🎙️ DeSimone's MAGA Megaphone: Congressmen Ciscomani and Schweikert Push Border Wall Fantasy

Radio host suggests ornamental fencing and mock "gulags" for unhoused people in wealthy neighborhoods

Mar 27, 2025

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

🎙️🌵 A podcast in Tucson called "Wake Up Live" had different guests talking about important topics. Two Republican congressmen discussed wanting to build a wall 🧱 at the border and cut government spending 💰✂️. The host Chris DeSimone said mean things about homeless people 🏠❌ and suggested putting them in camps ⛺. The show also had people from Make-A-Wish Foundation 🎗️, which helps sick kids get special wishes 🌈, and the Children's Advocacy Center 🧒💟, which helps kids who have been hurt. While some parts of the show were helpful 🙌, many of the solutions suggested for problems like immigration and homelessness were more about punishment ⚖️🔨 than actually helping people 💔.

🗝️ Takeaways

🧱 Rep. Juan Ciscomani advocates for a "big wall, big gate" border approach that prioritizes commerce while ignoring the humanitarian crisis driving migration
💸 Rep. David Schweikert warns about national debt without acknowledging how Republican tax cuts for the wealthy contributed to it
🏥 Schweikert suggests replacing healthcare workers with technology rather than addressing the underlying issues, making medical careers unsustainable
📻 DeSimone attacks NPR for discussing racial justice issues while using dehumanizing language about vulnerable populations
🏘️ DeSimone mockingly proposes creating "camps" for homeless people in wealthy neighborhoods, calling unhoused individuals "fentanyl street criminals"
🤝 Community organizations like Make-A-Wish and Children's Advocacy Center demonstrate the positive impact of compassionate approaches to social challenges
🗣️ The show reveals how conservative media frames complex issues through a lens of punishment rather than addressing root causes

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Behind the Right-Wing Microphone: DeSimone's MAGA Parade Through Tucson's Airwaves

A progressive perspective on the conservative echo chamber at Live the Dream Media Network

Setting the Scene: This Morning's Conservative Carousel

The sun rises over the Catalina Mountains, and with it comes the familiar drone of conservative talking points flooding Tucson's airwaves. Chris DeSimone's show on Live the Dream Media Network has become a reliable thermometer for measuring the fever of right-wing rhetoric in Southern Arizona, and this morning's temperature reading was particularly revealing.

DeSimone's studio was a revolving door today, welcoming Republican Congressmen who prefer walls to workable immigration solutions, while punctuating these political segments with genuinely valuable community organizations that, ironically, exist to address the very social problems conservative policies tend to exacerbate.

The show opened with DeSimone sporting his "purple mode" attire and laying out his guest lineup: Representatives Juan Ciscomani and David Schweikert, Rob Lamaster from Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Alan Michaels with Marie Fordney from the Children's Advocacy Center.

Between these scheduled discussions, DeSimone couldn't resist showcasing his disdain for Tucson's homeless population, whom he repeatedly called "fentanyl street criminals," and launching attacks on local government officials. At one point, he mockingly proposed creating camps for unhoused people in Himmel Park, saying, "I want to give an opportunity to the rich people of Sam Hughes neighborhood to show their generosity."

Because nothing says "solving complex social issues" like proposing concentration camps wrapped in sarcasm, right?

Let's examine what each segment revealed about the conservative mindset currently gripping segments of our community.

Border Theater with Rep. Juan Ciscomani: All Wall, No Solutions

Congressman Juan Ciscomani appeared via video chat, framed by elegant curtains in what he described as his "new office." DeSimone immediately steered the conversation toward Ciscomani's recent border tours with fellow Republican representatives.

"We took them down, we went and showed them the picture. We met with the border patrol, we also met with customs, we met with the MMP, orders of the pro-doses. We went in order to, to, so we got the picture of it," Ciscomani explained, highlighting how he'd been educating freshmen Republicans from West Virginia, North Carolina, North Dakota, Colorado, and Utah about the border.

Ciscomani pushed his "big wall, big gate" approach, telling DeSimone: "I'm a big believer in big wall big gate right? Big gate meaning all the legal traffic in relation to human beings that spend money here and goods get through in a timely better manner."

Translation: Let's militarize the border while still making sure businesses get their cheap labor and consumers. It's the quintessential Republican approach – appear tough on immigration while ensuring corporate interests aren't inconvenienced.

When discussing tariffs on Mexico, Ciscomani revealed how economic volatility impacts border communities. He explained that businesses "want more than anything is clarity... what's impacting our community more from what I hear from them is the instability of the action." Yet he failed to acknowledge how the weaponization of tariffs creates precisely this harmful instability.

The conversation then veered toward community funding and appropriations, with Ciscomani defending his vote for a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open: "When you're looking at that or shutting the government down I've been very clear on this and I've been criticized for it by different sides for voting to keep the government open."

Interesting how he presents himself as a voice of reason for simply doing the bare minimum of governance. The bar is literally on the floor.

When DeSimone relayed a viewer's question about cutting taxes rather than focusing on "bringing the money back to the district," Ciscomani defended Community Project Funding (the rebranded name for earmarks): "I think these are a good avenue to make sure that our tax dollars are coming back for targeted purposes that have a federal nexus."

The congressman also touched on his support for expanding Pell Grants to trade schools, one of the few constructive policy positions mentioned in the interview: "I received Pell Grants. I'm not only going to protect Pell Grants, I want to expand them into the trades."

Schweikert's Budget Smokescreen: The Invisible Hand of Cruelty

Congressman David Schweikert literally called in while walking through the Capitol hallways, creating a chaotic audio experience that somehow perfectly captured the disjointed economic policies he was promoting.

"Remember, we got three hours on you. So today has already been well into it," Schweikert explained as he navigated the Capitol, at one point entering an elevator where he encountered fellow Congressman Abe Hamadeh.

Schweikert's conversation focused heavily on the national debt and budget issues, with a particular emphasis on federal spending reductions. "We're finally at the point where we're having to deal with the reality of interest rates, debt, everything else," he warned, proceeding to lay out alarming debt figures: "When we finish this fiscal year, so into September, we'll have 37 trillion, 200 billion of taxes, of debt."

He added that without changes, "We're supposed to borrow another 22 trillion of debt over the next 10 years."

What's conveniently missing from this dire warning? Any mention of how the 2017 Trump tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy blew a trillion-dollar hole in the budget. Strange how austerity only becomes urgent when programs that help ordinary Americans are on the chopping block.

Schweikert portrayed himself as a lonely voice of fiscal reason, lamenting: "You have so many members, even on the Republican side, that just want more spending, more spending. It's, hell, you've done this with me with some of your listeners. I want you to cut, except for my stuff."

The conversation took a particularly revealing turn when discussing healthcare. Schweikert claimed: "All US healthcare equals every dime of US taxes. So all US healthcare is about probably 17.6% of GDP. We take in about 17.5% is all federal taxes."

This deliberately misleading framing is designed to make universal healthcare seem financially impossible, when in reality, Americans already pay more per capita for healthcare than countries with universal systems – we just get worse outcomes because private insurance companies drain billions in profits from the system.

Perhaps most disturbing was Schweikert's enthusiasm for replacing healthcare workers with technology: "As society gets much older, you don't have that big of next generation of doctors. People don't wanna do even the profession. You're going to have to use technology as a substitute."

Translation: Instead of making medical education affordable or addressing burnout, let's just replace doctors with apps! Who needs human compassion when an algorithm can tell you you're dying?

Schweikert also showed his enthusiasm for using technology to detect fraud, stating: "If Social Security has the death records, if some of the others actually have location records, and some of the things we think in IRS, how many people are scamming us on earned income tax credits and those things, because over here we know they've been receiving money from other agencies, but the IRS doesn't know it."

Notice how eager he is to crack down on potential fraud by poor people claiming tax credits, while remaining silent about the billions lost to corporate tax avoidance and offshore schemes.

NPR Bashing: The Conservative Media Playbook

Between congressional interviews, DeSimone played a clip from a congressional hearing where a Republican congressman aggressively questioned NPR CEO Katherine Maher about past tweets regarding racial issues and social justice.

Before playing the clip, DeSimone provided his own framing: "My take on public broadcasting would be that I don't really... how do I say this? I can see a need for it in a way. But... it's really a government... you can't say monopoly, but it's definitely a picking winners or losers thing... NPR should not be doing news at all. But they're a tax exempt organization."

The clip showed Representative Wesley Hunt (R-TX) grilling Maher about tweets regarding white supremacy, class struggles, and reparations. When Maher explained that her "thinking has evolved over the last half decade," DeSimone paused the clip to mock her response: "That's right off the bat. For all races, creeds, Republican, Democrat, whatever... when they bring up something you've tweeted, said, written, that's total jackassery. She just gave you the new line to explain it away."

The irony is staggering. While DeSimone is outraged by NPR discussing systemic racism, he sees nothing wrong with his own dehumanizing language about unhoused people or immigrants. Conservative media's obsession with "canceling" public broadcasting reveals their fear of journalism that doesn't cater to their worldview.

Make-A-Wish: A Brief Respite from the Culture Wars

A refreshing break from political grievances came when Rob Lamaster from Make-A-Wish discussed their meaningful work granting wishes for critically ill children.

"We have a very, very simple mission statement and that's together we create life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses," Lamaster explained. "Our vision is to grant the wish of every eligible child."

Lamaster shared the foundation's origin story in Phoenix: "Not only were you about to celebrate our 45th anniversary, we're celebrating our 45th anniversary of the founding of this entire international phenomenon called MakeWish with one little boy in Phoenix, Arizona in 1980."

He described how a Border Patrol agent named Tommy Austin and Arizona DPS officers came together to help fulfill the wish of a boy named Chris Greicius who wanted to be a police officer.

Lamaster highlighted upcoming fundraising events, including a "Wishes in the Morning" brunch at Stillwell House on Sunday, April 6th, and a Make-A-Wish reunion at a Roadrunners hockey game on Friday, April 18th.

This segment highlights the crucial role of charitable organizations in our community, though it's worth noting that in many developed nations with stronger social safety nets, families dealing with childhood illness don't have to rely on private charity to the same degree.

Children's Advocacy Center: The Rare Bipartisan Bright Spot

Alan Michaels and Marie Fordney from the Children's Advocacy Center discussed their crucial work helping children who have experienced abuse. Fordney described the center as "the place where abuse ends and healing begins."

She explained the center's purpose: "It's a safe place for children when they have been a victim or a witness to a crime. Most of the time they are children who've been abused. And what we do is provide trauma-informed evidence collection, interviews and exams, and then supportive services so that the family can heal and help the child to heal."

Fordney shared a powerful success story about a girl named Ashley (not her real name) who had been sexually abused by her father:

"Her dad confessed, he was arrested. Our nurse and our interviewer testified and he got 35 years in prison. And that's a win. But where I get emotional is when I remember that just a couple of weeks after we first met them, we checked in with Ashley's mom and she was sleeping through the night again. She stopped having nightmares. She was eating again and she was going to go out for the cheerleading team."

The segment highlighted their upcoming "Heroes Without Capes" awards event on April 11th at the Hilton El Conquistador resort, with tickets available at CACSOAZ.org.

Organizations like the Children's Advocacy Center demonstrate how community resources can help heal trauma. However, it's worth noting that many of the same conservative politicians who praise such work often vote against funding for violence prevention programs, comprehensive sex education, and mental health services that could prevent abuse in the first place.

The "Too-Son" Tirade: DeSimone's Anti-Homeless Crusade

Throughout the show, DeSimone repeatedly attacked Tucson's city government and advocated for cruel approaches to homelessness. In perhaps the most disturbing segment, he mockingly suggested creating "fentanyl street criminal camps" in Himmel Park:

"I want to give an opportunity to the rich people of Sam Hughes neighborhood to show their generosity. I want their generosity to shine is what I want them to do. So I would, and so there's so many great selling points to Himmel Park. It's got plenty of room. It's got a library that to get rid of the books and just turn into a triage center. Like people are reading books in the city of Tucson."

He suggested naming such camps after Councilmember Karen Ullrich, using dehumanizing terms like "ulags" (playing on "gulag"). This cruel rhetoric continued with DeSimone suggesting ornamental fencing around these proposed camps:

"I don't want just, I don't want plain chain link fence. That would make it look too much like a kind of a prison feel. I don't want that for our street criminals. So, you know, I don't know if we can, uh, the city's got some ARPA money that they can use some ornamental iron in there."

This isn't just offensive – it's dangerous rhetoric that normalizes the dehumanization of vulnerable people. Homelessness is a complex issue driven by housing affordability, mental health crises, addiction, and economic insecurity. DeSimone's "solution" is nothing but cruelty dressed up as comedy.

DeSimone also criticized the city for problems at properties it owns, including an abandoned complex at 202 Mohave and issues at Tucson House apartments. He described complaints about "cockroaches and rodents to mold and unclean carpets" at Tucson House.

While these housing conditions are legitimately concerning, the conservative solution is almost always privatization rather than proper funding and oversight. The real story here is America's decades-long disinvestment in public housing and affordable housing solutions.

Conclusion: Breaking Through the Right-Wing Noise

As this radio show demonstrates, conservative media continues to platform voices that offer simplistic, punitive solutions to complex social problems. From border security to homelessness to healthcare, the common thread is dehumanizing vulnerable people while protecting wealthy interests.

The irony is that between segments demonizing government spending, the show features worthy charitable organizations that exist precisely because our systems are failing those most in need. Make-A-Wish and the Children's Advocacy Center do vital work, but in a truly just society, we would address the root causes that make their services necessary.

Despite the daily barrage of right-wing talking points, there's reason for hope. Tucson remains a progressive oasis in Arizona, with community organizations working tirelessly to create more just and equitable systems:

Get Involved with Local Housing Advocacy: Organizations like the Tucson Tenants Union and Housing Coalition are fighting for affordable housing solutions and tenants' rights.
Support Progressive Candidates: The 2025 local elections will be crucial for maintaining Tucson's progressive values on the City Council.
Volunteer with Organizations Serving Vulnerable Communities: Groups like Casa Maria, Community Food Bank, and the Primavera Foundation provide direct support to those in need.
Attend City Council Meetings: Make your voice heard on issues like housing, climate action, and community safety.
Support Independent Local Media: Without corporate or right-wing funding, progressive outlets depend on community support to counter narratives like DeSimone's.

What do you think, Tucson? How can our community develop compassionate, effective approaches to homelessness that prioritize dignity and human rights? And what responsibility do local media outlets have to provide balanced coverage of complex social issues rather than demonizing vulnerable populations?

Quotes

Chris DeSimone on homeless people: "I want to give an opportunity to the rich people of the Sam Hughes neighborhood to show their generosity... So Himmel Park. And if you don't know where Himmel Park is, it's on Speedway between Country Club and, oh, just south of Speedway between Country Club and Tucson Boulevard. And, um, and don't worry about, no one actually uses as a park that much anymore because of the crackheads are there anyway."
Rep. David Schweikert on healthcare technology: "As society gets much older, you don't have that big of a next generation of doctors. People don't wanna do even the profession. You're going to have to use technology as a substitute."
Rep. Juan Ciscomani on border policy: "I'm a big believer in big wall big gate, right big gate meaning all the legal traffic in relation to human beings that spend money here and goods get through in a timely, better manner."
Marie Fordney on Children's Advocacy success story: "Her dad confessed, he was arrested. Our nurse and our interviewer testified, and he got 35 years in prison. And that's a win. But where I get emotional is when I remember that just a couple of weeks after we first met them, we checked in with Ashley's mom and she was sleeping through the night again."
Rep. David Schweikert on debt: "We're supposed to borrow another 22 trillion of debt over the next 10 years. If we were to do the tax extensions, the tax cuts that expire at the end of this year would be, if we did everything, just did it across the board, that's about five, five and a half trillion."
Rob Lamaster on Make-A-Wish history: "Not only were you about to celebrate our 45th anniversary, we're celebrating our 45th anniversary of the founding of this entire international phenomenon called Make-A-Wish with one little boy in Phoenix, Arizona in 1980."

People Mentioned

Chris DeSimone - Host of Wake Up Live on Live the Dream Media Network
- "I don't want a plain chain link fence. That would make it look too much like a kind of a prison feel. I don't want that for our street criminals."
Rep. Juan Ciscomani - Republican Congressman representing Arizona
- "We took them down, we went and showed them the picture. We met with the border patrol, we also met with customs, we met with the MMP, orders of the pro-doses."
Rep. David Schweikert - Republican Congressman representing Arizona
- "All US healthcare equals every dime of US taxes. So, all US healthcare is probably 17.6% of the GDP. We take in about 17.5%, which is all federal taxes."
Rob Lamaster - Representative from Make-A-Wish Foundation
- "We have a very, very simple mission statement, and that's together we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses."
Marie Fordney - Executive Director of Children's Advocacy Center
- "The short answer is it's the place where abuse ends and healing begins. It's a safe place for children when they have been a victim or a witness to a crime."
Alan Michaels - Representative from Children's Advocacy Center
- Helped promote the "Heroes Without Capes" awards event
Karin Uhlich - Tucson City Council member mockingly referenced by DeSimone
- (Not directly quoted, but DeSimone suggested naming homeless camps after her)
Abe Hamadeh - Republican politician spotted by Schweikert in the Capitol elevator
- (Not directly quoted)
Chris Greicius - The first Make-A-Wish recipient (mentioned but not quoted)
Tommy Austin - Border Patrol agent who helped establish Make-A-Wish Foundation (mentioned but not quoted)

Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!

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