There you are folks, the biggest conservative event of the year is here, and we have supporters on the ground in Arizona bringing coverage of America Fest 2025 today. This will be the first major Turning Point USA event since the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, and emotions are running high. I was honored to speak at AMFEST 2024 as we celebrated President Trump’s massive victory and looked toward getting his administration underway. I can’t be there this year due to family commitments for Christmas but I’m just as excited about the strategy that all of us will be part of to win in 2026 and beyond. Charlie Kirk’s movement has more momentum now than ever before, the young men and women of America are leading the charge, have stepped up to take the standard to our next victory, and we want to bring you a bit of that excitement from Phoenix. My guest today is Margaret Ackiss from North Carolina and she is our woman on the ground there! She is a former state GOP District Secretary and Host of the AssmbleX North Carolina Podcast. Known simply as “Margo”— if you hear “Margo said” in political circles and everyone knows who’s dropping truth bombs—she’s a fearless grassroots powerhouse from Western North Carolina. When a county superintendent tried turning an active school into housing for illegals, Margo rallied her posse, shut it down cold, and got him fired. She also stepped up big during Hurricane Helene, coordinating delivery of over 200 Starlinks for relief efforts. With sharp takes on X (@Margoinwnc), viral TikTok (MargoinNC), and co-hosting the twice-weekly NC Political Tea podcast, Margo fearlessly roasts Republicans and Democrats alike while driving real change: local tax clawbacks, unified background checks, and championing the pending Cyber Protection Act—which beefs up cyberstalking laws by explicitly targeting doxxing and swatting because current rules fall short against modern online threats.

Just in time for Christmas we are seeing a spike in Christian Persecution Worldwide. From Quebec’s sweeping ban on public prayer to arrests in the UK and France for silent intercession, and the staggering death toll in Nigeria—where over 7,000 Christians have been murdered this year alone. Our guest today is a retired corporate attorney with decades at the top of his field, a committed Catholic Christian, and the bestselling author of Canon Crossfire—now the #1 book in Christian Canon on Amazon. His name is Matthew McWhorter, and he’s here to unpack one of the most urgent issues facing believers today: this global rise of Christian persecution. Matthew brings both legal precision and biblical depth. He warns that governments are codifying the suppression of faith, eroding conscience and speech in ways that threaten the very foundation of liberty. But Matthew doesn’t just speak as a lawyer—he speaks as a scholar of the early Church. And he reminds us: “The original Church was a martyr Church. Pagans became Christians knowing they’d be killed for it. That’s the legacy we inherit—and the cycle we’re entering again.” Stay with us as we dive into the legal, historical, and spiritual dimensions of this unfolding crisis—and what it means for every believer today.

I know it seems like I’ve been harping on these things a lot lately but the reality of what is actually happening is very important for all of us to understand from multiple perspectives. Over the last week, we’ve seen a worldwide string of Islamist and leftist attacks and planned operations revealed that appear to be synchronized to grab headlines, terrorize, and kill Christians, Conservatives and Jewish people during the holiday period. Americans, Europeans, and Israeli citizens are the clear targets during holiday celebrations and gatherings in groups such as happens at universities. Sadly, the continued failures of law enforcement, even with some successes, continues to provide disinformation fodder to propagandists and influencers such as Candace Owens, who is in the news incessantly spouting her wacky conspiracy theories about Charlie Kirk’s murder, nefarious intent by Israel, and even stating Erika Kirk was involved. We have to discuss these issues openly and factually in order to enable western civilization to defend itself and defeat this evil that is upon us all. My guest today to discuss all this is Steven M. Abramowicz. Steve is CEO and Editor of Heartland Journal.com and host of the Heartland Journal podcast. The Heartland Journal is the original hometown print newspaper for Mill Creek, WA, founded by an 82d Airborne Army veteran dedicated to truth and patriotism.