Armstrong & Getty On Demand – “You've Heard Of Google, Right?”

Release Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty, Michael, Katie Green
Podcast Provider: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Theme

This hard-hitting episode revolves around the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk, the broader implications for American political violence, and how misinformation, tribal thinking, and media missteps fuel current civic divides. The hosts weave in commentary about public figures, current events, internet misinformation, and societal reactions, all delivered with Armstrong & Getty’s signature mix of irreverence and earnest concern. There are also lighter interludes, including talk of pop culture and baseball, but the focus remains on political violence, the state of discourse, and the media’s role.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Misinformation and Media Literacy

• The episode kicks off with Joe Getty criticizing Stephen King for tweeting false information about Charlie Kirk ("[00:26] Stephen King…has retracted his idiotic tweet...saying Charlie Kirk was in favor of stoning gays."). Armstrong & Getty underscore the dangers of accepting outlandish claims without basic research and mockingly recommend using Google or ChatGPT ("[01:02] Michael: ...just type in did Charlie Kirk actually say…in like 1, 1 millionth of a second you'll find out that he didn't.").
• The conversation highlights a breakdown of skepticism in media consumption and how confirmation bias—believing the worst about ‘the other side’—is widespread and damaging ("[01:28] Joe Getty: It's people that are so drenched in the other side is evil that they just absolutely take that at face value.").

Notable Quote:

“Hey, Stephen, I know you’re more into killer clowns and weird spirits, but there’s this thing called Google or ChatGPT…”
— Michael, [01:02]

2. Tribalism & Demonization in Politics

• The hosts lament how many Americans are quick to demonize political opponents, seeing them not as people with different views but as “evil and hateful” ([01:47] Michael).
• This tribalism has real-world consequences, including the willingness to believe or spread false accusations, stifle productive debate, and, ultimately, rationalize or excuse violence.

3. Charlie Kirk’s Assassination: Reactions & Implications

• The hosts discuss the killing of Charlie Kirk: his assassin’s intense, open hatred; the community’s reaction; and Governor Cox’s response ([01:53] Michael, [16:02] Joe Getty).
• Governor Spencer Cox of Utah is highlighted for his statesmanship and balanced messaging, earning praise for his “calming, informed, judicious, human” approach ([18:09] Joe Getty quoting Noah Rothman).

Notable Segment:
Governor Cox’s remarks on political assassination and American ideals:

“This is certainly…about the tragic death, assassination, political assassination of Charlie Kirk. But it’s also much bigger than an attack on an individual. It is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. We will never be able to solve all the other problems...if we can’t have a clash of ideas safely and securely, even...especially those ideas with which you disagree.”
— Governor Cox, [17:21]

4. The Perils of Political Violence: Public Opinion & Polling

• Joe Getty presents disturbing polling data:
  • 55% of left-leaning respondents said it was at least “somewhat justified” to murder President Trump ([19:37]).
  • 48% said the same of Elon Musk. 60% said it was somewhat acceptable to destroy a Tesla dealership.
  • The justification for violence, across ideological lines, has risen sharply since 2017—alarming evidence of eroding civic norms.
• The hosts emphasize that support for violence, even at 10-15%, is “way too high” and dangerous ([23:15]).

Notable Quote:

“It’s a minority of Americans who support political violence. But that minority is...significant; it’s between 10 and 40%, depending on the poll...10% is way too high.”
— Joe Getty, [23:15]

5. Flawed Data and Narrative Control

• The hosts dissect a study cited by Congressman Seth Moulton regarding "right-wing extremist" violence, critiquing its methodology and how it may skew perceptions by misclassifying certain violent acts ([24:16]–[26:47]).
• Armstrong & Getty warn about bad-faith use of statistics and the ease with which narratives can be crafted or manipulated.

Notable Quote:

“You can craft a study or stats to justify anything you want to say. How about we all just go with ‘All political violence is no good’ and keep it at that.”
— Joe Getty, [26:51]

6. Call for Civility and Civic Courage

• The episode closes with a plea for better civic engagement, less fear, and no tolerance for political violence (“...have courage, stay on the high road, do the right thing and do it in the right way. You’ll never have to apologize for that, ever.” [35:15] Michael).
• There is concern that the political climate is deterring “the best, most decent people” from running for office, which bodes ill for the country’s future ([28:47]). The hosts stress the necessity of disagreeing without demonizing and retaining the ability to be swayed by argument, not fear.

7. Media & Information Awareness

• A lighter segment follows, poking fun at Whoopi Goldberg’s ignorance of public accessibility to Supreme Court decisions:

  • “[29:58] Joe Getty: So Whoopi, completely unaware that you can read these Supreme Court decisions...”
  • Sotomayor’s response is quoted:

    “Where can people find these dissents?...You search online the way you search anything...It’ll pop right up.”
    — Justice Sotomayor, [29:58]

• Armstrong & Getty use this as an example of media personalities being embarrassingly uninformed, returning to their main theme: do your homework, anyone can access primary information now—use it.

8. Personal Notes & Pop Culture Interlude

• The crew adds some humanity by talking about the Charlie Sheen documentary, its impact, and addiction’s collateral damage ([08:49]–[10:44]).
• Katie Green touches on her emotional response:

  “...the Denise Richards part broke my heart pretty good...she got really emotional on camera...‘film this. Like, people need to see that this type of behavior causes this type of pain.’”
  — Katie Green, [10:00]

• Discussion of the upcoming Emmys, fragmentation in TV viewing, and a playful closing banter about baseball and family ([11:26], [31:41]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Misplaced Outrage:

  “Wouldn’t it strike you as sounds a little crazy that this guy that so many people are speaking highly of is in favor of stoning gays?”
  — Joe Getty, [00:26]

• On Political Division:

  “People that are so drenched in the other side is evil…they just absolutely take that at face value.”
  — Joe Getty, [01:28]

• On the Threat of Political Violence:

  “If you look at 50,000 college kids…if 10% of them think political violence is okay, you got a serious problem, right?”
  — Joe Getty, [23:50]

• On the Need for Courage:

  “Have courage, stay on the high road, do the right thing and do it in the right way. You’ll never have to apologize for that, ever.”
  — Michael, [35:15]

Important Timestamps

• [00:26] — Discussion of Stephen King, misinformation, and the rapid spread of outrage
• [01:47] — The nature of political tribalism and demonization
• [02:34] — News about Chagas (“kissing bug”) disease
• [05:21] — Clips of the Week, including national and international crises
• [08:49] — Reactions to the Charlie Sheen documentary and addiction’s impact
• [16:02] — Praise for Governor Cox’s response to the Kirk assassination
• [19:37] — Polling data on acceptance of political violence
• [24:16] — Critique of studies on “extremist” violence and media narrative
• [29:58] — Supreme Court accessibility & Whoopi Goldberg segment
• [34:01] — Crew final thoughts, calls for community and resilience
• [35:15] — Show’s closing call to courage and ethical action
• [35:57] — Reflections on Charlie Kirk and quotes from Governor Cox

Conclusion

This episode of Armstrong & Getty is a somber, sometimes heated, always candid reflection on the state of America in the wake of a political assassination. The hosts decry the spread of misinformation, the normalization of tribal hatred, and the alarming rise in tolerance of political violence. They praise leaders who rise to the moment, warn about media ignorance, and end on a note urging personal responsibility and civic courage. Peppered with humor, pop culture asides, and their trademark chemistry, it’s a bracing listen—and a call to do better.

(For further details, see specific timestamps listed above. Notable quotes are attributed and time-stamped for context.)