Overview of Ask Us Anything 244: What is Christian Zionism? American Revolution Books? O Canada?
Host: Charlie Kirk. Guests/panel: Tiffany Justice (head of Heritage Action; co‑founder of Moms for Liberty), Tyler Boyer, Blake, Mikey and other Turning Point hosts. Episode format: listener Q&A covering history reading recommendations, Canadian conservative politics, organizing/GOTV strategy, Christian Zionism, the USS Liberty incident, housing/immigration messaging and longer-term movement strategy.
Key takeaways
- Primary takeaway: organizational power and voter mobilization (GOTV) are decisive — “power is everything.” Heritage Action (federal/state lobbying) is partnering with Turning Point Action to build long‑term, targeted GOTV infrastructure.
- Recommended reading for the Revolutionary era mixes primary sources (Jefferson, The Federalist Papers) and modern histories (Albion’s Seed; The Radicalism of the American Revolution; Empire of Liberty; The Glorious Cause; biographies by Chernow and David McCullough).
- Christian Zionism = support for a Jewish homeland; support can be theological (biblical/eschatological), political, security‑based or cultural. Distinguish theological beliefs from state/statist policy. Beware weaponized labels used by opponents.
- Canadian conservative politics: party split between institutionally minded Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) and populist alternatives (People’s Party); suggestion to consolidate ground operations in conservative provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan) and harness populist energy to win.
- On messaging: housing shortages, immigration, and enforcement are linked in GOP messaging (e.g., J.D. Vance clips arguing deportations + more homebuilding help affordability). Young voters’ economic concerns (housing, jobs, inflation) remain high priority.
- Historical incident notes: USS Liberty (1967) — tragic attack killing ~34 US sailors; official US/Israeli inquiries called it accidental; Israel made compensation payments. The panel treated it as a historical tragedy, not a central determinant of modern policy.
Guests & institutional updates
- Tiffany Justice: new leader of Heritage Action, bringing more aggressive political activation and getting-out-the-vote strategy to Heritage’s policy work. Heritage Action will expand state work and coordinate with groups like Turning Point Action.
- Turning Point Action (TPA) distinction clarified: separates direct political activity (endorsements, GOTV, ballot chasing) from Turning Point USA’s C3/educational work.
Recommended books & resources on the Revolutionary era
- Primary sources: Thomas Jefferson’s writings; The Federalist Papers (and — important — Anti‑Federalist papers for the counterarguments).
- Suggested histories:
- Albion’s Seed (on colonial settlement groups)
- The Radicalism of the American Revolution (important perspective on the revolution’s transformative nature)
- Empire of Liberty (Oxford/Cambridge U.S. history series volume on the Revolution)
- The Glorious Cause (military history of the Revolutionary War)
- Fears of a Setting Sun — shows founders’ later disillusionment (useful perspective)
- Biographies by Ron Chernow and David McCullough
- Recommendation: read Anti‑Federalist writings as well as Federalist — they shaped arguments about centralized power and remain relevant to contemporary debates.
Canada: assessment of the Conservative movement
- Distinction: Conservative Party of Canada (CPC, mainstream) vs People’s Party (populist wing). Pierre Poilievre noted as CPC leader.
- Practical recommendations given:
- Focus organizing resources where conservative energy already exists (Alberta, Saskatchewan).
- Embrace populist issues (immigration restrictions, national identity, defending energy/oil sectors) rather than shunning activists.
- Invest in ground troops and ballot‑chasing operations; losing own turf = failure to consolidate power.
- Criticisms noted: CPC has often sidelined social conservatives; Canada’s abortion law and high immigration levels were cited as examples of drift that have frustrated some conservatives.
Organizing, GOTV and movement strategy (2026 and beyond)
- Diagnosis: recent election setbacks tied to insufficient GOTV/ground operations in targeted states/regions.
- Strategy pillars:
- Long‑term planning (10‑year horizon, then work backward).
- Targeted deployment of boots on the ground in strategic states/regions.
- Better coordination among conservative organizations (Heritage Action + Turning Point Action as an example).
- More efficient allocation of donor dollars to voter contact and ballot conversion (“paper in the box”).
- Calls to action: vote, recruit peers, run for office, start Turning Point chapters (college/high school), and engage at church/community level.
What is Christian Zionism? (concise primer)
- Core definition: Zionism = support for a Jewish homeland in the historic land of Israel. Christian Zionism is Christians supporting that outcome.
- Motivations vary:
- Theological/eschatological: some Christians see a biblical imperative or end‑times role tied to Israel.
- Moral/ethical: the belief Jews deserve a homeland after centuries of persecution.
- Strategic/security: Israel as a democratic, Western ally facing Islamist threats.
- Political: ordinary foreign‑policy alignment.
- Important distinctions:
- Theological Zionism (religious belief) vs statist Zionism (policy toward the modern state of Israel).
- Supporting Israel does not imply blind or fanatical support; positions range from moral support to full military backing.
- Political context: the term “Christian Zionism” can be used pejoratively by opponents to label or fracture coalitions. Panelists urged not to let terminological labels divide the conservative movement.
USS Liberty — quick summary
- Incident: in the 1967 Six‑Day War the USS Liberty (a U.S. signals ship) was attacked; ~34 US sailors killed, hundreds wounded.
- Official position: U.S. and Israeli inquiries concluded it was an accident; Israel paid compensation (several payments in 1968–1980; inflation‑adjusted totals are nontrivial).
- Panel view: tragedy and likely a mistake; not a primary reason to alter current U.S.–Israel policy. The episode is sometimes used by critics of Israel and can fuel conspiratorial narratives.
Notable quotes & soundbites
- “Power is everything.” — on why winning elections is essential to enact policy.
- “Paper in the box.” — shorthand for ballot penetration / getting votes cast.
- “If the most important thing is doing good, you will end up purposeful.” — Charlie Kirk (intro).
Action items & recommendations for listeners
- Read primary sources and balanced histories when studying the Revolutionary era; include Anti‑Federalist writings.
- If you want political impact: register voters, join/get involved with local chapters (Turning Point), volunteer in GOTV/ballot‑chasing operations and consider running for office.
- For conservatives globally: coordinate across borders, focus on grassroots mobilization, and prioritize targeted resources where they flip outcomes.
- On the Israel debate: learn the difference between theological beliefs and state policy; avoid letting labels drive wedges in coalition politics.
Final note
Episode emphasizes winning as the precondition for policy change: build organizational power, put resources into targeted GOTV, and avoid intra‑conservative fracturing that undermines elections.