🎭 Inside Track's Sinophobic Spectacular: Frank Gaffney's Fear-Mongering Fiesta | INSIDE TRACK 5.28.25

Frank Gaffney convinced Bruce Ash and Ed Wilkinson that everything from student visas to solar farms is part of Beijing's master plan

May 29, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

🔊: A man named Frank Gaffney appeared on a Tucson podcast and shared some spooky tales about China that weren't exactly true. 📚 He claimed that all Chinese students in American colleges are actually spies, 🔍 that solar panels come with hidden buttons designed to break them, and that every Chinese person crossing the border is a secret soldier. 🤨

🎙️ The radio hosts believed these tales and spread them to their listeners, even though the stories were just meant to scare people about Chinese individuals rather than address real issues. 🗣️ It's like hearing that every kid from another school is plotting to snatch your lunch money, 🍏 when in reality, most of them simply want to make friends and learn together. 🤝

Get 7 day free trial

🗝️ Takeaways

🎭 Frank Gaffney promoted conspiracy theories about Chinese "kill switches" in solar panels and electrical grid transformers
🎓 Chinese international students were characterized as potential CCP operatives rather than legitimate scholars
🛂 Anti-immigrant rhetoric painted Chinese border crossers as secret military sleeper cells
💰 Wall Street firms were accused of "treason" for investing in Chinese companies
🇺🇸 Memorial Day tributes were weaponized to justify contemporary xenophobic narratives
🔍 Complex global issues were reduced to simplistic us-versus-them frameworks
📡 Conservative media continues normalizing anti-Asian sentiment through "national security" rhetoric

Inside Track's Sinophobic Spectacular: Frank Gaffney's Fear-Mongering Fiesta

Welcome back to another episode breakdown from Tucson's own conservative echo chamber, Inside Track. This week's May 28th installment featured hosts Bruce Ash and Ed Wilkinson rolling out the red carpet for Frank Gaffney, former Defense Department official and current Vice Chairman of the "Committee on the Present Danger, China."

Spoiler alert: the only present danger here seems to be the proliferation of xenophobic conspiracy theories masquerading as national security analysis.

Broadcasting from the self-proclaimed "Ultra-Luxe Wilkinson Wealth Management Studio" (because nothing screams journalistic integrity like conducting interviews from a financial advisor's office), our dynamic duo of demographic demagoguery served up a steaming platter of Yellow Peril 2.0 that would make Joseph McCarthy spin in his grave with envy.

Meet Your Merchants of Mayhem

Bruce Ash and Ed Wilkinson have carved out their niche as Tucson's premier purveyors of conservative catastrophizing. Ash, who runs Paul Ash Commercial Real Estate when not moonlighting as a media maven, opened the show with a touching Memorial Day tribute that quickly devolved into a launching pad for anti-Chinese hysteria. His co-host Wilkinson, broadcasting from his wealth management studio, demonstrated the seamless transition from managing portfolios to managing prejudices.

Frank Gaffney joined as the star of this sinophobic circus. A former Pentagon official turned professional China-basher, Gaffney has built his post-government career on convincing Americans that everything Chinese—from solar panels to students—represents an existential threat to democracy, apple pie, and the American way. His organization, the "Committee on the Present Danger, China," sounds like something straight out of a Cold War time capsule, complete with the requisite paranoia and racial undertones.

The Great Grid Conspiracy: When Solar Panels Become Weapons of Mass Destruction

Gaffney opened his fear-fest with claims so outrageous they'd be laughable if they weren't being presented as serious national security analysis.

According to Frank's fever dreams, those solar panels adorning Davis-Monthan Air Force Base here in Tucson aren't just collecting sunshine—they're harboring Chinese "kill switches" ready to plunge America into darkness at Xi Jinping's whim.

"We learned recently that solar panels that we've been buying in copious quantities as part of this green new deal business have devices in them that can turn them off or even destroy them at will," Gaffney proclaimed with the confidence of a man who's never actually seen the inside of a solar panel.

Oh, absolutely Frank. Because the most efficient way to conquer America is definitely through renewable energy infrastructure. Nothing says "military strategy" like hoping your enemy doesn't notice you've installed remote controls in their solar farms.

But wait, there's more! Gaffney claims that 400-500 high-voltage transformers in our electrical grid contain Chinese "back doors" that could be exploited to bring down the entire power system. His solution? Scrap the entire grid and rebuild it from scratch using small, modular reactors.

"We're going to have to have a new grid," Gaffney declared, apparently unaware that completely replacing America's electrical infrastructure might cost slightly more than his committee's annual budget. "We're going to have to redesign it so that we're not as dependent on those long power lines."

Right, because what America really needs is a casual $10 trillion infrastructure overhaul based on the unsubstantiated suspicions of a former Pentagon official who clearly binged too many episodes of "24."

For Tucsonans reading this, consider what Gaffney's paranoia means for you. Those solar panels on your neighbor's roof? Apparently, they're potential weapons. That electric grid keeping your air conditioning running during our brutal summers? According to Frank, it's a Chinese Trojan horse waiting to strike.

The Student "Invasion" Narrative: When Education Becomes Espionage

Perhaps most troubling was Gaffney's characterization of Chinese international students as potential sleeper agents. He described the 277,398 Chinese students in U.S. universities as essentially CCP operatives, claiming "you don't come to the United States from China if you're not a trusted [communist] or a princeling of the elite."

Ah yes, because clearly every Chinese student at the University of Arizona is secretly plotting America's downfall between organic chemistry labs and philosophy seminars. Those late nights in the library? Obviously advanced espionage training.

This represents classic xenophobic scapegoating—painting an entire population with the broad brush of suspicion based solely on national origin. The hosts' casual acceptance of this racist rhetoric demonstrates how normalized anti-Asian sentiment has become in conservative circles.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Gaffney asked rhetorically about having "nearly 300,000 of them inside the United States right now."

For readers with international students in their families or communities, imagine how this rhetoric affects real people. Picture the Chinese graduate student conducting cancer research at Banner Health, or the undergraduate studying sustainable agriculture to help feed the world. Gaffney's paranoid worldview reduces these individuals to potential threats rather than recognizing their contributions to American innovation and global understanding.

Because nothing strengthens America quite like alienating the world's brightest minds who choose to study here. Surely driving away international talent will solve all our competitiveness problems.

The Border Boogeyman Brigade: Manufacturing Military Threats

No conservative fear-mongering session would be complete without immigration hysteria, and Gaffney delivered in spades. He claimed that 37,000 Chinese military-age men (though he suggested the number could be "four times higher") have crossed the southern border as potential sleeper cells.

"These are people who are, yes, they're military age men. They've come across the border without families, oftentimes in small groups. They look, they act like, well, people's liberation army personnel, maybe special forces elements," Gaffney declared with the racial profiling confidence of someone who's apparently never met an actual Chinese immigrant.

Right, because military bearing is definitely something you can determine by glancing at someone's ethnicity. I'm sure Frank's extensive training in racial physiognomy makes him an expert at identifying Chinese special forces operatives in McDonald's lines.

Host Ed Wilkinson chimed in with his own xenophobic observations: "I'm sure they're just here to cook in the kitchens and do things like that. You know, I can't see any reason to believe that they could be war fighters."

The sarcasm dripping from Wilkinson's voice revealed the racist assumptions underlying their entire analysis. For Tucson readers who work alongside immigrants in restaurants, construction, healthcare, and countless other industries, this rhetoric reduces human beings to ethnic stereotypes and security threats.

Gaffney escalated the paranoia by suggesting these imaginary sleeper cells could constitute "five or more divisions of Chinese military inside the United States right now." He compared their potential impact to 9/11: "think about what 100, let alone 1000, let alone 120,000 Chinese military professionals could do to screw us up."

Yes, Frank, let's definitely base our immigration policy on speculative fiction about secret armies hiding in plain sight. That's surely a more rational approach than, say, actual evidence-based security assessments.

The Wall Street Deflection Dance: When Capitalism Meets Xenophobia

Perhaps most revealing was Gaffney's critique of major financial institutions, such as J.P. Morgan and Bank of America, for investing in Chinese companies. While wrapped in patriotic rhetoric, this represents a fundamental misunderstanding of how global capital markets function in the 21st century.

Gaffney specifically targeted CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited), a battery manufacturer, claiming it's a "Chinese military company" that American investors are funding to build weapons "with which to kill us." He described how Wall Street firms raised $4.4 billion for the company, painting this as borderline treason.

"American investors, their clients, among others, to put money into the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party and even its military directly for the purpose of building weapons with which to kill us," Gaffney proclaimed, apparently unaware that global supply chains exist.

Oh absolutely, Frank. Because the Chinese master plan obviously involves building better electric car batteries to... somehow... murder Americans with superior energy storage technology. Those crafty communists and their efficient lithium-ion warfare strategies.

Wilkinson suggested listeners should "get rid of those companies that are doing business with the Chinese, get rid of cattle, get rid of Jamie Dimon, take your money out of JP Morgan, cut up your Bank of America credit card."

What about Trump, whose product line, which includes the Trump Bible, is made in China?

For Tucson readers managing retirement accounts or investment portfolios, this advice represents economic isolationism disguised as patriotism. The reality is that global markets are interconnected, and attempting to completely decouple from Chinese investments would likely harm American investors more than it would hurt Chinese companies.

Because nothing strengthens the American economy quite like financial isolationism and xenophobic investment strategies, I'm sure Adam Smith would be thrilled with this nationalist approach to capitalism.

The Memorial Day Manipulation: Weaponizing Military Sacrifice

The show opened with Bruce Ash's reflection on Memorial Day, specifically honoring Special Warfare Operator Charlie Keating IV, who was killed fighting ISIS in Iraq. While honoring fallen service members is entirely appropriate, using their memory to justify contemporary fear-mongering represents a particularly cynical manipulation of patriotic sentiment.

Ash described attending a Memorial Day ceremony where "Marine Major General Martin Savage, who commands the First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, spoke briefly but passionately about those he served with and the importance of remembering the fallen who have made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve liberty."

The seamless transition from honoring military sacrifice to promoting anti-Chinese conspiracy theories demonstrates how conservative media weaponizes patriotism to advance divisive political narratives. For military families and veterans in our community, this represents a particularly troubling exploitation of their service and sacrifice.

Nothing honors the memory of fallen heroes quite like using their sacrifice to justify racist paranoia about international students and solar panels. I'm sure Charlie Keating IV would be thrilled to know his memory is being used to promote xenophobic conspiracy theories.

The Biden Blame Game: When Everything Is Intentional Sabotage

When host Bruce Ash asked whether the alleged security vulnerabilities were "intentional and not just coincidental," Gaffney didn't hesitate to embrace the most extreme interpretation.

"I don't think you can explain what the Biden administration did with opening our borders to anything other than purposeful, intentional harm to the country," Gaffney declared. "This was a design I personally believe to, well, as Barack Obama famously put it, fundamentally transform America by changing the demographics with a view to altering our politics."

Ah yes, the classic conservative greatest hits collection: demographic anxiety wrapped in national security rhetoric. Because surely the most logical explanation for complex policy disagreements is that your political opponents are actively trying to destroy America.

This represents the logical endpoint of conservative media's paranoid worldview: any policy they disagree with must be part of a deliberate plot to harm the country. For readers trying to understand legitimate policy debates about immigration, trade, and security, this kind of rhetoric makes productive dialogue nearly impossible.

What This Means for You

For Tucson residents consuming this kind of media, it's worth considering how these narratives affect real people in our community. The University of Arizona welcomes international students from around the world, including those from China. Local businesses employ immigrants from diverse backgrounds. Our military installations, such as Davis-Monthan, collaborate with allies worldwide to address genuine security challenges.

Gaffney's paranoid worldview would have us view every Chinese student as a potential spy, every immigrant as a potential terrorist, and every international business relationship as potential treason. This isn't just factually wrong—it's actively harmful to the diverse, international community that makes Tucson a vibrant place to live.

Because nothing makes America great quite like suspecting everyone who doesn't look like us of harboring secret anti-American agendas, surely that's the path to continued global leadership.

Share Your Thoughts

What do you think? How can we have honest conversations about legitimate security challenges without falling into xenophobic conspiracy theories? Have you noticed the impact of this kind of rhetoric on international students or immigrant communities in Tucson? What does a responsible China policy look like in an interconnected world?

The conversation about America's relationship with China deserves serious, nuanced discussion based on facts rather than fear. Unfortunately, voices like Gaffney's poison that well with xenophobic conspiracy theories that make productive dialogue nearly impossible.

A Message of Hope

Despite the poisonous rhetoric emanating from shows like Inside Track, remember that Tucson's greatest strength has always been our position as a crossroads of cultures and ideas. Our international students make significant contributions to cutting-edge research at the UA. Our immigrant communities enrich our culture and contribute significantly to our economy. Our military partnerships help address genuine global challenges through cooperation rather than paranoia.

Fear-mongers like Gaffney want us to retreat behind walls of suspicion and hatred. But our future lies in the kind of principled engagement that builds bridges rather than burns them. The America worth defending—and the Tucson worth celebrating—welcomes the world's best and brightest, regardless of where they come from.

We can address legitimate security concerns through smart policy and international cooperation without sacrificing our values or our humanity. The choice is ours: we can choose fear and division, or we can choose the harder but more rewarding path of building a stronger, more inclusive community.

Stay informed, stay engaged, and remember: the best response to manufactured fear is informed citizenship and genuine community building.

Support Independent Media: Three Sonorans works to cut through the noise and provide fact-based analysis of the issues affecting our community. If you value this kind of reporting, consider supporting our Substack to keep this vital work coming. Your subscription helps us continue exposing misleading narratives and promoting informed dialogue about the challenges facing Tucson and beyond.