The Tim & April Show – Episode 68

Podcast: The Tim & April Show by The New Evangelicals
Title: MAGA Christians Are Victims for a Bad Grade but Are Cool With Blowing Up Boats
Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the controversy surrounding an Oklahoma University (OU) psychology student's reaction paper on gender, the national conservative media’s framing of her as a victim of “Christian persecution” after she received a zero, and the broader implications regarding faith, truth, and Christian nationalism in American culture. The hosts break down the assignment, the student’s essay, reactions from faculty and media, and juxtapose this manufactured outrage with the Christian right’s defense of actual violence—namely, the celebration of extrajudicial killings. They also cover hypocrisy in conservative discourse and critique a bizarre take from Erica Kirk on women "replacing relationships with government."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tim's Man Cold, Stranger Things, and Fundraising Success (01:52–06:40)

• Tim is hosting while sick, cracking jokes about a "man cold" and gearing up for the show on DayQuil and coffee.
• Chat about “Stranger Things,” Game of Thrones, and the shared cultural moments.
• Shoutout: The New Evangelicals reached a $20k Giving Tuesday goal—Tim expresses gratitude.

2. The “Persecuted Student” Case – Setting the Scene (06:46–13:10)

• Background: OU junior psychology major Samantha Fulnecki receives a zero on an essay reacting to an article on gender and bullying. Right-wing media, including Fox News and Turning Point, frame her as a Christian martyr.
• April's assessment: “This story shines a light on the Christian nationalist playbook—even if the players themselves might not identify as such.”

3. Review of the Assignment and Essay (09:13–17:50)

• Rubric Detailed:
  • Required 650-word essay critically engaging with a peer-reviewed article—not merely a summary.
  • Points awarded for direct engagement, critical thinking, clarity (10+10+5).
• Hosts read Samantha's essay aloud [13:11]:
  • Her “argument”: Gender is binary because “God made male and female,” gender stereotypes are God’s design; claims society pushes “demonic lies” about nonbinary identities; paper ends with a prayer.
  • No critical engagement with the assigned article, no empirical citations, mostly religious assertion.

Memorable Quote (April):

“I was shocked...even for a freshman, that is a bad paper. That’s just bad writing. I was writing better papers than that in high school.” (17:56)

4. Faculty Responses and Grading Rationale (20:03–27:11)

• TA’s detailed feedback [21:22]:
  • Not about "beliefs" but failing to follow instructions, using personal ideology over evidence, and being offensive (e.g. calling groups 'demonic').
  • Encouraged use of evidence and offered further discussion.
• Prof. Waldron echoes TA; points out lack of respect, no academic support, and concern over comments excusing bullying.
• Hosts clarify: No Bible verses were quoted, only referenced without citation.

Notable Moment (Tim):

“When you write an essay in a scientific class just regurgitating what you learned in high-control fundamentalist Christianity, it’s not going to hold up.” (26:00)

5. Media Blowup & The “Christian Nationalist Playbook” (32:42–47:16)

• Samantha's mother: Christy Fulnecki, a Missouri lawyer involved in January 6 defense and anti-mask legal activism.
• First Contact: Samantha emailed the Governor of Oklahoma before appealing to her professor—suggests orchestration.
• Governor Stitt’s Tweet: Frames it as First Amendment issue; calls for investigation.
• Hosts’ Analysis: This is a play for staged martyrdom in conservative media. “They have a persecution kink.”
• April’s personal story: Attempted to get “persecuted” as a child for being Christian in public school, highlighting how this narrative is ingrained in evangelical cultural formation.

Notable Quote (Tim):

“This is making of a martyr...something is suspicious here… Highly—feels like it was planned, coordinated.” (33:56)

Quote (April):

“If you are taught that Christians are persecuted, especially in public schools, of course you try to manufacture it.”

6. Media Tour & Dissecting the Persecution Narrative (47:16–63:34)

• Samantha tours Fox News, CPAC, receives state awards; lauded as a “warrior for Christ.”
• Fox News segment: Host completely misrepresents rubric and grading.
• Hosts dissect: The reality is that she received every freedom to express her views and was simply graded on academic merit, not beliefs.
• Victimhood irony: Samantha is now a right-wing celebrity—“it pays to be persecuted”—yet still playing the martyr.

Notable Exchange:

• Tim [49:45]: “They want you to be sheep. They want you to believe these people are truth tellers. It’s wild to watch it in real time.”
• April: “If she gets a book deal, I hope she has a ghostwriter based on that essay.”

7. Hypocrisy on Persecution vs. Real Harm (83:01–85:16)

• Shift in topic: Hosts juxtapose the manufactured outrage over Samantha's zero with MAGA/conservative delight at real violence.
  • E.g. Pete Hegseth’s “double tap” strike on Venezuelan boats, Megyn Kelly’s cruel wish for suffering, right-wing accounts celebrating extrajudicial killings.
• Hosts' outrage:
  • “These people are not... They are demented. They are twisted with their logic and it kills people. We're killing people.”
  • MAGAmericans use outrage only for in-group victimhood while celebrating state violence on “out-groups.”

8. Conservative “Intellectualism” and the “Weird Christian” Segment (86:21–94:03)

• Erica Kirk’s viral take: Claims NYC women voters are looking to "replace relationships with government"—hosts are baffled by the incoherence.
• Broader point: Conservative thought leaders (Kirk, Stuckey) are elevated despite nonsensical takes; distract from real, urgent issues such as healthcare, immigration, and justice.

Notable Quotes:

• April (on Erica Kirk):

  “What rambling bull is she saying? How is the government a replacement for relationship and in Manhattan? Lol.” (95:44)

• Tim:

  “This is... the apex of conservative intellectualism. This is it. This is what they're offering the world.” (90:32)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• April, on the essay’s quality:

  “That is not an academic essay whatsoever.” (19:04)

• Tim, on the Christian nationalist playbook:

  “It’s a planned persecution. These people have a persecution kink.” (43:52)

• April, on empirical evidence:

  “You are in academia, girl.” (60:01)

• Tim, on dogma vs. truth:

  “You’re not standing on truth. You’re standing on dogma. They have reinvented the word truth to mean dogma. For them, empirical data is not true; their dogma is true.” (46:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 06:46: Introduction to the Oklahoma student controversy
• 09:13-12:10: Student assignment rubric and expectations
• 13:11-17:50: Reading and dissecting the controversial student essay
• 21:22: TA’s detailed response and grading rationale
• 32:42: Student's orchestrated victim story and governor’s involvement
• 47:16-54:05: Conservative media tour and martyrdom narrative
• 83:01-85:16: Real harm celebrated by Christian nationalists vs. “persecution” narrative
• 86:21-94:03: Erica Kirk’s “replacement relationship” take and critique of conservative intellectualism

Notable Moments

• The Hosts’ Empathy for Professors (31:59):
  April: “Professors feel like they’re walking on eggshells… the power dynamic has shifted. When I went to college, your opinions didn’t matter—you were there to learn.”
• Comparison with Actual Persecution (75:30):
  April: “Their version of persecution is, you did not succumb to my dogma, therefore I’m being persecuted because you won’t let me erase who you are... No, you’re just being an asshole who’s also not citing sources.”
• Critical Reflection on Movement Tactics (78:09):
  Tim: “We cover this stuff every week to prove our thesis that we’re not making this stuff up. That’s the general idea.”

Tone and Language

• Conversational, snarky, at times exasperated but determined to break down the issues with clarity and compassion.
• Hosts balance personal anecdotes, sarcasm, and moments of theological seriousness.
• Quotes and reactions maintain the candor, humor, and frustration characteristic to the show.

Conclusion

This episode is a deep dive into how the Christian right manufactures and weaponizes “persecution” narratives, contrasting trivial complaints about grading with their disregard for genuine harm, and elevating poorly reasoned, low-quality takes to national prominence—while real injustices go ignored. The Tim and April Show pulls no punches in calling out the hypocrisy, disinformation, and dangerous playbook of Christian nationalism with characteristic humor, lived experience, and sharp analysis.

For anyone unfamiliar with the episode:
This is an unflinching look at how Christian nationalist victimhood is constructed, why it’s rewarded, and how it’s a smokescreen for both poor academic rigor and a deep-seated campaign against justice and inclusion. If you want a blend of sharp satire, theological critique, and cultural observation at the intersection of faith and politics, this is a must-hear episode.