The Tim & April Show – Episode 103: "Staying Sane in an Unhinged World"

Podcast: The Tim & April Show
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy (of The New Evangelicals)
Date: April 14, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode serves as a candid, emotionally raw "public therapy" session where Tim and April process the sense of dread and chaos permeating American culture and politics from their progressive Christian perspective. The main focus is how to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually survive—and stay engaged—when the world feels increasingly destabilized, particularly in the face of Christian nationalism, the normalization of extremism under the Trump presidency, and the evangelical community's rationalizations for ongoing injustices.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Emotional Toll of Current Events

• Context: The episode is recorded the day after President Trump announced policies amounting to ethnic cleansing, leaving the hosts both enraged and emotionally drained.
• Impact on Parenting: Tim and April reflect on the relief and joy they find in their families, contrasting with the daily heaviness of their work. (02:01)
  • Tim: "Parenting and my family is by far the brightest spot in my day." (02:02)
• On Content Creation for Justice: Creators in this lane are constantly exposed to hatred and dehumanization, making it difficult to avoid emotional burnout. (02:44)
  • April: "You're constantly seeing opinions from strangers about you ... and it can take a toll." (02:44)

2. Frustration with Evangelical and MAGA Rationalizations

• The conversation centers on the normalization of rhetoric/actions that would be unthinkable ten years ago. (04:41)
  • Tim: "We are so far into Looney Tunes land ... what would have been seen as literally insane even 10 years ago is now just like, 'well, that's just Trump.'" (04:19)
• April notes the shift in MAGA Christian justifications—from total endorsement to “lesser of two evils” rationalizations—and why that rings hollow. (07:20)
  • April: "That actually pisses me off... most evangelicals were very clear. Donald Trump was the only Christian option... so for them to now come out and be like, 'well, he was just the lesser of two evils.' BS." (07:20)

3. Hypocrisy & Performative Faith in Evangelicalism

• Performative Christianity: They critique how many evangelicals prioritize saying the "right things" over embodying the way of Jesus.
  • April: "It's all about saying the right things and believing the right things. They don't give a crap about whether or not you actually do those things." (11:57)
• Trump’s Easter Messaging: The contrast between sharing his “Christian” Easter video and ignoring his provocative, violent social media posts.
  • April: "I'm so glad we have a Christian president..." (13:21)
  • Tim: "If President Obama tweeted what Trump tweeted ... he's a commie. He's a Muslim... when Trump does it, 'oh, he's playing 4D chess.'" (14:03)

4. Notable Rationalizations From Christian Media & Leaders

• Dinesh D’Souza compares Trump mocking "Allah" to the prophet Elijah—garnering widespread support online.
  • April reads: "Dinesh D’Souza... literally compared Donald Trump to an Old Testament prophet, Elijah." (15:55)
  • Tim: "I cannot... think that comparing Donald J. Trump to Elijah is somehow, like, a sensible thing to do." (16:26)
• Eric Metaxas further amplifies the Elijah analogy.
  • April: "They have lost their minds. They've lost the plot completely." (17:35)
• Reflection: Tim ponders whether there is a still-unnamed phenomenon (cult-psychology, groupthink, mass delusion) driving MAGA loyalty and irrational justifications. (16:26)

5. Moral Dilemmas and Deprogramming

• Deep Indoctrination: April and Tim recall being so deeply conditioned that the possibility of voting Democrat was "almost a cardinal sin," largely due to teachings on abortion.
  • April: "It is so hard to have that conversation, though. Because if you genuinely believe that abortion is always baby murder, that's like a non starter." (22:46)
• Shifting Views: Both describe their own migration from Republican/third-party voters to a more nuanced, data-informed position, undercutting the pro-life claims of Republican policy.
  • Tim: "Abortions rose under Trump slightly... He’s not even accomplishing the pro-life rhetoric." (11:19)
  • April: "I realized Democrats were the only ones that were addressing the problem [to reduce abortions]... abortion is a symptom." (26:15)

6. Spiritual and Emotional Disorientation

• Loss of Community & Persecution: Discussing how exvangelicals are shunned and framed as heretics by conservative Christians—a reversal of the persecution script they were taught.
  • April: "I'm being hated by the people that told me that... it's just a confusing state of being where everything you thought was true isn't true." (32:56)
  • Tim: "We can acknowledge the systems of harm we were complicit in... but we are changing or repenting when we got new information." (35:27)

7. Mental Health Check-ins

• Both hosts open up about feelings of anxiety, panic, and helplessness in the current climate, especially heightened since January’s Venezuela incident and ongoing global tensions.
  • April: "I've had more panic attacks these past few months than in my whole life... just constantly aware of all these terrible things." (39:38)
  • Tim: "I'm trying my best not to live and die by algorithms ... [but] I am the only person who brings income into my family, so there’s extra weight." (38:17)
• They grapple with the guilt of occasional disengagement ("a privilege") versus their responsibility to remain empathetic and engaged.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "At least as of this recording, we’re worse off than we were before the war." – April, (04:41)
• "Could you imagine Trump late at night... writing an Easter message to America?" – Tim, (13:06)
• "If you stretch in the context of yoga, it’s demonic. If you just stretch your body, it's fine." – Anonymous "Weird Christian Bleep" speaker, (42:43)
• "If these people can—if Mark Driscoll can keep going and rebirth himself into this brand, I’m not gonna freaking stop." – Tim, (36:58)
• "Maybe do yoga. Get a demon. Now you have a new friend." – April, (46:39)

Listener Engagement

[27:44] Listener Voicemail

• Tim from Portland, OR shares his own journey out of fundamentalism with gratitude for The Tim and April Show, underscoring the importance of “loving God and neighbor well” above all.

Special Segment: Weird Christian Bleep

[42:21] – Weird Christian Bleep

• A humorous interlude: Tim and April react to viral Christian content warning that both yoga and sex outside marriage open "demonic doors." Satirically dissecting the logic, they highlight the fear-based gatekeeping within evangelical culture and the absurdity of such claims.

Key Timestamps

• 01:00–04:41 | Therapy Session About National Trauma & Emotional State
• 05:25–08:37 | MAGA Evangelical Mental Gymnastics & Lesser of Two Evils Argument
• 11:57–15:55 | Performative Faith & Notable Rationalizations (D'Souza, Metaxas)
• 21:20–27:35 | Indoctrination, Deconstruction, Shifting Political/Religious Views
• 31:11–35:27 | Wealth Disparity, Policy Priorities, & National Self-Reflection
• 38:13–41:30 | Mental Health Check-Ins & Coping Mechanisms
• 42:21–46:41 | Weird Christian Bleep: Yoga and Demons

Final Reflections

• Main Message: If you’re frustrated, overwhelmed, or gaslit by the current political and religious climate, you’re not crazy—and you’re not alone. The "better path" is to stay rooted in love, justice, and actual neighbor-care, and to continually adapt your worldview as new truths come to light.
• Community Invitation: The New Evangelicals’ resources and spaces (TNE Connect, educational offerings) are highlighted as places for ongoing healing and faith reconstruction.

Tone:
Candid, exasperated, compassionate, humorous, sharply critical of Christian nationalism—always with an underlying call to empathy, reason, and authentic Christian practice.