Podcast Summary: The Tim & April Show – Episode 100

Title: Kristi Noem's Career Balloons into Chaos
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy
Network: The New Evangelicals
Date: April 3, 2026
Duration: Approx. 64 minutes

Episode Overview

This milestone 100th episode of The Tim & April Show dives into the explosive controversy surrounding Kristi Noem, recent hypocrisy in right-wing politics, and larger themes of Christian Nationalism’s hold on faith and government. Hosts Tim Whitaker and April Ajoy break down recent news leaks, interrogate Christian political theater, and highlight the enduring outcry for justice, inclusivity, and compassion. The episode also touches on The New Evangelicals’ educational initiatives and offers biting, sometimes incredulous commentary on the culture war inside American evangelicalism.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Setting the Tone & TNE Community Update

[02:03–04:05]

• Hosts share feelings of exhaustion with "the weight of everything going on in the world."
• Tim plugs a New Evangelicals initiative: a free series of courses on world religions (Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism).

  “You will learn things that your evangelical upbringing didn’t tell you.” – April [03:46]

• The mood is candid and empathetic, acknowledging audience weariness.

2. Kristi Noem Balloon Scandal & Broader Hypocrisy

[04:20–18:30]

a) The Balloon Photo Leak

• Recent leaked photos show Kristi Noem’s husband, Brian, in tight shirts with balloons – related to an online niche fetish community.
• Tim and April clarify they’re not kink-shaming:

  “What you do in your private life and what you’re into, that you have every right to be into that... Consenting adults, that’s all I care about.” – Tim [05:15]

b) Focus on Hypocrisy

• The real target is hypocrisy among Christian Nationalist leaders:

  “These are the same people that have no privacy for... other people’s lives, but ask for privacy now.” – April [07:34] “For those of us who grew up in this world of high-control religion, evangelical fundamentalism, Christian nationalism, they are so obsessed with policing people’s sex lives...” – Tim [07:55]

• Pointed comparison: If the same scandal had happened on the political left, right-wing media would be "screaming about sexual degeneracy."

c) Gaps in Media Outrage & Double Standards

• Discussion of rumors regarding Kristi Noem’s own alleged affair with Corey Lewandowski.
• Playing of a (mocked) congressional interrogation clip—satirizing the evasive, combative responses from Noem [10:44–11:45].

  “All she had to do is say no. It’s not hard to answer.” – Tim [11:54]

• April and Tim contrast the uproar over Brian's photos with the muted attention to Noem’s affairs and allegations—highlighting gendered and heteronormative bias.

  “As long as you’re doing things within that framework, like her having an affair... she’s still fitting into the cishet world.” – April [15:15]

d) Empathy for "Outsiders"

• April reflects on the pain felt by those who cannot fit into conservative Christian boxes:

  “When you’re in that world, you have no outlet if you don’t fit into those boxes.” [16:37] “I don’t have any empathy for Kristi Noem. I do have a little bit for Brian.” – April [17:00]

e) Hypocrisy in Culture War Values

• Reference to figures like Laura Loomer flipping positions on divorce when it's politically convenient.

  “All of their values are in service to their power.” – Tim [18:30]

3. Kristi Noem’s Public Persona: Cosplay & Power

[19:57–22:45]

• April and Tim highlight Kristi Noem’s history of "cosplaying" (dressing up) as various authority figures (Coast Guard, ICE agent, nurse/ad).

  “She cosplays all the time, but suddenly when it’s her husband... suddenly it’s a huge scandal.” – Tim [21:14]

• Tim plays and mocks Noem’s cringeworthy "South Dakota nurse" ad.

4. $200 Million Scandal: Political Grift & Misdirection

[25:39–29:41]

• Tim and April lambaste Noem’s use of $200 million in taxpayer money for a single ICE propaganda ad (compared to the Avengers movie budget).

  "The real waste was USAID feeding kids... point one percent of the federal budget. There’s the waste, fraud, and abuse in their mind." – Tim [27:53]

• Discussion of corrupt contract awards, lack of MAGA fiscal outrage, and ProPublica reporting.
• April notes Trump's replacement of key women in his cabinet (Pam Bondi, Tulsi Gabbard), contrasting with incompetent male officials still in power.

5. Unhinged Culture War Moments

[30:37–32:44]

• Tim and April share incredulity over viral videos (RFK Jr. swimming/working out in jeans with Kid Rock) and note the deteriorating enthusiasm among young MAGA conservatives:

  "Apparently CPAC was very empty... really no direction in the MAGA movement." – Tim [32:08]

6. Christian Nationalism on Display: Political Theatre and Blasphemy

[36:00–56:45]

a) "Did you hear our amen?": Caroline Levitt’s White House Prayer

[36:10–39:44]

• Levitt and others pray loudly before a White House press event, boasting of their public piety.

  “What’s that verse? Jesus says... ‘Don’t be like the hypocrites who pray to be seen...’ But do it quietly and privately…” – April [37:11] “It is ultimate virtue signaling... every accusation is a confession.” – Tim [37:36]

b) The Pope, Prayers, and War

[39:53–41:42]

• Caroline Levitt rebuffs the Pope's statement, “God does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war.”
• Tim and April critique the absurdity of praying for killing (“praying for God to guide your bullets to kill other human beings...” – Tim [41:42]).

c) Paula White’s Blasphemous Trump-Easter Sermon

[43:24–56:45]

• Paula White, Trump’s "spiritual advisor," gives an Easter address conflating the suffering of Jesus with Trump's persecution.

  “No one has paid the price like you have... You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for him and it didn’t end there for you.” – Paula White [50:10]

• Hosts strongly denounce the theology and political opportunism on display:

  “This is blasphemy.” – Tim [50:35]
  “It pisses me off to no end... my Lord and Savior’s death and resurrection is the reason Donald Trump is in power.” – April [53:44] “I can’t think of anything more Antichrist than this.” – Tim [52:32]

• They explain how Christian nationalism unites incompatible theological factions for political power, with “theological convictions jettisoned” [46:40].

7. Christian Nationalist Home Life (TikTok Reaction)

[58:13–60:37]

• Tim and April mock a TikTok where a mother models patriarchal family dynamics by pretending her absent husband makes decisions for their children, to “model” biblical leadership.

  “She’s cosplaying as someone submitting to her husband... she’s just saying she’s going to make her kids think I’m submitting...” – April [59:16] “Why do you need to do that? Why? Why?” – Tim [59:29] “God never said that, ever.” – April [59:38]

8. Breaking News and Reflections

[61:51–63:02]

• Live announcement: Pam Bondi fired as Attorney General, the latest Trump cabinet shakeup targeting women.
• Tim and April express exhaustion with the current political environment but reaffirm the importance of resistance and support for listeners:

  “I know it was a pretty intense one... but we have to keep the pressure on this regime.” – Tim [60:59] “Hang in there. You are not alone.” – Tim [61:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Every accusation of theirs is a confession.” – Tim [25:53]
• “As long as you’re doing things within that framework... their idea of normal is cisgender, heterosexual, patriarchal...” – April [15:53]
• “It’s ultimate virtue signaling... every accusation is the confession.” – Tim [37:36]
• “No one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It’s a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. But it didn’t end there for him and it didn’t end there for you.” – Paula White [50:10]
• “I can’t think of anything more Antichrist than this.” – Tim [52:32]
• “They are power hungry and they look ridiculous.” – Tim [48:51]

Takeaways

• The episode ruthlessly exposes hypocrisy in Christian Nationalist politics, particularly surrounding privacy, morality, and performative faith.
• Tim and April’s commentary cuts through both right-wing and evangelical self-righteousness, repeatedly contrasting public grandstanding with Jesus’ actual teachings.
• The ongoing tension between personal faith, public policy, and the weaponization of theology is a central through-line.
• Despite feeling emotionally drained, the hosts continually call for action rooted in justice, love, inclusion, and honest self-examination.

Final Thoughts

This episode is a candid, sometimes raw, but always incisive example of The Tim & April Show’s approach—interlacing sharp critique, humor, and personal vulnerability. By drawing connections between headline scandals and longstanding Christian nationalist patterns, Tim and April offer listeners not just analysis but an urgent call to advocacy and deeper faithfulness.