Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "We Probably Won't Have A Bearded Lady President"

Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into the rising tension and violence in American society, the consequences of online discourse and social fragmentation, the cultural symbolism of beards as a bearded president enters the mainstream, vaccination hesitancy and herd immunity, political maneuvering in California, and assorted oddball news. The hosts discuss these themes with wry humor, sharp skepticism, and their trademark conversational tone.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rising Political and Public Violence (03:36–06:24)

• The show opens with a sober discussion about the increase in public violence: terrorist attacks, school shootings, and politicians being targeted.
• Joe Getty notes, “Our public discourse has now become a discourse that is spoken in violent acts as opposed to discussions.” (04:03)
• Jack Armstrong references John Miller, former FBI, saying the frequency of these events is accelerating.
• They connect the rising anger in society to a general lack of shared responsibility and kinship, intensified by social media and online interactions.

2. The Cultural Temperature & Social Media’s Impact (05:45–06:24, 07:31–08:16)

• Jack Armstrong: “Everybody can feel that the overall temperature is just higher. There’s no denying that.” (04:53)
• The hosts link the ubiquity of anger to online echo chambers, saying that some people have become “100% off the rails because of Twitter and Facebook.” (06:21)
• Joe Getty argues that America’s cultural fragmentation, partly due to “rampant immigration” and competing cultural subgroups, has eroded the old social compact.

3. The Social Compact and Its Erosion (07:31–08:16)

• The hosts lament the fading of basic, polite social conventions.
• Jack Armstrong: “Just like, holding the door open… There’s no meaning there, really, other than we’re both distributing that we’re part of polite society and playing by the rules.” (07:52)

4. Reaction to Political Violence & Bill Maher's Take (09:03–13:08)

• The conversation pivots to the assassination of Charlie Kirk and Bill Maher’s response.
• Bill Maher criticizes both sides for demonizing each other and highlights how the left's intolerance for dialogue fuels division.
• Bill Maher: “You know, the right wingers… they're not into this leftist think. The left really has… an ‘I don’t talk to you, I don’t want to deal with you, you’re deplorable’ attitude.” (11:13)
• Maher and the hosts agree that both sides must acknowledge their role in the escalation.

5. The “Bearded President” Phenomenon and Beard Culture (14:34–21:36)

• The episode’s title is addressed when Jack predicts, “We’re gonna have our first bearded president in a very long time soon... Probably won’t have a bearded lady as president. Our first female president will not have a beard." (14:54)
• They riff on beards as cultural signifiers; reference J.D. Vance’s presidential run and beard trends through history.
• Joe Getty: “If you care what the New York Times thinks of your beard or lack of beard, we can’t be friends.” (21:28)

6. Media Accountability and the Kirk Misinformation Incident (21:40–23:38)

• Discussion of the New York Times misquoting Charlie Kirk in the wake of his death and running a correction hours later.
• Joe Getty: “And I didn’t see their correction many hours later… He was quoting a statement that on social media and went on to critique it and refute it. It was not his own statement. Wow.” (22:09)
• The hosts criticize confirmation bias and poor journalistic standards.

7. Vaccination, Herd Immunity, and Public Health Concerns (27:05–33:41)

• NBC’s investigation into waning vaccination rates is discussed with skepticism toward the media’s framing.
• Jack Armstrong recounts getting whooping cough as an adult despite being vaccinated as a child, emphasizing declining herd immunity.
• The hosts highlight that factors like declining child vaccinations, adults’ immunity wearing off, and mass immigration have pushed the US below herd immunity thresholds for several illnesses.
• A cynical take on media ignoring the immigration aspect.
• Joe and Jack dismiss COVID vaccine panic for healthy children:
  Jack Armstrong: “I don’t think a single healthy child in America died [from COVID]. Not one in the whole country.” (33:41)

8. Gavin Newsom, California Politics, and Redistricting Referendum (33:49–38:24)

• Analysis of an upcoming California redistricting referendum that the hosts believe could damage Newsom’s national ambitions.
• Discussion of how poorly it’s polling, even with Democrats, and speculation on what a Newsom presidency would mean.
• Jack Armstrong: “If Gavin Newsom gets elected, that means nobody looked into California and what it’s like.” (35:49)

9. Odd News: Bank Robbing Chef & Gator Attack (18:56–19:12, 45:06–47:59)

• Brief aside about a chef robbing three banks in a day in San Francisco.
• A Florida woman saves her dog by punching an alligator, leading to a whimsical reflection on animal encounters and heroics.
  • Jack Armstrong: “I'm socking that thing in the face.” (46:14)
  • Joe Getty: “Go to the edge of the lake and put your finger in the lake, pull it out. If your finger is wet, there’s an effing gator in there.” (47:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Joe Getty (on polarization):
  “There's a lack of a feeling of shared responsibility and kinship… being part of the same community, accountable to each other.” (05:26)

• Jack Armstrong (on social media):
  “The couple of people that I know that are off the rails are 100% off the rails because of Twitter and Facebook…” (06:21)

• Bill Maher (on polarization):
  “Right wingers… they're not into this leftist think… The left really has much more of an ‘I don't talk to you… I can't break bread with you’ attitude.” (11:13)

• Joe Getty (on activist left):
  “A lot of ideological energy comes from actual neo-Marxists who want to overthrow Western civilization… useful idiots… aren’t as dyed in the wool as the activist class.” (13:08)

• Jack Armstrong (on beard trends):
  “We’re gonna have our first bearded president in a very long time soon… first female president will not have a beard. I’m willing to wage money on it.” (14:54)

• Joe Getty (mocking NYT):
  “If you care what the New York Times thinks of your beard or lack of beard, we can’t be friends.” (21:28)

• On media failings:
  “Nice job. Most important newspaper in the world. Good Lord. How do you make a mistake like that?” (22:29, Armstrong)

• On herd immunity:
  “You need to get to like 95%… we've crossed that line because of three things: fewer kids, an aging population where their shots are wearing off, and rampant immigration.” (30:40)

• On Newsom:
  “If he became president, I would become so despondent I could no longer participate in the country…I would have to give up my idea that we can govern ourselves.” (35:49, Armstrong)

• On gators:
  “Go to the edge of the lake and put your finger in the lake, pull it out. If your finger is wet, there’s an effing gator in there.” (47:53, Getty)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Rising Violent Tension in America – 03:36–06:24
• Social Media and Societal Heat – 05:45–06:24; 07:31–08:16
• Eroding Social Norms – 07:31–08:16
• Bill Maher on Dialogue & Division – 10:47–13:08
• Bearded President & Beard Symbolism – 14:34–21:36
• Media Inaccuracy & The Kirk Story – 21:40–23:38
• Vaccine Hesitancy & Herd Immunity – 27:05–33:41
• Newsom’s Redistricting Gamble – 33:49–38:24
• Florida Gator Dog Rescue – 45:06–47:59

Conclusion

This episode runs the gamut from the serious crisis in American public life to tongue-in-cheek culture commentary and news-of-the-weird. Armstrong and Getty’s skepticism of both political extremes, the media, and even themselves sets a conversational but critical tone. Listeners gain an overview of violence and fragmentation in America, the symbolism of facial hair in politics, the ramifications of vaccine reluctance, and the quirks of public discourse in 2025—with a few alligators thrown in for good measure.