by Warren Petersen | Nov 1, 2025 | Opinion
By Sen. Warren Petersen |
Americans are fed up with the endless partisan chaos pouring out of Washington, D.C. For too long, radical extremists have hijacked our government—stalling progress, undermining confidence, and jeopardizing the American Dream for future generations.
Instead of restoring faith in our republic and passing a clean continuing resolution, Democrats have decided the best idea to survive the second Trump administration is to shut down the federal government, hurting families nationwide and risking our nation’s stability and security. Unfortunately, thanks to the Democrats’ obstinance, this shutdown is quickly becoming one of the lengthiest in our country’s history.
The Democrats’ shutdown, brought about by their pursuit of extremist policies is reckless. According to the Republicans on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, the Democrats’ counter proposal included free health care for illegal aliens, electric vehicle access to HOV lanes, taxpayer-funded criminal defense, liberal news programs, DEI projects in foreign countries, and Biden administration grant policies and COVID-era subsidies. These policies rank among the most radical ideas from the left—part of a broader plan to disregard the will of the American people in the General Election of 2024 and continue their transformation of our nation away from the principles that have made the United States the strongest and most prosperous in world history.
Their actions have jeopardized paychecks and services across the country. Families, small businesses, and seniors are being squeezed by the 2025 federal government shutdown. According to the White House Council of Economic Advisors, states would see a decline of billions of dollars of their gross state product each month during the shutdown, thousands of workers would find themselves unemployed weeks away from the holiday season, and Social Security benefits by check would be delayed.
It’s important to note these are just a few of the catastrophic issues facing everyday Americans due to the Democrats’ shutdown shenanigans. The Democrats have compromised pay to our brave men and women who serve in our military and on the front lines of our border. Rather than doing their job, most U.S. Senate Democrats, including Arizona’s own Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, have voted twelve times (and counting) to obstruct efforts to reopen the government. This is shameful, but Democrats feel no shame in their blindly partisan rampage to hurt their own constituents. U.S. House Democrat Whip Katherine Clark put her party’s position best when she said, “I mean, shutdowns are terrible and, of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer…. But it is one of the few leverage times we have.”
Worse yet, though, America’s enemies are watching for any opportunity to exploit our weaknesses. China, Russia, and other adversaries are studying this shutdown as they look for ways to take down the world’s greatest superpower. The leaders of these nations see the Democrats’ extremist desires and how those policies conflict with efficient operations to keep America running. They read the stories about the family members of our troops wondering how they might pay bills and put food on the table the longer the shutdown continues, hurting the morale of our military in a critical time for the world. Our enemies are not stupid or ignorant. They are recalculating and recalibrating thanks to the radical left.
Despite these clear and present dangers, Democrats are doubling down on their decision to shut down the government, creating spectacles to distract from harms their antics impose on everyday Americans. One of the top sideshows Democrats have exploited this month is the election of Adelita Grijalva to fill her father’s seat in Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District. Because the U.S. House of Representatives has not been in regular session since her victory, House Speaker Mike Johnson has not had the opportunity to swear her in to office. These facts, however, have not stopped Democrats from harassing Speaker Johnson and other Republicans over this continued vacancy (for legitimate reasons they are alone responsible for). Even Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes got in on the “fun,” transmitting a letter to the Speaker to threaten legal action if Grijalva was not allowed to assume her position immediately. While Democrats know Grijalva will certainly be sworn in to office, her vacant seat has been used for political fodder.
Americans are not amused, nor are they fooled. A recent poll from YouGov/The Economist showed that more respondents than the week prior blamed Democrats for the shutdown, and that a majority trust Republicans for economic issues. Hardworking men and women around the nation are disgusted with the never-ending partisan games being played at their expense. They want results and the promise of a brighter future for their children and grandchildren—not one-sided political standoffs that jeopardize the happiness, safety, and security of countless families.
This shutdown is not about helping Americans; it’s about defending unpopular priorities like protecting welfare programs for illegal immigrants. It is time for Democrats—both in Congress and across the nation—to end the political games and put hardworking Americans first. Time is of the essence. Let’s open the government and get back to work!
Warren Petersen is the President of the Arizona State Senate and represents Legislative District 14.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 30, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Newly obtained evidence reveals the pornographic and violent past of a Democratic leader in Tucson.
The posts, advocating for the harming and murdering of his political opponents and promotion of his pornography, came from Rocque Anthony Perez: an appointed Tucson City Council member (Ward 5) and, until joining the council in recent months, an executive director for Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva’s Metropolitan Education Commission (MEC) nonprofit.
MEC advises and makes recommendations on K-12 education for Tucson as well as all of Pima County.
The California Globe published copies of since-deleted social media posts they received as a reflection of Perez’s recent past as a creator and disseminator of pornography, and an advocate of political violence.
In addition to the trove obtained by the Globe, AZ Free News recovered archived posts by Perez detailing his consistent advocacy for the harming and murdering of his political opponents.
The incriminating posts recovered occurred under two accounts: “@rocqueperez” and “@localanthony.” From the former, Perez posted his controversial political posts, and from the latter, Perez posted his pornographic posts.
From 2019 to 2020, Perez had served as Student Body Senator at the University of Arizona. He also led Tucson’s Pride Festival in 2019.
Throughout 2020, Perez advocated for the assault and murder of his political opponents.
In a June 2020 post, Perez told a friend to murder his conservative family members after the friend complained that living with them was unbearable.
“So kill them, do your duty baby girl,” said Perez.
In July 2020, Perez retweeted a picture of Ivanka Trump posing with a can of Goya beans with the following caption:
“Someone throw this b***h off the capitol building roof please,” said Perez.
Perez asked for someone to assault conservative activist and pundit Kaitlin Bennett in a January 2020 post.
“How has she not gotten beat yet? Like… hath no one the bravery to literally hurt her cause…?” said Perez.
“Roses are red, violets are blue, vote for Joe Biden, or I’ll cut you,” posted Perez in one post, with a picture of him pointing scissors at the camera.
“This vapid white girl is defending Trump[’s] response to COVID in my Zoom public relations class, do I end her or do I end her,” said Perez.
Perez expressed his hope, multiple times, that President Donald Trump would contract COVID-19 and die.
“PLEASE give Trump the Coronavirus please lordt, he is an at risk PLEASE,” posted Perez in March 2020.
In October, when then-President Donald Trump announced that he and then-First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, Perez advocated for the president’s death.
“Take his life baby! Get him!” said Perez.
“Honestly I would take one for the team and knock him out if I could,” said Perez in a repost of a July post from Trump.
In an August 2020 post, Perez made a post about how he and the purportedly haunted Annabelle doll (who, at the time, was the subject of a viral rumor of having escaped the museum housing it) should kill the president.
“Annabelle escaped and I’m like, hey bb girl we got some people you should meet, don’t be shy, go say hell [knife emoji],” said Perez.
In July 2020, Perez expressed hope that COVID-19 would infect and eliminate multiple elderly Republican voters and members of the Arizona Republican Party leadership, including then-chair Kelli Ward, then-Sen. Martha McSally, and Rep. Paul Gosar.
“A lot of old white people in one place, it’d be a shame if [COVID] got em,” said Perez.
In March 2021, Perez asked in a post on X whether he should fight then-Governor Doug Ducey.
“Just saw Doug Ducey, do I square up or do I square up,” posted Perez.
Under his @localanthony handle, Perez posted pornographic videos and pictures to promote his Only Fans account.
Despite his numerous posts advocating for harm and death to his political opponents and his publicized OnlyFans content, Perez maintained his post as the public relations lead, then marketing and communications strategist for the University of Arizona, his alma mater. He would maintain that latter job through 2022 before joining Arizona State University as their communications manager.
ASU hired him, though Perez posted “F**k Arizona State University Bro” on his page in early January 2020.
Perez’s term on the Tucson City Council ends in December.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 18, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
House Speaker Mike Johnson scolded Arizona’s Democratic congressional leaders for their recent “publicity stunts” for fellow Democrat and Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.
“It is no surprise that another Democrat politician from Arizona is trying to publicity stunt,” said Johnson. “I’ve explained this a thousand times: we are going to swear in Grijalva as soon as we get back to legislative session. So my advice to all the Democrats in Arizona is to tell their two senators Kelly and Gallego to do their job and open the government so we can do business.”
Senator Ruben Gallego issued a response that took offense, primarily, with Johnson not knowing his name. Gallego accused Johnson of being a “pedophile protector,” alluding to the push to release the Epstein files.
“It’s Gallego, not Gallegos or Gallegos, it’s Gallego,” said Gallego. “The fact is, you’re a pedophile protector. You’re protecting the pedophiles on the Epstein list, there’s just no denying that. And your idea that somehow us trying to make sure that 24 million Americans do not have their insurance rate premiums doubled is stopping you from doing your job is just pathetic bulls***.”
Gallego asked why Johnson wouldn’t swear Grijalva in when he swore in Republican representatives outside of session.
Kelly said Johnson’s reason for not swearing in Grijalva — requiring Democrats to end the shutdown — was a “lame excuse.”
“He doesn’t like losing the one-seat majority,” said Kelly.
Grijalva, too, claims Johnson is delaying her swearing in due to her support for the Epstein file release.
Johnson has stated publicly that he supports the release of the Epstein files, but has voted against measures that would potentially expose the identities of victims.
Grijalva would provide the vote needed to release the Epstein files under a bipartisan discharge petition that would release the files with limited redactions.
The government shutdown has gone on for over two weeks now and is quickly headed for three weeks.
On September 25, six days before the government shut down, the Arizona Chamber issued a statement urging Congress to pass a continuing resolution.
Likewise, five days before the government shut down, state legislative leaders issued a letter urging the U.S. Senate to pass a short-term continuing resolution.
The White House maintains a government shutdown tracker that includes estimated losses over time.
The projected impact to GDP for Arizona amounts to about $300 million per week, totaling $1.3 billion per month. At over two weeks into this government shutdown, projected GDP loss has swelled to over $600 million.
The estimated unemployment increase amounts to about 1,000 workers. Around 58,000 federal workers are working without pay or furloughed, which accounts for nearly two percent of the state workforce.
Once 30 days hits, the SNAP benefit losses (federal food assistance) will impact nearly 890,000 enrollees, of which 344,000 are children.
Small Business Administration loan delays amount to about $76 million. The federal contract spending cut amounts to around $560 million.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Oct 16, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Attorney General Kris Mayes says recently elected congresswoman Adelita Grijalva must be sworn in, or else she will take legal action against House leadership.
Statewide certification occurred on Tuesday. After, Mayes sent a letter threatening House Speaker Mike Johnson with legal action should Grijalva not be sworn in promptly. Grijalva assumed the seventh congressional district seat vacated by her father, Raúl Grijalva, in a special election last month.
“Failing to seat Ms. Grijalva immediately or to otherwise provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated will prompt legal action,” said Mayes in her demand letter.
Representative-elect Grijalva received nearly 70 percent of the 102,000 votes certified, a “substantial share” of which were mail-in ballots. There are about 440,000 registered voters in the district, which would mean Grijalva was elected by just 16 percent of all active registered voters in the district.
Even though Grijalva represents far less than a quarter of voters in her district — and her father was virtually absent from two whole sessions of Congress — Democrats insist on the relevance of immediate representation for the seventh congressional district.
In an accompanying press release, Mayes blamed the delay to swear in Grijalva on “political games.”
“It’s way past time for Mike Johnson to stop the political games and seat Adelita without delay,” said Mayes. “We are keeping every option open to us, including litigation, to hold him accountable and make sure that Adelita is able to begin her work as Arizona’s newest member of Congress.”
Grijalva has also been accused of political games with her demands to be sworn in prior to the certification of the special election, which would officiate the results.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus — and a few male Democratic electeds — marched the Capitol hallways chanting “Swear her in!” with matching political signs that read, “Every American Deserves Representation. Swear in Adelita Grijalva Now.”
Johnson was not in the Capitol during this display, as he was reportedly attending the ceremony to award the late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Kirk was assassinated by a progressive activist last month.
A Johnson aide told CNN that Grijalva is one bargaining measure to pressure Democrats to lift the ongoing government shutdown, which has lasted over two weeks now.
Grijalva insists there’s more to the story. The representative-elect claims Johnson’s delay doesn’t have to do with the shutdown but with her support for releasing the Epstein files. Grijalva’s signature would ensure their release.
Mayes addressed the Johnson aide remarks in her demand letter.
“Arizona’s right to a full delegation, and the right of the residents of CD 7 to representation from the person they recently voted for, are not up for debate and may not be delayed or used as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation,” said Mayes.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Oct 12, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
In a video rant on Thursday, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) claimed he had to ‘restrain’ himself during a hallway clash with House Speaker Mike Johnson over the government shutdown and swearing-in of Democrat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva.
The exchange, captured on video and shared by Gallego’s office, happened on Wednesday outside Johnson’s office at the Capitol. Both of Arizona’s Democrat Senators, Gallego and Mark Kelly, pressed Johnson on his refusal to swear in Grijalva, a Democrat and the daughter of the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, in a pro forma session.
Grijalva’s seating would provide the 218th signature needed for a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing Jeffrey Epstein’s client list, they contend. However, Speaker Johnson has described the controversy as a “red herring” and a “distraction.” Grijalva’s special election win in Arizona’s 3rd Congressional District is also still pending certification in a statewide canvas scheduled for Oct. 14th.
Gallego, a Marine veteran, described the moment in his post on X, claiming that he folded his arms in a posture he described as a Marine technique for de-escalation, to avoid escalating the situation. “I had to restrain myself from doing more,” Gallego wrote, accusing Johnson of “holding Adelita Grijalva hostage” to block the Epstein vote. In the video, Gallego can be heard telling Johnson to “get your people in and stop covering up for the pedophiles,” referring to the Epstein files.
Kelly, standing beside Gallego, called the delay “ridiculous” and urged Johnson to “swear her in,” emphasizing Grijalva’s victory in the heavily Democratic district. The confrontation lasted less than two minutes and was filmed by reporters who had gathered for a planned press gaggle outside the Speaker’s office. Contrary to Gallego’s claims, U.S. Marine Corps manuals and law enforcement de-escalation guidelines from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, as cited by the Daily Caller, do not prescribe the crossing of arms as a de-escalation technique. Rather, the outlet noted body language experts interpret the gesture as defensive or closed-off, and suggest positions with hands, open and visible.
Johnson, appearing on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, described the encounter as a “failed publicity stunt” by the Democrats. He disputed Gallego’s account of his body language, saying the senator appeared “very uncomfortable” and was “not telling you the truth.” Johnson reiterated that the House is not in session due to the Democratic walkout and pointed to the Democrats’ demanding concessions like $200 billion in benefits for non-citizens.
In his ranting video reaction to the Jake Tapper appearance, Gallego claimed, “He’s such a f***ing liar. And what a creep. He’s just telling what I’m thinking. I literally told him what I’m thinking. He is absolutely holding Adelita Grijalva hostage so that way she can’t be the 218th vote on the discharge petition. That’s it. It’s just that simple,” Gallego said.
“His reasons keep on changing. I think he gets away with the press because they don’t actually push him on it, but I did yesterday, and he should be happy I had my arms folded. There’s a reason why Marines fold their arms. It’s because it’s a way to make sure that we restrain ourselves,” Gallego said.
Speaker Johnson’s Rapid Response team offered a blistering response in a post to X, writing, “Instead of voting to OPEN the Government, Gallego instead has time to: Stage a FAILED publicity stunt, FAIL to fundraise off it, Record this SECOND rate video, Seemingly threaten the Speaker?! Democrats hide behind expletives because they have NO message.”
The partial government shutdown began Sept. 30 after Congress failed to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal operations. It has furloughed thousands of federal workers and closed some national parks. Republicans, led by Johnson, seek to strip funding for programs they view as wasteful, including subsidies for Planned Parenthood and specific green energy initiatives. Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have pushed for a “clean” bill without those cuts, accusing Republicans of using the shutdown as leverage.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
