🎵 From Palo Verde High to The Beatles' Inner Circle: Chris O'Dell Shares Her Extraordinary Journey | Trump Tariff Drama Unfolds

A bizarre journey from Trump economics to hanging with George Harrison

Apr 04, 2025

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

🎙️ This radio show talked about three main things.

1️⃣ Some people think new taxes on stuff from other countries will help America, but others worry it will make things more expensive at stores. 💰🛒

2️⃣ A Tucson lady named Chris O'Dell told amazing stories about working with famous bands like The Beatles 🎸 and living in a mansion with 120 rooms! 🏰 She even sang on a famous song called "Hey Jude." 🎤🎶

3️⃣ The host complained about problems in Tucson 🏙️ and blamed the mayor. The coolest part was learning that someone from our city was friends with some of the most famous musicians ever 🎤🌟, and there's going to be a movie about her life at The Loft Cinema. 🎥🍿

🗝️ Takeaways

📊 Trump's new tariffs were celebrated by author Spencer Morrison as "Liberation Day" without acknowledging their likely impact on consumer prices
🏛️ Rep. David Schweikert showed rare nuance on tariff policy before pivoting to deficit fearmongering while ignoring Republican tax cuts' impact on the debt
🎸 Tucson native Chris O'Dell shared fascinating stories about working with The Beatles, becoming rock's first female tour manager, and living with George Harrison
🗣️ DeSimone used a local shooting to push for Mayor Romero's recall without evidence connecting city policies to the incident
🎥 "Miss O'Dell" documentary premieres at The Loft Cinema on April 11th with showings through April 17th

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WAKE UP LIVE: DeSimone's MAGA Echo Chamber with an Unexpected Beatles Connection

A critical review of the April 3rd, 2025 podcast that went from tariff cheerleading to Beatles history

Introduction: The Whiplash of Conservative Talk Radio

Another Thursday, another episode of "Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone" hit the Tucson airwaves, and boy was it a journey. The show careened from local church politics to Trump's tariffs to a truly fascinating interview with a woman who worked with The Beatles—talk about tonal whiplash!

While most of the program was predictably stuffed with right-wing talking points and fear-mongering, there were genuine moments of Tucson pride when DeSimone interviewed Chris O'Dell, a Palo Verde High School graduate who became rock royalty's trusted insider.

As I listened to DeSimone's enthusiastic endorsement of Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs (yes, that's really what they're calling them), I couldn't help but wonder how many of his listeners realize they'll be the ones paying these tariffs at the checkout counter. Liberation for whom exactly? Certainly not for the working-class families struggling with inflation who will bear this burden while corporations find workarounds.

Let's dive into what each guest brought to the table, examining the conservative narratives being pushed and the refreshing moments that occasionally broke through.

Spencer Morrison: Tariff Cheerleading Without the Economics

DeSimone's first guest was Spencer Morrison, author of "Reshoring," who appeared via video from Alberta, Canada, to lavish praise on Trump's newly announced tariffs.

Morrison claimed these tariffs would be America's economic salvation, restoring manufacturing jobs and prosperity without any meaningful downsides.

"President Trump has reversed the trade policies which have been gutting American jobs and factories for the last 50 years," Morrison declared with the certainty of someone who has never had to explain to a family why their groceries just got more expensive.

When DeSimone asked about potential price increases for consumers (a rare moment of pushback), Morrison waved away concerns with historical analogies that economists largely reject:

"For American history, tariffs have not raised the cost of goods," Morrison claimed, adding, "I think everybody knows implicitly that the cost of living was better under President Trump than it was under Biden. And guess what? President Trump imposed a bunch of tariffs. Biden got rid of them."

Right, and I'm sure the global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and massive stimulus spending had nothing to do with inflation patterns. It was all about tariffs!

What Morrison conveniently omitted was that studies showed Trump's first-term tariffs cost American consumers billions. A 2019 Federal Reserve study found that manufacturing employment actually dropped in areas most exposed to retaliatory tariffs, while prices rose for both industrial materials and consumer goods.

Perhaps most tellingly, Morrison concluded by declaring, "This is going to solidify President Trump as one of the greatest presidents in American history. I mean, he really is changing the entire direction of this country with his Liberation Day tariffs."

Liberation Day tariffs. Good lord. Nothing says freedom like making everyday goods more expensive for working families while pretending you're punishing China.

David Schweikert: Kitchen Cabinet Economics and Selective Deficit Hawking

Next up was Congressman David Schweikert calling in from his kitchen, complete with his dog Dawson making a cameo appearance. Between making cappuccinos for his family (how charmingly relatable!) and showing off his custom LED lighting (less relatable), Schweikert actually offered a more nuanced take on tariffs.

"There was a sequencing problem here," Schweikert observed, sounding momentarily like someone who understands economics. "First, did you get the regulatory policies all out? Did you get the tax policies all out, the permitting process all out? And did you get some of those under construction? So when you put the stress on the inputs that come in from around the world, you had an alternative for them to rotate to."

This was surprisingly sensible advice that Trump's administration appears to have completely ignored. But don't worry—the conversation quickly veered into familiar Republican territory: deficit scaremongering (but only when it's convenient).

Schweikert lamented projected borrowing with dramatic flair: "When just to pay the interest in nine budget years, so 10 years from now... I should be scaring the hell out of people." He shared an anecdote about someone from the White House telling him, "David, we poll our voters, and they don't care about debt. They just want things."

The irony of a Republican congressman being shocked that voters "just want things" after his party passed massive tax cuts for the wealthy that ballooned the deficit is apparently lost on him.

DeSimone asked if Trump cares about borrowing—a fair question given Trump added nearly $8 trillion to the national debt during his first term. Schweikert danced around the question, never addressing Trump's role in exploding the deficit.

From MAGA to Music: The Chris O'Dell Palate Cleanser

The most compelling segment of the show featured Chris O'Dell, a Tucson native with an extraordinary life story that feels like a rock and roll fairytale. O'Dell worked for Apple Records with The Beatles, lived with George Harrison at his sprawling estate, and became rock history's first female tour manager.

DeSimone, joined by music contributor Dave Slavin, conducted a fascinating interview mercifully free of political talking points. O'Dell shared how she went from Palo Verde High School in 1965 to the inner circle of the biggest band in history:

"In 1966, I graduated from Palo Verde High School. Go Titans," O'Dell began. "And then I tried to find a... I was going to go to the U of A. I was going to do all kinds of little things here. And then suddenly I met this band because we had a couple of clubs here back then... And they said, come to LA, you should come to LA. And music was a part of who we all were."

After working at Dot Records, O'Dell met Derek Taylor, the Beatles' press agent, who invited her to London to work for Apple—the band's new company. Though initially skeptical, O'Dell took the leap.

"I think everything that happened from that point on, just fate did it. Because I didn't do anything. I just said yes."

O'Dell's stories provided a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of music royalty. She described living at Friar Park, George Harrison's massive estate: "Patty and I tried to count the rooms. And I think we came up with 120 at that time... There are underground tunnels from the house into the Matterhorn. There's a Matterhorn, a miniature Matterhorn."

Perhaps most touchingly, she described her friendship with another Tucson connection, Linda McCartney, who married Paul around the same time O'Dell arrived in London:

"Linda and I went back to the studio, and we immediately went to Tucson. She loved Tucson, and I was from Tucson. So we connected really heavily on Tucson."

The interview revealed the strange coincidence that Tucson, of all places, had two women deeply connected to The Beatles' story. O'Dell even sang on the chorus of "Hey Jude" and appeared on the rooftop for the Beatles' final public performance.

It's remarkable that our city has these rich cultural connections that transcend the divisive politics DeSimone usually traffics in. For a moment, we got to celebrate Tucson's place in music history rather than seeing it portrayed as some crime-ridden hellscape.

Local Narratives and Fear-Mongering: The Dark Side of Wake Up Live

Between guest segments, DeSimone engaged in typical right-wing fear-mongering about crime and immigration. He used a shooting at a local Burger King to call for Mayor Regina Romero's recall:

"I mean, you can fire 200 rounds in the city of Tucson and no one gets caught. No cops show up. Now I have a young man dead at the Burger King. It sounds like 40 to 50 shots. That is disgusting," he ranted. "Recall Regina Romero period. Now. Now. Now."

As if the mayor personally prevents police from responding to shootings. This kind of simplistic "tough on crime" posturing ignores the complex socioeconomic factors behind violence and offers no actual solutions.

DeSimone also amplified unfounded claims about "unvetted migrants" driving trucks, citing a group called American Truckers United that warned Arkansas lawmakers about "migrant truck drivers" creating "chaos" on highways. No actual data or evidence was offered to support these xenophobic claims.

The tired strategy of blaming immigrants for every societal problem continues, even as industries like trucking actively recruit immigrants because they can't find enough American workers willing to take these difficult jobs.

The Oro Valley Church Controversy

DeSimone opened the show by covering an Oro Valley town council meeting regarding a height variance for the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene. While seemingly mundane, his framing revealed his biases:

"Talk about how they're so stressed out about how the church wants to do it. I've never seen so much stress about having people at church kind of thing. Right."

He described church supporters as activists wearing "Sedona orange colored shirts" while dismissively referring to neighbors concerned about the project as the "pink sign mafia."

The subtle messaging that Christians are being persecuted by unreasonable neighbors is classic culture war fodder. Heaven forbid communities have input on major construction projects that affect their neighborhoods.

Wrapping Up: The MAGA Playbook on Full Display

This episode of Wake Up Live encapsulated the standard MAGA media playbook: economic nationalism presented without nuance, selective fiscal concern, fear-mongering about crime and immigration, calls for removing elected officials who don't align with their agenda, and subtle Christian persecution narratives.

What made this episode unusual was the extended interview with Chris O'Dell, whose fascinating life story provided a genuine bright spot. Her documentary "Miss O'Dell" premieres at Tucson's Loft Cinema on April 11th and will continue with daily showings through April 17th before streaming on May 13th.

Despite the concerning narratives pushed throughout much of the show, O'Dell's stories reminded me why I love Tucson. Our city has rich cultural connections that transcend partisan divides—we're part of a creative, interconnected world with surprising links to global cultural movements.

How to Stay Engaged and Hopeful

If you're frustrated by the negative portrayal of our community by shows like Wake Up Live, there are ways to push back:

Support local journalism that provides nuanced, fact-based coverage of our community's challenges and successes.
Attend city council and town hall meetings to hear diverse perspectives rather than filtered narratives.
Volunteer with community organizations addressing root causes of issues like poverty and violence instead of just complaining about symptoms.
Celebrate Tucson's rich cultural history by supporting venues like The Loft Cinema that highlight our community's unique stories and connections.

The path forward isn't through fear and division but through honest engagement with our community's challenges while celebrating what makes Tucson special. Shows like Wake Up Live want you to believe we're living in a dystopian nightmare, but our city's story is so much richer and more hopeful than their narrow framing suggests.

What do you think about the portrayal of Tucson in local media? And how can we better highlight stories like Chris O'Dell's that connect our community to broader cultural movements?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below—I'd love to hear from you!

Notable Quotes:

"President Trump has reversed the trade policies which have been gutting American jobs and factories for the last 50 years." - Spencer Morrison promoting Trump's tariff policy
"This is going to solidify President Trump as one of the greatest presidents in American history." - Spencer Morrison, making a bold claim about tariff impact
"I have to make a hundred pounds to buy a pack of cigarettes because they were charging 95% tax." - Chris O'Dell quoting George Harrison about UK tax rates
"George didn't really want to go anywhere. That was the biggest part of it." - Chris O'Dell explaining why The Beatles' final performance was on a rooftop
"David, we poll our voters, who don't care about debt. They just want things." - Rep. Schweikert quoting a White House official on voter priorities
"You can fire 200 rounds in the city of Tucson and no one gets caught. No cops show up." - Chris DeSimone using hyperbole to attack city leadership

People Mentioned:

Chris DeSimone - Host of Wake Up Live, conservative local radio personality who frequently criticizes Tucson's leadership and pushes for Mayor Romero's recall: "Recall Regina Romero period. Now. Now. Now."
Spencer Morrison - Author of "Reshoring" who appeared to promote Trump's tariff policy: "For American history, tariffs have not raised the cost of goods."
David Schweikert - Republican U.S. Congressman who called in from his kitchen while making cappuccinos: "Did you get the regulatory policies all out? Did you get the tax policies all out, the permitting process all out?"
Chris O'Dell - Former Beatles assistant and first female tour manager in rock history, Tucson native and Palo Verde High School graduate: "I think everything that happened from that point on, just, it just fate did it. Because I didn't do anything. I just said yes."
Dave Slavin - Music contributor who helped interview Chris O'Dell and provided Beatles context: "Chris, by the way, was on the rooftop for the rooftop concert sitting next to Yoko."
Regina Romero - Tucson Mayor criticized throughout the show by DeSimone: "Is there a worst mayor in Arizona right now than Regina Romero? Is she the worst mayor of the last 50 years in the city of Tucson?"
George Harrison - Beatles guitarist who O'Dell lived with for a time: "George was like, 'Patty, he didn't even let Pat, he didn't invite Patty to come that day.'"
Linda McCartney - Photographer who married Paul McCartney, also had Tucson connections: "Linda and I went back to the studio, and she and I immediately went to Tucson. She loved Tucson, and I was from Tucson. So we connected really heavily on Tucson."
Derek Taylor - Beatles press agent who recruited O'Dell to work for Apple Records: "Derek was really good at that. You know, he knew people. He could see the capabilities of people."
Eric Clapton - Musician who married George Harrison's ex-wife Patty Boyd in Tucson with O'Dell as maid of honor: "Patty called and said, 'Eric asked so and so to tell me he wants to marry me.'"

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