The Tim & April Show, Ep. 59

Podcast: The Tim & April Show (The New Evangelicals Network)
Episode Title: The Christian Nationalist Value of Starving Families
Date: October 31, 2025
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy
Theme: Unraveling the intersection of faith, politics, and culture—with a focus on Christian nationalism, SNAP (food stamp) benefits, government shutdown repercussions, and Christian hypocrisy around caring for the vulnerable.

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the looming crisis of 42 million Americans set to lose their SNAP (food stamp) benefits due to the government shutdown, analyzing the Christian nationalist rhetoric and political blame game behind it. Tim and April dig into misperceptions about welfare, hypocritical "Christian" policymaking, the real faces behind food insecurity, and why the U.S. safety net works as intended—against an ongoing background of wealth inequality. They call out political leaders for weaponizing faith, dissect misinformation, and discuss ongoing efforts (including their own mutual aid fund) to support families in need.

The episode also features discussions on Halloween controversies in Christian circles, “weird Christian” moments from evangelical influencers, and a candid look at evangelical disillusionment with MAGA politics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening: Surreal Headlines & Evangelical Irony

[02:00-03:59]

• April shares a live reaction to a headline: "Ted Cruz calls Marjorie Taylor Greene very liberal" for her recent pro-Israel stance.
• Tim points out the absurdity: “[03:53] The Onion couldn’t have written that kind of headline, right?”
• Both discuss how current evangelical figures occasionally support justice issues, but “it doesn’t make them liberal” and highlight the cognitive disconnect in conservative Christian rhetoric.

2. Main Topic: SNAP Benefits, Government Shutdown, and Political Blame

[10:05-21:00]

• SNAP at Risk: 42 million (primarily children, elderly, and disabled) are about to lose food benefits due to the government shutdown.
• Political Spin: The USDA’s own website blames Senate Democrats, implying they prioritize health care for “illegal aliens” and “gender mutilation” over feeding hungry families—a dishonest, inflammatory framing by the Trump administration.
• Root of Shutdown: The shutdown is driven by GOP refusal to extend health insurance subsidies (Obamacare/Medicaid tax credits), risking sky-high insurance premiums and millions uninsured.
  • Tim: “As someone who uses the marketplace... with the subsidy, I can afford healthcare. Without it, I couldn’t.”
• Both hosts stress: Even with the subsidies, copays and medical debt remain a crisis. The U.S. could afford universal coverage but chooses not to.

Christian Nationalist Hypocrisy

[16:33-18:38]

• April: “Day after day we hear ‘America is a Christian nation,’ but suddenly, when it’s about feeding the hungry, ‘that’s the church’s job, not the government.’”
• Tim: “Suddenly, you and I are the America First people in this conversation—please fund SNAP!”

3. SNAP Myths & Data

[21:00-25:00]

• Myth Debunking:

  • “People on food stamps are lazy” is factually wrong.
  • Data: 2/3 of SNAP recipients are children, elderly, or disabled.
  • 79% of families receiving SNAP include at least one worker – people are working!
  • Most recipients pay into the system through taxes.

• Systemic Impact:

  • SNAP cuts hurt not just families, but also local stores and economies.
  • Medical debt and healthcare costs (from the loss of subsidies) will drive more families into bankruptcy.
  • Tim: “We have tons of money. We’re a very wealthy country. We just choose not to help people.”

4. Intentionality Behind the Cuts & Economic Context

[25:12-31:30]

• Excerpting historian Heather Cox Richardson’s summary:
  • Cuts are planned, with devastating future SNAP benefit reductions already passed (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), timed to go into effect after midterm elections—deliberately delayed to avoid electoral consequences.
  • Medical bankruptcies are a top cause of overall bankruptcy.
  • Administrative decisions are intentionally making it easier for medical debt to ruin credit.
  • April: “If families are bankrupt and starving, they’re less likely to fight back.”
  • Tim: “Wealth distribution is off the charts. The top 1% have more than a third of all U.S. wealth; the bottom 50% have just 2%. The system is rigged.”

5. Weaponized Propaganda & Us vs. Them

[31:43-33:00]

• Propaganda convinces low-income people to blame fellow poor people for being on SNAP, rather than blaming the ultra-wealthy who hoard wealth.
• Tim: “It’s really brilliant that these billionaires have convinced white evangelicals to be free advertisements for propaganda that hurts them.”

6. Government Inaction, Lies, and SNAP Funding Reality

[37:16-44:11]

• Mike Johnson's Narrative: Blames Democrats for not passing the funding bill, claims “there’s no money for SNAP.”
  • Tim: Calls this a “lie through his teeth.” There's precedent for funding SNAP through contingency funds during shutdowns.
• Chuck Schumer’s Response [40:24-42:18]: Affirms there is sufficient contingency funding; Republicans are misrepresenting facts and misusing blame.
  • Schumer: “Johnson just lies… It is not illegal, and his own president has done it [during Trump admin shutdown].”
• Blocked Solutions:
  • Bills (even a GOP one from Josh Hawley, and another Senate Dem bill) to keep SNAP funded could pass with bipartisan support, but the House isn’t voting—allegedly to avoid voting to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.

7. Community Action: Mutual Aid & TNE Support

[35:24, 51:54, 81:48]

• The New Evangelicals launches a mutual aid fund: A $100 grocery gift card for those impacted by SNAP cuts. Donations and applications via thenewevangelicals.com/support.
• “Your donation is tax deductible… There’s no administrative fee. It goes right to other people.”
• TNE Connect offers a private, free community for folks seeking support and resources.

8. Evangelical Disillusionment: Quietly Quitting MAGA?

[54:18-62:44]

• Axios/Raw Story reports: “Large numbers of evangelicals and Catholic churches are quiet quitting President Donald Trump and leaving MAGA…”
  • April believes it: “A lot of everyday evangelicals are becoming more apolitical… as more ICE/cruelty videos surface, people are realizing Trump’s not a good person.”
  • Tim is skeptical: Polling (PRRI) still shows 76% of white evangelicals support Trump; systemic biases run deep.
• Both acknowledge change is incremental, but important.
  • Notable quote (April): “It is unrealistic to think you’ll get people from die-hard Republican to blue-no-matter-who overnight. But it’s a step.”

9. Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• On Christian Hypocrisy

  • April: “[17:37] We hear ‘America is a Christian nation’… until suddenly, it’s about feeding the hungry—‘that’s not the government’s job, that’s the church’s job.’”
  • Tim: “[20:35] This is literally a program that benefits and helps the least of these… the people that Jesus told us to help.”

• On SNAP Realities

  • Tim: “[22:50] Two thirds of SNAP recipients are children, elderly, or disabled… And of the working adults, 79% are working.”
  • April: “[12:44] Some people’s premiums are going up from $400 to over $2,000 a month.”

• On Systemic Injustice

  • Tim: “[28:20] If the top 50% own 98% of the wealth, and the bottom 50% only owns 2%, something feels real weird about that… The system is rigged.”

• On Propaganda

  • Tim: “[31:43] It’s really brilliant that these billionaires have convinced white evangelicals… to be free mouthpieces for propaganda that hurts them.”

• On Quietly Quitting MAGA

  • April: “[55:10] The really loud MAGA Christians are the minority… everyday evangelicals might be more apolitical than we realize.”
  • Tim: “[56:42] I don’t want to shame people… But don’t misunderstand this article… There’s still a lot of work to do.”

10. Weird Christian Corner & Halloween

[71:12-80:34]

• Kim Robinson (prophetess) claims a vision of Charlie Kirk riding horses with Jesus in heaven: Both hosts marvel at the earnestness and disconnect from reality.

  • April: “[74:15] I did a quick Google search… The only thing showing up is this lady talking about it.”
  • Tim: “[74:25] When you’re out of it, you’re like, that’s batshit crazy.”

• Jonathan Cahn on Halloween [76:54]:

  • “Sending your children out to celebrate a holiday that focuses on evil, darkness… and then get diabetes.”
  • Both hosts mock the alarmism: “Vandalism to diabetes pipeline!”
  • Tim provides “Mischief Night” context, explaining the origin of east coast Halloween pranking.

• Halloween in Their Homes: Both now enjoy Halloween with their kids without religious guilt.

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Ted Cruz/Greene headline and evangelical absurdity | 02:00-03:59 | | SNAP benefits, shutdown, & government spin | 10:05-21:00 | | Myths about SNAP recipients, data discussion | 21:00-25:00 | | Economic context, wealth distribution | 25:12-31:30 | | Propaganda & evangelical buy-in | 31:43-33:00 | | Mike Johnson/Schumer: The blame game on SNAP | 37:16-44:11 | | Mutual aid fund announcement | 35:24, 51:54, 81:48 | | “Quiet quitting” MAGA & shifting evangelical support| 54:18-62:44 | | Weird Christian Corner | 71:12-80:34 | | Halloween debate in Christian circles | 80:12-81:46 |

Memorable Moments & Signature Tone

• Wry, self-deprecating humor about their own former evangelical stances (“I too was taught ‘if you don’t work, you don’t eat’”).
• Real-time, unfiltered reactions to political absurdities (“The Onion couldn’t have written that”).
• Blunt condemnation of hypocrisy (“They’re literally going to let children starve so they don’t have to release the Epstein files” – April, [46:11]).
• Deep empathy and righteous anger for families harmed by Christian nationalist policies—balancing snark with genuine heartbreak.

Resources & Calls to Action

• Mutual Aid Fund: thenewevangelicals.com/support
• TNE Connect community: thenewevangelicals.com/connect
• Book Club (Katherine Stewart’s "The Power Worshippers")
• Encouraged listeners to “like, subscribe, review” and join TNE Connect for resources and support.

Conclusion

This episode is a powerful—and at times scathing—breakdown of how Christian nationalism is being used to justify policies that literally starve families, deepen economic inequality, and cut social supports in the U.S. Tim and April provide data, lived experience, and humor as they expose hypocrisy, push back against propaganda, and offer tangible solutions (mutual aid, community). They close with a laugh about Halloween culture wars and a heartfelt welcome to anyone quietly leaving MAGA, affirming: the work of justice happens one “brick” at a time—and all are welcome on the journey.

Notable Quote to End On
April: “If people are willing to swallow that pill and realize they were causing harm… more power to them. That is tough. It is really hard to leave that world… because a lot of times that means losing everybody you’ve ever loved.” [64:43]