Guests - Corinne Cliford, Betsy Smith, JL Wittenbraker, Dave Smith
Explosive Questions Surround the Arrest of January 6 Pipe Bomb Suspect Brian Cole Jr.
Independent journalist and White House Press Corps member Corinne Clifford joined Kathleen Winn to discuss her exclusive doorstep interview with Delicia Cole, the mother of Brian Cole Jr.—the 30-year-old Virginia man recently arrested for planting pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on January 5, 2021.
Clifford described a devastated mother who insists her autistic, introverted son—who wears thick glasses, lives at home, works for his father, and rarely leaves the house—was framed. “She opened the door for me… mother to mother. She said he’s innocent, that he has been set up,” Clifford recounted. Delicia Cole told her the FBI never seized her son’s computer despite alleging he purchased bomb-making materials as far back as 2019, and neighbors described Brian as quiet and unremarkable.
Physical discrepancies fuel skepticism: surveillance footage shows the pipe bomber wearing no glasses and a distinctive hoodie, while Brian Cole Jr. appeared in court wearing heavy prescription lenses. Clifford pointed out conflicting early reporting—particularly from The Blaze’s Steve Baker—that initially described the suspect as a white, possibly bisexual or gay woman with alleged CIA ties. “Reports are so conflicting. It doesn’t make any sense at this point,” she said.
Both Winn and Clifford emphasized the bombs were placed at both party headquarters, suggesting neither a purely MAGA nor purely leftist motive. Clifford believes the bomber “did not act alone” and hopes additional perpetrators will be revealed. She expressed guarded confidence that the Trump administration’s DOJ and FBI—now under new leadership—will handle the case fairly, while criticizing the Biden-era FBI for sitting on evidence for four years.
Clifford closed by stressing family support for Cole: “They’re a very close-knit, well-respected family… They’re not asking for money. The father knows the justice system.” Yet she left the door open: “If the son was part of the pipe-bomber plot, there are other people involved… We the people deserve to know the truth.”
National Police Association’s Betsy Smith on Law Enforcement, January 6, and Democrat Scandals
Spokeswoman for the National Police Association Betsy Smith joined Winn for the recurring “Smith & Wynn” segment, praising the Trump FBI’s rapid arrest of Brian Cole Jr. after years of Biden-era inaction. Smith noted the bombs were discovered on January 6, diverting law-enforcement resources from the Capitol at a critical moment, and reiterated that Cole has reportedly confessed and was accumulating bomb-making materials since 2019.
The conversation pivoted to broader Democrat scandals:
Minnesota’s Feeding Our Future fraud, where billions in taxpayer dollars allegedly flowed to terrorist-linked groups under Ilhan Omar’s watch.
Tucson Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva’s false claim of being pepper-sprayed during an IRS/ICE raid on the Taco Giro chain (a year-long Biden-era investigation into tax and immigration crimes).
California governance failures under Gavin Newsom.
Smith called Grijalva’s behavior “embarrassing” and predicted voters can remove her in November 2026. “This is the new Democrat party—immature social media influencers,” she said, naming Grijalva alongside AOC, Jasmine Crockett, and Ilhan Omar.
Tucson’s Upcoming Tax Votes: Propositions 418 and 419
Local activist J.L. Wittenbraker warned listeners about two March 2026 special-election ballot measures designed to extend and expand the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).
Proposition 418 – the new 20-year RTA plan that pushes unfinished projects from the 2006 plan forward.
Proposition 419 – permanent extension of the half-cent sales tax set to sunset.
Wittenbraker highlighted RTA’s dismal track record: only 17 of 35 major projects fully completed in 20 years, a $273 million deficit, yet a new executive director earning $350,000 annually. Tucson’s combined sales tax rate of 8.7% is already among Arizona’s highest, and administrative overhead across RTA and PAG has consumed tens of millions while roads remain dangerous—Tucson ranks fourth nationally for hazardous driving.
Both propositions must pass together or neither takes effect. Wittenbraker urged voters to submit arguments against them to the Pima County Recorder by 5 p.m. the following day and to organize now for the low-turnout special election.
Law-Enforcement Perspective with Retired Detective Dave Smith
Veteran law-enforcement officer Dave Smith joined Winn to dissect the Taco Giro raid fallout. Two protesters now face federal charges—one for assaulting an agent, another for damaging a Homeland Security vehicle—while body-cam footage contradicts Rep. Adelita Grijalva’s claim of being directly pepper-sprayed.
Smith explained that federal agents from any agency (IRS, ICE, etc.) may enforce any federal law, and interfering with them violates 18 U.S.C. § 111 with penalties up to eight years—or twenty with bodily injury. “You don’t get to pick and choose which laws you follow,” Smith stressed.
The pair lamented the lack of accountability for elected officials who break or obstruct laws, calling Grijalva’s behavior everything from “drama queen” to potential obstruction. Smith predicted a strong Republican push in 2026 to flip CD-7 and send a message that “Arizona is back.”
Winn closed the show teasing Wednesday’s “China Watch” segment on the Chinese navy’s rapid shipbuilding pace surpassing the United States.