Guests - Tara Oster, Dave Smith, Bill Walton
Tributes to Community Leaders Lost
Kathleen Winn opens the show reflecting on profound personal losses in the Tucson community. She attended the funeral of the 40-year-old son of dear friends, a father who left behind a wife and two small children. Later, she learned of the tragic plane crash in Marana that claimed the lives of Chris Sheaf and his wife Jackie. Chris was a longtime friend who frequently appeared on the show, texted regularly, collaborated on community projects, and shared a deep connection through Kathleen’s son-in-law who once worked for him. “I met Chris originally when he wanted me not to run against Juan the last time, Congressman Ciscamani, and I obviously didn’t say no and I did,” she recalls. “But what I really appreciated is he listened and he was supportive and we found ways we could work together.” Chris and Jackie were known for their generosity, faith, and service to Pima County and Tucson. Winn expresses gratitude for their friendship and prays for their daughter and family, noting, “I’m confident God welcomed them home with incredible love and support.”
Pima County Fair: Engaging Voters and Protecting Empowerment Scholarships
Tara Oster joins to discuss the Pima County GOP booth at the upcoming Pima County Fair, running Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 26 in Thurber Hall. The booth will register voters, distribute candidate materials and palm cards with election dates, sell patriotic merchandise, and feature a spin wheel for prizes. “Our biggest goal is to get our voters engaged, registered, and engaged to vote in this very important election,” Oster emphasizes. She stresses the need to remain informed, warning voters not to sign any petitions related to Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs). “They’re doing it again where they word it to try and make it like it’s helpful, but the way the system is set up right now, it’s set up to serve our families and our children.” The current ESA program allows money to follow the student for private schools or homeschooling, providing families control rather than the school system. Democrats seek to cap eligibility at $150,000 household income and limit access, undermining its success.
Oster directs listeners to PimaGOP.org/join for voter registration instructions and Pima.vote for the voter dashboard, where they can check registration status, view past voting history, sign up for email or text notifications about ballots, and request a one-time mail ballot. “One thing I want to mention is to decline to sign anything that has to do with ESAs,” she repeats. The booth will also connect volunteers to campaigns and encourage grassroots outreach to neighbors. “If you go to your house and you say, hey, I live over here on Mary Ellen Way and I just wanted to reach out to you to tell you that the primary is coming up… you can work on all the campaigns if you want to.”
Critical 2026 Elections and the Need for Republican Turnout
Oster highlights the stakes of the 2026 midterm elections, including key statewide races for governor, secretary of state, treasurer, and attorney general, as well as legislative seats and Congressional District 6. “We’ve got these Democrats and these governor, secretary of state, treasurer… attorney general,” she notes. “Some very important seats.” Republicans must hold the legislative majority to support a potential Republican governor. LD 17 faces heavy Democratic investment, making turnout essential. Nationally, CD 6 was the final seat securing the House majority, underscoring its importance. “It’s also important federally… If we lose the majority at the federal level, then Trump will be impeached for the next two years.” Oster urges patience and persistence: “We didn’t get this way overnight… It just gets more and more important.”
Iran Negotiations, Trump’s Strategy, and the Left’s Hypocrisy
Dave Smith discusses the evolving Iran situation, praising President Trump’s approach to negotiations. “Trump acted first and the experts are furious because it’s working.” The U.S. Navy’s actions secured the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for global oil transport, after Iran’s threats and blockade. “Hundreds of tankers are coming to America for our oil and nobody’s going for their oil.” Smith contrasts Trump’s calculated risk-taking and willingness to walk away from bad deals with the left’s constant criticism. “If he acts, he’s reckless. If he doesn’t act, he’s taco.” He ties this to broader leftist tactics, referencing Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and Bill Ayers’ influence on community organizing and Obama-era strategies. “The constant fear, the violence, that’s all right there in his book.” Smith criticizes media bias and the left’s projection of values onto adversaries, noting Iran’s 47-year history of sponsoring terrorism and chanting “death to America.” He calls for conservative activism: “We as God-fearing conservatives need to understand we need to prevent that by following up and doing our own activism and getting involved in the process.”
Trump’s Negotiation Style, Iran Nuclear Ambitions, and Restoring Constitutional Governance
Bill Walton analyzes President Trump’s foreign policy approach, emphasizing his comfort with risk and improvisation honed in New York real estate. “He’s built for negotiation. He’s built for combat.” Walton supports Trump’s decisive actions against Iran’s nuclear program and proxy threats, noting the regime’s history of using civilians as human shields and sponsoring terrorism through groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. “This is not mutually assured destruction… Iran has not, never acted in the last 40 years as a rational, geopolitical player.” He highlights the Strait of Hormuz’s strategic importance for global energy and trade, warning of Iranian speedboats, drones, and rugged terrain complicating operations but underscoring the necessity of U.S. naval action.
Walton addresses domestic challenges, praising DOGE’s exposure of “outright theft” through NGOs and government agencies lining pockets with taxpayer funds. “What they discovered was outright theft.” He calls for a tough executive in the Justice Department to combat hyper-partisan resistance and corruption. “We need the toughest possible executive to organize and manage.” Walton stresses America’s role as a force for good and the Constitution as the bedrock of freedom, urging defense against efforts to undermine it. He notes the 250th anniversary as a testament to the founders’ vision and warns against complacency. “Freedom is only one generation deep.”
Walton contrasts Trump’s progress in reversing prior damage with critics’ hypocrisy, noting rapid advancements like Artemis II amid geopolitical focus. He encourages sustained pressure in the midterms to secure the legislative support Trump needs. “We need to keep this great experiment going.”