The Tim & April Show – Episode 83

Podcast: The Tim & April Show (The New Evangelicals Network)
Hosts: Tim Whitaker & April Ajoy
Release: January 30, 2026 (Recorded January 22, 2026)
Episode Title: MAGA Influencers Crash Out as Americans Condemn ICE

Episode Overview

In this episode, Tim and April offer a critical response to recent commentary by Christian nationalist influencer Allie Beth Stuckey regarding immigration, empathy, and the role of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). They analyze Stuckey’s rhetoric surrounding the murder of Renee Goode and broader MAGA narratives, paying particular attention to how Christian nationalist voices shape evangelical attitudes on faith, justice, and political engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Addressing the ICE Incident and the Timing

• The episode was recorded prior to the shooting of Alex Preddy by ICE agents in Minnesota (00:00). Tim and April acknowledge this and plan future coverage on the event.

2. Why Focus on Allie Beth Stuckey?

• Tim and April clarify why they frequently analyze Stuckey: she holds unique influence in both the evangelical Christian and political spheres (03:03).
  • Tim: "She really is speaking to the white evangelical, like suburban wife or young adult or, you know, whatever, mother. And it's important for you guys to see how she presents herself and kind of laces her poison in this air and approach of sweetness." (03:07)
• They note many followers view Stuckey primarily as a Christian voice, missing how her messages blend politics with faith-based appeal (04:37).

3. Dissecting the ‘Toxic Empathy’ Narrative

• Stuckey argues that “empathy is not a good guide” and that it can “blind you to both reality and morality,” especially regarding immigration (07:48).
  • April reacts: “It is wild to watch Ali tell her audience that feeling you get of, ‘oh, that's wrong, because I wouldn't want my child ripped out of my arms for any reason,’ is somehow you giving in to toxic empathy?” (07:34)
• Tim points out the contradiction: Stuckey herself highlights crimes by undocumented immigrants but ignores the broader context by using isolated cases to justify widespread suspicion (08:18).

4. Statistical Manipulation and the Reality of Immigrant Crime

• Stuckey cites arrest statistics of undocumented immigrants to build her case, but Tim and April break down how these numbers are misleadingly framed (10:17).
  • Comparison: 1.7 million apprehended, but only a tiny fraction were arrested/convicted of violent crimes.
  • Tim: “Undocumented immigrants are half as likely to commit any kind of crime compared to native born counterparts... I’m kind of shocked how low they are, frankly.” (10:49)
• The false equivalence and racialized assumptions in such narratives are highlighted (12:14).
  • Tim: “No one thinks of a white, blue-eyed, blonde-haired person as undocumented. We're taught to think about someone from south of the border... That’s the xenophobia, that’s the racism.”

5. Debunking the ‘Open Borders’ & ‘House Analogy’

• Stuckey likens border sovereignty to locking one’s own doors at home (17:57).
  • Countered by April: “From a very basic standpoint, white people are immigrants. This was not our original land... It's just so to hear like white Christians just be like, we must respect our borders. This is our country. I'm like, no, it's not. It's indigenous people.” (18:52)
  • Tim points out how the true beneficiaries of Stuckey’s definition of “citizen” are just those sharing her cultural and ideological identity, not all legal citizens (19:26).

6. MAGA Rhetoric: Power, Not Protection

• Tim and April stress that the current administration’s ICE actions have little to do with safety or immigration reform and are more about consolidating power and promoting a specific cultural hierarchy (20:43, 38:52).

• Supporting data: 93% of people taken by ICE had no violent convictions, per Cato Institute (21:21).

  • April (verifying the figure): “Is it 93%? Where's that number from?”
  • Tim: “The Cato Institute. Fact check me. Go ahead. I'm ready.” (21:24-22:07)

7. Selective Use of Scripture and Biblical Authority

• Critique of cherry-picking Romans 13 (“submit to government”) only when it serves rightwing interests (15:30-15:49).
  • April: “They only ever bring up that verse when a Republican is president. I never heard them say that verse when Joe Biden was president.”
• The hosts highlight frequent scriptural misapplication to legitimize law enforcement excesses while ignoring scripture’s actual emphases: welcoming strangers, economic justice (26:24).

8. Evangelical Double Standards on Crime and Justice

• April and Tim juxtapose Stuckey’s ICE outrage with evangelical silence on church abuse scandals and white-collar crime within their own ranks (27:41-29:46).
  • Tim: “When it comes to all of the clergy abuse that we see... those numbers aren’t used to paint a broad brush that all white men are inherently more criminal.”
• Memorable comparison: No call to “deport all pastors” after clergy scandals, but sweeping suspicion cast on immigrants after isolated crimes.

9. Order, Chaos, and Christian Nationalist Mythmaking

• Stuckey invokes “order versus chaos” using biblical metaphors like Babel (31:39), contrasting it with pro-Trump chaos (Jan 6th) that she downplays or treats sarcastically (34:11).
  • Tim: “Trump is posting CGI videos of himself taking dumps on peaceful protesters. And we're supposed to believe that Ali believes in order and beauty and peace and love and justice? You're joking. This has got to be satire.” (35:41)

10. Gun Violence Double Standard

• Stuckey’s call for “tough immigration policy” is compared to gun violence prevention; Tim notes how the same logic is never used for stricter gun laws despite mass shootings (36:26).
  • Tim: “Do you think that she would apply this to tough gun policy? If we had tough gun policy, those kids and those schools would still be alive, right?” (36:26)

11. ICE’s Brutal Practices and Racial Profiling

• Firsthand accounts, video evidence, and personal stories of ICE brutality and racial profiling (43:14-44:54).
  • Tim shares video evidence of ICE agents justifying stops due to an accent: “Because of your accent.”

12. Can Propagandists Change? The Power of Indoctrination

• April and Tim reflect on whether Stuckey is sincere or knowingly deceptive.
  • April: “Does she really believe this? Because I know indoctrination can be so powerful... I want to believe that people can change when they, like, an appeal to their goodness of knowing...” (47:01)
• Tim recounts his own experience of leaving fundamentalism, realizing how deep the conditioning runs (48:45).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Power of Empathy:
  Tim: “It is wild to watch Ali tell her audience that feeling you get of, ‘oh, that's wrong, because I wouldn't want my child ripped out of my arms for any reason,’ is somehow you giving in to toxic empathy?” (07:34)

• On Statistical Truths:
  Tim: “93% of people taken by ICE had no violent convictions, according to the Cato Institute, June 20, 2025. That's the data.” (24:10)

• On the Propagandist’s Playbook:
  Tim: "Ali is not a truth teller. She's a propagandist." (34:15)

• On Whitewashed History:
  April: “From a very basic standpoint, white people are immigrants. This was not our original land.” (18:52)

• On Indoctrination:
  April: “Your brain is wired to protect the belief first, totally. That's the most important thing.” (51:21)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – Disclaimer on episode timing and Alex Preddy incident
• 03:03 – Rationale for focusing on Allie Beth Stuckey
• 07:48 – Stuckey’s “Toxic Empathy” argument, Tim/April react
• 10:49 – Dissecting immigrant crime statistics
• 15:30 – Discussion on scriptural cherry-picking (Romans 13)
• 21:21 – Statistics on ICE detainees’ lack of violent convictions, source cited
• 27:41 – Evangelical double standards on abuse and crime
• 31:39 – Order vs. chaos argument, examples of actual U.S. chaos
• 36:26 – Double standard: immigration vs. gun violence
• 43:14 – ICE brutality and racial profiling (audio clip shared)
• 47:01 – Are propagandists like Allie sincere? Hosts’ personal experience with indoctrination

Tone & Style

Tim and April maintain their signature blend of sharp critique, incredulity, and dry humor, using both personal stories and data to push back on Christian nationalist narratives. They invite listeners to approach these complex issues with nuance, rooting their critiques in a faith perspective focused on justice and compassion.

Final Thoughts

The episode highlights the moral falsehoods, selective outrage, and literal violence behind current white evangelical and MAGA immigration narratives. Tim and April call their audience—and Christians at large—to deeper discernment: questioning propagandist theology, standing against dehumanization, and striving for a faith defined by love, justice, and solidarity with the marginalized.

Contact: timandaprilshow@thenewevangelicals.com
Next Live Show: Thursday, 12pm Eastern