🎙️ Oro Valley Mayoral Candidate DeSimone's Radio Meltdown: Calls Pima Prosecutor Conover "A-hole" Twice on Air | WAKE UP LIVE
DeSimone's vulgar tirade against Laura Conover caught on his own podcast. DeSimone's radio rant exposes unfitness for public office
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 5/27/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🎙️ A radio show host 🎧 who wants to be mayor 🏛️ of one Arizona city 🌵 but broadcasts from another 🎤 spent two hours attacking homeless people 🏚️ in a third city 🏙️, calling them mean names 😠 and blaming them for fires 🔥 instead of trying to help solve problems.
He got really angry 😡 when a lawyer ⚖️ asked him to stop recording a conversation 🛑 about a court case, and he thought a picture of a burned building 🏚️ was "beautiful" because it had a political sign in front of it 🪧. He also spent time selling insurance 📄 and reading Facebook posts 📱 that attacked the lawyer.
Many people in Arizona 🏜️ are working to actually help homeless people 🙏 and make communities better 🌟, even though some radio hosts prefer spreading anger 📢.
🗝️ Takeaways
🔥 DeSimone counts 10 weekend fires in Tucson, immediately blames "crackheads" using his self-proclaimed "rule"
📸 Host finds "beauty" and "magic" in photo of political sign before burned gas station
🤐 Malta Joe enables toxic rhetoric through silent complicity and technical support
⚖️ Extended attack on County Attorney Conover for requesting a recording stop during the case discussion
🌍 Mocks Tucson's international engagement as worthless "global leadership"
💰 Estate planning segment blurs advertising and content with fear-based sales tactics
🏛️ Uses grieving widow's Facebook post to amplify attacks on public servant
DeSimone's Dangerous Descent: MAGA Podcast Targets Tucson's Most Vulnerable
Inside the toxic world of conservative talk podcasts in Southern Arizona, where hatred masquerades as concern
The morning air crackled with malice as Chris DeSimone settled into his microphone on May 27, 2025, ready to deliver another dose of his signature brand of conservative cruelty. Broadcasting from his perch in Marana while plotting his mayoral run in Oro Valley, DeSimone spent nearly two hours doing what he does best: weaponizing fear against Tucson's most vulnerable residents.
Because apparently running for office in one city while broadcasting from another and obsessing over a third is totally normal behavior, right?
The Fire Map of Hate
DeSimone's show opened with a chilling display of what he called his "fire map"—red dots scattered across Tucson representing recent blazes that had occurred over Memorial Day weekend. But rather than approaching this as a serious public safety issue requiring nuanced solutions, our host gleefully transformed it into an opportunity for dehumanization theater.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, that's 13 fires, I believe," DeSimone counted with the enthusiasm of a child collecting baseball cards. His co-host, Malta Joe, dutifully corrected him: "That's 10 fires. Excuse me. So I counted something that looked reddish, but wasn't a fire."
Even basic counting becomes challenging when you're more focused on manufacturing outrage than reporting facts.
But the numbers weren't the real story—it was DeSimone's immediate leap to blame what he repeatedly called "crackheads" for every blaze. His golden rule, delivered with smug certainty:
"Chris's rule when it comes to this, any kind of fires in Tucson, right? Is crackheads. Always crackheads."
The host continued his dehumanizing tirade:
"You're going to have to prove to me that these fires are not crackheads. Yes, it was windy. I'm sure we could blame climate change for the fires. Sure, some would will, but it's crackheads."
Ah yes, Chris's "rule"—because complex urban problems always have simple, hate-filled explanations that conveniently target people experiencing homelessness and addiction. How scientific. Guilty until proven innocent.
DeSimone's analysis reached peak absurdity when discussing a specific gas station fire:
"Why are you starting a fire at an abandoned gas station on a Friday afternoon that had a high temperature of 97 degrees? Because you're cracked out. That's why."
Because obviously, people experiencing homelessness choose to start fires during scorching heat for fun, not because they might be desperate for warmth during cold desert nights or dealing with untreated mental health crises.
The Aesthetics of Suffering
The host's delight in his own cruelty became even more apparent when he shared a photo that perfectly encapsulated his worldview:
"This was... One of our friends sent me this picture. This picture is so beautiful in so many ways. This is the Adelita Grijalva for Congress sign in front of the smoldering remains of the burned-down gas station. This is so poetic in so many beautiful ways. It's just... It's just magical."
He continued his grotesque celebration:
"I mean, that Grijalva name and people related to that name have really...what you see in the background is what they've created. Right? Because they're all thralls. All these fools are thralls one way or another of Raul Grijalva."
The fact that he finds "beauty" and "magic" in human suffering while using it to attack political opponents tells you everything about the moral bankruptcy of this movement. This is what happens when politics becomes performance art built on cruelty.
For DeSimone, the burned gas station wasn't a symbol of community problems requiring solutions—it was content for his political theater, a perfect prop to weaponize against Democratic candidates.
Malta Joe: The Willing Accomplice
Throughout the broadcast, Malta Joe provided more than just technical support—he served as DeSimone's enabler, offering just enough participation to legitimize the host's hate-filled monologues while maintaining plausible deniability. When DeSimone ranted about fires being caused by "crackheads," Malta Joe's silence spoke volumes.
It's the banality of evil in action—ordinary people becoming complicit in spreading harmful rhetoric simply by showing up and pressing the right buttons.
The dynamic between the two men revealed the insidious nature of hate media: it requires not just the primary messenger but a supporting cast willing to normalize extremism through their passive participation. Malta Joe's occasional technical corrections and affirmative "Roger that" responses provided just enough legitimacy to make the show feel professional rather than like the unhinged rant it actually was.
When DeSimone asked about Tucson park slides, Malta Joe responded: "I don't know. I've been here for 13 years." These moments of apparent normalcy served to humanize a broadcast built on dehumanizing others.
The Conover Controversy: When Journalism Becomes Harassment
Perhaps the most revealing segment involved DeSimone's extended attack on Pima County Attorney Laura Conover. The controversy stemmed from an incident at an "88-Crime" dinner where Conover allegedly asked DeSimone to stop recording during what she described as a discussion of an ongoing case.
DeSimone's version of events painted him as a persecuted truth-teller:
"All I did was record her. That's all I did. I didn't say a word to her while she was talking. Nothing. And she freaks out. It's just. Wild."
Because apparently respecting a prosecutor's request not to broadcast details of an active case is now "freaking out." The entitlement is breathtaking.
But the real toxicity emerged in DeSimone's response to Conover's criticism. He quoted her as saying he "doesn't support protecting children," and his reaction was swift and vicious:
"Hey, A-hole, you're the one who talked about it in front of 350 people. A-hole. This wasn't like we were in some sort of, you know, some sort of side chamber at the, at the, at the court. You brought it up in front of 350 people at a dinner."
The host's unhinged rant continued:
"You're accusing me for a quote, not protecting children? Why he asked why he doesn't support protecting children. You told the story. Why don't you ask yourself about not protecting children, Dr. Super terrific lawyer lady?"
The projection is stunning—a man who makes money dehumanizing vulnerable people lecturing others about protecting children.
DeSimone's inability to accept any responsibility for his actions, combined with his immediate resort to name-calling, perfectly exemplified the MAGA playbook: attack, deflect, and play victim. His extended meltdown revealed someone completely unhinged by the simple act of being asked to respect professional boundaries.
The Noemi Hite Amplification
DeSimone enthusiastically amplified criticism of Conover from Noemi Hite, widow of Eric Hite and head of a foundation supporting law enforcement families. He read extensively from her Facebook post criticizing Conover's presence at the 88-Crime dinner:
"Laura Conover should not have been invited to the 88-Crime dinner. Laura, your law enforcement partners needed to be appreciated in public and quote on the record... If you're interested to be reminded of the sacrifices of what our law enforcement do every day. I am available for meeting any or meeting anytime."
Using a grieving widow's pain to advance his political agenda—stay classy, Chris.
DeSimone gleefully read through multiple Facebook comments attacking Conover, turning personal grief into political content. His obvious delight in amplifying these attacks revealed someone who views human suffering primarily through the lens of its utility for his brand.
Corporate Synergy: Estate Planning as Content
The show's lengthy segment with Steven Levine from RJP Estate Planning demonstrated how conservative media seamlessly blends content with commerce. What should have been clearly marked advertising instead masqueraded as legitimate programming, with DeSimone treating Levine like a guest expert rather than a paid sponsor.
Nothing says "journalistic integrity" quite like pretending your advertisers are newsmakers.
Levine's pitch exploited common anxieties about death and family security:
"Tomorrow's not promised, nobody knows when that time is going to come when they're going to either pass away, whether it's an accident, illness... Nobody can predict obviously a heart attack a stroke a freak accident It's too late to create a state plan After that happens."
The attorney shared the founder's personal tragedy:
"Tragically in 2019, her husband passed away. Uh suddenly he was unexpected Um, luckily she had a trust in place. Um, she has two two two teenage daughters at the time."
Monetizing personal trauma while selling fear about the future—the perfect synergy of conservative media and predatory capitalism.
The entire segment revealed how conservative media operates as a fear-economy—first terrify your audience about various threats, then conveniently offer solutions (for a price). DeSimone's enthusiastic endorsement of the service blurred any remaining lines between content and advertising.
The Geographic Absurdity
Throughout the broadcast, DeSimone's geographic confusion became a running theme. Broadcasting from Marana, planning to run for mayor in Oro Valley, yet obsessing over Tucson politics—the man seemed to exist in a perpetual state of jurisdictional confusion.
Maybe focus on the city where you actually want to be mayor instead of spending two hours attacking the one you don't even live in?
His attacks on Tucson Mayor Regina Romero's international travel revealed the provincial mindset that MAGA promotes:
"Mayor Romero's Qatar trip highlights Tucson's global leadership. Get the F out of here... This is the most utterly ridiculous. Tucson's global leadership in what? In what?"
The host's mockery of Tucson's international engagement showed a fundamental misunderstanding of how modern cities operate in a global economy. Rather than celebrating efforts to attract international investment and partnerships, DeSimone chose resentment and ridicule.
I suppose Chris’s hero, Donald Trump, is the only one permitted to accept money from Qatar.
The BIPOC Attack
DeSimone's segment on "BIPOC Entrepreneurs Day" followed his standard pattern of attacking any initiative supporting marginalized communities:
"Where's the BIPOC Entrepreneurs on the people breaking it? The crackheads scaring away their business, taking a crap in their offices and attacking their employees."
Because supporting minority-owned businesses is apparently less important than obsessing over unhoused individuals in DeSimone's twisted worldview.
His dismissive tone toward diversity initiatives revealed the zero-sum thinking that characterizes much conservative discourse—any support for marginalized groups must inherently threaten others. The idea that rising tides lift all boats seems foreign to someone so invested in division and resentment.
The Broader Implications: When Hatred Goes Mainstream
DeSimone's rhetoric doesn't exist in a vacuum. When political candidates and media figures consistently dehumanize unhoused individuals, they create permission structures for violence and neglect. His casual use of slurs like "crackheads" and his gleeful presentation of human suffering as entertainment contribute to a climate where vulnerable people become acceptable targets.
This is how genocides begin—with the systematic dehumanization of targeted groups through language and imagery.
Every time devout Catholic DeSimone refers to unhoused individuals as "crackheads," he makes it easier for listeners to ignore their humanity. When he celebrates photos of human suffering, he normalizes cruelty as entertainment. When he attacks public servants trying to do their jobs responsibly, he undermines faith in democratic institutions.
The cumulative effect is a community where compassion becomes weakness, where expertise becomes suspicious, and where the most vulnerable members of society become acceptable targets for ridicule and worse.
Fighting Back: Building Counter-Narratives
Despite the toxicity emanating from shows like DeSimone's, communities across Arizona continue organizing for justice and compassion. Mutual aid networks provide direct support to unhoused neighbors while advocacy groups push for systemic solutions like affordable housing and addiction treatment.
The future belongs not to those who profit from division, but to those who choose solidarity over scapegoating.
Every time someone challenges dehumanizing language, supports harm reduction programs, or advocates for housing-first policies, they're building the world we need—one conversation, one policy change, one act of solidarity at a time.
Organizations like the National Homelessness Law Center, local housing advocacy groups, and mutual aid networks provide concrete alternatives to the hate and fear that DeSimone peddles. Their work proves that different approaches are not only possible but also more effective at actually addressing community challenges.
What Comes Next?
Shows like "Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone" represent everything wrong with contemporary conservative media: the casual cruelty, the weaponization of suffering, and the complete abandonment of any pretense toward truth or compassion. But they also reveal the movement's fundamental weakness—they have nothing to offer except hatred and fear.
And ultimately, hatred is a terrible organizing principle for building sustainable political power.
The real question isn't whether DeSimone and his enablers, such as Malta Joe, will continue spreading their toxic rhetoric—they will. The question is whether the rest of us will build something better, something that actually addresses the root causes of the problems they exploit for content.
A Note of Hope
Despite the darkness on display in DeSimone's broadcast, Arizona's progressive movement continues growing stronger. From housing advocates in Phoenix to immigration rights organizers in Tucson, ordinary people are building the infrastructure of justice our communities need.
Three Sonorans remains committed to exposing the systems of oppression that conservative media works tirelessly to maintain while amplifying the voices fighting for real change. Your support helps us continue this crucial work—consider subscribing to our Substack to ensure this analysis keeps coming when you need it most.
Together, we're building a future where everyone has dignity, housing, and hope.
When you support independent progressive journalism like Three Sonorans, you're investing in the counter-narrative our communities desperately need. Every subscription, every share, every comment helps build the media ecosystem that can challenge hate with truth, division with solidarity, and despair with hope.
What Do You Think?
How can communities better counter dehumanizing rhetoric about unhoused individuals while addressing legitimate public safety concerns? What strategies have you seen work in your own area for building more compassionate public discourse around complex issues like homelessness and addiction?
Have you encountered similar toxic radio shows or podcasts in your community? How do you think ordinary people like Malta Joe become complicit in spreading harmful rhetoric, and what might help them recognize their role in the process?
Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below—your voice matters in building the counter-narrative our communities desperately need.
Quotes:
Chris DeSimone on fires: "Chris's rule when it comes to this, any kind of fires in Tucson, right? Is crackheads. Always crackheads."
DeSimone on burned building photo: "This picture is so beautiful in so many ways... This is so poetic in so many beautiful ways. It's just... It's just magical."
DeSimone attacking Conover: "Hey, A hole, you're the one who talked about it in front of 350 people. A hole."
DeSimone on gas station fire: "Why are you starting a fire at an abandoned gas station on a Friday afternoon that had a high temperature of 97 degrees? Because you're cracked out."
DeSimone on politicians: "Your egos are so, you're not servants. You're not servants at all. Your ego maniacs."
DeSimone defending himself: "All I did was record her. That's all I did. I didn't say a word to her while she was talking. Nothing. And she freaks out."
Malta Joe's correction: "That's 10 fires. Excuse me. So I counted something that looked reddish, but wasn't a fire."
People Mentioned:
Chris DeSimone - Conservative podcast host running for Oro Valley mayor; "Chris's rule when it comes to this, any kind of fires in Tucson, right? Is crackheads. Always crackheads."
Malta Joe - Co-host and technical support; "That's 10 fires. Excuse me."
Steven Levine - RJP Estate Planning attorney; "Tomorrow's not promised nobody knows When that time is going to come"
Laura Conover - Pima County Attorney attacked for requesting recording stop; described by DeSimone as "A hole"
Regina Romero - Tucson Mayor; mocked for Qatar trip and "global leadership"
Noemi Hite- Eric Haight Foundation founder, widow; "Laura Conover should not have been invited to the 88 crime dinner"
Adelita Grijalva - Congressional candidate whose campaign sign appeared in DeSimone's "beautiful" fire photo
Dave Pierce - Estate planning attorney described by Levine as having "brutal honesty"
Deb Plasset - RJP Estate Planning founder; Levine noted "Tragically in 2019 her husband passed away... luckily she had a trust in place"
Raul Grijalva - Former congressman; DeSimone claimed others are "thralls" of his influence
Eric Hite - Deceased law enforcement officer, Noemi's husband; foundation named after him
Nate Foster/Nathaniel Foster - Referenced in criminal justice discussion
Caleb Rosano - Posted about forced help for homeless; "Call me insensitive, but I feel like there should be forced help for the homeless and drug addicts who refuse it"
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