Guests – Michael Mccune, Betsy Smith, Yvete Serino, Bob Dohse

Michael McEwen: The Arizona Martial Arts Instructor Behind Trump's Viral Retweet

Arizona resident Michael McEwen gained unexpected national attention when President Trump retweeted his Facebook post analyzing the confrontation between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky in the Oval Office. McEwen, a martial arts instructor from Benson, Arizona, offered a perspective that resonated with the President and millions of Americans.

"I don't see myself as famous or any different than I was a few days ago, other than being a little more tired from all the calls and interviews," McEwen explained. "It's been interesting to share a different perspective from a different mindset than what's sometimes shown on mainstream media."

McEwen's viral post analyzed the tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelensky as a strategic "chess match" where Trump skillfully managed both Ukraine and Russia's interests. According to McEwen, Zelensky was attempting to leverage the Oval Office setting and media presence to push for NATO membership - something McEwen believes would be dangerous.

"You literally cannot have two major players, Ukraine and Russia, who hate one another, share a border and have either one in NATO," McEwen explained. "If Ukraine was in NATO, they could literally throw a rock across the border, claim Russia did it, and that would bring us into war."

McEwen noted that Vice President JD Vance's intervention and Trump's firm stance represented a "political spanking" of Zelensky for being unwilling to negotiate. "It became clear they were giving him a political spanking because he was clearly not ready to negotiate," McEwen said. "When you have two people in a war like this, both cannot get 100% of what they want."

In his viral post, McEwen wrote: "Trump played both sides like a master chess player. In the end, Zelensky will have no choice but to concede because without US support, Ukraine cannot win a prolonged war against Russia. Don't underestimate Donald Trump in this game of chess. He's 10 moves ahead of everyone."

McEwen's analysis caught Trump's attention just hours after the meeting. "I believe that was probably about two or three hours after the showdown," McEwen recalled. His post highlighted how Trump's negotiating strategy and potential mineral deals involving American companies would actually protect Ukraine without military escalation.

Beyond the Viral Post: McEwen's Background in Martial Arts and Philosophy

McEwen's analytical approach stems from decades in martial arts, beginning in 1978. His training under renowned Japanese masters shaped his worldview and philosophical approach. "That's where my perspective of everything I write comes from - through that Japanese Budo Bushido mindset," McEwen explained.

For over 40 years, McEwen has operated a dojo where he teaches martial arts to young people, emphasizing more than just physical techniques. "The largest amount of students are young people anywhere from age six to around 16," he said.

McEwen's approach instills discipline, respect, and independent thinking. "It completely sets the foundation for who they're going to become," he said. "Children build their role models from comic books, Marvel, and movies - they identify with the concept of the warrior. Every child, boy or girl, wants to be a warrior."

His unique approach includes teaching students the meaning behind the Pledge of Allegiance. "Before any of my students can get their first color belt, they have to know what each word of the pledge means," McEwen explained. "The very first word is 'I pledge,' and a pledge is a promise. How can you be responsible for your word if you don't know what the words mean?"

McEwen also incorporates Zen meditation into his teaching. "On Wednesdays, we begin our practices with Zen meditation so kids can learn to turn off the devices, turn off the TV, and sense who they are," he said. He uses the metaphor of an empty circle representing each child at birth, with everything they become being what goes into that circle. "The way of the warrior is to set aside distractions and choose what goes in that circle. We don't let the world decide what goes in that circle for us."

The martial arts instructor's approach has yielded remarkable results. "I've had kids diagnosed with ADHD, and three months later - some a little longer - that's gone," he noted.

Law Enforcement Challenges: A Conversation with Betsy Brantner Smith

The National Police Association spokesperson Betsy Brantner Smith discussed several pressing issues facing law enforcement across the country, including recent events in Boston involving a police shooting at a Chick-fil-A.

"A crazed man with a knife came running into Chick-fil-A chasing two other people," Smith explained. "Fortunately, there was a Boston police officer there who pulled out his gun, ordered the guy to drop the knife. The guy instead tried to attack him, so the Boston police officer unfortunately had to shoot and kill this knife attacker."

Smith criticized Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's response to the incident: "She apologized to the family of the attacker. She didn't really praise her police department but apologized: 'We're sorry we had to kill your felony murderous relative.'"

This response, according to Smith, exemplifies the challenges in recruiting and retaining police officers in major cities. "This is why we're having such a difficult time recruiting and retaining police officers, especially in large blue cities around the country, including Tucson. It's because of blue city mayors who are clueless when it comes to what a police officer has to deal with."

Smith also addressed recent incidents where details of ICE operations were leaked by reporters, endangering agents and their missions. "What ICE detainers do is ask local law enforcement to hold criminals until ICE can get there," Smith explained. "When they don't do that and let them out, ICE has to find them at a house, an apartment, their place of work, or even their kid's school."

In Virginia, a reporter leaked details about planned ICE raids. "Pablo Manriquez, the congressional reporter for Vanity Fair magazine, put out information about ICE raids planned for Monday and Tuesday in Northern Virginia," Smith said. "These agents in these raids are going after the most dangerous criminals - rapists, murderers, armed robbers."

Smith emphasized that despite statements from some local officials about non-cooperation with ICE, "Tucson is not a sanctuary city and Pima County is not a sanctuary county. When ICE comes here to arrest bad guys, you will see our local law enforcement helping them because that's the law."

Bob Dosi: Running for Arizona Legislative District 18

Bob Dosi announced his candidacy for Arizona's Legislative District 18 House seat, seeking to bring Republican representation to an area currently dominated by Democrats.

"In Pima County and throughout Arizona, I believe the Democratic leadership has moved away from the things most of their constituents actually want," Dosi said. "I think there's time for my constituents in LD18 to reflect upon what we want for a future, not just for our district but for the state of Arizona."

Dosi, who has worked extensively with voter registration databases, highlighted election integrity as a key issue. "We have a group of dead voters on our active voter roll. We've actually proven to the County Recorder's office that these people are dead - we have death certificates, obituaries - and yet they remain on the active voter rolls."

His analysis suggests significant issues with Pima County's voter rolls: "Between 20 and 25 percent of the people on the Pima County voter rolls have moved and no longer live here. That's a huge budget the county has to spend just to mail out information every time we have an election."

Dosi also criticized local governments for intentionally violating state laws to promote their agendas. "When the Board of Supervisors or City Council members intentionally violate state law to promote agenda items that their own voters don't like," Dosi said, citing homeless individuals soliciting in roadway medians as an example.

"There is a state law that prohibits that, but the Mayor and City Council have instructed the Chief of Police in Tucson: do not arrest or even harass those people, leave them alone," Dosi explained. "It obstructs traffic, some of these people are high on drugs and stumble into the street."

Dosi believes both Democratic and Republican constituents want change. "When I talk to Democratic constituents as well as Republicans, they want change," he said. "I'm hoping to be that change engine that can go to the House of Representatives in Phoenix and argue we need more teeth to require our laws to be obeyed by cities that have a rebel attitude."

Regarding Proposition 414, which would increase taxes in Tucson, Dosi said: "It's literally a lie because the two things they're promoting - hoping to appeal to people - is we need to hire more cops and we need to help the homeless. Why do we have a homeless problem? We have a drug problem. And why do we have a policing problem? When it was not popular to say we love the cops, they actually hated the cops, they handcuffed them."

Dosi concluded, "The people I talk to are tired of being lied to. How many times are we going to get more money to fix potholes that never get fixed?"