🚨 From Vaccine Conspiracies to Immigration Terror: Dissecting the Dangerous Narratives Poisoning Arizona Politics | WAKE UP LIVE
How one morning show perfectly captures everything wrong with conservative media today
This is based on Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone, a MAGA-conservative podcast hosted by a mayoral candidate for Oro Valley, podcasting from Marana, perpetually hating on Tucson, brought to you by Live The Dream Media on 5/22/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🎙️📻 A radio show host in Arizona spent his morning spreading scary stories about immigrants, complaining about people getting vaccines, and attacking the city government. 😲💉🏙️ He had guests on who admitted they didn't actually research their claims but said them anyway.
One guest was a congressman who fell asleep during an important vote but didn't think it was a big deal. 😴🙄 The show mixed some real problems with made-up fears to try to make people angry at the wrong things, which is how some media tries to get people to vote for certain politicians instead of actually solving problems. 🗳️🤦♂️
🗝️ Takeaways
🎯 Immigration fear-mongering disguised as journalism - Reporter admits no research while connecting enforcement to crime reduction
⚖️ Due process dismissed as "liberal conspiracy" - Constitutional rights reframed as partisan talking points
😴 Congressman admits falling asleep during crucial vote - Democratic norms treated as inconvenient theater
💉 Vaccine misinformation elevated over medical consensus - Personal anecdotes replace scientific evidence
💰 Fiscal hypocrisy on full display - Tax cuts for the wealthy defended while public services attacked
🏛️ Civic engagement treated as annoyance - Protesters dismissed for exercising First Amendment rights
📊 Local government attacked using questionable data - Conservative think tank numbers used to bash Tucson
🤖 AI-generated fake news concerns from a misinformation spreader - Host complains about fake content while promoting conspiracies
Breaking Down the MAGA Echo Chamber: A Deep Dive into Conservative Talking Points from Tucson's Airwaves
An analysis of the May 22, 2025 episode of "Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone"
Introduction: The Conservative Propaganda Machine in Full Swing
The sun hadn't even reached its peak intensity on this Thursday morning in the Sonoran Desert when Chris DeSimone fired up his microphones in Marana, ready to deliver another dose of conservative talking points to his faithful audience.
What unfolded over the next few hours was a masterclass in how right-wing media operates—weaving together immigration fear-mongering, fiscal pearl-clutching, vaccine conspiracy theories, and relentless attacks on local government into a seamless narrative designed to keep listeners angry, afraid, and voting Republican.
Because nothing says "morning motivation" like a hearty breakfast of xenophobia with a side of anti-government sentiment.
DeSimone, who apparently runs his show from the comfort of his Marana studio while constantly bashing Tucson (the irony is so thick you could cut it with a machete), welcomed Washington Examiner reporter Kailin Deese and Congressman David Schweikert to his program. The result was a fascinating glimpse into the conservative media ecosystem—one that prioritizes narrative over facts, fear over hope, and division over unity.
The Immigration Fear Factory: Kailin Deese's Dangerous Game
Who He Is and Why It Matters
Kailin Deese represents the new generation of conservative journalists—young, polished, and perfectly trained in the art of making correlation sound like causation.
As a reporter for the Washington Examiner, he's positioned as a credible source, which makes his fear-mongering all the more dangerous.
The Mahmoud Khalil Case: Due Process Under Attack
From the 14th Amendment to the Sacred US Constitution:
…nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
Deese spent considerable time discussing the case of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University protester facing deportation proceedings. His analysis revealed the authoritarian mindset that increasingly defines conservative immigration policy:
"Now, we know that, you know, this phrase due process is being thrown around a lot by the left because they want to suggest that everyone has the same level of due process. It's not true. Don't fall for it because not every single person gets that same right."
Let that sink in for a moment. A journalist—someone supposedly committed to facts and constitutional principles—is literally arguing that due process shouldn't apply equally to all people. This is how democracy dies: one casual dismissal of constitutional rights at a time.
Deese's commentary perfectly exemplifies how conservative media weaponizes individual cases to justify broader attacks on immigrant communities. By framing due process as some kind of liberal conspiracy rather than a fundamental constitutional principle, he's laying the groundwork for policies that would make authoritarians proud.
The reporter went on to explain how "having a permanent residency doesn't give you the same exact entitlements that a naturalized citizen would," as if this somehow justifies stripping away basic legal protections.
Because apparently, the Constitution comes with an asterisk: "Rights may vary based on your immigration status and conservative media approval."
The Denver Crime Connection: Correlation Without Causation
Perhaps most insidiously, Deese attempted to connect immigration enforcement with crime reduction in Denver, despite admitting he hadn't actually researched the connection:
"I think that it's definitely something that a lot of people have their eyes on right now... if it's a direct causation. And I would say, you know, if you know, if if you know this is coinciding with with with with with, you know, the fact that we're seeing these declines coinciding with what Homan's work is doing. I would say that there is a strong possibility that that is definitely the case."
Translation: "I have no evidence, but let me plant this seed in your brain anyway because it fits our narrative perfectly."
This is classic MAGA methodology: throw out correlations without causation, let listeners draw their own xenophobic conclusions, and move on before anyone can fact-check the claims. The fact that Deese admits ignorance while still pushing the connection shows how conservative media prioritizes narrative over truth.
Exploiting Tragedy for Political Gain
When Deese mentioned Tom Homan's story about finding "a 14-year-old girl that was pregnant" in the context of human trafficking, he was employing a particularly insidious tactic. While human trafficking is a real and serious issue, using these tragedies to paint all undocumented immigrants as criminals serves to dehumanize entire communities and justify policies that tear families apart.
It's the same playbook they've used for decades: find the most extreme case possible, present it as representative of the entire population, then use it to justify sweeping policies that harm millions of innocent people.
Congressional Theater: David Schweikert's Fiscal Hypocrisy Spectacular
The Congressman Who Fell Asleep on Democracy
Perhaps the most revealing moment of the entire show came when Congressman David Schweikert casually admitted he "fell asleep" during a crucial vote on what he called the "great big beautiful bill":
"Hey, I went almost 40 hours straight. Remember, I'm one of the few Republicans who also tried to make amendments to the Rules Committee, and the Rules Committee went like 20 hours straight... Look, it's embarrassing. But it worked."
"It's embarrassing, but it worked"—there's the modern Republican Party in a nutshell. Democracy is just a performance, and as long as they get their way, it doesn't matter if they're literally unconscious during the process.
The fact that Schweikert treats falling asleep during a vote as merely "embarrassing" rather than a dereliction of duty reveals how disconnected these representatives have become from the gravity of their responsibilities.
When you're voting on legislation that affects millions of Americans, perhaps staying awake should be a minimum requirement.
Tax Cuts for the Rich, Wrapped in Populist Rhetoric
Throughout his discussion of the reconciliation bill, Schweikert employed the classic conservative bait-and-switch: frame tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy as relief for working families. He warned ominously about what would happen if tax cuts expired:
"You would jack up the taxes on a whole bunch of people. It'd be considered the equivalent of one of the largest tax hikes in history."
Because heaven forbid wealthy people and corporations pay their fair share. That would be the real tragedy here.
Schweikert's hand-wringing about government spending while simultaneously defending tax cuts for the wealthy represents the pinnacle of conservative fiscal hypocrisy.
The "starve the beast" strategy has been Republican orthodoxy for decades: cut taxes (primarily for the rich), watch deficits explode, then use those deficits to justify cutting social programs that help working people.
Dismissing Democratic Participation
One of the most telling moments came when Schweikert complained about protesters:
"Look, the protesters are probably already buying new batteries for their megaphones to start go back to yelling at us."
How dare citizens exercise their First Amendment rights to petition their government for redress of grievances! Don't they know democracy is supposed to be a quiet, orderly affair where representatives do whatever they want without interference from the people who elected them?
This dismissive attitude toward civic engagement and protest—fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution—shows how far the Republican Party has drifted from democratic norms. When elected officials view public participation as an annoyance rather than an essential part of democracy, we're in dangerous territory.
The COVID Conspiracy Theater: Manufacturing Distrust in Public Health
Senator Ron Johnson's Misinformation Campaign
DeSimone dedicated significant airtime to promoting clips from Senator Ron Johnson's committee hearing on COVID vaccine injuries. The host framed this as exposing government coverups:
"Ron Johnson's on fire. You're on the Live the Dream media network, and we're going to play some video of blowing up COVID vaccines and how the government was keeping the information that myocarditis was being caught, it was caused by this thing."
"Blowing up COVID vaccines"—because apparently, we're operating at the level of political discourse you'd expect from a middle school cafeteria.
The segment featured Dr. Peter McCullough, a physician who has become a darling of the anti-vaccine movement despite his claims being thoroughly debunked by the medical community. McCullough's dramatic presentation included statements like:
"I examined thousands of patients with this problem. Thousands before the pandemic. I had two patients ever with this problem."
It's almost like a global pandemic, and a mass vaccination campaign might change the baseline numbers of everything. Who could have predicted that?
Personal Anecdotes Replacing Scientific Evidence
Perhaps most dangerously, DeSimone shared personal anecdotes about alleged vaccine injuries, presenting them as evidence of widespread problems:
"I have a friend who used to play. He was a D1 football player... So he's now in his early 40s. So a young guy. And he is on four different heart drugs. Just to keep no exertion, nothing. Changed his life completely. Because of this damn Vax."
Because clearly, one person's anecdotal experience—with no medical verification of causation—is more reliable than the collective wisdom of the entire global medical community.
This represents the dangerous shift from evidence-based discourse to feelings-based politics that characterizes much of conservative media today. Scientific studies involving millions of participants are dismissed, while unverified personal stories are elevated to the level of proof.
The Real Harm of Vaccine Misinformation
What makes this segment particularly troubling is how it contributes to vaccine hesitancy, which has real consequences for community health. By cherry-picking isolated cases and ignoring the overwhelming scientific consensus on vaccine safety, shows like this undermine public health efforts and put vulnerable populations at risk.
It's the same pattern we've seen throughout the pandemic: conservatives prioritize political narrative over public health, then act shocked when people get sick and die.
Local Politics: The Relentless Assault on Tucson
Charts, Graphs, and Conservative Math
DeSimone spent considerable time attacking Tucson city government, using data from the "Common Sense Institute" to argue the city is overspending by half a billion dollars:
"So the argument is, if the city of Tucson just kept its budget growth relative to the benchmark, it would be spending $20 billion less. Right. So yeah, 20% less."
The "Common Sense Institute"—because nothing says "objective analysis" like an organization with "common sense" in its name. That's like getting your medical advice from the "Doctors Who Are Totally Real Institute."
The host's analysis conveniently ignores the decades of conservative policies—tax cuts, deregulation, and austerity measures—that have systematically underfunded public services while enriching private interests. The problems DeSimone identifies in Tucson aren't failures of progressive governance; they're the predictable results of prioritizing profits over people.
Dehumanizing the Vulnerable
Perhaps most revealing of the host's worldview was his casual dehumanization of people experiencing homelessness:
"I'm going to tell you, the amount of people walking around Tucson with no pants and public on the street is way more than what's walking around Navajo of Mexico. I bet they have zero."
Because the real problem with homelessness isn't the lack of affordable housing, mental health services, or economic opportunities—it's that homeless people make conservatives uncomfortable.
This statement reveals multiple layers of racism and dehumanization.
By reducing homeless individuals to crude visual imagery, DeSimone strips away their humanity and dignity.
His comparison to Mexico employs racist stereotypes, suggesting foreign countries are somehow more "civilized" than American cities with progressive policies.
The casual reference to "Navajo"—whether meaning the Navajo Nation or a Mexican location (Navajoa?)—displays colonial thinking and appropriation of Indigenous communities as political talking points.
It's the perfect conservative dog whistle: sounds like city policy critique to casual listeners, but delivers clear racist messaging to those who share DeSimone's worldview.
This callousness toward vulnerable populations reveals the moral bankruptcy that often lurks beneath conservative "fiscal responsibility" rhetoric. Rather than addressing root causes of social problems, they'd rather just make the problems—and the people experiencing them—invisible while using racist comparisons to score political points.
The AI News Revelation
In one of the more bizarre segments, DeSimone discussed how multiple newspapers published a summer reading list where "10 of the 15 books were actually fake and generated by AI." While this is indeed concerning, his reaction revealed more about conservative media's relationship with truth:
"You thought getting news from jackasses like me was a problem..."
At least he's honest about being a jackass. That's more self-awareness than most conservative media figures display.
The irony of a host who regularly promotes conspiracy theories and misinformation complaining about AI-generated fake content was apparently lost on DeSimone. It's like a snake oil salesman complaining about the quality of other people's snake oil.
The Broader Picture: Authoritarianism in Action
The MAGA Media Playbook
What's most striking about this episode is how seamlessly it weaves together various conservative talking points—immigration fear, fiscal conservatism, anti-vaccine sentiment, and local government bashing—into a coherent narrative designed to make listeners feel besieged and angry.
This is textbook authoritarian playbook material: identify scapegoats (immigrants, government officials, public health experts), inflate threats, and position conservative politicians as the only solution to manufactured crises. The goal isn't to inform or educate; it's to create a permanent state of fear and resentment that can be harvested for political power.
The Erosion of Democratic Norms
Throughout the show, we see examples of how conservative media is systematically undermining democratic institutions and norms:
Due process is reframed as a liberal conspiracy
Scientific expertise is dismissed in favor of anecdotal evidence
Civic participation is treated as an annoyance
Complex policy issues are reduced to simplistic talking points
It's death by a thousand cuts—each individual attack might seem minor, but collectively they're dismantling the foundations of a democratic society.
The Psychology of Conservative Media
Creating Dependency Through Fear
Shows like DeSimone's operate on a simple principle: keep the audience afraid, angry, and dependent on conservative media for "truth." By constantly presenting the world as under threat from immigrants, government officials, and public health experts, they create a psychological dependency where listeners feel they need conservative media to understand reality.
It's like an abusive relationship where the abuser convinces the victim that everyone else is lying to them, and only the abuser can be trusted.
The Comfort of Simple Answers
Conservative media's appeal lies partly in its ability to provide simple answers to complex problems. Struggling economically? Blame immigrants. Don't trust vaccines? Blame government conspiracies. City problems? Blame liberal politicians.
Reality is complicated and messy, but conservative media offers the comforting illusion that all problems have simple causes and simple solutions—usually involving hurting the people conservatives already don't like.
A Call to Action: Fighting Back Against the Propaganda Machine
Media Literacy as Resistance
Media literacy education is one of the most important tools we have in fighting conservative propaganda. We need to help our communities recognize when correlation is being falsely presented as causation, when anecdotal evidence is being substituted for scientific data, and when fear is being manufactured to serve political ends.
Every time someone learns to spot these tactics, the conservative media machine loses a little bit of its power.
Building Alternative Narratives
We also need to create and support media that tells different stories—stories of communities coming together to solve problems, of government working effectively when properly funded and managed, of immigrants contributing to our communities rather than threatening them.
The antidote to fear-based propaganda isn't more propaganda—it's truth, compassion, and hope.
Supporting Accountable Journalism
Shows like DeSimone's thrive in an information ecosystem where sensationalism gets more attention than accuracy. We need to support journalists and media outlets that prioritize truth over clicks, context over controversy, and community over conflict.
What You Can Do Right Now
Question Sources: When you hear claims like those made on DeSimone's show, ask yourself: Who benefits from this narrative? What evidence is being presented? What evidence is being ignored?
Support Fact-Based Media: Subscribe to outlets that invest in actual reporting rather than just amplifying talking points.
Engage Constructively: When you encounter people who've been influenced by conservative propaganda, respond with empathy and facts rather than derision.
Get Involved Locally: The problems DeSimone identifies in Tucson are real—but the solutions involve civic engagement, not abandoning democracy.
A Message of Hope: The Future Belongs to Truth-Tellers
While shows like DeSimone's may seem overwhelming in their cynicism and divisiveness, they also represent something important: the dying gasps of an ideology that has failed to deliver for working people.
The fact that conservative media must rely increasingly on conspiracy theories, fear-mongering, and manufactured outrage suggests they've run out of positive policy proposals. Meanwhile, progressive movements across the country are building real solutions to real problems—from housing justice to climate action to immigrant rights.
When your political movement is reduced to arguing that due process is a liberal conspiracy and that public health measures are government overreach, you've essentially admitted you have nothing positive to offer.
Every day, in communities across Arizona and beyond, people are choosing cooperation over conflict, evidence over ideology, and hope over fear. They're building the world that makes fear-based politics obsolete.
The future belongs to those who believe in our collective power to create change, not those who profit from keeping us divided and afraid. Every time we fact-check their claims, support our neighbors, and work toward justice, we're building that future.
¡La lucha sigue! The struggle continues!
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What Do You Think?
We want to hear from our community. This kind of analysis only gets stronger when we bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the conversation.
Discussion Questions:
How do you see these conservative talking points affecting political discourse in your own community? Are people you know being influenced by this kind of fear-based messaging?
What strategies have you found effective for countering misinformation when you encounter it in conversations with friends, family, or neighbors?
How can progressive media better compete with the emotional appeal of conservative propaganda while still maintaining a commitment to facts and nuance?
What local issues in your area are being distorted by conservative media, and how can communities organize to tell more accurate stories?
What role should humor and sarcasm play in political analysis? Does calling out conservative hypocrisy with wit help or hurt our cause?
Leave a comment below and let's build this conversation together. Your insights, experiences, and questions help shape our ongoing coverage and analysis.
Remember: democracy works best when all voices are heard, all perspectives are considered, and all communities are included in the conversation.
Quotes:
Kailin Deese (Washington Examiner): "This phrase, due process, is being thrown around a lot by the left because they want to suggest that everyone has the same level of due process. It's not true. Don't fall for it because not every single person gets that same right."
David Schweikert (Congressman): "I fell asleep sitting here with my coffee mug and my lap watching the minority leader do their speech. I wake up and it's three minutes. I race there... Look, it's embarrassing. But it worked."
Schweikert on protesters: "Look, the protesters are probably already buying new batteries for their megaphones to start go back to yelling at us."
Chris DeSimone on homeless people: "The amount of people walking around Tucson with no pants and public on the street is way more than what's walking around Navajo of Mexico."
DeSimone on himself: "You thought getting news from jackasses like me was a problem. Wait till..."
Dr. Peter McCullough on vaccines: "Thousands before the pandemic. I had two patients ever with this problem."
Schweikert on coffee: "Is there such a thing as a coffee with added caffeine. Yes, because I'm starting to think there's got to get something's wrong when I can drink coffee. And now I'm still falling asleep with it."
All People Mentioned:
Chris DeSimone - Conservative podcast host, runs for Oro Valley mayor, broadcasts from Marana while attacking Tucson
Kailin Deese - Washington Examiner reporter covering immigration, appears "about 14" according to host
David Schweikert - Arizona Congressman (1st District), fell asleep during crucial vote: "Look, it's embarrassing. But it worked."
Mahmoud Khalil - Columbia University protester facing deportation proceedings
Tom Homan - Referenced as conducting immigration enforcement operations
Ron Johnson - Wisconsin Senator promoting COVID vaccine conspiracy theories
Dr. Peter McCullough - Physician spreading vaccine misinformation: "I had two patients ever with this problem"
Malta Joe - DeSimone's show producer/sidekick, described as "cousin with Luca Brazzi"
Ron Arenas - Hosts "Southwest Flavor" show following DeSimone, "grill master of the summer barbecue"
Fred Harvey - Recently retired University of Arizona track coach (38 years), appearing on Arenas' show
Regina Romero - Tucson Mayor, target of DeSimone's attacks
Francis Collins - Former NIH head, quoted as saying "Senator, people die" about vaccine deaths
Janet Woodcock - Former FDA Acting Commissioner, mentioned in vaccine timeline
Rachelle Walensky - Former CDC Director mentioned in vaccine discussions
Jeremy Brett - DeSimone's preferred Sherlock Holmes actor from PBS series
Basil Rathbone - Classic Sherlock Holmes actor DeSimone also admires
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