTube video somewhere of. It's a cartoon rendering of when I went to Costco one time and got the Costco hot dog. And I was walking around shopping and didn't notice that I had spilled mustard all down my shirt and onto the tops of my shoes. Oh no. I was walking around with mustard on

[Joe Getty]

top of my shoes and mustard might as well be oil based paint.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes.

[Joe Getty]

I mean it's never coming out. My final thought, it just dawned on me, Mark Wayne Mullen will get confirmed as the DHS secretary and he's going to be going in front of that committee featuring random Rand Paul for a couple of years probably.

[Jack Armstrong]

Rand Paul is the chair of that committee. Yeah, right.

[Joe Getty]

Oh boy.

[Jack Armstrong]

That back and forth argument was with the chair of the committee secretary a hole.

[Joe Getty]

What do you want, Curly? I gotta punch you in the face for a couple of years.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty wrapping up another grueling four hour workday.

[Joe Getty]

So many people. Thanks a little time. Go to armstrongandgetty.com for the hot links for Katie's Corner for the Ang swag store. Your favorite Ang fan would love a hat, a T shirt or a hoodie. I'm going to cough now. Excuse me.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll be back tomorrow. Joe sounds like he's dying.

[Joe Getty]

I'm probably dying.

[Jack Armstrong]

See you tomorrow. God bless America. I'm strong and get it.

[Joe Getty]

There's a fantastic podcast that you gotta

[Jack Armstrong]

listen to every day.

[Joe Getty]

It's got Jack and Joe, Katie and Michelangelo.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's called Armstrong and Giddy on Demand.

[Joe Getty]

Subscribe now wherever you download your podcast.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and get it on Demand.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.