Saint Charlie of MAGA Charlie Kirk’s death became a stage-managed resurrection, where faith, politics, and even artificial intelligence collided to transform grief into spectacle, propaganda, and a manufactured martyrdom. Michael Cohen and MeidasTouch Network Sep 22 Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a tragedy. No one should confuse that. No one should celebrate it. A man in his early thirties, a husband, a father, and yes, a political activist, gunned down because this country is sick with rage and division. That reality deserves a pause. But what we saw at his memorial was not a pause. It was not mourning. It was not reflection. It was theater, carefully choreographed to transform grief into political fuel and one man’s death into a rallying cry for MAGA’s survival. President Trump’s speech made it plain. This wasn’t about Charlie Kirk the human being, it was about Charlie Kirk the symbol. “Charlie's murder was not just an attack on one man or one movement. It was an attack on our entire nation,” he thundered. He teased an autism announcement. He attacked his opponents. He framed Charlie’s death as a bullet aimed at all of us; a metaphor designed to conflate Kirk’s assassination with the fate of MAGA itself. He promised the Presidential Medal of Freedom, dangling it like a relic to be blessed in “the very safe Washington, D.C.,” a city Trump now boasts of controlling after his federal police takeover. The memorial was billed as unity, but it was division draped in scripture. Erika Kirk, in her grief, offered forgiveness to her husband’s killer. Her words were powerful, raw, genuine, human. But the stage around her was filled with voices who have built careers sowing the very rage and discord that made Charlie Kirk a target in the first place. Vice President JD Vance, Health Secretary RFK Jr., DNI Tulsi Gabbard, Tucker Carlson—each spoke with reverence about Charlie’s kindness, faith, and bravery. Each painted him as a modern-day disciple who died “with his boots on.” And yet, every single one of them has spent years weaponizing grievance, demonizing opponents, and poisoning the well of public discourse. And then there was the spectacle that unfolded far from Arizona but carried the same signature of manipulation: at Prestonwood Baptist in Texas, Pastor Jack Graham introduced an AI-generated Charlie Kirk, preaching from beyond the grave. His voice urged the congregation to “pick up your cross and get back in the fight.” The clip was fake—everybody knew it—but the congregation gave a standing ovation anyway, treating lines of code as holy writ. The moment was recorded, shared on social media, and now dozens of other churches are replicating it. The message wasn’t subtle: Charlie may be gone, but he still speaks, and his words are now immortal, available for endless remix and reuse. This is quickly becoming the new normal: using the tragic death of a young man not for sober reflection but as an opportunity to instill loyalty, faith, and political commitment. Instead of mourning, congregations are handed AI simulations that sanctify grief and recycle it into propaganda. Instead of acknowledging senseless loss, they’re told to celebrate a martyr who keeps preaching from heaven, blessing MAGA from the digital clouds. It’s not about Kirk the person; it’s about what his image, voice, and resurrection can sell. The irony was almost unbearable. Tulsi Gabbard lecturing about protecting free speech when she’s made a career out of vilifying critics as traitors. RFK Jr. recalling talks with Kirk about dying with honor—then pivoting to warn about children raised as “slaves” if America strays from their version of liberty. Anna Paulina Luna crowning herself as Kirk’s legacy, proclaiming, “We are all Charlie Kirk now.” This wasn’t grief. It was branding. Charlie Kirk’s widow spoke of his faint smile, a mercy from God, proof he didn’t suffer. That image is searing, heartbreaking, unavoidably human. But what MAGA has done is take that humanity and package it for distribution. His death has become a backdrop, a set piece in a performance designed to canonize Kirk as a martyr and rally the base. The rhetoric of discipleship and martyrdom wasn’t accidental. “Charlie was a modern-day disciple,” Sergio Gor declared, echoing the tone of revivalist religion. “He embodied the MAGA warrior,” he added, sanctifying Kirk’s loyalty to Trump as the highest virtue. This wasn’t a memorial; it was a production meant to keep Turning Point USA alive and keep Gen Z within the fold. It was spectacle substituting for substance. Because here’s the truth: one production doesn’t make a movement, and one tragic death doesn’t make a martyr. Charlie Kirk’s life ended violently, and that should trouble us all. But the very people now elevating him to sainthood are the same people who built the ecosystem of hate and vitriol that defined his career and created the climate in which political assassination is possible. They want us to believe that the assassin’s bullet struck the whole movement. But the reality is that it struck at the heart of a culture they helped create; one where disagreement is painted as treason, where opponents are dehumanized, and where violence simmers just below the surface. Trump framed Kirk’s assassination as an attack on the United States itself. That’s the lie. It was not an attack on the nation. It was a tragedy born out of a nation already under attack: from within, by the relentless sowing of division, rage, and fear. By an epidemic of gun violence that is out of control. By the very voices that filled that stage in Arizona. Charlie Kirk is gone. His death should have been a moment of reckoning, a call to turn down the heat, to end the rhetoric of war and apocalypse. Instead, the memorial—and now, the churches adopting AI sermons in his likeness—became proof of how demented this movement has grown: canonizing its fallen as saints, feeding on grief, manufacturing spectacle to mask weakness. MAGA doesn’t want to heal; it wants to weaponize. And so, we leave Arizona not with clarity or comfort, but with the knowledge that even death itself is not immune from exploitation. A man was killed. A family is shattered. And yet the machine rolls on, louder, angrier, more determined than ever to trade in blood for power; because in MAGA’s world, even a grave can be a stage. Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH... RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME FOR YOU TO JOIN THE FIGHT! SUBSCRIBE. READ. SHARE. RESTACK. Michael Cohen Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump Discharged Felon Yeah, I know; you’re tired. This shit is exhausting. Guess what? Me too. But I’ve spent the last 8 years throwing punches in the dark so truth could get a little daylight. And now I’m asking you to step into the ring with me. Because if you’re still reading this, you already get it: This isn’t just a newsletter. It’s a rally cry. A war drum. A line in the sand. We are not passive observers of the downfall. We are the resistance. We call out the liars. We drag corruption by the collar into the sunlight. We say the quiet parts out loud; and we don’t flinch. But here’s the truth: I can’t do this solo. Not anymore. The storm is already here. We are standing in it. And it’s wearing stars and stripes like camouflage, preaching “freedom” while it sells fascism at retail. So let me ask you: Are. You. In? Because this is not a scroll-and-forget read. This is a living, breathing, fire-breathing movement; and movements don’t move unless you do. We need to be louder than spin, tougher than propaganda, and impossible to gaslight. That takes more than clicks. More than likes. It takes skin in the game. So if you believe truth matters; if you're sick of the bullshit, if you’re ready to stop screaming into the algorithm and start pushing back with purpose, this is your next step. HERE’S HOW YOU PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS: Become a paid subscriber. Fund fearless, unfiltered journalism that hits back. Share this with the loudest people you know; the ones who never sit down and shut up. Build the community. Amplify the message. Be the damn megaphone. And yeah; Founding Members? The first 240 of you will get a signed, numbered, limited-edition Substack version of Revenge. That’s not just a collector’s item. That’s receipts. Proof you didn’t sit this one out. But let’s be clear: This isn’t about a book. It’s about backbone. It’s about calling out the gaslighters and refusing to be played. It’s about locking arms and saying, "Not. On. Our. Watch." You want to make a difference? Then make it; right now. Because if we don’t fight for truth, no one will. But if we fight together? They can’t drown us out. Let’s be so loud, they wish we were just angry tweets. Let’s be unshakable. Unignorable. Un-fucking-breakable. Let’s go! Meidas+ is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A guest post by Michael Cohen Principal of Crisis-X #1 and #8 NYT Bestseller Author Host of The Mea Culpa Podcast Co-Host of The Political Beatdown Former Personal Attorney To President Donald J. Trump and Discharged Felon

Trump Has Divided the World Into Friends and Enemies | Explainer

 

Heather Cox Richardson

505K subscribers

From Politics Chat, September 18, 2025 You can watch the full chat here: https://youtube.com/live/wWTZzfCTFYA Get full, free access to Letters from an American here: https://heathercoxrichardson.substack... Resources: https://redwine.blue/ https://www.commoncause.org/take-action/ https://www.congress.gov/members/find...

Trump's Response To Political Violence Is A Blueprint For Blame and Division Coup plotter sentenced to 27 years, bipartisan pushback on Trump’s violent rhetoric, and more Scott Dworkin Sep 12 After Trump gave one of the most abhorrent and divisive Oval Office rants ever this week, I’m glad to have some good news for you today. I hope it gives you some relief from the chaos, even if just for a moment. But first, I wanted to say that political violence is never the answer. What happened to Charlie Kirk is absolutely horrific. Though we saw the world through profoundly different lenses, no one should ever face this sort of brutality for their beliefs. Not now. Not ever. AOC RESPONDS Before we knew anything about the shooter—who was apparently apprehended last night—Trump and his cult were making things worse by blaming Democrats. Dem Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called out their premature finger-pointing, stating: “Whether it is a member of Congress, whether it is the President, to assume and assert and cast blame when the FBI has failed to even apprehend the assailant, is absolutely an irresponsible action.” BIPARTISAN PUSHBACK Dem Sen. Elizabeth Warren slammed Trump’s unhinged suggestion that Democrats are to blame for political violence in America, saying: “Oh, please. Why don't you start with the president of the United States? Right? And every ugly meme he has posted and every ugly word.” Even GOP Rep. Thomas Massie called Trump’s rhetoric “ridiculous” and “over the top.” Massie stated: “Some people take it literally, and he should probably tone that down.” BRAZIL SHOWS US HOW IT’S DONE Trump’s friend and former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro was convicted and sentenced to decades in prison for attempting a coup, following his loss in the 2022 election. Not surprisingly, the Trump regime is defending Bolsonaro—calling the case a “political persecution,” and a “witch hunt.” If Bolsonaro didn’t want to go to prison, he shouldn’t have tried to overthrow the government. TRUMP BOOED AGAIN The unedited image above shows Trump at a 9/11 event in Arlington, VA yesterday. He seemed confused, lost, and half asleep. Later in the day, he went to Yankee Stadium in NYC, where he was “welcomed” with loud boos. Once again, Trump’s propaganda machine is trying to spin it, even turning up the treble in one video to make it seem like he got the loudest cheers ever. He did not. BUT EPSTEIN’S EMAILS Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported they were able to get their hands on more than 18,000 emails from Epstein’s personal account. They include a trove of evidence and hundreds of messages that reveal new damning details about Epstein’s relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell. More to come on this. Meanwhile, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced an amendment demanding the DoJ finally release the Epstein files. All but two Republicans voted against the measure. Proving that they are not only covering up for Trump, they are also Epstein’s accomplices. I’ve been reporting on Trump’s ties to Epstein for nearly a decade, and I’m not stopping now. We’re pressuring lawmakers with our massive Contact Congress campaign to release the files every single day. And we’re pushing the message with our social media operation—one of the largest ever formed against Trump. We’re able to do all of this, on top of delivering our daily news briefs, with no billionaires or advertisers—thanks to our amazing Substack subscribers. So if you haven’t yet, support our independent journalism and advocacy by joining as a paid subscriber today: Onward! Scott Help this news break through the noise—like this post by hitting the heart, and re-stack using the ♻️ button below! Why do you think Republicans are protecting Epstein, instead of his survivors? Thanks for your support! Another way to help us out is by gifting subscriptions to friends and family! You can get yours by clicking the link or button below: For all contact Congress links, or to volunteer, you can go here: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-up-for-the-watchdog-coalition   NEW: Here is my interview with James Talarico: https://tinyurl.com/mmu4eydj NEW: Tell Congress: Pass the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act: https://tinyurl.com/3yfw2m7a NEW: Tell Congress: Demand Kennedy Resign: https://tinyurl.com/2324bmrh Tell Congress: Demand answers about Trump’s visibly deteriorating health: https://tinyurl.com/sk9xm38v Tell Congress: Protect our use of voting by mail: https://tinyurl.com/bde676xm Tell Congress to push back on Trump’s DC takeover: https://tinyurl.com/2jpp94yk Tell Congress to support law to unmask ICE: https://tinyurl.com/bp8cau82 Tell Congress save the National Weather Service: https://tinyurl.com/bdbur8df Tell Congress to investigate the Jeffrey Epstein trafficking case: https://tinyurl.com/4pfh2p4f Links to everything we are doing: https://www.dworkinsubstack.com/p/how-were-fighting-trump COMMENTS:  Jay Kuo’s post today….It will be interesting to see how they spin.So unsettling to see how the trans community has been demonized.😔 https://open.substack.com/pub/statuskuo/p/what-we-know-versus-what-we-were?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email Thank you to all who comment - your insight raises issues I've missed - please keep SHARING & SPEAKING OUT! Reasonable people now that VIOLENCE is not the solution.  It's at times like this that what President Biden sought to accomplish needs remembering. He aattempted to UPLIFT & IMPROVE RED STATES that have lagged so far behind - even REPUBLICANS voted against his efforts & were forced to stand in embarrassment at some of the improvements.  Programs funded by President Biden reduced CRIME - we know how to do it ...no it's not SEXY & doesn't grab headlines like the ORANGE TURD with his GESTAPO & LIES. CA GOV NEWSOM has enumerated those issues - BLUE STATES contribute MORE $$$ than they get in return - and that INCLUDES TEXAS.  That's REPUBLICAN GOVERNANCE! Each significant rating of RED STATES fails: EDUCATION (posting 10 Commandments is supposed to educate kids? Buying TRUMP'S PRINTED IN CHINA OVERPRICED BIBLES educates kids?)  MISSISSIPPI posted a health emergency because of HIGH INFANT MORTALITY RATES. Let's contiue to post  & promote TRUTH & FACTS...maybe we can shout louder than the TROLLS & RUSSIAN BOTS!  If REPUBLICANS didn't LIE no one would vote for them!  Please keep speaking out....NEVER FORGET EPSTEIN'S INTERNATIONAL CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING SCHEME!