You Psycho Looking Bastard

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "You Psycho Looking Bastard" – Detailed Summary

Episode Information:

• Title: You Psycho Looking Bastard
• Host/Authors: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
• Release Date: July 8, 2025
• Description: The official, On-Demand podcast of The Armstrong & Getty Show! Accept no substitutes!

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1. Opening and Current Events Overview

Timestamp: [00:37]

The episode begins with Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center. They dive straight into significant current events, notably an ambush targeting U.S. Border Patrol agents in McAllen, Texas. A gunman armed with an AR-style rifle opened fire, resulting in his death during a shootout and wounding three individuals, including two officers.

Notable Quote:

"The ambush targeting U.S. Border Patrol agents outside a facility in McAllen, Texas... three people were wounded, including two officers." — Jack Armstrong [00:37]

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2. Detailed Report on the McAllen Incident

Timestamp: [01:26] – [03:02]

Jack Armstrong discusses concerns about potential immigration protests in New York City, specifically around Battery Park and the Statue of Liberty. He highlights the increasing visibility of violent elements within the immigration debate, noting heightened security measures like riot gear for police and barricades around immigration monuments.

Jonathan Hunt's Report on Fox News: Jonathan Hunt provides a detailed account of the McAllen shooting, emphasizing the extensive gunfire from the suspect and the subsequent response by Border Patrol and local police. The Border Patrol facility was left riddled with bullet holes, and a McAllen police officer sustained a knee injury from either a bullet or shrapnel. Investigations revealed that the shooter’s vehicle was laden with ammunition and weapons.

Notable Quotes:

"There were many, many, many dozens of rounds fired by the suspect towards the building and towards agents in that building." — Jack Armstrong [02:03]

"The Border Patrol facility was left riddled with bullet holes... a car... contained substantial amounts of ammunition and weapons." — Jonathan Hunt [02:42]

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3. Immigration Policy and Enforcement Debate

Timestamp: [03:02] – [08:12]

Armstrong and Muir delve into the broader implications of the McAllen incident within the national context of immigration policy. They discuss the persistent cycle of news surrounding illegal immigration enforcement and its impact on national opinion. Armstrong expresses uncertainty about the country’s direction regarding immigration laws and their enforcement.

Trisha McLaughlin's Statement: Trisha McLaughlin, Assistant DHS Secretary, passionately defends ICE enforcement officers, condemning Democratic politicians for villainizing and attacking them. She emphasizes the administration's commitment to prosecuting violations to the fullest extent of the law.

Notable Quotes:

"These Democrat politicians continue to villainize, demonize and attack our ICE enforcement officers... you will be arrested. You will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law." — Trisha McLaughlin [04:20]

Muir expands on the grassroots movements opposing ICE, mentioning initiatives like websites that expose ICE agents' identities and locations to provoke public backlash and shame hotel operators hosting these agents.

Notable Quotes:

"This is the newest battleground. America's war over immigration... grassroots efforts aimed at thwarting ICE everywhere it goes." — David Muir [05:15]

Armstrong references Sarah Isger of The Dispatch, noting her perspective on public opinion polling related to illegal immigration enforcement.

Notable Quotes:

"Being just known as we're the ones doing something about illegal immigration is going to be a win." — Jack Armstrong [06:17]

The discussion touches on the potential political outcomes, with Armstrong positing that Republican strategies may continue to enforce existing laws, while Muir raises concerns about overreach and public sympathy waning due to harsh enforcement actions.

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4. Resting Bitch Face (RBF) and Social Perception

Timestamp: [12:31] – [20:28]

In a lighter yet insightful segment, Armstrong introduces the topic of Resting Bitch Face (RBF) and its impact on social interactions. He shares personal experiences and strategies to mitigate negative perceptions caused by a naturally stern facial expression.

Jack Armstrong’s Insights: Armstrong discusses techniques such as practicing neutral expressions, slightly lifting the corners of the mouth, and maintaining open posture and eye contact to appear more approachable. He recounts experimenting with these methods during a vacation, noting improved interactions with strangers.

Notable Quotes:

"It's gonna take... checking on a daily basis so I don't end up walking the halls grinning like a homicidal lunatic." — Jack Armstrong [19:42]

Muir adds to the conversation by emphasizing the importance of intentional smiling and its effects on personal and professional relationships.

Notable Quotes:

"Thumbs up for the resting pleasant face. Thumbs down for the state of America's kids." — David Muir [20:07]

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5. Alarming Trends in Children's Health

Timestamp: [20:22] – [35:24]

Armstrong and Muir address a new study examining the decline in U.S. children's health from 2007 to 2023. The study highlights significant worsening in various health indicators, including:

• Increased child mortality
• Rise in chronic physical and mental health conditions
• Escalation in obesity rates
• Deterioration in sleep health
• Earlier onset of puberty
• Greater limitations in physical and emotional activities

They express deep concern over these findings, pondering the underlying causes such as increased smartphone usage, changes in parenting styles, and the impact of modern societal pressures.

Jack Armstrong’s Reflections: Armstrong shares personal anecdotes about his children's struggles with smartphone addiction, especially during vacations, and the challenges of encouraging them to engage with the world beyond their devices.

Notable Quotes:

"The study itself... there were 170 different indicators. They're all going the wrong direction." — Jack Armstrong [26:52]

"Kids are more anxious, they don't sleep well, they're gaining weight. It's... headed in the wrong direction at a pretty good clip." — Jack Armstrong [34:31]

Muir theorizes about the role of technology in exacerbating these health issues, comparing the situation to a hypothetical device that provides continuous pleasure and eliminates boredom, ultimately leading to addiction and the stunting of natural human experiences.

Notable Quotes:

"Imagine if you were to gather the great philosophers of history... they would be universally against it." — David Muir [29:58]

The segment concludes with a call to recognize the severity of the issue and the need for collective action to address the declining health trends among children.

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6. Closing Remarks and Upcoming Topics

Timestamp: [35:35] – [41:42]

As the episode nears its end, Armstrong shares a humorous yet poignant story about gifting his son his first smartphone, highlighting societal perceptions of smartphones as major life milestones. He reflects on the profound impact these devices have on adolescents' lives and interactions.

Muir introduces upcoming segments, teasing discussions on gender identity topics and cosmetic procedures, ensuring listeners of more engaging content in the next hour.

Notable Quotes:

"His life changed when he got that phone... it will be in his hand pretty much until the moment he dies." — Jack Armstrong [37:44]

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7. Conclusion

Throughout the episode, Armstrong and Getty navigate a range of topics from pressing national security and immigration issues to personal and societal challenges like RBF and the alarming decline in children's health. Their candid discussions, intertwined with personal anecdotes and expert insights, provide listeners with a comprehensive and engaging exploration of contemporary issues.

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Note: This summary excludes all advertisement segments and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions between Jack Armstrong and David Muir.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast. Ugh.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

Today, 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. The ambush targeting U.S. border Patrol agents outside a facility in McAllen, Texas. Authorities say a gunman armed with an AR style rifle opened fired. The suspect killed in a shootout there. Three people were wounded, including two officers.

[David Muir]

There's bent nosed, overly tight T shirt wearing Democratic activist David Muir's report on ABC News. We'll have much more detail for you in a minute, but how troubling.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd say, I think that I was talking about eyes New York City, they had a whole bunch of stuff down at Battery park where you get on the boats to go out to Statue of Liberty. We didn't do that. But they apparently were concerned about some sort of giant immigration protest because the tons of like in riot gear, cops around and all of your immigration monuments sort of stuff barricaded off. Yeah, because there's a, there's a, you know, there's a growing violent wing of this topic.

[David Muir]

Well, and the irony of roping off, barricading off, isn't immigration great monuments is kind of odd, but I get it. For a little more report here, a little more detail rather, here's Jonathan Hunt on Fox News.

[Jonathan Hunt]

It was just before 6am when the shooter opened fire outside a Border patrol annex in McAllen, Texas. Border Patrol agents and local police returned fire, hitting and killing the shooter, who was armed with an assault rifle.

[Jack Armstrong]

There were many, many, many dozens of rounds fired from by the suspect towards the building and towards agents in that building.

[Jonathan Hunt]

The Border Patrol facility was left riddled with bullet holes. One McAllen police officer was hit in the knee by either a bu or shrapnel. A car apparently driven by the shooter was found in the Border Patrol parking lot and contained, according to the police chief, substantial amounts of ammunition and weapons.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, just in general, the, the, the topic of immigration and cracking down on illegals. Man, there are so many more news cycles of this to go to see where we're going to land as a national opinion, because the stuff out of la, which we've talked about a little bit, and we're going to talk about more with the, the mayor trying to get a good photo op of defiantly standing up to ICE raids and that sort of stuff where they rolled through a park and we're looking for illegals and booting them out, and not just criminals, but people who are here illegally, although that is the law. So that's part of, you know, where we're going to end up on this story. We going to change the law, we going to enforce the law. What other laws are we going to choose to ignore? I mean, I just. I don't know where we're going to end up as a country on this.

[David Muir]

That's funny. That's exactly what I was just going to say, because there are a couple of possible results. Number one, the Armstrong plan, which I really like. I'm not sure it'll work. But is force the issue? Say, no, we're going to enforce the law as it's written. Oh, you hate it. Well, then change the law. Let's get together in Congress. They write laws according to Schoolhouse Rock. So let's do this. Or America says, oh, this is all too ugly. That was my gardener. That's the, that's the nice family that's lived down the street for 10 years.

[Jack Armstrong]

I didn't know he was legal.

[David Muir]

This is too mean. We can't do this. And we'll go back to our kind of ignoring the law culture. Wow. That one of two possibilities.

[Jack Armstrong]

Surely we're not going to end up in that second spot.

[David Muir]

Which one would be easier for people.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[David Muir]

Right. This is Trisha McLaughlin, who's an assistant DHS secretary.

[Trisha McLaughlin]

Tragically, it's a 700% increase in assaults against our ICE enforcement officers. And what these Democrat politicians continue to do with, whether it be Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom, Tim Walsh or aoc, is they villainize, demonize and attack our ICE enforcement officers. And they give a free pass and actually egg on these unhinged lunatics who go after our ICE enforcement officers. This administration under President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are not having it. And if you put a single hand on our law enforcement, you will be arrested. You will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

[David Muir]

So one of the more troubling and interesting trends going on right now is you have these ad hoc groups that are coming together to try to oppose and interfere with ICE and the free press. Is writing about it. And they started with this guy in Ireland who for some reason thinks this is the great standing up against the oppressors cause of the moment. And so he's organized a website that publishes the names, photos and social media profile links of ICE agents in the US even though he's not an American. This is the newest battleground. America's war over immigration. The dramatic escalation in arrests, blah, blah, blah, is fueling grassroots efforts aimed at thwarting ICE everywhere it goes. What began as a frenzy of ad hoc social media posts has turned into apps, hotlines, neighborhood focused groups on nextdoor and websites like people over papers which are allegedly trying to expose the identities and locations of ICE agents and even the hotels where they're staying to provoke protests and shame the hotel operators.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know where America is going to land on this, I really don't. But I tend to believe I mentioned Sarah Isger of the Dispatch, who knows a lot about issue polling, that even if it polls poorly, booting out illegals who have done nothing else wrong, and I think at the end of the day, being just known as we're the ones doing something about illegal immigration is going to be a win.

[David Muir]

You could be right going forward, future electoral cycles, that sort of thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you absolutely could be right. Like I said, I don't know, I just had kind of the opposite thought going through my head. I think Stephen Miller is over the top.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah.

[David Muir]

I think he really needs to rein it in a little bit. Not for reasons of being right or wrong, but just in terms of understanding where the public is. PR wise. If I were advising Trump, I would say go with the most righteous deportations you can, all the time, as many criminals as you can, people with, you know, serious violations, even kind of middling violations. Steer clear of the kindly, you know, landscape guy Carpenter, the hotel maid who's never done anything wrong. Because that is going to, bit by bit, chip away at the support you get from the American people for doing some of this stuff. Because some of it's just, some of it's tough, some of it's a little ugly, some of it's sad. And the American people, especially these days, don't have a lot of appetite for difficult and sad.

[Jack Armstrong]

Man, I don't know. So what is there, 600, 700,000 illegals that have a criminal, they out of that they committed crimes, so you can easily justify booting them out. And that leaves what, 15 million illegals that, that, you know, fish, where the fish are in Terms of booting people out. That's a lot of people.

[David Muir]

Yeah, you're right, you're right. And I might be wrong about this. It might just be sheer bulk will win the day. That's not my sense of it. But you know, the media works to establish the narrative that I was kind of, you know, pitching, thinking about out loud. So I don't, I don't know, any thoughts. You can drop us a note mailbag at Armstrong&getty.com what's the smarter tack the administration could take to keep the support of the American people?

[Jack Armstrong]

I'll tell you what I was thinking about the whole, you know, change law. You don't like it, change the law. The current law is you can't be here illegally, we boot you out. So that's what we're gonna do. Maybe they don't want to talk about that when you've got a Republican Congress, but when the Democrats take back the House, which they, I think they almost certainly will, cuz that's pretty much what always happens after a president is election elected. They lose the House first. First next election, man. If the Democrats are in charge, Trump could hammer that all the time. And I think it'd be in a pretty good political position. You don't like what we' a law, go ahead, pass a law. Then what is it going to be? And it would be a lot, a lot harder to do than they think.

[David Muir]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[David Muir]

A phone call or a chat or.

[Jack Armstrong]

An email and they can walk you through this whole thing and you can be managing this thing yourself.

[David Muir]

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[Jack Armstrong]

So the immigration thing has got many, many more news cycles. As I said, many more layers to it. I have no idea how it's going to play out over. It certainly seems that the Trump administration is hell bent on continuing to prosecute their case and we'll see how the public reacts to it. They don't. Well, maybe they do. I was about to say they don't want a lot of photo ops like yesterday where you got guys who looked like they're dressed up for Fallujah going through a park with a bunch of little Mexican kids playing. I don't think that's a good look, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe that's a better. I don't know. I have no idea how that's going to turn out.

[David Muir]

Well, and just on a practical level, this is practical politics. I'm not talking principle now, as I usually am ranting and raving about, but purely practically. I was making the joke the other day. We're having a big remodel project done on our house and I was joking with friends. Hey, Donald J. Let's just keep it cool until they're done with my house, please. Because it is remarkable the number of Spanish speakers who are in the construction trade, both coasts and the middle of the country. It's really quite exceptional. And though employers, and I've actually talked to a number of employers about this, they try to verify who's who. But between the imperfections of the verify program, the ease of getting fake documents and the rest of it, sometimes they're suspicious, but they don't know. So if over and over and over again, people's housekeeper, their gardener, their construction crew, their hotel staff, their meat packing.

[Jack Armstrong]

That would really hit people harder.

[David Muir]

Sitter of any kind, your nanny, the. The, the great, fabulous waiter at your favorite diner, whatever, all these people are disappearing. That's. That's going to hurt support. I just, I'm super curious to see which way it goes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Do you suffer from rbf? Resting bitch faces, it's called. That's a coarse term.

[David Muir]

It is coarse.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is there anything you can do about it? Gonna talk about that coming up. Among other things. Also, man, this new study out about kids which has me highly troubled. It should trouble everyone. We'll get to that. Lots of good stuff on the way. Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Ugh.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

So I got a question for, I guess anybody on the staff. So it could be, you know, anybody who works with me. This is. I know and I know what the answer is going to be.

[David Muir]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

And there's a point to this that can help you, you, the listener, if you suffer from rbf resting bitch face, which is a common thing. Do I, Jack, do I come off as unapproachable when really I'm just, this is just my normal face.

[David Muir]

Oh yeah, yeah. I see everybody hesitating. Let me lead the pro million percent.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah.

[David Muir]

I, I have sat in meetings thinking, oh my God, you're radiating hate.

[Jack Armstrong]

So that's the first question on the whole do you have RBF and what to do about it thing that I came across. I've been working on this for two weeks and I think I'm getting somewhere.

[David Muir]

Wow. Okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So some of it is. And I came to this idea on my own, but actually did a research and it's a common thing, practicing neutral expressions. It's the whole resting bitch face is just, you know, maybe you were born that way or for, for some reason a lot of people with age, you just get used to like, you know, your muscles relaxing and falling and you're the falling muscles of your face. Kind of put you in a frown for a lot of people. And I've known, I've known lots of people, older people. Like that happens regularly with old people where you see a guy or a woman who just looks so grumpy and you engage them at all and they just light up with a beaming smile. They're. They're not grumpy at all. That's just their face sagging. But why, why do you laugh at that, Katie? Like, God, I could just picture you.

[David Muir]

Saying that to somebody.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, you're actually quite pleasant and your face was just sagging.

[David Muir]

You're not a nasty human, right? And they're thinking, I was thinking the same thing of you is psycho killer looking bastard.

[Jack Armstrong]

There are practical things you can do if you're concerned about resting bitch face or as friends have told me, I've got rmf resting murdery face, like a step beyond rbf. Whether you're trying to change how others perceive you or feel more approachable, here's a rundown of your options. Practice neutral expressions in the mirror. I had been doing that and now I've been walking around with what I hope is at least a neutral expression on my face most of the time. Slightly lift the corners of your mouth to create a softer, more approachable resting face. You can also practice relaxed brows. If you got furrowed brows. I don't have that, but I do have the mouth thing. Even if your face seems serious, open posture and eye contact can offset it also. But intentional smiling is a big thing. Try the soft smile when you're in social settings. Barely upturned lips, not no need for a full grin. It says here. See, that's the thing I've been trying. Hi, how are ya?

[David Muir]

Great.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it's kind of fun. It was kind of fun. I was on vacation. So, you know, I'm around people I don't know. So I was able to practice it a lot and I got results and I was, I was comfortable practicing because I don't know the. If I practiced, you know, if I first started practicing it around here, people are gonna say, are you okay? Are you constipated?

[David Muir]

Or do you want something?

[Jack Armstrong]

Or if you go too far with the silly grin, you know, it's like, are you going to kill me? I mean, what is happening right now? Yeah, what are we doing here? Why do you have that look on your face? But I noticed, and this is so crazy, I was going around with the kind of neutral, slightly upturned expression and getting a noticeably better result out of people that I Interacted with. Whether it's just somebody at the coffee shop or just walking down the street.

[David Muir]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Jack Armstrong]

I didn't. I've been doing this my whole life. Walking down the street looking like I want to kill you and radiating hate, as Joe said. And, and, and, and getting a, an immediate result by trying to change that.

[David Muir]

Yeah. Yeah. Wow, that's interesting. There's a person who I love very much, who will remain nameless, who has the. Who has had to learn not to be completely transparent when you've lost her interest, like she'll tell a story, then you'll tell a story and you'll just say click that moment. I've totally lost interest on that list. And we have been working on a. Oh my God. Cheerfully attentive look.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I'm doing it right now. Right, See, it's better. I like it. It's better. I feel we're no longer afraid. And you know what's interesting about it? The whole just. It's kind of similar like with stretching. You just get used to your muscles being in a certain way. In my face, in my mind, it feels like I'm grinning like the Joker from Batman. But I look in the mirror and it's just completely neutral because my muscles are so formed to frown.

[David Muir]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it, it's gonna take. I gotta, I gotta make sure I check on a daily basis so I don't end up walking the halls grinning like a homicidal lunatic.

[David Muir]

Well, see, that's the idea across the line right here.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I like.

[David Muir]

Yes, very good.

[Jack Armstrong]

It feels really uncomfortable and unnatural for me, but like I said, I've been getting better results. So give it a whirl, see if you can change it. And of course, the idea with like, with stretching and lifting weights or whatever or posture is it becomes your habit and it just becomes normal and natural and you don't have to try anymore.

[David Muir]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know how long that will take.

[David Muir]

Well, thumbs up for the resting pleasant face. Thumbs down for the state of America's kids. Whether you're a parent or not, folks, we need to band together. We need to be aware of this and realize our kids hearts and souls are at stake on a number of different fronts.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's getting worse, not better. Even with all our recognition. So stay tuned.

[Trisha McLaughlin]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

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[David Muir]

On the 4th of July, Kamala Harris posted quote Things are probably going to get worse before they get better. That's also how she starts her speaking engagements.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow, that's interesting. I don't watch Gutfeld. He's got a really interesting style and delivery and he gets great ratings.

[David Muir]

And he's a Kamala kicker for sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, I'd say.

[David Muir]

Subject of many of his jabs.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'd say, by the way, going back just one segment on the, you know, changing your facial expression as an adult, that's an interesting idea. I don't think most of us think about it much, but can you, you know, midlife decide I'm gonna have a different look on my face all the time? I guess you can if you practice it. But one of the things I had to get over is I abhor phoniness. Always have. My whole life, I'm, I'm, I'm practically Holden Caulfield in that way. Reed Catcher in the Rye I just, I can't stand phoniness. So the idea of having a phony expression bothers me. But I overcome that by reminding myself the I want to kill you expression is not real. So. So I'm getting rid of. I'm getting rid of a phony expression is what I'M trying to do.

[David Muir]

Yeah, yeah, it's accidental.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, it's gravity or, or the fact that I hate most people. Oops, I let that slip. Oh, wait a minute. So this is troubling and this is not new. It's something we've talked about a lot. But there is a brand new study that just came out and I actually went to the study itself because sometimes that's handy though you have to skip over all the scientific gobbledygook to get somebody to condense it for you. But the study itself was. Here was the question that the researchers asked. How has US children's health, chronic conditions, obesity, functional status symptoms changed from 2007 to 2023. It does not say here why they chose 2007. Seems like a interesting coincidence that that's where the smartphone arrived, but I don't think that's the reason they did it. What were the findings? Trends have significantly worsened for child mortality, chronic physical, developmental, mental health conditions, obesity, sleep health, early puberty, limitations in activity and physical and emotional symptoms significantly worsened in all those categories since 2007. And we were talking about this in 2007 on how bad it was and how much more overweight, depressed, anxious, can't sleep kids were. And it's gotten significantly worse since then.

[David Muir]

Good lord, it's nightmarish.

[Jack Armstrong]

They don't have a why. I mean this research wasn't their thing, wasn't to try to figure out the why. It was just to measure the changes. And the headline, at least in Fortune magazine's version of it was Kids or the canaries in the coal mine. I don't exactly understand understand what that means. I mean I understand the expression.

[David Muir]

I think they are. Well, you know, I have my own theories about this which we've discussed many times and share with Jonathan Haidt among other researchers and Peter Boghossian and some others. But there the canary in the coal mine of the the digital world, the digital connected smartphone world, the modern world susceptible to the poison gases of no interaction, no running around and relating to people just staring at screens.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. I, I didn't talk about that. That was such a fight on vacation. Such a fight on vacation. And you know, kids have always been bored by museums in a variety of things, but trying to get my kids interested in anything when their brains have been adjusted to the modern world of, of instant gratification and input and sort of stuff like that, really, really hard.

[David Muir]

Never ending shots of endorphins. That's the scary part.

[Jack Armstrong]

And, and if they were going to be completely Honest with me, I think 90% of the time on vacation, if I gave them the choice between what we were doing and sitting in their room looking at the phone, they would have absolutely chosen sitting in the hotel room looking at their phone like 90% of the time. And too often for me, you know, I gotta fight the urge myself. So, man, it was, it was, it was noticeable. I was thinking about how different it was from when I was their age and my parents just whatever we were doing was better than nothing, which was my other alternative. But they're, they're better than nothing. Is the world in their hand in terms of endorphins.

[David Muir]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's troubling. So that's got to play a role in it. But listen to this. One of the lead researchers. The surprising part of the study wasn't any with any single statistic. It was that there were 170 different indicators. We looked at eight data sources all showing the same thing. A worsening, a generalized decline in kids health. 170 indicators. They're all going the wrong direction.

[David Muir]

That is, that, that's a disaster. It's a national emergency. It's a global emergency. And I'm not trying to be funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. It says here the health of kids in America is not as good as it should be. Obs, but not as good as other countries. That's interesting. Is it just because we're the leading edge of smartphone stuff? I don't know.

[David Muir]

How are we on the whole free range parenting thing compared to other countries? I don't actually know that. I know that there's plenty of nanny statism in other ways in Europe, for instance. Policing of speech, which we ought to talk about at some point. But I wonder about that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I know. I work on that more than I used to. I sent my kids out while we were in New York a couple of times by themselves. We were staying right in Times Square, which if you haven't been there recently, it's like your local strip mall. It's just got so little character. But anyway, although the Times Square Elmo's still charming. It's like 50 Elmos running around.

[David Muir]

All of them.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yes, but both my kids, they went out, you know, go, go do this or figure that out or. And. And then, you know, so you got to navigate the world. You got to navigate the getting in out of the hotel and up and down the elevator and across the street and, you know, talking to somebody at the Cane's Chicken. Why is there a Cane chicken in Times Square? Why are you going To New York. You spent all this money to travel there. You're staying in a hotel. Even if it's a cheap hotel, it's an expensive hotel because of the taxes. And you're eating at Cane's Chicken and shopping at Old Navy. Who are you? Why are you at Old Navy? There's an Old Navy in your town. I don't understand what you're doing.

[David Muir]

I know the homogenization of America, it's horrifying.

[Jack Armstrong]

Anyhow, I let them go out and navigate the world with just that in mind. What we've been talking about, that. That's supposed to be really good for your anxiety and emotional development.

[David Muir]

But at the risk of repeating myself, but I say so little that's worth hearing. If I hit on something that is, you know, I kind of lean on it. Imagine if you were to gather the great philosophers of history, the great religious leaders, whomever you think you know has the most wisdom, and say, look, I got this idea. I am going to invent a device that people can have with them all the time that will give them pleasure whenever they want it. So much pleasure, they don't even look for any other pleasure. Not only that, but it will eliminate boredom, so they never have to invent a way to amuse themselves or go out and look for something interesting or go interact with people. They're never bored, and they always have pleasure. What do you think, Jesus? What do you think, Buddha? What do you think, Abraham Lincoln or whoever you want to ask.

[Jack Armstrong]

Please.

[David Muir]

The answer would be universal. This is not that hard.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it will speed up your mind in such a way that everything else that people have ever enjoyed is. Is unenjoyable.

[David Muir]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Too dull, right?

[David Muir]

Oh, that's right. And it's. It's addictive. It's physically addictive, too. Jesus the great, you know, man of peace, he'd punch you right in the face for even suggesting it. Probably not. Theological theologians differ. But he overturned the temples, the tables at the temple.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, right. Yeah.

[David Muir]

He might have punched Steve Jobs in the face.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think he was hangry that day. I think that's the thing.

[David Muir]

Oh, that'll do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're talking about this in 2011. Joe and I have been doing this show since the mid-40s, so we've talked about every topic a lot. But we were talking about this in 2011. How are things since 2011? Thank you, Gladys. A child is almost 20% more likely than a kid in 2011 to have a chronic condition, such as anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, other things. According to the study up almost 20% since 2011, when we were scared to death then.

[David Muir]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's just lots and lots of numbers along those lines. But you get the point. We're headed in the wrong direction at a pretty good clip. And at what point do we, like, decide this is the number one issue in America? I guess RFK Jr. Is trying to. But he's alerting to people to this. Just his solutions are.

[David Muir]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not always the most rational.

[David Muir]

Yeah, I think that's true. I just. We need a national commission. Although if Trump is behind it, the left will reject any conclusion it comes to, no matter how compelling or clearly true. I actually read a funny commentary that when Trump came out with his tariffs the first time around. They're back, by the way. Allegedly, that all of a sudden the left was in favor of free markets. You know, free trade, free markets. Are you kidding? Protectionism is terrible. And the joke was, just have Trump advocate for everything that's terrible.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[David Muir]

And the left will turn on it and we'll have a wonderful country.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah.

[David Muir]

But anyway, I would love to see some sort of blue ribbon commission come up with just, like, three recommendations, because there are probably more than that, but having to do with, you know, giving kids the freedom and getting them away from screens and letting them be bored, letting them create. And also, it would be a radical reform of our nation's school systems. And I was kicking myself as this segment began that I hadn't asked for the clip of a Sacramento, California, area teacher who was run out of his job because he was exposed as being an openly Marxist radical, Black Lives Matter Rainbow Flag activist who was caught on tape saying, look, when class starts in the fall, I know I have whatever it was, six months to turn these kids into little revolutionaries. And that's what I do. That's why I am here. And the implication being I might teach the stuff I'm supposed to teach, but that's not my main purpose. And if you were to picture. And you don't need to picture it, just go down to your local school, an educational system where the kids are systematically taught that the country they live in is awful, that we're all gonna die of climate change, that they're either bad people because they're white, or that they probably are a little girl, even if they're a little boy, and the rest of it, those kids are gonna be confused and miserable. There's a reason you. You know. You know, I. I was growing up. My parents didn't expose me to the full horrors of the Vietnam War. I couldn't possibly have handled it at that age. You ease kids into taking on the weight of the world and the complexity of the world. And not only are they intentionally getting the kids early to indoctrinate them, to turn them into little Marxists, but they're inflicting way too much heaviness and confusion and fear and angst on kids and again systematically from preschool through grad school. And it's all awful.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have a clip of that teacher, by the way. Go ahead. I like what you said in our corn call. Like, I have 180 days, right?

[David Muir]

Yeah. I have 180 days to turn them into revolutionaries.

[Jack Armstrong]

And that's the question.

[David Muir]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because a lot of them were indifferent. I think they're distracted by the gadgets, video games. How do you do that?

[David Muir]

How do you scare the out of them?

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, that's funny.

[David Muir]

How do you scare the f out of them?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, that's funny though. The person there was concerned about the gadgets. Why? How are you gonna turn them into Marxist when they're also looking at their phone? So their concern is the darn smartphones have gotten in the way of being able to turn kids into radical Marxists.

[David Muir]

Well, that was an undercover reporter. He was trying to egg the guy on.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, but. So we jump to some conclusions of what might be causing this. The study doesn't get into what's causing this at all. You know, is it smartphones? It is at the schooling. Is it all of them? Isn't it? None of that. And it's just you get enough plastics in you over a certain amount of time and you start acting this way. I have no idea.

[David Muir]

Might be another factor, but I will die believing what I just stated.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I got a couple more things on this. If you have a thought, feel free to text us. 415295 kftc, Armstrong and Getty.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Ugh.

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[Jack Armstrong]

Today we celebrated our nation's independence with fireworks and drugs hidden in peanut butter to get our dogs through the fireworks. Right? I've. I've heard that is a popular thing, giving your dog Benadryl or something on 4th of July. Have them take a little nap so they don't freak out when they hear the bangs, bangs, bangs.

[David Muir]

Or you could do the thunder jacket thing that, like, is like a blanket around them. I've heard those work.

[Jack Armstrong]

So we're just talking about this new study that's out where they look at like 180 different things about kids and they're all going the wrong direction. They're more anxious, they're more. They don't sleep well, they're gaining weight. It's like practically anything you can nail down as a part of being a kid is going the wrong direction. And it's. It was bad 15 years ago and it's worse now. And what the hell is it? I don't know. We're talking about smartphones and schools and lots of different things. We did get this text, though. This is one of my favorites of all time, which I think may include a catchphrase that we will have forever.

[David Muir]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're going to invent a device that has all the knowledge in the world at everyone's fingertips. You guys sound like the gun is killing people.

[David Muir]

Think different.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's my favorite part there at the end. Think different. That's what I like that. Okay, I'm gonna start doing. I'm gonna start saying that to people if I disagree with it. Hey, think different, you idiot.

[David Muir]

Number one, it's differently. But okay, thanks. I feel correct. Well, we'll do.

[Jack Armstrong]

So I mentioned this and I had forgotten about it until it came Up. The noticeable struggle it was for me to try to have my kids have a vacation like I've got in mind now that they both are smartphone kids. And actually got Henry his very first smartphone in Miami. While we were there, he'd been talking about getting a phone. He's got kind of a friend group now, and he's kind of on the outside because he can't do the group texts and all that, and he's feeling bad about it. And anyway, he's 13 and a half, and I got him a smartphone, and it was interesting the way people reacted to the, like at the store. This is gonna be his first phone. And he's like, all right, high five. And some people there in the store overheard, oh, congratulations. It's like the modern getting your driver's license or first car. I told the Uber driver on the way back to the hotel, hey, I just got him his first phone, and he fist bumped him. All right, my man, your life has changed forever. And I thought, that's really interesting, that. And it's true. It's the biggest thing that happens to you now when you're handed that device for the first time, which will be in your hand pretty much until the moment you die.

[David Muir]

Ugh, you're making me sad.

[Jack Armstrong]

No, I'm not claiming it's all better. Well, I can't claim it's all bad, or if it was all bad, we wouldn't all be doing it. But it is true. His life changed when. When he got that phone a week ago. He now has it with him all the time. He mostly researches dinosaurs because that's his thing. But for now, I thought, that's really interesting that everybody's reaction was, okay, here you go. Congratulations. Life starts now. And it's true to a certain extent. And I think that fits into what we were just discussing all the various things. Oh, my point about the vacation. What a struggle it was just trying to have anything that can beat out the constant entertainment that they've got in their hand on vacation. And also, like wearing an earpiece. Every young person now has an earbud in all the time, constantly. And I make my kids take it out, and it makes them really, really angry. Like, they're looking at their phone, they have an earpiece in. Where? While we're in the lift going through Manhattan. Take that out. Pay attention to what's around you. There's nothing on board. What do you mean there's nothing? This is one of the greatest cities in the world. Look, there's. There's this there's that everything around you is something new and different you've never seen before in your life. Look at it. And they look at me like I'm crazy.

[David Muir]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's tough.

[David Muir]

Yeah. Speaking of crazy, a gender bending madness update coming. New Hope edition. Plus, do not get a Brazilian butt left until you hear our segment next hour.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, man. I had it scheduled for the top of the hour.

[David Muir]

Don't do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have six minutes to get it done.

[Trisha McLaughlin]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.