MAGA’s “righteous fury” at Charlie Kirk’s memorial
Americast
BBC
4.2 • 2.8K Ratings
🗓️ 22 September 2025
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Justin and Anthony unpack the memorial service held yesterday in Glendale, Arizona for the conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earlier this month.
Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, was given a standing ovation for forgiving the man who shot her husband, delivering an emotional and deeply religious speech where she called for people to “choose Christ” and take up her husband’s mission. In this episode, the Americast team also look at whether MAGA politicians and officials will use Charlie Kirk’s assassination to intensify a religious war against the left to ignite a “spiritual revival”. We hear the views of Trump’s top policy adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, who talks about the rise of a spiritual army, and JD Vance the Vice President hailing Kirk as a martyr. Has the Trump administration started a religious war against Democrats, and the left, in the name of Charlie Kirk?
HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent
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This episode was made by Rufus Gray and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Philip Bull. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | On Newscast, we are not in the business of telling you how to think. |
| 0:11.5 | We get the brightest minds from across the BBC to chat through the biggest stories. |
| 0:16.1 | You should leave feeling smarter about all the bonkers things in the news. |
| 0:19.7 | Listen to newscast every day on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:23.1 | We look back today on what was unquestionably a huge event in the United States. |
| 0:28.2 | It was Sunday's memorial service for Charlie Kirk. |
| 0:32.0 | A memorial service, yes, a chance to say goodbye, yes. |
| 0:37.2 | But goodness, for so many Americans, including those |
| 0:41.0 | closely aligned with the White House, it felt like something else, a chance for a revival. |
| 0:47.3 | The day that Charlie died, the angels wept, but those tears had been turned into fire in our hearts. |
| 0:59.4 | And that fire burns with a righteous fury that our enemies cannot comprehend or understand. |
| 1:10.0 | You thought you could kill Charlie Kirk? |
| 1:13.7 | You have made him immortal. |
| 1:16.3 | You have immortalized Charlie Kirk. |
| 1:18.7 | And now millions will carry on his legacy. |
| 1:22.5 | So a question, has Charlie Kirk's assassination given a divine cause, as it were, for the right to unite around |
| 1:29.2 | to attack the left? Welcome to AmeriCast. Americaast from BBC News. When Donald Trump calls, |
| 1:39.0 | they say, yes, sir, right away, sir, happy to lick your boot, sir. We are the sickest country in the world. |
| 1:45.6 | Oh, dear, are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry? |
| 1:49.2 | Of course the president supports peaceful protest. |
| 1:51.2 | What a stupid question. |
... |
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