THE SET-UP: “I would say if Charlie Kirk lived in the biblical times he‘d have been the 13th disciple.” So sayeth Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) during Kash Patel’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee.
Actually, he repeated "he'd have been the 13th disciple" a second time in an apparent bid to emphasize the solemnity of what he just said. Nehls’ reverence is emblematic of a widespread, deeply-felt reaction to Kirk’s assassination throughout the MAGAvangelical-Industrial Complex. Sarah Wilder described it in 1819News:
His assassination is a turning point for many because Kirk’s entire career was illuminated by a firm faith in Jesus Christ, a belief which made him a prime target for those doing the work of the Devil himself. No one who was unfortunate enough to see the video of the killing could deny that – no matter the amount of hand-wringing and what-aboutism evangelical leaders summon to claim that his killing was simply another example of a broken world taking innocent life.
Wilder goes on to claim that “our brother in Christ was murdered for his faith.” Whether its true or not, that’s going to resonate for a while, folks. It’s been a core tenet of political Evangelicalism for decades and “Christians are persecuted” is one of the key grievances Trump used like a pro to excite crowds during his two campaigns … although, the second campaign was far more rooted in grievance and far more explicitly religious.
And it was very effective.
His rallies were filled with people eager to identify themselves with rest of the crowd. Now, though, a key fissure has opened up in the once-impregnable coalition. Ostensibly a debate over Kirk’s beliefs and his legacy, the divide is a continuation of the Gaza- and Epstein-spurred debate sparked by Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene and a surge of Bro-caster defections from MAGAland.
There’s a lot on the line.
Think of how valuable his brand and his followers are right this minute. If his wife doesn’t step-in to become a overnight star and political lightening rod, there will be a long line of people who gladly will … although it is hard to follow in the footsteps of a martyr.
And yes, Charlie Kirk is a martyr now.
That’s the one thing the Right seems to agree upon.
Their main disagreement is over Kirk’s recent evolution on the State of Israel. That argument began in earnest during the Ted Cruz v. Tucker Carlson debate over dispensationalism. That’s the 19th Century notion that “Israel” of the Old Testament is indistinguishable from the State of Israel. Apparently, the Abrahamic God told someone few thousand years ago to let the world know he’ll bless anyone who blesses Israel. So, Christians like Ted Cruz vote to subsidize Israel’s social welfare system and all of their wars. In return, God blesses America with the privilege of fighting expensive wars on Israel’s behalf. Tucker Carslon disagrees with Ted. So does Owens and MTG. They are making their pitch to MAGAland as “America First” purists. For them, the State of Israel should be regarded as a contemporary nation-state instead of as a sacrosanct talisman. And when it comes to policy … America trumps Israel. Kirk noticed a shift in young Republicans toward Carlson & Co. They shared their thoughts with Kirk. And, as Ben Samuels explained in Haaretz, Kirk’s support became less reflexive:
On one hand, Kirk wholeheartedly dismissed Palestinian statehood aspirations, repeatedly denied that Palestinians even exist and insisted the land should be referred to by its biblical name of Judea and Samaria. On the other, Kirk explicitly opposed efforts to legislate against private boycotts of Israel, asserting they "create more antisemitism, and play into growing narratives that Israel is running the U.S. government. In America you are allowed to hold differing views. You are allowed to disagree and protest."
Kirk further expressed skepticism about Netanyahu's failures in preventing the October 7 attacks, repeatedly noting that he finds it hard to believe that it took the Israeli military so long to respond and positing that there was some sort of "stand-down" order issued. Kirk, meanwhile, directly lobbied senior U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, to prevent the U.S. from involving itself in the Israel-Iran war earlier this summer, warning about the risks of the U.S. entering another "forever war" in the Middle East.
That’s the type of apostasy Israel cannot abide. Netanyahu actually tried shaming the apostates for not being MAGA enough because “Israel is MAGA.” Good luck with that. In return, MAGAland is toying with an “Israel might’ve killed Charlie to shut him up” theory. Netanyahu countered with the only thing he’s got … demonization:
Netanyahu appeared on Fox News less than 24 hours after Kirk's killing to claim that he, Kirk and Trump are the world's three most prominent targets of "radical Islamists and their union with the ultra-progressives" – by Netanyahu's logic, the real opponents to the Israel-Kirk alliance. "The collusion between the global Left and radical Islam is the greatest danger to humanity today," said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir while eulogizing Kirk, conveniently sharing a picture of Kirk in the West Bank city of Hebron.
Marjorie Taylor Greene isn’t buying Bibi’s brand. She entered the fray today, backing up claims made by Carlson and Owens that Kirk was flipping on Israel. It’s provocative given Kirk’s history of unquestioned support for Israel. She offered this advice to the denizens of MAGAland:
If you don’t know who to believe, between Bibi Netanyahu (a foreign country’s leader) or Charlie’s personal friends Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson … [b]elieve Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.
She also issued this warning:
“Do not allow a foreign country, foreign agents, and another religion tell you about Charlie Kirk. And I hope a foreign country and foreign agents and another religion does not take over Christian Patriotic Turning Point USA.”
Taking up the cause for the Dispensationalist side is a Carlson, Owens and MTG are a potent force. They have influence and they probably have considerable clout with Kirk’s army of supporters. They certainly have enemies. Check out Josh Hammer’s weekly column for Newsweek:
Charlie's one-time colleague Candace Owens and a number of other grifting charlatans on the "Right" have sought to posthumously rewrite Charlie's legacy to better serve their nefarious ends—namely, the undermining of the all-important Jewish-Christian alliance to the save the West.
Ah yes, the “all-important Jewish-Christian alliance to save the West.” I, too, think of the need to “save the West” every time I read about children being killed by the dozen in Gaza.
Charlie was the type of Christian who understood that the roots of his own faith, and the roots of the United States and the broader West itself, are to be found in the Hebrew Bible.
Funny, but Greek philosophy and Roman law seem to have exerted some influence on “the broader West” and the US in particular. But Hammer’s half-story history isn’t the point. The point is…
Charlie Kirk's Christianity was a very, very far cry from the "Christianity" of Tucker Carlson, who recently told a guest on his podcast how he was "shocked" by the "violence" and "genocide" in the Old Testament when he read it last year (apparently, it seems, for the first time).
And there it is. Hammer labels Carlson’s belief that the New Testament and Jesus trumps the God of the Old Testament as “quite literally heretical.” That makes Carlson an apostate … unlike those who prefer a version of God who commands his special humans to kill every man, woman, child and beast … be they the Amalekites or the Canaanites. Netanyahu has pointedly referred to Gaza as Amalek on many occasions and, therefore, has used Biblical precedent as a justification for ethnic cleansing and genocide.
According to Hammer, his friend Charlie was clear on the utility of being on Israel’s side, which means being on civilization’s side. Hammer’s Charlie is “a champion of the Judeo-Christian coalition to save Western civilization from the forces of barbarism and Islamism that seek to subjugate us all.”
Hammer ends by calling Kirk “a five-star general in our great civilizational clash.” That fits with his preference for the God of the Hebrew Bible. That God loved clashing and killing and genocide. Jesus, on the other hand, not so much.
That’s the rub … Israel has used Dispensationalist Christianity as the ultimate “all-access” pass for decades. Netanyahu can rely on the Mike Huckabees of America to rubberstamp and fund nearly anything he wants. Kirk sold that arrangement to new and future voters. Now his ghost is being peddled by competing powers. It could come back to haunt us all. - jp
How the Right Turned Charlie Kirk's Murder Into a Propaganda Masterclass
https://paulwaldman.substack.com/p/how-the-right-turned-charlie-kirks
Charlie Kirk Is the Hero America Needs
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/charlie-kirk-is-the-hero-america-needs/
Florida college announces Charlie Kirk statue: ‘A reminder of what America is all about’
https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-college-announces-charlie-kirk-statue-a-reminder-what-america-all-about
Capitalism’s fascist martyr: Why the system sanctifies Charlie Kirk
https://www.struggle-la-lucha.org/2025/09/17/capitalisms-fascist-martyr-why-the-system-sanctifies-charlie-kirk/
Two AI videos depict Charlie Kirk in heaven as a martyr
https://baptistnews.com/article/two-ai-videos-depict-charlie-kirk-in-heaven-as-a-martyr/
The Making of a Martyr: How Charlie Kirk's Assassination Became a Call to Arms for the Christian Nationalist Movement
https://globalextremism.org/post/the-making-of-a-martyr/
The Age of Spiritual Warfare Is Here. Will You Rise or Fall?
https://spectator.org/the-age-of-spiritual-warfare-is-here-will-you-rise-or-fall/