Faith and Freedom with Shemane Nugent
Podcast: Real America’s Voice | iHeartPodcasts
Episode Date: March 1, 2026
Guests: Tony Merkel (host, The Confessionals), Jordan Jones (“Relentless Mama”), Pastor Anthony Thomas
Main Theme: Exploring supernatural phenomena (UAPs, Nephilim, and giants) from a Christian perspective, spiritual warfare, personal preparedness, faith in public life, and traditions like hunting as part of freedom and resilience.
Episode Overview
This episode of "Faith and Freedom" is a multifaceted discussion at the intersection of faith, freedom, current events, and American values. Host Shemane Nugent welcomes Tony Merkel to dig into the spiritual implications of UAPs (“unidentified aerial phenomena”), the biblical context of fallen angels and Nephilim, and the reality of spiritual warfare. Jordan Jones, a newcomer to hunting and a mother of three, brings cultural and generational perspectives on self-reliance and preparedness. Pastor Anthony Thomas concludes with a call to prayer, bold faith, and support for national leadership.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. UAPs and the Supernatural: A Christian Analysis
[04:19–13:11]
- UAPs and Disclosure: Tony Merkel discusses the current movement toward government and presidential disclosure on UAPs, suggesting these events should be seen through a spiritual—specifically, biblical—lens.
- “I believe with strong certainty that this is a deeply spiritual issue where we're dealing with ancient gods, gods of old…” —Tony Merkel [04:30]
- Spiritual Forces at Work: The entities behind UAPs are argued to be fallen angels or demons, not extraterrestrial in a secular sense.
- "If it's a fallen angel, it's evil in my book." —Tony Merkel [06:07]
- Book of Enoch & Ancient Tech: Merkel references non-canonical texts like Enoch to explain how forbidden knowledge was passed from fallen angels to humans, leading to modern reverse engineering and hybridization attempts.
- “…in there it talks about fallen angels teaching man how to do things that we were not intended to know how to do. And I think that idea never ended.” —Tony Merkel [07:42]
- Physical Manifestation of Spiritual Beings: Merkel challenges the assumption that spiritual equals intangible, noting that biblically, angels and demons can interact with the material world.
- “If something is spiritual doesn't mean it's not physical.” —Tony Merkel [12:35]
- Human Collaboration with Entities: Anecdotes suggest conspiratorial cooperation between humans and spiritual/technological entities.
2. Giants, Nephilim, and the Biblical Worldview
[21:29–26:24]
- Historical Reality of Giants: Merkel asserts the scriptural and historical reality of giants, referencing Genesis and the Book of Numbers.
- “Giants are real, they're historical. They are in scripture and not just Goliath...” —Tony Merkel [21:44]
- Persistence After the Flood: Giants are described as re-emerging post-Flood, with accounts suggesting their ongoing presence, particularly in Afghanistan.
- “...soldiers... would talk about seeing 7, 8 foot tall people within the villages.” —Tony Merkel [24:42]
- Cover-ups and Genetic Resurrection: Merkel claims the reason for official secrecy is denial of the biblical worldview and possible plans to resurrect ancient hybrids like Gilgamesh, referencing the Wikileaks Clinton server emails.
- “...they are designing and trying to resurrect such creatures and beings... to resurrect the Nephilim and specifically Gilgamesh.” —Tony Merkel [25:17]
3. Spiritual Warfare: Personal Experiences
[16:54–21:29]
- Attacks on Those Living in Faith: Both Shemane and Tony recount real-life threats and supernatural events upon stepping into their roles.
- Chemaine: “...the more I've been open about my faith... situations in my life have accelerated spiritually.” [15:08]
- Tony: “...the more you step into what God has for you, the more an attack could happen. The absolute remedy to that is to keep your eyes locked on Christ.” —Tony Merkel [18:28]
- Practical Advice: Emphasizes obedience, steadfastness, and discernment over fear.
4. Hunting, Preparedness, and Modern Self-Reliance
[29:00–39:28]
- Empowerment through Hunting: Jordan Jones describes her journey into hunting for the well-being of her family, tying back to self-sufficiency and tradition.
- “...mom can go out and provide for us and they all want to hunt too.” —Jordan Jones [29:12]
- Emotional Connection to Provision: Both Shemane and Jordan share the emotional and spiritual impact of providing food through hunting.
- “...I was so grateful and I got emotional and I just asked if we could pray over the elk...” —Jordan Jones [33:51]
- Breaking Gender Stereotypes & Criticism: Jordan addresses being a woman in hunting and handling guns, noting surprising support.
- Preparedness Not Panic: Jones stresses the importance of preparation as a single mother, without succumbing to fear—rooted in strength and faith.
5. Faith and Public Life: National and Personal Awakening
[41:35–46:26]
- Faith Rising in Public Discourse: Shemane highlights President Trump’s open proclamation of faith and establishment of government offices for religious liberty, suggesting a national spiritual turning point.
- “President Trump leaned into faith in a big way. He said religion is strong again and talked about our God given right to openly practice faith without fear.” —Chemaine Nugent [41:35]
- Spiritual Warfare in the Public Square: The simultaneous governmental pursuit of UAP disclosure and promotion of faith is framed as significant, perhaps “biblical times.”
- Call to Prayer and Unity: Pastor Anthony Thomas encourages prayer for Donald Trump, steadfastness, and resistance to those “aligned with evil.”
- “Let us not be so. Let's pray for our president... And let those that are evil and have aligned themselves with evil fade away.” —Pastor Anthony Thomas [44:23]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Reality of Spiritual Opposition:
“When you start actively pursuing, pulling back the curtain on evil, on the enemy, it's not like they don't notice it.... It puts a target on your back.”
—Tony Merkel [18:17] -
On the Emotional Experience of the Hunt:
“I was so grateful and I got emotional, and I just asked if we could pray over the elk...”
—Jordan Jones [33:51] -
On Faith and Preparation:
“We don't live with through fear, but we always are prepared. Absolutely.”
—Jordan Jones [36:53] -
Spiritual and Political Intersection:
“President Trump leaned into faith in a big way... treating this UAP phenomenon seriously. I don't know about you. This is incredible times. Spiritual warfare is prevalent.”
—Chemaine Nugent [41:35] -
Call to Action and Encouragement:
“If you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance is going to come from someplace else. But... if you have an opportunity to speak out... you were born for such a time as this.”
—Chemaine Nugent referencing Esther 4:14 [51:49]
Segment Timestamps
- Opening Theme, Sponsor Messages: [00:00–02:10] (Skipped)
- Introduction & Wellness Company Plug: [02:10–04:16]
- Tony Merkel Segment 1 (UAPs, Fallen Angels, Supernatural): [04:16–13:11]
- Break/Ads: [13:11–14:52]
- Tony Merkel Segment 2 (Spiritual Warfare, Nephilim, Giants): [14:52–26:43]
- Jordan Jones (Cultural Shifts, Empowerment in Hunting): [28:57–39:28]
- Faith & Culture Commentary: [40:07–41:35]
- Pastor Anthony Thomas (Prayer, National Direction): [43:45–45:38]
- Closing Thoughts & Calls to Action: [45:38–end]
Episode Takeaways
- Faith-Driven Worldview: The show encourages listeners to interpret extraordinary events (like UAPs) and cultural changes through a spiritual—and particularly Christian—framework.
- Preparation & Self-Sufficiency: Both spiritual preparedness (prayer, faith) and practical preparation (hunting, emergency kits) are presented as key values.
- Boldness in Faith: Guests and host exemplify courage in openly expressing and defending faith, especially amid perceived supernatural and cultural challenges.
- Community Building: The episode underscores the importance of sharing knowledge, supporting like-minded individuals, and networking across social platforms and real-life traditions.
For more, listen to the full episode or connect as directed:
- Tony Merkel: theconfessionalspodcast.com | Instagram: @tonymerkleofficial
- Jordan Jones: Instagram: @relentlessmama | YouTube: Relentless Angler
- Shemane Nugent: Instagram, X, and Facebook: @shemanenugent | Website: shemanenugent.rocks