Guests - Cheryl Casswell, Shelly Boggs, Kimberly Fletcher, Betsy Smith, Lisa Von Geldern

Cheryl Casswell: From Patriotic Triplets to State Legislature

Raising Patriots in Arizona

Cheryl Casswell, mother of triplets and candidate for LD19 State House, embodies the spirit of American patriotism that starts at home. Her three children—two boys and a girl—will turn 21 on July 3rd, making them native Tucsonans born at the University of Arizona with timing that couldn't be more patriotic.

"Last night was an incredible reminder of my why," Casswell shared after attending a Moms for America event. "Why I got involved civically and in leadership. It was my children, your children, our grandchildren and our future."

Casswell's commitment to raising patriots begins with the smallest moments. She recalls how her son Trevor would serenade the family each morning over the baby monitor with "God Bless America" as the sun rose. These seemingly small stories, she emphasizes, are often the most important in shaping a child's love for country.

"We need to become America's storytellers again," Casswell explained. "Those stories don't have to be big. In fact, some of those really small moments are the most important."

The challenge facing parents today is that through lockdowns, cultural changes, and social media influence, many have conceded the responsibility of teaching children about American values and traditions. "If we don't teach the next generation about our history and our culture and what matters, it goes away because it is not passed on in the bloodstream," Casswell noted.

Protecting Families from Modern Threats

Recent events have highlighted new dangers facing law-abiding citizens—sophisticated scammers targeting good people who want to do the right thing. Casswell's daughter Lainey nearly fell victim to an elaborate scheme where criminals impersonated sheriff's department officials.

The scammers called Lainey at her workplace—a veterinary clinic—claiming she had missed a court date and that officers had been to her home with arrest warrants. They directed her to leave work and meet them at what appeared to be the police department location. The call transferred to her personal phone, and the supposed sheriff stayed on the line directing her movements as she drove to the meeting location.

"She was even so afraid she didn't even want to make that choice to hang up the call," Casswell recounted. "Her coworker hung up the phone for her." Only intervention from colleagues who recognized the scam prevented what could have been a dangerous situation.

This same scam targeted multiple attendees at a recent community event, including a neurosurgeon who was at her bank ready to withdraw $13,000 before her personal banker recognized the fraud. These criminals specifically target responsible citizens—people who serve in civic capacities, appear on voter rolls, or work in professional positions.

"These people want to do the right thing," Casswell observed. "They want to have their civic responsibility and be responsible citizens that they're targeting."

Campaign for State Legislature

Casswell is running for LD19 State House as a clean elections candidate, covering one of Arizona's largest and most challenging districts. Her constituency spans one-third of the state, including portions of Cochise, Pima, Santa Cruz, Graham, and Greenlee counties.

"It's a very incredibly large district. Maybe it's ridiculous. One of the largest," she acknowledged, describing the extensive travel required to connect with voters across such a vast rural area.

The signature-gathering process continues, with strong support from precinct committee members and endorsed organizations who are actively working their precincts. Clean elections qualifying donations won't begin until August 1st, so current efforts focus on building the foundation and collecting seed money necessary for such an expansive campaign.

Despite the logistical challenges, Casswell finds inspiration in the communities she visits. "There's been great activity out there. There's a lot of stuff happening in all of our communities. I encourage everyone to talk to their friends and neighbors about candidates."

Her message to voters emphasizes the importance of local engagement: "Look into everything and talk to your neighbors and create community once again."

Moms for America: Cultural Preservation Through Storytelling

Twenty Years of Grassroots Leadership

Kimberly Fletcher, president and founder of Moms for America, has spent two decades building a movement that began right after 9/11. Her organization's influence has grown to unprecedented levels, with Fletcher and her team visiting the White House 32 times since President Trump took office.

"We've got a core group of Moms right in the DC area that we can send when I'm not able to be there," Fletcher explained. "But sometimes they'll contact us and say, well, we want you specifically." Recent visits included press briefings, "bring your kids to work day" events, and various policy signings where the administration values having the mom voice present.

Fletcher's approach differs from typical Washington advocacy. Rather than focusing solely on policy, she emphasizes cultural preservation and the transmission of American values through storytelling. "At the very least, we need to be sharing our own story of why we love America with our children and grandchildren in our sphere of influence."

The Hula Lesson: How Cultures Survive

Fletcher's most powerful illustration of cultural preservation comes from her time in Hawaii, where she learned about the near-extinction and revival of hula dancing. When Christian missionaries arrived in Hawaii, the queen outlawed hula as a pagan ritual. All hula schools were shut down, and practicing the traditional dance became punishable by imprisonment or death.

Decades later, a new monarch who had traveled throughout Europe recognized that every country he visited had unique cultural expressions through music, art, and dance. Remembering Hawaii's traditional hula, he returned home and asked his advisors how to restore it. The advisors discovered the art form had seemingly disappeared—until they put out a call across the nation.

"The nation of children rose up and said, 'we know because our mothers taught us,'" Fletcher recounted. "When the government shut it down and said, 'it's illegal, you can't do it, don't share it,' those mothers, those grandmothers, they knew the significance of the hula and the preservation of who they were."

The lesson resonates powerfully with today's cultural challenges: "There will come a day when the call goes out, 'where is liberty and how do we do it?' And a nation of children will rise up and say, 'we know because our mothers taught us' and liberty will prevail because of them."

America 250: A National Celebration

Fletcher's current focus centers on America's 250th birthday in 2026. President Trump has already committed to a major celebration, with an announcement planned for the coming weeks. Moms for America is preparing something special to be announced on July 4th.

The organization has developed "Liberty Trips"—an interactive map featuring over a thousand locations where families can visit historic landmarks, hands-on history centers, and historic events. They've created a character named Liberty, a stuffed animal puppy that children can take on their historical journeys, accompanied by the "Where's Liberty" book series.

"The first book is published—Liberty Begins at Home—and subsequent books are in the process of being published," Fletcher noted. "Children between like two and nine, they're getting this. My three and five-year-old granddaughters remembered the story after hearing it, just hearing it. No pictures, no nothing. Two months later, they remembered the story."

The initiative includes Patriot packs and Liberty Kits with stuffed animals, activity books, large wall maps with paw print stickers for marking visits, and a national photo contest asking "Where's Liberty?"

The Urgency of Cultural Restoration

Fletcher emphasizes the critical nature of the current moment in American history. "My goal is to turn two years into 12, but the fact of the matter is we have to and we know we have to and we need to do everything that we possibly can during that two years to reset the culture and reclaim the Republic."

She describes the opportunity as being "finally on the playing field" at the "10 yard line" with "first down." The urgency stems from recognition that this chance to restore American culture and values may not come again.

"This is not the time to slow down. This is not the time to say, 'oh, thank God we dodged that bullet.' This is the time to push the pedal to the metal," Fletcher declared. "We may not get another chance."

Fletcher's granddaughter recently asked her a question that revealed the challenge ahead: "Nana, why do you love America so much?" The question highlighted how even within families committed to patriotism, the explicit transmission of American values cannot be assumed.

"I thought, 'What a failure. I go all over the country telling everybody how much I love America.' And I haven't told my own granddaughter. And so she knows now."

Shelly Boggs: Educational Leadership in Maricopa County

Five Months Into Superintendent Role

Shelly Boggs, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Maricopa County, brings a unique perspective to educational leadership. Five months into her role overseeing one of the nation's largest counties, she faces the challenge of managing school districts across a vast geographical area—a task complicated by the fact that county supervisors have yet to approve her budget, with a vote scheduled for June 23rd.

Despite the administrative challenges, Boggs maintains focus on the fundamental mission of education reform. Her experience attending the Moms for America event reinforced her conviction about the importance of grassroots leadership in education.

"Anytime I get to be in the same room with Kimberly Fletcher is an honor," Boggs shared. "She is a true grassroots America-loving mom who is truly working her butt off to make a difference. And I haven't seen any one single person be as passionate about that in starting an organization as her."

School Board Reform Strategy

Boggs recognizes that meaningful educational change requires transformation at the school board level. Her strategy involves direct engagement with school board members through training programs where she can introduce resources and initiatives that support American values in education.

"I'm all about flipping school boards," Boggs stated plainly. "If we can flip the school boards and get this presentation because I can bring it into my office and encourage it because I'm going to be doing school board trainings."

Her approach involves bringing presenters and resources directly to school board members who make policy decisions. This includes incorporating initiatives like Moms for America's Liberty Trips program into school curricula.

"In my trainings, I'm going to be bringing in people who want to present the different things that they can provide for these school districts. And if I get them in front of the school board members who make the decisions, there's no limits to what we can do."

The emphasis on "flipping school boards" reflects the broader conservative education movement's recognition that lasting change requires control of local school governance rather than top-down federal mandates.

Betsy Smith: Law Enforcement Under Attack

The Sheriff's Scam Epidemic

Betsy Smith, spokesperson for the National Police Association, addressed a growing threat to law-abiding citizens: sophisticated scams where criminals impersonate law enforcement officials. These schemes specifically target responsible citizens who respect authority and want to comply with legal obligations.

"Law-abiding people, they worry, they're like, 'Well, maybe I did miss a court date. Maybe I got a parking ticket,'" Smith explained. "Especially people who don't really know the system. And so they start to think, 'Oh, maybe something did happen.'"

The scammers exploit citizens' respect for law enforcement and their desire to avoid legal trouble. They create urgency by claiming arrest warrants exist and demand immediate payment to resolve the supposed legal issues.

Smith's message is clear: "You will never, ever be contacted by a member of any Sheriff's Department because you have missed a court date and you need to go get them cash. That is not how the system works."

Her advice for potential victims is straightforward: hang up, verify independently, and remember that legitimate law enforcement will find you if necessary. "If law enforcement legitimately wants you, they'll show up. They will find you."

Domestic Terrorism in D.C.

Smith also addressed a tragic incident in Washington D.C. where two Israeli Embassy staffers were murdered by a radicalized individual from Chicago. The shooter, identified as Rodriguez, had been radicalized at a mosque in the Bridgeview area south of Chicago.

Sarah and Yaron, the victims, were attending a private event at the Jewish Museum when the shooter arrived and gunned them down. Yaron was actually a Christian with Jewish heritage, while Sarah was Jewish. After the shooting, the perpetrator entered the museum, where attendees offered him water and comfort, unaware of what he had done.

"When law enforcement grabbed him, he shouted out, 'Free Palestine.' So this was an absolute act of domestic terrorism," Smith reported.

The incident occurred shortly after Yaron had posted on social media challenging false United Nations propaganda claiming 11,000 babies had been killed by Israel—propaganda that may have motivated the attack.

"We have all of this pro-Palestinian, and really it's pro-Hamas activity," Smith noted, connecting the violence to broader anti-Semitic trends and misinformation campaigns supported by international bodies like the UN.

Pro-Law Enforcement Legislation

Smith highlighted positive developments in Congress, particularly efforts led by Arizona Congressman Abraham Hamadeh. The National Police Association is pushing federal legislation to provide relief for police officers prosecuted by radical district attorneys simply for doing their jobs.

"One of the things that we are asking our legislators to do is provide some federal relief, in other words, provide a way for the Department of Justice to be able to take a look at some of these radical district attorneys, radical county prosecutors, and radical attorneys general who are prosecuting police officers simply for doing their jobs."

Hamadeh is leading efforts to address Department of Justice overreach against the Phoenix Police Department, where the Biden administration attempted a federal takeover based on false information. A consultant has since discovered lies and misinformation about the department, and Hamadeh is working to correct these wrongs.

"Arizona is coming to the rescue," Smith observed. "There really is no more pro-police Congressman than Abraham Hamadeh. He ran for our Attorney General largely because he wanted to support law enforcement."

The National Police Association's website (nationalpolice.org) provides additional information about their legislative priorities and support for law enforcement professionals facing political persecution.

Lisa Von Geldern: Constitutional Governance and Global Threats

South Africa and Agricultural Genocide

Lisa Von Geldern brought attention to the ongoing crisis in South Africa, where white farmers face systematic persecution and murder. These farmers, whose families have worked the land for hundreds of years, are being forced from their properties through brutal violence orchestrated by the African National Congress (ANC) and local militants.

"They feed the population there and when the ANC, the communists pile up the local militant Africans, they come in and they brutally, brutally murder these people and then the farm is left to rot because they don't know how to run it," Von Geldern explained.

The consequence extends beyond individual tragedy to mass starvation, as the militants lack the agricultural expertise to maintain food production. "They don't actually have the skills to continue doing what the white farmers are doing and people will be starved as a result. And this is what communism does."

Von Geldern praised President Trump's decision to welcome South African farmers as refugees, noting their potential value to American agriculture: "They know how to farm, they know how to farm in a desert. Get them here."

She described Trump's direct confrontation with South Africa's leader as exemplary leadership: "I thought it took incredible presence of mind to have the leader of South Africa there and he showed him the genocide. He showed video. He did not make it a meet and greet. He said, here's what's happening in your country."

Constitutional Authority and Federal Overreach

Von Geldern emphasized the importance of understanding constitutional limits on federal power, particularly regarding recent court decisions attempting to block Trump administration policies.

"I don't believe they actually have the ability. They don't overrule another branch of government. That's not how it's designed," she stated regarding judicial attempts to maintain Department of Education operations against executive orders.

Her analysis centers on the principle of separation of powers: "Sorry, court judges, but you don't get to weigh in for the whole country. You get to weigh in in your local area only."

This constitutional perspective extends to her critique of federal agencies like NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), where over 500 employees recently departed. Von Geldern sees this as an opportunity to address what she calls "dark arts they've been practicing" related to atmospheric manipulation and climate control programs.

The John Birch Society's Ongoing Mission

Von Geldern highlighted the John Birch Society's decades-long campaign to remove the United States from the United Nations, noting recent progress with bills introduced in both the House and Senate for the first time in the organization's 60+ year history.

"The Get Us Out of the UN campaign was started by the John Birch Society," she explained. "People think, well, you've been doing it for 60 years and we're still not out. Here's what I want to say this year, this past year for the first time ever, there was a bill in the house and the Senate to get us out."

The organization also maintains a "Support Your Local Police" campaign designed to prevent federal takeover of local law enforcement. Von Geldern drew connections between local police independence and resistance to authoritarian control, noting how external forces—whether UN peacekeepers or federal agents—lack community connections that constrain abuse.

"When you have local police who know their neighbors, know their neighborhood and should be involved in their community, you have less of that happening. You bring in a foreign force, they don't care about the local population."

Climate Policy and Government Waste

Von Geldern addressed the massive financial drain of climate-related government spending, drawing on analysis from the Manhattan Contrarian blog. The recent exodus from NOAA represents an opportunity to expose wasteful programs that have consumed billions of taxpayer dollars without delivering promised results.

"The amount of money that we have been spending on things that are not germane to our protection, to our freedoms, to our education, it's obscene," she observed.

Her critique extends to the fundamental principle of government spending: "If you can't sell it to the public and have the public support it out of their own pockets, it's probably not worth doing."

This philosophy aligns with efforts to eliminate government programs that cannot demonstrate clear value to citizens. Programs that survive genuine market scrutiny or community support deserve continuation, while those that exist solely due to government funding should face elimination.

The conversation highlighted how European nations are backtracking from climate policies and moving toward nuclear power, suggesting that even international allies are recognizing the failures of current approaches.

Von Geldern's analysis connects climate policy to broader patterns of communist infiltration: "Whether you want to call it progressivism, collectivism, socialism, communism, and really it's from the pits of hell. It's anti-human, it's anti-family, it's anti-God, it's man making himself God, and they will fail."