You Can't Erase Reality

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "You Can't Erase Reality"
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts | Armstrong & Getty (Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the overwhelming challenges of modern governance—public debt, political reality, and societal denial both in the U.S. and abroad—while exploring current events, technology, and cultural changes with the Armstrong & Getty trademark mix of wit, cynicism, and grounded realism. With notable segments on the collapse of the French government, the dangers of unsustainable debt, the messiness of modern American life, and viral stories from politics and pop culture, the episode is wide-ranging yet thematically anchored by the warning: reality cannot be erased, no matter how hard politicians or the public try.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Brazen Crime & Public Reaction in America

(03:28–04:20)

• The hosts recount a violent "smash and grab" robbery in San Jose, CA where an 88-year-old jewelry store owner was attacked.
• They note the victim's courage in trying to fight back, contrasting it with other, more passive reactions in the public eye.
• Themes: Increasing boldness in crime; bystander apathy; generational shifts in bravery.

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2. Collapse of the French Government & the Debt Crisis

(05:05–10:08)

• Backdrop: France's government falls after Macron's push to reduce public debt leads to a vote of no confidence.
• Statistics: French debt at 114% GDP ($3.93 trillion); U.S. debt comparison at ~119%.
• Attempts at fiscal restraint (e.g., freezing government spending, cutting holidays) were overwhelmingly rejected.
• Bipartisan alliances ("left wing and right wing joined together") formed purely to reject moderate reforms.
• Armstrong quotes the ousted French premier:

  "You have the power to overthrow my government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Reality remains inexorable." (08:21, attributed to former French prime minister)

• Discussion:
  • The mathematical inevitability of fiscal collapse if borrowing isn't reined in.
  • The public's refusal (in both France and the U.S.) to accept any reduction in benefits, even in the face of mathematical certainty.
  • Generational shift: past politicians saw deficit spending as "immoral" and a "crime against grandkids," now nearly all support it for political survival.

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3. Immigration, Education, and Societal Change in France & Europe

(10:45–12:49)

• New French report: education system failing; 1 in 5 Grade 5 students speak a language other than French at home, 40%+ of children under four are immigrants or children of immigrants.
• Agreement among European elites not to "blame immigration" is breaking down as public dissatisfaction surges.
• The rise of populist backlash driven by lost national cohesion and the unwillingness to scale back benefits.

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4. The Hard Truths of Budget Reality

(12:49–13:51)

• The hosts emphasize the unavoidable math of government finance:
  • "Taxes are going to have to go up and services are going to have to be cut. That's just absolutely freaking math."
  • Armstrong on the impossibility of “creative accounting”: "Two plus two is four ... You're claiming two plus two is five—that you can come up with a different number, but you can't." (13:36)
• Political incentives always favor promising more vs. leveling with voters about painful realities.

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5. Personal Security in the Digital Age

(20:26–23:08)

• Jack shares a near-miss story: accidentally left his unlocked iPhone unattended for 20 minutes in a public area.
• The consequences could have been catastrophic for privacy, finance, and even colleagues’ lives.
• Armstrong: "I would rather leave the door to my house unlocked ... than have somebody get into my iPhone and it's not even close." (21:30)
• Practical advice: set phones to auto-lock for security.

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6. U.S. Political Drama – “Fight Club” in the Treasury

(29:02–35:15)

• Wild anecdote: U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant allegedly engaged in a loud, profanity-laden confrontation at a D.C. dinner with FHFA Director Bill Pulte, threatening physical violence ("I'm gonna punch you in your effing face," 31:36).
• Story reinforces the shift toward more brazen, combative style in politics—even at the highest levels.
• Rumors (per Steve Bannon) of a previous physical altercation between Bessant and Elon Musk.
• Armstrong’s commentary: "Usually people with that sort of temperament don't rise to that level of anything." (34:38)
• Getty: "Clearly things are getting weird, and they're getting weird fast." (33:33)

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7. Viral Stories & Social Media Absurdities

(44:36–46:29)

• President Trump disappears from public view briefly; internet conspiracy mill explodes ("Trump is dead" trending).
• Armstrong reflects on the overwhelming, addictive info stream—“I feel like I’m online too much and I’ve missed several online stories ..." (45:44)
• Moment of generational disconnect on digital culture.

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8. Self-Driving Cars: The End of Car Ownership?

(46:29–48:45)

• Discussion on the future of autonomous vehicles (Waymo, Tesla, ride-sharing, urban mobility).
• Elon Musk’s bold claim: half the U.S. population could have access to ride-hailing robo-taxis by year’s end (hosts express skepticism).
• Could car ownership become obsolete in cities as autonomous fleets proliferate?
• Tesla focus shifting from new models to robo-taxis and robots ("Tesla wants out of the car business").

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9. Culture & Satire: Babylon Bee’s ‘Clue—Liberal Edition’

(37:11–38:12)

• Hilarious Babylon Bee parody ad for "Clue, Liberal Edition":

  “This time there are no suspects, you only blame the murder weapon. It was the candlestick. The candlestick is the killer ... Why won't anyone stop these murders with common sense candlestick control?”

• Reflection on contemporary discourse over blame, causality, and political correctness.

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10. Progressive Prosecutors, Crime, and “The Woke Mind Virus”

(38:27–41:19)

• Discussion of a brutal crime in Charlotte—repeat violent offender released repeatedly, eventually murders an innocent bystander.
• Critique of “restorative” or “progressive” approaches that prioritize the feelings and circumstances of criminals over victims.
• Armstrong’s “test” for the so-called “woke mind virus”:

  “If you hear about a crime ... and your first level of compassion is toward the person that did the harm, you have the woke mind virus in your head to such a level I don't think you can ever be fixed." (40:40)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Political Denial of Debt Reality:
  • "You have the power to overthrow my government, but you do not have the power to erase reality."
    — Ousted French PM, quoted by Jack Armstrong (08:21)
  • "Reality bats last."
    — Jack Armstrong (10:08)
  • "Taxes are going to have to go up and services are going to have to be cut. That's just absolutely freaking math."
    — Jack Armstrong (13:36)
• On Phone Security:
  • "I would rather leave the door to my house unlocked ... than have somebody get into my iPhone and it's not even close."
    — Jack Armstrong (21:30)
• On Political Conflict:
  • "Why the F are you talking to the President about me? F you. I'm gonna punch you in your effing face."
    — Scott Bessant, via eyewitness at DC dinner (31:36)
  • "Usually people with that sort of temperament don't rise to that level of anything."
    — Jack Armstrong (34:38)
  • "Clearly things are getting weird, and they're getting weird fast."
    — Joe Getty (33:33)
• On Cultural/Legal Satire:
  • “It was the candlestick. The candlestick is the killer ... Why won't anyone stop these murders with common sense candlestick control?”
    — Babylon Bee’s “Clue: Liberal Edition” (37:11–37:51)
• On Progressive Crime Policy:
  • "If you hear about a crime ... and your first level of compassion is toward the person that did the harm, you have the woke mind virus in your head ..."
    — Jack Armstrong (40:40)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• San Jose Smash & Grab, Crime and Bravery: 03:28–04:20
• France’s Debt Crisis, “You Can’t Erase Reality”: 05:05–10:08, key quote at 08:21
• Immigration & Education in France: 10:45–12:49
• Budget Reality, Political Cowardice: 12:49–13:51
• Personal Tech Security Tale: 20:26–23:08
• Treasury Secretary Bessant’s “Fight Club": 29:02–35:15, key quote at 31:36
• Clue: Liberal Edition (Babylon Bee satire): 37:11–38:12
• Violent Crime, Progressive Prosecutors & The “Woke Mind Virus”: 38:27–41:19
• Robo-Taxis & The Future of Tesla: 46:29–48:45

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Tone & Style

This episode embodies Armstrong & Getty's irreverent, sardonic humor with flashes of heartfelt concern about the trajectory of the West. They balance punchy, casual banter with moments of genuine alarm—often laced with sarcasm and frustration at public denial of hard truths. The show's trademark mix of realism and wit pervades every segment.

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For listeners who missed the episode:
Expect sharp, rapid-fire commentary on weighty issues—debt crisis, political dysfunction, crime, technological change—with the unmistakable Armstrong & Getty blend of comedy, incredulity, and tough love for listeners and leaders who'd rather wish reality away than face it.

Transcript

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[A]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the.

[B]

George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[A]

Armstrong and Getty.

[F]

And now here.

[A]

Here's Armstrong and Getty. Smash and grab video captured a brazen robbery in San Jose, California on Friday. After crashing through the front of a jewelry store, more than a dozen thieves ran in and cleaned out the place. The 88 year old owner was slammed to the floor before the robbers got away. Yeah, if you haven't seen that video, it's something. They just drove their vehicle into the window. And then the 88 year old owner, I didn't realize he's that old. Almost 90 years old. And he tried to rather than, rather than shrink in fear like that dude did with his son in the baseball. He actually was gonna fight a group of young strong men as an 88 year old. He got knocked down, as you would expect.

[C]

Probably not a great idea, but yeah, they brutalized him and, and stole. And you too can have this vote. Gavin Newsome, 2028America.

[A]

So Apple's having its big meeting where it releases its new products today. I got a little preview of that. And I'll have to tell you a story about my own iPhone that would have changed all of our lives. All of our lives. Not. Well, not everybody listening, but everybody on this show. Joe's life, my life, everybody's life would have changed if what nearly happened had happened yesterday. Wow. Stay tuned for that. What? I know. You should scold me for this after I tell you the story.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

I don't like to think about it. It gives me the sweats.

[C]

Pull up my scolding pants.

[A]

France's government collapsed in a spectacular fashion yesterday after McCrone's hand picked leader tried to reign in public debt. McCrone understands that they're on a course of disaster and he has been choosing people to be in his government that agree with him. And not enough voters agree. I guess so. France's government. I'm reading for the New York Post some of it and from other publications. France's government was toppled in a vote of no confidence yesterday, forcing Emmanuel Macron to search for his fourth prime minister in the last year and throwing EU's second largest economy into chaos. The premier was ousted overwhelmingly. Huge vote 364 to 1 94. Not even close. Against him losing an apparent gamble. The lawmakers would back his push for France to slash public spending to repay its debts. That's the crazy idea that he had. Let's cut our spending so we can pay down our debts. And he got overwhelmingly trounced. He was voted out, ending his short lived minority government after being appointed by Macron just in December.

[C]

Yeah, left wing and right wing joined together and said, yeah, let's toss out the moderates and we'll fight for the scraps.

[A]

The former president now admitted Monday that his last speech as prime minister was a gamble to tackle France's debt crisis by standing by his unpopular economic plan. And it didn't pay off. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France's public debt stirred at 3.93 trillion, a hilarious number by U.S. standards. Obviously about $4 trillion. But that's 114% of gross domestic product. When you go over 100%, that's supposed to be like serious doomsday spiral. By the way, just in case you were wondering, the US debt to GDP ratio is 119:18%. France is doing better than us at this point.

[C]

Wow, wow, wow.

[A]

The former president hoped to cut debt, included a bid to push a $51 billion savings plan that called for scrapping two public holidays. They have a public holiday a week practically in France. He wanted to get rid of two of them. No, you can't do it. And freezing government spending at its current level, not cutting like this is what happened with the Tea Party. You're not even trying to cut, you're just trying to cut rate of growth and you get killed for it.

[C]

They're doomed.

[A]

They are and so are we.

[C]

True.

[A]

The greatest risk was not to take a chance, he said. To let things go on without changing anything. To go on doing politics as usual. He said in his final speech, the nation is facing a silent, underground, invisible and unbearable hemorrhage of excessive public borrowing. Submission to debt is like submission through military force dominated by weapons or dominated by our creditors because of a debt that is submerging us. In both cases, we lose our freedom. That's what got voted against.

[C]

And the unions and leftists said, no, we want to keep getting stuff.

[A]

And here's my favorite thing he said in his final speech. You have the power to overthrow my government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Wow, that is some good ass right there. Wow. Reality remains inexorable. Spending will continue to increase and the debt burden, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly. Good Lord. How are there so few grownups in Western civilization willing to stand up and say this? Well, they do and you get voted out immediately by. By the left and the right.

[C]

Yeah, I was thinking about, you know, the US obviously reading about France and we're just a couple of generations, I guess, away from politicians who would not vote for unsustainable debt. They would consider that a horrible betrayal of the trust placed in them. They would consider it personally immoral and a crime against the kids and the grandkids. You just, you could not get somebody to vote for what everybody votes for now. And I find myself wondering whether a democracy with our current, you know, a moral view of overspending can save itself.

[A]

By the way, just back to France briefly, that the decision to boot boot him out created means there's no dominant political bloc for the first time in France's modern political history. I don't quite understand those systems, but they are in a lot of turmoil over there.

[C]

But back to, you gotta cobble together a multi party coalition that you can't get anything done.

[A]

But back to his quote that I love so much. You had the power to overthrow the government. You do not have the power to erase reality. God dang it. That's the whole reality bats last. You can ignore the growing debt and how it's unsustainable and all these programs are going to go broke for a while. But the pain only gets worse. The pain that you will not may, will suffer at some point is only going to be worse the longer you wait.

[C]

Yeah. Meanwhile, there's a new report out in France about their educational system and how it's just failing miserably. Sound familiar? And for the first time now, experts, educators, there's a book out that's made a huge wave in France. It said, look, we've had rampant immigration, just unfettered immigration and now one in five grade five essentially students speak a language other than French at home. And 40, 41% of under fours are immigrants or immigrants children's. And they're transforming the schools.

[A]

That number on speaking French at home is astounding.

[C]

Yeah, more than one in five Year 5 pupils speak a language other than French at home. And much like in Britain, we've been discussing this and Germany, Germany's a little behind Britain, but they're heading in the same direction. France too, where it was just agreed upon. It was literally agreed upon. I think it was in Germany. I've got that around here somewhere, by all of the major parties that we won't blame this on immigration. All right? You don't bring it up, and we won't bring it up. And they made a behind the scenes agreement. But now the people in Britain and France and Germany are like, yeah, we are talking about it and we're gonna talk about it loudly. And things are nutty in Europe right now, politically speaking. Where it goes, nobody knows. I mean, you combine popular disgust with being betrayed by the elites. The immigration thing especially, and the Islamization of European countries. They've allowed, you know, enormous numbers of people who despise their very principles and their way of life. Anyway, you combine that with the populist. Once I get a benefit, I will never accept you scaling anything back.

[A]

Where does that go? Why is there such a small number of us who are willing to accept the pain that has to happen? Right now I realize my taxes are going to go up and I hate my taxes going up. And I'm not on many government services, so I wouldn't notice those being cut. But it's got to happen. So bring it on. Like tomorrow. Let's do it tomorrow.

[C]

Yeah. Well, because those who profit from the status quo are very, very good at spinning the politics. It is so much easier to say, not only do you deserve it, but I'm going to give it to you than say, we can't give it to you anymore. And here's why. Taxes sales pitch is so easy.

[A]

Taxes are going to have to go up and services are going to have to be cut. That's just absolutely freaking math. Like two plus two is five.

[C]

Jack Armstrong is trying to balance the budget on the backs of the poor and the elderly. I'm going to give the poor and elderly more vote for me and people will vote for me.

[A]

I said two plus two is five. I was going to make a different point. Two plus two is four. In this instance, you're claiming two plus two is five that you can come up with a different number equation, but you can't. Yeah. Oh, my God. I almost ruined my life, Joe's life, and many people's lives yesterday. It's scary. It actually is scary. And it fits in with the fact that Apple's having their big thing today where they announced their new products, which will hit you with a couple of those things. But. Oof, man, Frightening. Stay tuned, Armstrong and Getty.

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[B]

So our health department is right beside of Kentucky Miss Moonshine. They had put some fermented peaches in their dumpster and I guess the two baby raccoons had got into the dumpster and they were stuck. Everybody that was around was like, it's dead. I mean, it's just not gonna make it. Immediately I just started doing CPR on it. I was tickled to death that it was able to join its mom again. That poor little raccoon. I hope it stays out of the dumpster.

[A]

So that's a lady who saw what looked like a dead baby raccoon. And rather than just shrugging your shoulders and saying, huh, I guess I better put that in the trash or something, she decided to give it mouth to mouth and bring it back.

[C]

Well, I've watched the video is actually chest compressions. The picturing mouth to mouth is funnier. She just gave it like chest compressions to bring it around. Drunk trash pandas. What's this country going to.

[A]

Drunk records. Her.

[C]

Her. Oh, is that your new outlaw country band?

[A]

Yes.

[C]

A woman's Kentucky accent was charming.

[A]

Yeah, it was. She seems like a very nice person. I'm glad she had that result. But I would think if you put your finger on a half dead raccoon baby or not, there's a decent chance you're gonna get your bit hard. Like really hard.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

Like a by a wild animal hard.

[C]

Named the critter Otis Campbell. Named for the infamous Andy Griffith show.

[A]

Back with the drunk. Back when the town drunk was charming.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

So Apple's having their big event today where they announced new stuff and apparently they actually have a new iPhone. You know, it's usually every other year. I usually get a new iPhone every other year, but the new one's supposed to be the iPhone. Air and really slim and light. And we'll see when they make their announcement. And if it is, I might get one because it sounds kind of cool. Also, maybe they're updating the. My favorite Apple product of all time is the iPhone. I love it. Changed my life. And my second favorite product is the Ultra watch. Use it all the time. Love it. And they're going to have an Ultra 3 come out today with some new stuff and I'll see if that's worth getting. But that's enough out of the Apple advertisement that they're going to have today. Oh, one of the things that Bloomberg's really watching is how much do the prices go up? Because there's been some rumblings and kind of threats from Tim Cook that with the whole tariff deal, there could be a pretty big jump in the price of iPhones or all Apple products. And we'll find that out today.

[C]

And the other scuttlebutt, of course, is how slow they are onboarding AI compared to other devices.

[A]

I have done this a couple of times. I've got to be more careful. Hanson Executive producer Hanson helped me put in a safeguard yesterday. I have a habit of leaving my iPhone laying around unlocked. Oh yeah. And I did it yesterday for quite a long time. I left it in the bathroom sitting on the counter unlocked for probably 20 minutes. And I don't know about your life and how your iPhone is, but if you got into my unlocked iPhone, there are so many bad things that could happen to me. Whether I mean, just personally, financially, career wise, every aspect of my life and others, Joe, and many other people who remain nameless as lives as would Lives would be different if my unlocked iPhone were picked up by somebody who wanted to spend a little time figuring out who it was and what was going on. I mean, like disastrous. Wow.

[C]

I don't recall participating in anything terribly nefarious lately. Well, if our entire slandering.

[A]

No, no, no, not for you. For you and me, it would just be, you know, our entire business, makeup and history and everything like that would be there for anybody if they wanted to do a little perusing through all my emails and everything like that. All my, you know, and if you just wanted to be a criminal, you're into all. Lots of my bank stuff, credit card stuff like that. Personal life. I won't even get into all the different personal life stuff that could be highly embarrassing if somebody wanted to, you know, release it for me and others. I don't even want to tell others that I almost ruined their lives this way. Oh my God, your unlocked iPhone there. I would rather leave the door to my house unlocked with a sign at the front of the cul de sac that says house is going to be unlocked the entire weekend. I would rather do that than have somebody get into my iPhone and it's not even close. Wow. Isn't it true for everybody? I mean, because I got everything laid out, my finances all my emails for the past 15 years on every subject. I mean, just, it's all right there.

[C]

Yeah. The only thing that could, you know, help you out, slow down the, the evildoers would be just the sheer bulk.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

But if they had ample time to mess with it, you know.

[A]

Right. And so Hanson said you gotta set the set because I had the setting on. Never lock because it's such a pain in the ass to constantly like, you know, re face into whatever. But I, I got it now. So it locks after a couple of minutes. So if I do that again, I won't ruin your life, my life and everybody's life of that. I know.

[C]

Yeah. That's, that's just a good idea for theft reasons too.

[A]

Oh, that was scary. I mean, like, I had to sit down and take a breath when I.

[C]

Realized maybe you ought to engage in less evil.

[A]

No, no, no. It's not that. You want your whole financial life laid out on the online. Would you like to do that? Because that could have happened yesterday.

[C]

Not so much.

[A]

Not so much. We need to get into a whole bunch of other new stuff for you. Stay tuned.

[B]

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[G]

Learn [e-mail] the 2025 NFL season is underway. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action. Tickets to all regular season games are on sale now. Be there live to support your favorite team. See every epic showdown, every classic rivalry, and every primetime game. 17 games for all 3032 teams. Visit NFL.com tickets to purchase tickets today. Verified tickets are available through the NFL Ticket Network, including Ticketmaster, seatgeek, and Sports.

[E]

Illustrated Tickets support for today's show comes from Sonos. You know what makes Draft Day even better? Surround sound. That hits harder than a sleeper pick in the 12th round. I just hooked up the Sonos Arc Ultra and let me tell you, this thing booms crystal clear highs, deep bass, and it looks sleek enough to sit next to my fantasy draft board. Whether it's game day or mock draft night, Sonos makes every moment feel like a stadium experience. Trust me, your fantasy team deserves Elite Sound Upgrade with [e-mail] hi, I'm Cindy.

[D]

Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn [e-mail].

[A]

Couple of things. First of all, Cracker Barrel is out with yet another announcement. This is one of the greatest VR disasters in history. They're out with yet another announcement. We're listening to you. You've shared your voices in recent weeks, not only on our logo, but on our restaurants. We're continuing to listen. Today, we're suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn't been remodeled, you don't need to worry. It won't be. So they've actually backed off. Not only on the sign, which who cared, but the remodel, which I did care about, but they just completely backed down. Did they ask? I talked about this when you were gone. How I've seen this in action. Nobody ever has the guts to tell the boss that they might be wrong about something. That's why these things happen. Because if you did, unless you're surrounded by lunatics, like handpicked lunatics, which is kind of the same thing. Also, they're just going to say yes to whatever you say to they would have said people love our old timey look and everything like that. That's what people like about the place. Yeah.

[C]

I don't know anything about their sales trends or, or, or what motivated them to do that. If it was some sort of alleged forward thinking CEO, the gal who was in charge. You just thought, yeah, it's. This is, it's tapering. I don't know.

[A]

Anyway, they backed out. They backed off completely. So there's that. The Philadelphia Karen. I just watched the whole video. It's the first time I'd watched the whole video. I'm a little more sympathetic toward the dad. I still would have never given her the ball in front of my son. No freaking way. But she's there a lot longer than I realized. I just watched the whole video and she just continues to scream like a lunatic. A lunatic.

[C]

Security had to be about 10 seconds away from getting there, I would say.

[A]

But I would have waited for security if I had to or, or fodder if that's what it required. But I'm not gonna give her the ball.

[C]

Most games I go to, I end up fighting a woman. Yeah, it's part of the fun. Yeah, it's just inexcusable. I just wanted to de. Escalate.

[A]

Maybe you would fight the woman who tries to take the home run ball at a Phillies game. Would you fight the Secretary of the Treasury? That's a different question. Apparently he's up for it.

[C]

Some sort of bizarre current events fight club we're running here.

[A]

I don't blame you if you don't know who the Secretary of the treasury is. His name is Scott Besant. Here's what he sounds like. Just so you can hear him a little bit. You know, we. Look, we're not going to the do economic policy off of one number. We believe that he's a very. He's a very. A mild mannered, pointy headed, looks like an accountant like you would expect. Sort of policy geek. Is who Scott Besant is.

[C]

Is he the gay fella?

[A]

I don't think. I don't know if he's gay or not. I have no idea. I always get him. That doesn't matter. In my world, that doesn't matter. He's gay. Okay.

[C]

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I always get him confused with the guy who has a similar name who's also Hassett, who's got a. Who's the economic advisor? Anyway, back to Scott Peasant.

[A]

So this is from Mark Halperin's column today because he's got the insidest of insider scoop on what happened here. Scott Besant born and bred Southerner, usually very polite, Yali clothes horse, married, dad of two, Flora, philanthropist, friend to billionaires, presidents and kings. Also the US Secretary of the treasury and apparently a trash talking, hot headed brawler. Here's what happened to tell last week at an exclusive dinner for Trump's uppermost inner circle at the new executive branch private club in Georgetown. As first reported by Politico. This is somebody who was there writing to Mark Halperin. Bessant fell into a fierce altercation with Bill Pulte, the ambitious Federal Housing Finance Agency director. I don't know who that is or what that is. Doesn't make any difference. Clued in by several allies that Pulte had been disparaging him to President Trump, Besant got up in Pulte's grill. This is at the dinner, in front of other high powered people. This is what Bessant says. I won't use the actual words. Why the F are you talking to the President about me? F you. Bessant raged in his face at the dinner. I'm gonna punch you in your effing face. Bessant first tried to have Pulte kicked out of the meal, kicked out of the room, then threatened to take the matter outside. Pulte says to talk. He says, no, I'm gonna effing beat your ass. But ultimately. I know. But ultimately cooled off enough to sit down to dinner with the dude, albeit at opposite ends of the table. Wow. Oh, my God. Dinner table events.

[C]

Wow. Bessant, he's just scrappy. He wouldn't have given up that baseball.

[A]

No, he would not have.

[C]

You want a baseball? How about an ass beaten, huh? Because the one's gonna cost you the other.

[A]

I mean, it's.

[C]

Scott, be cool. Scott, sit down. Let's watch the game.

[A]

It's interesting that a guy like this would have said this. Yeah. Can I talk to you for a second? And then you, you know, you go somewhere private and say that.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

It would be pretty crazy to think the Secretary of the treasury was talking that way to another dude in private, but in front of everybody at the dinner.

[C]

Oh, yeah, calling him out right there.

[A]

No, we're gonna go outside. I'm gonna beat your effing ass. He yells in front of everybody. Wow. Wow.

[C]

Put him in charge of settling the debt. You'll beat it in the submission. You know, there's this story came out in June and it's according to Steve Bannon, so I don't know that Besant got into a fight with Elon Musk. As the disagreement escalated, the two exited the White House and traded verbal insults. Besant, frustrated over Musk's alleged failure to deliver on promises to slash actual government waste, blah, blah, blah. Reportedly yelled, you're a fraud. You're a total fraud. Bannon claims Musk then charged at Bessant, rammed his shoulder into his rib cage like a rugby player, prompting Bessant to retaliate. The scuffle quickly drew the attention nearby staff. Multiple people rushed to break up the altercation. Musk was reportedly escorted out of the West Wing soon after.

[A]

If I had heard that story first, I'd have said, no way that happened. Hearing it after a eyewitness report of how Besant talks to people, Yeah, I believe 100% that happened. Elon's a big dude too, so him ramming his shoulder into you wouldn't mean nothing. Wow. What the heck?

[C]

America's crappiest Treasury Secretary. Clearly things are getting weird, and they're getting weird fast.

[A]

I don't know if he's Alexander Hamilton. Challenge you to a duel. Scrappy.

[C]

But, Ryan, I was going to say, you got to go back to the OG Hamilton, who knew his way around the dueling ground. Not great at it, apparently.

[A]

That is really something. Those quotes from somebody that was sitting there. Why the f. Are you talking to the president about me? F you. I'm gonna punch you in your effing face. Wow. Then he. Then Pulte said, well, let's talk about this out or the best, and said, I want to talk about this outside to talk. No, I'm going to effing beat your ass.

[C]

Well, it's direct, and we need more of that sort of directness in government.

[A]

You know, Trump was watching that, thinking, this is awesome.

[C]

He is known to pit people against each other to see who's the scrappiest.

[A]

Wow. That is. That is. That is wild. Usually people with that sort of temperament don't rise to that level of anything.

[C]

Yeah, it is curious. He's. He's a brilliant guy. No doubt. Yeah.

[A]

Wow.

[C]

That's crazy.

[A]

But he's had two. I'm willing to get into a physical fight to prove I'm right. Instances within a couple of months. Is he all right? Does he have a brain tumor?

[C]

I. I take everything Steve Bannon says with a grain of salt, but, you know, I can believe it.

[A]

Well, having heard this one, and I guarantee you this one is. Is nailed down accurate. That is hilarious.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, if that happened at your, you know, you're. You run a car insurance shop or radio station. Or whatever the hell. If that happened among some managers, it would be. You'd think, holy crap.

[C]

Yeah. Yeah. There'd have to be a healing period, Jack. No doubt. Hey, a quick word from our friends at prize picks. The NFL is up and running. It's super exciting. Got some great games going on this week. Plus you got the prize picks. Max discount. Here's the deal. You just pick two or more players and say more or less on their stat projections and one of them is like, it's the max discount. They call it. Travis Kelsey, he gets one receiving yard and you said he would get more than the 05. You win. Simple as that. There's one that's. I mean, come on, please.

[A]

I'm going with more on everything J.J. mcCarthy does with the Vikings, having watched last night. But if you want to put your. That's an opinion. Right. I got a strong opinion. You want to put your strong opinions to the test and maybe get some money out of the deal. Prize picks is the best way to go to get in on the action in 40 plus states. Download the app today and use the code Armstrong to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That code is ARMSTRONG to get $50 in lineups AFTER you play your first 5 bucks. Prize picks. It's good to be right? I am so amused by that thing. I mean, when that happens on a football field to that level, people feel like, you know, you lost your temper and that's when you're engaged in bashing into each other.

[C]

Right? You're not talking about fiscal policy, right? Speaking of amusing, I just came across is Michael. I need a clip here. Snap to. To your workstation. Clip number 11, please. The good folks at the Babylon B. New version of Clue. Maybe under the Christmas tree this year.

[A]

It'S Clue, Liberal edition. This time there are no suspects. You only blame the murder weapon. It was the candlestick. The candlestick is the killer.

[D]

Why won't anyone stop these murders with common sense? Candlestick control.

[C]

I'm going to write legislation to ban them.

[A]

I just need to get it past.

[C]

The ncaa, the National Candleman Association.

[A]

The Supreme Court just overturned the candlestick ban. It's fun for the whole family except.

[F]

For children or the elderly.

[D]

When can we end this candlestick culture that is killing us?

[C]

So on a.

[A]

Does anybody play Clue anymore? You all get that joke? Interesting game. As a kid I didn't think about it, but a lot of bludgeoning people to death with heavy objects or choking them out. Barbaric.

[C]

Yeah, we played with our kids. There's actually a kids kids Clue version that's a little simplified. It's fun.

[A]

I've never played Clue with my kids. I'm gonna buy. I'm gonna order on Amazon. I'll have it by tomorrow. The old timey version of Clue. And we're gonna play that this weekend.

[C]

You got various house guests bludgeoning people to death. It's fun for the whole family.

[A]

Or choking them.

[C]

Right. Or joking about. Sure, right. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, we talked about the horrible crime in Charlotte earlier. You know, we could recap that if you want. But the point is progressive prosecutors just awful.

[A]

You. You watch that video and I haven't seen it, the whole thing. And I don't want to see the whole thing. But just the idea of that innocent, cute, young blonde girl sitting there minding her own business and that guy just murdering her in cold blood right there, it's just awful. And he'd shown he's that kind of guy before.

[C]

Oh, repeatedly.

[A]

That's the bad part. When are we going to catch on? When people tell you who they are, believe them, Lock up people like that, leave them locked up. Good God.

[C]

And the lunatic mayor of Charlotte actually responded to it with statements like, we'll never arrest our way out of issues such as homelessness.

[A]

He should be booted out today. Should be booted out. She should be booted out today.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

That is just. That's unconscionable. You know, I get so mad about this is when we got assaulted by that homeless person. When I called the cops, the first thing the cops said to me said, you know, the real tragedy is that we don't have more places for these people. F you. The real tragedy is my kids are crying right now. F you. I was so mad about that. Same thing here. How do you go immediately with your sympathy is toward the. The criminal God.

[C]

Her conclusion was the murder should force us to look at what we're doing across our community to address root causes.

[A]

You're a sicko. If your first reaction to innocent people being on the wrong end of crime, your first reaction is the criminal. You're feeling sorry for the criminal. There's something wrong with you. You should not be in any position.

[C]

Of power, arrested over and over again, including violent crimes, failure to appear in court, caught multiple times in possession of a firearm as a felon, and they just kept turning him loose until he murdered somebody. Progressives will let you maim and stab and terrify and abuse and steal over and over. Murder's the only thing that gets you behind.

[A]

That might be the best taste for what? A test for what Elon calls the woke mind virus. If you hear about a crime where somebody gets hurt or killed and your first level of compassion is toward the the person that did the harm, you have the woke mind virus in your head to such a level I don't think you can ever be fixed. You're so twisted and sick and have lost all your moral compass.

[C]

Or if you have some sort of vague resentment against some industry like health care and some sicko murders a young dad and you say, good, he had it coming. Yeah, you've probably got a fatal case of the oak mine virus. I'm not sure there's any curing you.

[A]

Any thoughts on that. Text line 415295 KFTC ARMSTRONG and GETTY.

[B]

Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabe where designer style meets budget friendly Prices with sofas starting at $699, Anabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink and feel or a software supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesofas.com Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[F]

The U.S. electric grid is approaching a breaking point as demand soars from data centers and home energy use. Our aging infrastructure. Keep up and the Department of Energy warns that without action, blackouts could surge 100 fold by 2030. The good news? One solution is already here. Propane. It's American made, stored on site and always ready, powering homes and businesses with cleaner, reliable energy that doesn't depend on the grid or the weather.

[G]

Learn [e-mail] the 2025 NFL season is underway. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action. Tickets to all regular season games are on sale. Be there live to support your favorite team. See every epic showdown, every classic rivalry and Every primetime game. 17 games for all 32 teams. Visit NFL.com tickets to purchase tickets today. Verified tickets are available through the NFL Ticket Network, including Ticketmaster, seatgeek, and Sports Illustrated Tickets.

[E]

Support for today's show comes from Sonos. You know what makes draft Day even better? Surround sound. That hits harder than a sleeper pick in the 12th round. I just hooked up the Sonos Arc Ultra and let me tell you, this thing booms crystal clear highs, deep bass, and it looks sleek enough to sit next to my fantasy draft board. Whether it's game day or mock draft night, Sonos makes every moment feel like a stadium experience. Trust me, your fantasy team deserves elite Sound upgrade with [e-mail] hi, I'm Cindy.

[D]

Crawford and I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but like, I never liked being told, oh wow, you look so good for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty. Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com.

[A]

We haven't really seen much of the president over the last week. Basically absent from the public eye, he's.

[C]

Clearly hiding something about his health.

[A]

The hashtag Trump is his dad trended on social media. What the. You people. You reporters have no chill guy can't take a few days for some R and R and a non surgical breast reduction without everybody suddenly pulling out the toe tags on the President. It does say something about the ubiquity of Donald Trump in our lives. That we don't hear from him for 20 minutes and we're like, he's dead. I think he's. How do you know he's dead? Well, it's been seven minutes since the word new scum has come up on my feed. He must be dead. But of course, Trump didn't die in office. But I wouldn't put it past him, trying once again to take credit for something Biden had already accomplished. Yeah, I, we haven't talked about this, so it didn't. I missed it. I guess it was an online thing.

[C]

And it, I missed it too.

[A]

It makes me wonder about how online some of you are. Like, I feel like I'm online too much. And I've missed several online stories using my finger quotes of the last year or so that make me think there's a whole nother world to be an online that I, that I'm not into.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, I would agree. There's a. Speaking of Biden. Oh, do we have time for this? Probably not, but a lot has come out about his wild, indiscriminate pardonings of people and they have internal memos that show it was about Hunter. We have to cover up the pardon of Hunter. So find me hundreds of people and we'll pardon them too and cloud the waters. It's unbelievable.

[A]

So you know about Waymo, right? It's the self driving taxi and it only exists in five cities currently. San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin. I don't know what the other two are. Tesla's trying to compete in several other companies, but Tesla's is the biggest. They got a pilot project going in a couple of different cities that currently still have a rider in them. A rider sits in the passenger seat in case he has to take over. It's a safety monitor that Elon says will be out of the car by the end of the year. Elon actually made the. He makes all kinds of claims that can't come true, but he said, I think we'll probably have autonomous ride hailing in probably half the population of the US by the end of the year. There's not a chance that's going to happen. But I wonder if we're getting closer or where we're going to eventually end end up is at least in urban areas. Why would you own a car if you can order one of these cars to come pick you up, you get in it and it takes you somewhere. Is that any different?

[C]

Sharing services are so important. So popular too now. So between all of those things. Yeah.

[A]

If there were enough vehicles out there driving around. I just wonder if most of the vehicles on the road are going to be autonomous, some sort of taxi thing in an urban area and everybody just rides around in those as opposed to getting in your car and, you know, driving people to lunch or whatever.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. By the way, there's a headline. Let's see, I read it in Yahoo News, but it's from I can't remember where. Atlantic daily newspaper. The headline is, Tesla wants out of the car business. They haven't introduced a new model in five years. And their new. What do they call their big plan? Master Plan 4, which was released earlier this week, makes no mention of any new electric cars in the works. It is instead all about robo taxis and robots and that sort of thing.

[A]

Wow, that'd be something. If the most successful electric car ever all of a sudden decides not to do it anymore. Somebody told me the new Waymos they don't have the steering wheel or anything like that. It's just a bench in the front and the bench in the back. It's like a moving, I don't know, what do you call it? Train? Car?

[C]

Amusement park ride?

[A]

Yeah, like an amusement park ride. We do a lot of hours and segments. If you miss any, get the Podcast Armstrong and Getty On Demand 4 hours every day Armstrong and Getty on demand Armstrong and Getty.

[B]

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[G]

The 2025 NFL season is underway. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action. Tickets to all Reg season games are on sale now. Be there live to support your favorite team. See every epic showdown, every classic rivalry and every primetime game. 17 games for all 32 teams. Visit NFL.comTickets to purchase tickets today. Verified tickets are available through the NFL Ticket Network including Ticketmaster, seatgeek, and Sports Illustrated Tickets.

[B]

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[D]

Processed foods, you could be starving your.

[A]

Gut microbes and they'll get hangry. That's one of many things I learned.

[D]

After working on a new audio course.

[A]

About the gut microbiome.

[D]

You can learn how to keep your gut happy by listening to Try this from the Washington Post.

[A]

I'm Christina Qu.

[D]

I host Try this.

[A]

Dig in with me on practical advice.

[D]

For life's common challenges.

[A]

Follow Try this right now, wherever you're listening. Seriously, try it. This is an iHeart podcast.