Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "You Useless Idiots"
Date: October 8, 2025
Podcast by iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Armstrong and Getty tackle intense cultural and political flashpoints, focusing on pro-Hamas rallies on U.S. college campuses, Western responses to radical Islamism, a bizarre attempted attack on Supreme Court justices, issues of free speech and therapy law, and political missteps by California gubernatorial candidate Katie Porter. The tone is incredulous, often combative, with a mix of biting satire and dark humor as the hosts critique perceived hypocrisy in media, academia, and politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pro-Hamas Rallies and Media Response

[00:49–06:28]

• Widespread Pro-Hamas Rallies: Armstrong and Getty highlight a surge of pro-Hamas demonstrations, notably on American college campuses and in New York City, coinciding with the anniversary of the October 7th attacks.
  • They criticize not just the rallies but also what they see as a lack of critical media coverage.
  • Quote: Jack Armstrong: “You can march in the street declaring all Jews must die and nothing happens.” [03:58]
• Media & Societal Double Standards:
  • The hosts compare the muted coverage of anti-Israel protests with the extensive coverage of white supremacist rallies, suggesting a media reluctance to confront left-wing or Islamist extremism:
  • Quote: Michael: “New York Times, Washington Post, all of you people. What do you have to say, you liars?” [05:50]
• European Perspective:
  • Armstrong notes that in Britain, criticism of Islam brings police scrutiny, while open anti-Semitic or radical Islamist rhetoric isn’t similarly policed.
  • Quote: Jack Armstrong: “Europe, Britain in particular, is terrified of Islamists and is bowing before them. That's the long and short of it.” [03:26]

2. The "Red-Green Alliance" and Contradictory Alliances

[06:46–09:07]

• Strange Coalitions: They discuss the alliance of Western far-left groups (the "Red") with Islamist radicals (the "Green"), referencing the historic linkage in Iran and modern DEI ideology.
  • Quote: Michael: “That’s how you end up with queers for Palestine… It not only doesn’t make any sense, it’s the opposite of making sense.” [07:27]
• Iranian Political Refugee Testimony:
  • An Iranian-Canadian refugee gives a first-hand warning about the process and dangers of leftist-Islamist alliances in free societies.
  • Quote: Refugee: “And I know how it starts and I know how it ends. And it always starts with…the unity of left and Islamists. And it scares me.” [08:06]

3. Contradictions at Campus Rallies: "You Useless Idiots"

[09:07–11:45]

• Street Interviews Highlight Confusion:
  • Armstrong and Getty praise the clarity of a campus interview showing an LGBTQ+ pro-Palestinian protester, whose views result in logical collapses regarding trans rights under Islam.
  • Quote: Michael: “I hope that poor confused little fella doesn't end up with his throat cut. I mean, because there are plenty of militant Muslims who would hear that and kill him for it.” [10:51]
• "Useful Idiots":
  • The hosts argue that many progressive activists allying with Islamist causes are being cynically used.
  • Quote: Michael: “The people who are using you useless idiots know precisely what they're doing. And they are. They have nothing but contempt for you, but you're useful to them.” [11:37]
  • Armstrong bluntly: “That guy is an idiot.” [11:45]

4. Populist Backlash & Western Societies’ Tensions

[12:22–13:11]

• Populism in Britain: Comment on the rise of working-class pushback against both Islamist extremism and elites seen as appeasers.
  • Michael: “People are standing up…We want England back. And, of course they're portrayed as bigots…” [12:25]
• Potential for Civil Unrest:
  • Armstrong warns: “At some point things are going to turn really ugly.” [13:03]

5. Air Traffic Controller Staffing & Media Narratives

[14:13–15:23]

• Skepticism Toward Shutdown Panic Stories:
  • The hosts lampoon mainstream media’s portrayal of government shutdown impacts, particularly the air traffic controller “crisis.”
  • Armstrong: “The we can't go to work because I got childcare duties and car payments is completely bogus.” [15:17]

6. Supreme Court "Red Mass" Bomb Plot

[16:03–22:20]

• Attempted Attack Overview:
  • Armstrong recaps a foiled bomb plot outside the annual Supreme Court Red Mass, highlighting the attacker’s mix of far-left and anti-religious grievances.
  • Quote: Jack Armstrong: “He said he's a 41-year-old bearded dude looks crazy...I have explosives.” [16:32]
• Dark Comedy in Failure:
  • They detail, with gallows humor, how police arrested the suspect while he was urinating behind a tree, having left his bomb-laden tent.
    • Michael: “Did not see that coming.” [21:32]
    • Armstrong: “So you're in there...This is your big moment, man, do I got a whiz.” [21:43]
• Lesson:
  • Armstrong notes even those with deranged views can be operationally dangerous: “doesn’t mean he couldn't have been successful.” [22:20]

7. Interview Meltdown: Katie Porter’s Gubernatorial Campaign

[23:07–28:35]

• Background:
  • Armstrong introduces Katie Porter as a top Democratic candidate for California governor whose media skills are questioned after an interview fiasco.
• Interview Breakdown:
  • Porter is pressed about whether she needs Trump voters to win, resists the line of questioning, and walks out, displaying inexperience with adversarial media.
  • Quote: Interviewer: “So you're not going to answer questions from reporters?” [26:24]
  • Armstrong: “In a one party state with a compliant media…she’s never had to answer any questions before.” [26:54]
• Consequences:
  • The team speculates the incident will hurt Porter, and use this as commentary on the lack of press scrutiny in single-party states.
  • Michael: “She’s never had an adversarial conversation with a member of the media…” [27:22]
• Sidebar:
  • Armstrong makes a jab about camera angles, which Michael attempts to rein in for taste’s sake.

8. Satire on Crime & Policing

[29:18–32:20]

• Simply Safe Ad Transitions to Social Commentary:
  • While bantering about advertising, the hosts riff on property crime, homelessness, and drug addiction in blue cities.
  • Armstrong and Michael venture into satirical role-play, imagining berating would-be burglars via security cameras:
    • Michael: “What do your grandparents think of you, scumbag, huh?” [29:38]
    • Armstrong: “I'm working behind my bush.” [31:19]
  • They lament lawlessness and the lack of “disincentives” for criminal behavior.

9. "Pansy Gate"—Political Rhetoric & Gender Language

[33:25–33:56]

• Kristi Noem’s Controversial Comment:
  • The hosts play and dissect a clip in which Kristi Noem calls Portland officials “pansies,” triggering uproar (“Pansy Gate”).
  • Satirize the reaction as “pansies looking on with tears brimming in their eyes.” [34:01]

10. Supreme Court Free Speech Case: Salazar v. Colorado

[34:01–39:18]

• Background:
  • The justices are hearing arguments about a controversial Colorado law banning “conversion therapy.”
• Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Questioning:
  • The hosts jeer at Justice Jackson’s grasp of the First Amendment, suggesting she asked whether conversations constitute protected speech.
    • Quote: Michael: “Are conversations protected by the Constitution?” [36:18]
  • The clip is played and dissected, with the hosts expressing disbelief at the quality of Supreme Court questioning.
• Predictions:
  • Michael expects the Court to protect free speech and counseling, warning of a “First Amendment nightmare” if not.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Media Double Standards:
  • “You can march in the street declaring all Jews must die and nothing happens.”
    — Jack Armstrong [03:58]
• On Contradictory Alliances:
  • “That's how you end up with queers for Palestine or transgenders for Palestine. It not only doesn't make any sense, it's the opposite of making sense.”
    — Michael [07:27]
• On Campus Confusion:
  • “The people who are using you useless idiots know precisely what they're doing…they have nothing but contempt for you, but you're useful to them.”
    — Michael [11:37]
• On One-Party Politics:
  • “She's never had an adversarial conversation with a member of the media…”
    — Michael [27:22]
• On the Bomb Plot’s Sudden End:
  • “The guy opens up the tent flap, walks over to a tree and urinates. They run over and arrest him.”
    — Jack Armstrong [21:32]
• On Supreme Court Arguments:
  • “She seriously just asked, is, like, a conversation protected speech, or is it just like, articles and stuff?”
    — Michael [36:18]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening & Sports Banter: [00:26]
• Pro-Hamas Rallies & Campus Interviews: [00:49–06:28]
• Red-Green Alliance, Iran, DEI: [06:46–09:07]
• Campus Protest Contradictions: [09:07–11:45]
• Populist Reactions in UK: [12:22–13:11]
• Shutdown & Air Traffic Controller Shortages: [14:13–15:23]
• Supreme Court Red Mass Bomb Plot: [16:03–22:20]
• Katie Porter Interview Meltdown: [23:07–28:35]
• Satirical Crime Banter: [29:18–32:20]
• Kristi Noem’s “Pansy Gate”: [33:25–33:56]
• Supreme Court Free Speech Case: [34:01–39:18]

Tone & Takeaways

The episode is bracingly critical, irreverent, and at times darkly comedic. Armstrong and Getty’s spirited back-and-forth is peppered with sarcasm, pointed analogies, and outrage at what they see as media hypocrisy and elite complacency. They flag the dangers of ideological blindness on both left and right, and repeatedly highlight absurdities within current political, media, and activist culture.