Guests - Betsy Smith, Michael Letts

"Only Citizens Vote" Bus Tour Rallies Support in Tucson

The "Only Citizens Vote" bus tour made a significant stop in Tucson, Arizona yesterday, bringing attention to election integrity concerns. Hosted at the Bridge Christian Church West Campus, the event gathered local Republican candidates including Jail Whitenbreaker, Jay Tolkoff, Daniel Buttieras, Rachel Kessel, and Dana Lewis from Penel County.

"I'm glad that we're on their radar. I'm glad that they understand that we have to take back control of our election system," said Kathleen Winn, who attended the event alongside Betsy Brantner Smith.

The tour focuses on the SAVE Act, legislation that has passed the House twice but has not been brought to a vote in the Senate by Majority Leader Thune. The group is collecting petition signatures nationwide and plans to deliver them to the Capitol on September 10th after visiting approximately 20 states.

"It should be so obvious," Winn emphasized. "I don't think the Founding Fathers said, 'Oh, everyone come and vote from whatever country you come here from,' because they would have been voted out like the second year. England would have come and voted and then we wouldn't have a country."

Smith added perspective from the border region: "Kathleen, we both live about 60-70 miles from Mexico here in Southern Arizona. Neither you nor I ever go down to Mexico when they're having elections and vote in their elections. We don't do that because that's wrong. That's illegal."

The tour's organizers, including Jenny Beth Martin, honorary chairman of the Tea Party Patriots Action, received positive feedback from the Tucson community. After the event, the tour continued to Las Cruces.

Financial Institutions Funding Organizations That Track ICE

Recent investigations have revealed troubling connections between major financial institutions and organizations that help illegal immigrants evade deportation. James O'Keefe released an investigation showing that Fidelity, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs have funneled millions of dollars to the Vera Institute of Justice, which monitors federal immigration enforcement and helps illegal aliens avoid deportation.

"What people need to know about the Vera Institute of Justice is that this organization has been around for several years. They put a lot of money behind Black Lives Matter," explained Smith. "Their primary goal was to get rid of cops, get rid of prisons, break up the nuclear family. They really didn't give a damn about Black people."

The Vera Institute tracks ICE movements and distributes that information to help individuals avoid federal agents. The organization reportedly receives funding from Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, and their public materials indicate they believe America is "over-policing" Black communities.

Smith countered this narrative: "The unfortunate fact is that most young Black men are primarily, overwhelmingly shot and killed, murdered by other young Black men. Black conservatives who have been talking about this for years are finally getting some traction on these statistics."

She pointed to recent developments in Washington, D.C., where protests against federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department have occurred, noting that crime statistics have dramatically improved: "Carjacking's down 83%. There hasn't been a murder in a week, which hasn't happened in years."

Trump's Legal Victory: New York Appellate Court Sets Aside $515 Million Fraud Judgment

A five-judge panel of the New York appellate court has set aside a $515 million fraud judgment against President Trump. While the charges remain, the court found that the penalty was excessive and violated Trump's Eighth Amendment rights protecting against excessive fines.

"This is just part of the appeal," Smith explained. "Judge Arthur Engeron, whose daughter famously campaigned and was able to fundraise for Democrat candidates based on this case, originally imposed a $355 million dollar penalty as part of the case that Letitia James brought against not just Trump, but Don Jr. and the Trump Organization saying that they overinflated the value of their assets. That $355 million dollar penalty turned into half a billion because of interest."

Smith questioned the legal basis of the case: "They took misdemeanor law and tortured it into felonious charges, and it was like part civil and part criminal. It makes no sense."

The conversation also touched on allegations of mortgage fraud among various politicians, including Letitia James herself, who is now under investigation. "She has this pattern of torturing the law and now allegedly breaking the law, and yet she's a prosecutor and she's a darling of the Democrat party," Smith noted.

Similar allegations have been raised against Arizona's own Ruben Gallego and other politicians. "If Ruben Gallego says that his primary residence is in Washington, DC, that's a real problem for us here in Arizona. That means we have a senator who doesn't really live here," Smith said.

Rising Crime in Tucson's Transit System

The Tucson Police Department is investigating the seventh stabbing connected to Sun Tran and its transit system in just six months. The most recent incident occurred at the transit center near Tucson Mall on Tuesday, August 19th, where 25-year-old Jose Antonio Toro was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault.

"For the seventh time in six months, the Tucson Police Department is investigating a stabbing connected to Sun Tran and its transit system. How's that free bus system working out for you, Tucson?" Winn asked. "It is also the seventh stabbing in Southern Arizona in less than two weeks."

Smith detailed several recent incidents: "We've had a Sun Link street car stop in downtown Tucson where, famously, young Jacob Couch died from his injuries in a hatchet attack. We had a 42-year-old man attack two people at a Sun Tran bus stop in Sabino Canyon. We had another one at the Ronsted Center down there on Broadway."

The speakers attributed the rising crime to understaffing and demoralization within the Tucson Police Department, with officers accelerating retirement or transferring to other departments due to broken promises and lack of support from city leadership.

"We have a lot of officers that are now ready to retire. Some are accelerating their retirement because they just are feeling demoralized in their role because they really can't do what they need to do," Winn explained.

Michael Letts on Zohun Mamdami's Shifting Stance on Police

Michael Letts, founder, president, and CEO of InvestUSA, joined the program to discuss New York City mayoral candidate Zohun Mamdami's apparent shift in position on law enforcement.

"Mamdami now stands with police. Get political much?" Letts remarked sarcastically. "That's the last thing that anybody in America would believe. He has spent his entire career criticizing and creating havoc for law enforcement, whether it's defund the police, whether it is supporting the Palestinian riots—and that's what they are, they're not protests, they're riots—and do everything possible to disparage and to discourage and to reject law enforcement."

Letts suggested this change in stance reflects desperation as New York voters begin to question Mamdami's extreme views. "New Yorkers are beginning to question his extreme views and communist views, and his numbers are dropping."

When asked about the mayoral race outlook, Letts expressed concern: "In a perfect world, I'd love the Republican to win because he shares the same values. In a practical world, there's no way you can defeat Mamdami with having three other candidates in the race."

President Trump's Police Ride-Along

During the program, Letts was called away for a Fox News interview to discuss breaking news: President Trump had decided to participate in a ride-along with DC police officers that evening.

"The president has decided, because of the huge success on the increased law enforcement presence in DC, he would do a ride-along for the first time in American history with law enforcement tonight," Letts revealed upon returning to the show.

Letts explained that his organization, InvestUSA, would be providing a bulletproof vest for the president during the ride-along. He emphasized the symbolic importance of this action: "Imagine what that does to the morale of cops across this nation with that one act. What it will do to the morale of law enforcement tonight will be incredible."

The discussion highlighted the contrast between the previous administration's approach to law enforcement and Trump's. Winn noted that in Washington DC, crime statistics have improved dramatically in recent weeks following federal intervention.

InvestUSA's "Bless the Vest" Program

Letts outlined InvestUSA's mission to provide bulletproof vests to law enforcement officers nationwide and introduced their "Bless the Vest" program, which encourages houses of worship to adopt local officers.

"We want every house of worship, regardless of the denomination, to adopt a cop," Letts explained. "It doesn't take long to raise $700 for a congregation and purchase the vest. We'll make sure you get it right through us at the wholesale price of $700 instead of the $1,100 retail cost."

The program involves presenting the vest to an officer during a church service, praying over it, and offering ongoing support. "You pray over that vest. You hand that officer that vest and say, 'Look, we're giving you this vest to let you know we care about you physically. We want to make sure that you're protected. We're also here praying for you daily in this church.'"

Letts emphasized that this approach not only provides physical protection but also spiritual and emotional support for officers facing one of the most stressful careers in the country. "You will do so much for the morale of that officer and for the entire department when they see that instead of just speaking our faith, we're actually demonstrating it."

Call for Community Action and Voting

The program concluded with a call for community engagement and informed voting in upcoming elections, including the CD7 race and November city council elections in Tucson.

"It's time that we restore integrity and order to our voting rolls, to our community. And that we do the right thing," Winn urged. "It's not complicated. And anybody that complicates it isn't trying to do the right thing."

She emphasized the importance of supporting law enforcement, fixing infrastructure, and following the city charter. "The only way we can change that is if you vote differently than you've been voting. I don't care if you have a D, an I, an R, or no party after your name."

Winn called for moving away from extremism and finding middle ground: "Tucson's not extreme. There's a middle somewhere. It's time that we stand up and take charge and have Tucson be a great place."