Guests - Ben Bergquam, Art Del Cueto, John Hayworth
Ben Bergquam: From a Decade Hiding Addiction to a Life Telling the Truth on Camera
Ben Bergquam, founder of Frontline America and host of "Law and Border" on Real America's Voice, joined the show to talk about his new book, Step Into Fear: A Journey from Addiction to Courage and Purpose, out now with a foreword from Stephen K. Bannon. The book marks the first time Bergquam has publicly told the story of the three years he spent secretly addicted to crack cocaine early in his marriage — a story he says took a decade to be ready to tell.
Bergquam described living what amounted to a double life: publicly building a career in activism and journalism while privately hiding an addiction from his wife and everyone around him. "I kept praying that God would break the chains," he said, "but that [my wife] wouldn't find out." The turning point came almost exactly ten years ago this October, in a single conversation on his wife's bed in Sanger, California, when Bergquam said he felt God tell him plainly: "You kept praying that she wouldn't know, when she's the only one that needs to." He says he was freed that night from crack, alcohol, and tobacco simultaneously, and has remained sober since.
The book, Bergquam said, is built around a simple structure — each chapter pairs a period of his life with the specific fear he had to move through to get past it, from a shootout in the Panamanian jungle to confrontations with cartel operatives during his border reporting. Every chapter includes a QR code linking to raw video footage of the events described, consistent with what Bergquam calls his "show and tell" approach to journalism. "I don't want you to trust what I say," he said. "Trust what you see with your own eyes and make up your own mind."
Bergquam traced his shift from general political and cultural reporting into border-specific journalism to what he described as a divine redirection through meeting "angel moms" — mothers of children killed by crimes connected to illegal immigration. "I was never intended to become that," he said of his border-focused work, "but God brought me divine appointments, and each one of those shaped who I became."
A full chapter of the book is devoted to Bergquam's friendship with Charlie Kirk. Bergquam said Kirk never judged him for the addiction once he learned of it, and that Kirk's core conviction — using one's platform in service of God's purpose rather than personal ambition — shaped how Bergquam has approached his own public work since. Looking ahead, Bergquam said he and his wife are developing a food truck concept and a "family roadshow," and that Real America's Voice is launching a new offshoot, Real America's Faith and Family, aimed at balancing his typically hard-news content with more encouraging programming. Step Into Fear is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in bookstores now, with an audiobook narrated by Bergquam himself.
Art Del Cueto: California's "Get the Feds Out" Bill and the Stakes of November in Arizona
Art Del Cueto, a former Border Patrol agent and longtime union voice for agents in Arizona, joined to break down two bills awaiting Governor Newsom's signature in California that would bar anyone with a background in immigration enforcement from being hired by state, county, or local public agencies. The legislation, known as the "Get the Feds Out Act," was authored by Assemblymembers Mark Gonzalez of Los Angeles and Robert Rivas of Salinas.
Del Cueto called the bill a natural extension of the "defund the police" push from several years ago, now aimed specifically at immigration enforcement. "This is putting their big toe in the water," he said, "but really they want to jump in." He argued the practical effect would functionally blacklist retired agents from post-career employment in fields like education or other public-sector work, leaving few options outside the private sector. Del Cueto also revisited the earlier controversy over agents wearing masks during operations, arguing the objection was never really about transparency. "That's not what it was about, of course," he said, framing mask policies as one front in a broader campaign of hostility toward immigration enforcement personnel.
Del Cueto connected the fight directly to Arizona's own elections, pointing to Pima County's roughly 400,000-vote statewide registration gap favoring Democrats, but noting that combined independent and Republican turnout narrows that considerably. He credited Kathleen Winn's organizing work in Pima County and urged listeners to treat this November as the "finals" after a primary turnout he described as "the practice game." Del Cueto also referenced an earlier legal fight — a federal case in which Judge Michael Liberty ruled in favor of allowing uniformed law enforcement to vote in uniform on Election Day, after resistance from officials including Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Attorney General Kris Mayes — and criticized a subsequent Tucson Police Department memo requiring officers to give 24 hours' notice and secure their firearms elsewhere before voting in uniform.
On leadership, Del Cueto said law enforcement needs to organize around electing sheriffs and prosecutors "that are actually pro-law enforcement," referencing a prior unsuccessful recall effort against a sitting Pima County sheriff without naming a specific target for the upcoming cycle. He also detailed a personal encounter he uses to illustrate the illegal immigration debate: asking a skeptical acquaintance whether it would be acceptable for a stranger to move into a spare room in their house uninvited, leaving a small amount of money on the counter each week, and then bring in additional family members under the same arrangement. Del Cueto said the man, initially dismissive, ultimately conceded the analogy landed. "It has nothing to do with race," Del Cueto said, "but the media has a way of turning things around."
The conversation turned to the governor's race, where Del Cueto attended a weekend event featuring Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Congressman Andy Biggs. Del Cueto described DeSantis as "the gold standard right now in states being run right," pointing to Florida's tax policies as a model, and said DeSantis's continued support signals confidence in Biggs heading into the general election. Del Cueto pushed back on the idea that Biggs's fundraising has lagged, noting his campaign has raised millions and is beginning television advertising, with more than two weeks remaining before ballots go out. He urged small-dollar donations as an accessible way for supporters to contribute. "Twenty bucks here, ten bucks there," he said. "You spend more money at Starbucks."
Del Cueto emphasized down-ballot races as equally consequential, citing Congressman Juan Ciscomani and Congressman Eli Crane as priorities, along with LD17's open House seat — Vince Leach is retiring — where Republican Chris King faces Democrat Edgar Soto. He also connected the fight against fentanyl directly to border enforcement, arguing that while border security has improved substantially, drugs already in the pipeline continue moving through Arizona to reach less secure states. "That's Arizona's problem," he said. "We need to make sure that ends." Del Cueto closed on a personal note about the risks of his own public profile in law enforcement circles, describing regular threats in his direct messages and the toll that takes on his family. "Today it's me," he said. "Tomorrow it's you. Make sure you show up come November."
Kathleen closed the segment addressing the anniversary of Charlie Kirk's death and a weekend act of vandalism at Turning Point USA's Phoenix headquarters, where red spray paint was found on the neck, face, and torso of a newly erected statue of Kirk, and a nearby memorial sign referencing Jesus Christ was defaced. Turning Point USA, in a statement attributed to Erica Kirk, called the vandalism "diabolical" and said the organization would work with local law enforcement to identify those responsible. Kathleen noted that Tyler Robinson, the suspect charged in Kirk's killing, is set for a further pretrial hearing on October 23rd, with prosecutors expected to pursue the death penalty.
J.D. Hayworth: New Polling Shows Prescription Drug Prices Cross Party Lines
Former Arizona Congressman J.D. Hayworth returned to discuss new bipartisan polling on prescription drug costs, conducted jointly by Democratic firm Brilliant Corners and Republican firm Access Research and set for release through the Pharma Reform Alliance. Hayworth, who served twelve years on the House Ways and Means Committee, framed the findings as a rare point of near-total consensus among Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike.
The topline numbers: over 90% of Americans blame pharmaceutical companies for driving up healthcare costs. With roughly fifty days remaining before the midterms at the time of the poll, 76% of voters across party lines said a candidate's position on lowering drug prices matters more to their vote this cycle than in the last election, and 73% said they're more inclined to support a candidate willing to stand up to pharmaceutical companies. On requiring drug makers to match every dollar spent on consumer advertising with an equal dollar in consumer rebates, support measured 89% overall — 87% among Republicans, 88% among independents, and 92% among Democrats. On shortening patent protection windows to speed generic drugs to market, support came in at 85% overall.
Hayworth tied the numbers to a specific piece of legislation: a bill to codify President Trump's "most favored nation" prescription drug pricing policy into law, co-sponsored by Republican Andy Biggs and Democrat Ro Khanna. "I can't think of guys more politically opposite," Hayworth said, arguing that pairing should draw attention on its own merits. The executive order version of the policy, issued last year, aims to prevent American patients from paying roughly three times what patients in other developed countries pay for the same medications — a gap Hayworth attributed partly to the United States being one of only two countries in the world, alongside New Zealand, that permits direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.
Hayworth was careful to frame the proposed fix as market-oriented rather than a call for price controls. His preferred remedy is restoring traditional patent law to prevent what he called "patent abuse" — pharmaceutical companies making minor formulary tweaks to existing drugs specifically to extend patent protection and delay generic competition, a practice separate from the underlying legislation but covered by the same poll, where reforming the patent system to stop such delays also drew support above 80%. Hayworth cited estimates that returning to traditional patent enforcement could lower drug prices by as much as 80% through increased generic competition. He also noted that pharmaceutical companies spend roughly 17% of profits on genuine research and development, with a larger share going toward mergers and acquisitions aimed at limiting competitive pressure rather than innovation.
Drawing a parallel to the bipartisan unity that followed September 11th, Hayworth argued prescription drug pricing represents a similar opportunity for Congress to set politics aside. "This is one issue where there is no disagreement," he said. "The American people are overwhelmingly calling for this." Full polling data is available at PharmaReformAlliance.com.