The Charlie Kirk Memorial Wasn’t “Christian Nationalism” — It Was America at Its Best
The media wasted no time. Within hours of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, headlines rolled out from NPR, The Guardian, and Mother Jones declaring the event some grand rally of “Christian nationalism.” To them, 200,000 Americans gathered in Arizona to honor a murdered 31-year-old conservative leader was a “clear and present danger” to the republic.
Think about that. Not the assassination itself. Not the fact that one of the most influential young voices in America was gunned down on a college campus. No—the real “danger,” according to the left, was that people prayed, sang hymns, and spoke of Jesus in the same breath as America.
Let’s get serious.
The Straw Man of “Christian Nationalism”
The term gets thrown around like confetti by the media, but what does it actually mean?
In its literal sense, Christian nationalism would mean establishing a Christian state—forcing everyone to live under biblical law. But here’s the reality: no one of consequence in American politics is calling for that. Not Trump. Not JD Vance. Not Charlie. Not TPUSA.
Saying “we are a Christian nation” because the Founders understood virtue was essential to liberty? That’s not Christian nationalism. Electing Christian leaders or passing laws informed by Christian morality? That’s not Christian nationalism either. Even Cabinet secretaries giving their testimony of faith at a memorial service? Still not Christian nationalism.
But you wouldn’t know it listening to NPR, which ran an interview titled “How Charlie Kirk’s memorial service galvanized the Christian nationalism movement.” Or The Guardian, which declared Charlie a “Christian nationalist martyr.” Or Mother Jones, which breathlessly labeled the service “Christian nationalism’s biggest moment.”
What was their smoking gun? That a pastor invited people to accept Jesus… and then the National Anthem played. Seriously. For them, patriotism and faith can’t even sit in the same stadium without it being theocracy.
What Really Happened in Phoenix
I was struck, like many of you, by the sheer scale of the service. It looked like a state funeral. President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Cabinet officials, Elon Musk—you name it, they were there. But what mattered most wasn’t the guest list. It was the message.
Erika Kirk spoke with grace and strength, talking about reaching young men with the Gospel, not with government programs. Leaders of the nation spoke openly about God and revival—not laws and mandates. The word of the day wasn’t “power.” It was “revival.”
That’s important. Revival comes from below, not above. It isn’t handed down from Washington—it bubbles up from the hearts of ordinary people. What you saw on Sunday was faith prior to politics. Faith greater than government. Faith giving shape to how Americans live, vote, and build communities.
That is not “Christian nationalism.” That is Christianity in public life—something we’ve had since the first settlers prayed at Plymouth Rock.
The Left’s Double Standard
It’s worth noting that no one accuses Democrats of “Christian nationalism” when Joe Biden peppers his speeches with biblical language, quotes the pope, or invokes God at campaign rallies. NPR described it in 2020 with admiration.
But when conservative Christians speak the same language—suddenly, the republic is in peril. The difference isn’t the faith. The difference is the politics.
George W. Bush faced the same accusation with his “compassionate conservatism,” despite the fact that Bush was hardly a nationalist. The Left simply can’t stand public faith when it’s tethered to conservative politics.
Faith Isn’t the Threat. Faithlessness Is.
The irony here is rich. The Left warns of an America overrun by “Christian nationalists,” when the real threat is the post-Christian left itself—progressives who despise the Constitution’s guardrails, who bend the law to punish enemies, and who openly cheer violence when it’s aimed at conservatives.
Trump, for all his faults, isn’t out there moralizing or demanding a biblical state. He’s blunt about hating his enemies. His administration is focused on strength, deterrence, and fighting America’s adversaries. That’s not theocracy—that’s politics.
If anything, the Kirk memorial was proof that conservative Christians aren’t demanding the state enforce their beliefs. They are testifying, praying, singing, and forgiving—even forgiving the man who murdered Charlie.
The Real Revival
Ross Douthat once wrote, “If you dislike the religious right, wait until you meet the post-religious right.” He was right. But Sunday showed us something else: progressives still hate the religious right just as much as ever.
What they saw in Phoenix terrified them because it was powerful—not in the way of Washington, but in the way of revival. It was 200,000 people gathering to declare that America is not done, that faith is not dead, and that Charlie Kirk’s voice will not be silenced.
That’s not Christian nationalism. That’s America at its best.