About this episode

The episode examines Lindsey Graham's political and religious legacy and discusses the implications of Charlie Kirk's ongoing trial on Christian nationalism.

In this episode of Axis Live, Brad Onishi and Matthew D. Taylor examine the political and religious legacy of Lindsey Graham following his death, asking how a senator once known for challenging Donald Trump ultimately became one of Trump's most loyal defenders. They explore Graham's transformation through the lens of white evangelical politics, Christian nationalism, and the pursuit of political power, while also discussing the contradictions between the Religious Right's "pro-life" identity and its support for war, immigration crackdowns, and other policies that raise difficult moral questions. The conversation also considers what Graham's passing signals about the future of the Republican Party, particularly as younger America First leaders challenge the foreign policy and evangelical consensus that Graham represented for decades. The second half of the show turns to the ongoing pretrial hearings in the Charlie Kirk murder case, where questions about religion, politics, and Christian identity are already shaping legal arguments. Brad and Matt unpack how prosecutors and defense attorneys are framing Kirk's beliefs, the growing effort to portray him as a Christian martyr, and the…

People in this episode

Host: Brad Onishi

Guests: Matthew D. Taylor, Haley Orion

Topics covered

• political legacy
• Christian nationalism
• Republican Party
• MAGA
• Lindsey Graham
• Charlie Kirk
• religion and politics

Keywords

• Lindsey Graham
• Charlie Kirk
• Christian nationalism
• MAGA
• Republican Party
• political power
• evangelical politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Left Coast Right Watch

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