The concept of “Nukes and Narratives,” the alliterative title of my piece yesterday, is becoming particularly salient. The current political landscape is not merely about the physical threat of nuclear weapons, but more importantly about the stories we tell ourselves and others to justify leaders’ actions on the world stage. These narratives shape public perception and policy decisions, sometimes at the expense of truth and ethical consistency.
For the Christian, sometimes at the expense of Christ himself.
When conservative media star Mark Levin, host of the TV show “Life, Liberty, & Levin” on Fox News was chosen by Trump to be a part of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, immediately my mind went to a certain place.
And it wasn’t that Levin was necessary, or that the position itself was even necessary for that matter. Because I knew that the direction Trump was going with certain issues was not in line with much of Levin’s outlook.
Incidentally, perhaps providentially, I wrote a series of articles on conservative controlled opposition at the end of March and beginning of April. Coinciding with that has been my work on the crucifixion and resurrection in politics in general, and more specifically this week, the seeming storm surrounding Israel and Iran, Russia and the US.
Today they bottleneck nicely into a corresponding illustration.
As I’ve contended many times, I believe Trump promotes and endorses some people not for their qualifications, but for exposure purposes. Sometimes that means exposure of the individual, sure, such as was the case with Anthony Fauci. But I’m more concerned about what exposure occurs on the narrative level–what messages he wants the American people to glean from flawed (and perhaps even compromised) TV characters that can provide fruitful contrast to what it is Trump himself is saying.
As I learned in the classroom, contrasts provide the easiest and most compelling instruction.
And in the case of exposing either an individual or a prevailing message from that individual, so does the Art of War’s precept of allowing the enemy to hang himself.
Is Levin an enemy? I have no idea. All I know is that his message and Trump’s message on Israel are two completely different things:
For good measure here’s a little more from a professed MAGA man:
It’s not the incongruence with Trump I am calling into question–I have long believed disagreement with him is a good thing, especially if Trump ends up simply being the bigger carnivore in a Jurassic Park film gobbling down the T-Rex. What I am spotlighting here is Israel.
The conversation must continue on Israel, and as long as it continues, I believe we eventually will uncover enough hidden history to realize what they’ve done with today’s State of Israel in relation to the Old Testament Israel.
Just when the world teeters on the edge of regional war, perhaps world war–or at least thinks it is because of the necessary narratives–here comes Levin, a conservative superstar, with the same incantation on the Holocaust.
With all reverence and respect to those who died in that awful time in world history, we Christians have been held hostage by it long enough. Just as “this” Russia isn’t “that” Russia, 2025 is not the 1940s. Yes, we should learn from history. But we should also be learning what Trump is showing us through the use of contrast.
In Levin’s world—and in much of the world of the Fox News war chorus—the only thing that ever rises from the dead is the Holocaust.
Christ and his Resurrection gets a day’s attention every year.
Eighty-year history and its resurrection get it all day every day.
Levin’s recent post echoes a familiar refrain. It’s a call to action that bypasses the diplomacy–the Art of the Deal–Trump favors. It celebrates preemptive strikes over strategic patience. This perspective, while resonant in certain circles, raises questions about the broader implications of such unilateral decisions.
After all, haven’t we seen this before, and many a time? Remember Bush, weapons of mass destruction, Afghanistan, and the Patriot Act?
The lie is happening now. It is ever happening in the perpetual now–and it is my belief that Trump spotlights those lies on purpose by juxtaposing them next to the messages he puts out.
Trump’s approach is more measured, and it is typically so even after some fire bombs he may throw initially to get our attention (see Greenland, see Gaza, see China and tariffs most recently). Trump’s emphasis on alignment with Bibi Netanyahu may even be a troll to Bibi himself, as my work might indicate, but regardless of whether or not he and Trump actually agree while being on the same page, the messaging is clear–and that message is not necessarily the relationship between the two leaders. This is the mistake I believe Americans make when evaluating some of these stories.
I believe the message is to show the contrast–to draw out how prevailing the message is out there that Israel do whatever it takes–whatever it takes–to resurrect an eighty-year-old message and stomp on any cockroach goyim it deems necessary.
This is a message American conservatives would have been fine with twenty years ago. That was proven after the lies from Bush we gobbled down.
But no more. We are freeing ourselves from this never-ending emotional captivity, figuratively reminiscent–incidentally enough–of the Israelites enslavement in Egypt.
And how do I know that the tide has turned? First of all because I see it all over the internet.
Second of all, and less obviously, the narrative war–being run by Trump–is clearly placing it front and center for Americans to see at this moment in time. For a man who undoubtedly has always had his finger on the pulse of the American people–admittedly frighteningly so at times–this is crucial to understand.
Timing is everything.
Trump’s nuanced stance on Israel suggests a preference for negotiation over confrontation, a departure from the more hawkish tones within the conservative spectrum. Conservatives are being blessed to see, are being forced to see, that there is another way–and that there has always been another way.
The divergence between Levin’s assertive rhetoric and Trump’s diplomatic overtures highlights a schism within conservative thought–one the legacy media will attempt to say is a bad thing. It’s not, not in the least. On one hand, there’s a Bush-Cheney-Powell-type urgency to neutralize perceived threats; on the other, a new recognition of the complexities inherent in international relations. This dichotomy reflects a broader debate about the role of the US in global conflicts and the strategies best suited to maintain stability.
And as I said yesterday–it reflects an even broader civilizational standoff.
Levin speaks for and from the past. Trump speaks—however maddeningly—for the future.
And more Americans are starting to hear the difference.
Because they’re being shown the contrast, whereas if Trump surrounded himself with yes-men or those who parrot the same things he does–in the name of being on the same team against the Democrats!–then they’d never see. They’d continue uninterruptedly seeing the mote in other people’s and countries’ eyes but never seeing the log in their own (Matthew 7).
Finally, because of Trump’s, dare I say, mad genius in deals and narrative warfare, American conservatives are waking up to the real question:
Why is every conversation about peace and diplomacy met with a flashback to the camps?
Why are we still being emotionally blackmailed into every war?
And why does it always seem to be the same people pushing the buttons?
One user said it best this week, something I was proud to spotlight in yesterday’s article. This type of thing absolutely needs more tips of the cap:
Even one former skeptic, who challenged my framing a year ago—may be seeing the same fault lines. Turns out we had an inspiring exchange last year even in the midst of the skepticism, one that shows what two people can do when one doesn’t hide behind the effeminate laughing emoji or comments having not even read the article:
Incidentally, over a year later now, the same reader with whom I had that fruitful exchange had this to say under my article yesterday–in addition to liking the article itself; it was the first time I’d seen his name pop up since that day last year:
A growing number of Americans are changing, feeling this way. As their understanding of “Russia” evolves, so too does their understanding of other friends and foes.
That is one of my proudest moments as a political writer. Much love to that reader, if he’s reading again today. Because it shows that we as Americans can wield a weapon, and quite possibly, that weapon could be more powerful than any bomb or bayonet.
Regarding the Trump-Levin juxtaposition, the discourse surrounding Iran’s nuclear capabilities often overlooks the opaque nature of Israel’s own nuclear arsenal. The lack of transparency and accountability in this regard complicates the moral high ground often claimed in these discussions. Addressing such double standards is crucial for a balanced and honest dialogue about nuclear proliferation and regional security–something Trump’s messaging and staged contrasts are inviting us to consider.
This isn’t about antisemitism.
This isn’t about lumping all Jews together.
This isn’t about racism.
It’s about liberty of discernment.
It’s about sovereignty.
It’s about defending Christianity.
It’s about defending Christ—our Savior, our King, the Person who defeated death.
It’s about living a life in healthy, Godly fear of Matthew 10:33.
Levin’s voice might still echo on Fox News, and the man is intellectually superior to me, but it doesn’t mean he’s right in this case. Is he a part of the “controlled-opposition” I was warning about weeks ago? I really don’t know. He may simply have an opinion I don’t agree with.
But also, he could be–and the possibility is worth storing away in our minds and keeping a closer eye on superstars like him.
Too many conservatives, regardless of the reasoning, don’t conserve anything except a past that doesn’t fit the modern paradigm. They don’t conserve anything meaningful—just the military-industrial complex and a selective sense of history that keeps the rest of us–especially Christians who are wanting to follow Christ’s message of peace–shackled to their guilt-ridden eschatology.
The left wants to save the world with vaccines.
The faux-right wants to save the world with missiles.
And neither one believes in actual, Godly crucifixion and resurrection.
It is why both sides oppose Trump or mock him for having a “bromance” with Putin.
He is showing you that the contrast–not the ones that go beyond bathrooms and boiled eggs–is not between left and right. And that revelation is only possible through allowing the narratives to run their course in a (seemingly) organic way.
This is why he can’t just do everything at once. He needs us. He needs our organic observations in the lab and the corresponding data output.
He needs our understanding, not our loyalty.
He is breaking the chorus of Cold War karaoke, the programmed Reagan-era chants of “evil empire,” and the bipartisan Pavlovian response to any suggestion of conducting ourselves in a way that honors Christ.
This is why the uniparty hates him. This is why the uniparty hates us.
As we navigate these complex geopolitical landscapes, particularly the great number of Christian readers out there, it is imperative to critically assess the motivations and implications of our alliances and adversaries. The path forward requires a commitment to transparency, accountability, and a willingness to challenge entrenched narratives that may no longer serve the interests of peace and justice, the commands of Jesus Christ himself.
The American people can feel it. They know something is wrong. That the script is tired. That the paradigm has passed. That the moral ground is shifting. That the Cold War ghosts no longer scare. That the promised boogeymen often look suspiciously like the men supposedly on our side.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ we were meant to be celebrating this Easter season has nothing to do with reviving decades-long trauma as permanent justification—and everything to do with casting out the fear that keeps us enslaved to it, that keeps us nailed to the cross with no pain-ending death or God-giving life in sight. It must exorcise these demons, and it must exorcise them now–the demons that, yes, were identified by such worldwide massacres in the 20th century, but also the demons that want to resurrect the Holocaust not to honor, but to harness Christians’ well-meaning hearts into perpetual faux-guilt and fire bombs wherever they want to drop them.
It demands that we see clearly, choose wisely, and stop playing God with nations we barely understand. It demands that we start–or join in the growing chorus–asking the questions: Who benefits from America’s endless wars? Who keeps rising when Christ stays buried?
It demands that we recognize which tombs are already empty, and which ones still hold the dead.
It demands that we recognize the manipulation, the carefully managed message of trauma.
It demands that we summon our inner Lazarus, that we leave the grave linens behind to live the Gospel–not replace them by wrapping ourselves in perpetuity in a blue and white flag.
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May everyone named directly or referenced indirectly ask forgiveness and do penance for their sins against America and God. I fight this information war in the spirit of justice and love for the innocent, but I have been reminded of the need for mercy and prayers for our enemies. I am a sinner in need of redemption as well after all, for my sins are many. In the words of Jesus Christ himself, Lord forgive us all, for we know not what we do.
