We can’t stop trying to measure the extraordinary impact of the abominable murder of Charlie Kirk, one of the most prominent influencers in the MAGA universe. This took place in a country already marked by a recurring history of political violence—one that has seen four presidents shot to death over the last two centuries, and one more shot who recovered.
The live-streamed assassination of a man who might have gone on to become a prominent politician has caused an exceptional uproar. Fever and outrage are at their peak. MAGA supporters have made him the first martyr of their cause. Despite unanswered questions about the killer’s motives, Trump’s supporters have used the influencer’s death as a pretext to crack down on all forms of opposition, particularly on the left. The consequences of this vengeful fervor will be seen in the months ahead.
In the meantime, it is worth noting that Kirk has not only been cast as a martyr for the cause: he was quickly elevated to the status of prophet as well. Many pastors have used AI to make Kirk’s voice and messages speak from “beyond the grave.” Countless videos circulate showing Kirk in heaven alongside Jesus, JFK, or Abraham Lincoln, sometimes racking up millions of views. In one of them, Kirk speaks, explaining that he died for his faith, before introducing his illustrious predecessors, who then testify to their own martyrdom: Paul recalls his beheading, Andrew his crucifixion, Stephen his stoning … The video, kitschy in the extreme, has surpassed 875,000 views on X. It marks a new stage: after martyr and prophet, Kirk is now portrayed as the 13th apostle. This is precisely what Texas Republican Representative Troy Nehls has declared.
We should not forget that the word “martyr” comes from the ancient Greek μάρτυς, meaning “witness.” Martyred, Kirk thus becomes by definition a witness to the faith. Turning to chapter 11 of Revelation, we find a passage particularly in vogue right now. The narrator hears the divine voice proclaim:
“I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy, clothed in sackcloth, for one thousand two hundred and sixty days.” (Rev. 11:3, Christian Standard Bible)
A quick web search is all it takes to see that many believers have seized on this passage to cast Kirk as one of these two witnesses, interpreting his death in a profoundly eschatological way.
A quick theological reminder: according to Revelation 13:5, “the nations” must trample Jerusalem for 42 months, or three and a half years. During that time, two “witnesses” will appear and call for repentance. They are usually identified as either Elijah and Moses or Elijah and Enoch. Endowed with extraordinary powers—such as stopping the rain or turning water into blood—they are to preach for 1,260 days, after which the first Beast will manifest, wage war against them, and put them to death. But after three and a half days, God will bring them back to life, and all will witness their divine ascension (Rev. 11:5–11). As historian Philip C. Almond points out, this marks the first appearance of the Beast.
Relying on this passage, many evangelical Christians have commented on Kirk’s death. One such example is Robert Clifton Robinson, a Christian author, philosopher, and apologist, with 45 books to his name (nearly half of which can be found on Amazon). On his site, he notes that he was a pastor for 14 years and is an international Bible expert. He offers a long analysis of the events surrounding Kirk’s murder. He immediately connects these to the two witnesses of Revelation. We are at the beginning, he argues, of a seven-year tribulation. In his view, Charlie Kirk was sent by Jesus to preach the Gospel to the young. The return of Jesus, who will conduct the Rapture, is imminent. It’s difficult to gauge the real reach of this text, but it clearly gives Kirk’s death a new, undeniably eschatological meaning.
In [Robert Clifton Robinson’s] view, Charlie Kirk was sent by Jesus to preach the Gospel to the young. The return of Jesus, who will conduct the Rapture, is imminent.
Robinson is not the only one to interpret the influencer’s murder in this way. Online, multiple posts reveal similar analyses. A striking example is a video by Hannah Christine-Fell, which blew up far beyond her usual numbers. While the young woman has only about 1,000 TikTok followers and her videos rarely exceed 500 views, her piece on Kirk’s death has exploded, reaching nearly 300,000 views, not counting reposts on Instagram or elsewhere. In a rather confused style, she claims that we are living in “the time of prophecy fulfillment.” Referring to chapter 11 of Revelation, she invokes the two witnesses and marvels at the incredible correspondence between biblical texts written nearly two thousand years ago and the situation we are currently experiencing. Though she does not dare to claim that Charlie would be resurrected three-and-a-half days later, she nonetheless concludes that his murder is a sign of the imminent end of the world and the return of Christ.
Even if the eschatological interpretation of his death is not yet widespread, it is clearly present and easily identifiable.
Other similar examples abound on Facebook. On a site with the promising name Rapture in the air now, a woman named Liezel Kuntz explains that Kirk’s death reminded her of Revelation 11 and the two witnesses. On X, one can use AI (Grok) to search for posts linking Kirk’s death to Revelation 11. The program instantly pulls up a handful. An exhaustive approach is not necessary. Even if the eschatological interpretation of his death is not yet widespread, it is clearly present and easily identifiable.
For years now, a few researchers—largely ignored—have pointed out the deeply apocalyptic tendencies of the MAGA movement. Last spring, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor warned against the rise of an end times fascism. At this point, linking Kirk’s assassination with Revelation 11 is anything but anecdotal: it is a particularly troubling religious signal. It clearly means that, for many Americans, the world has entered the tribulations of the End Times, that Jesus’ return is imminent, and that a great eschatological battle between Good and Evil is about to unfold.
Without question, this is millenarianism, a propaganda tool so dear to Donald Trump. After overusing apocalyptic references during the campaign, the president shifted his approach dramatically after his victory: from the imminent threat of the end of the world, he moved to the exaltation of a coming Golden Age—a theme he exploits almost daily. During his address to the UN on September 24 this year, he hammered it home once more:
“This is indeed the Golden Age of America.”
In doing so, the American president perfectly illustrated a concept Umberto Eco only sketched in his short work, How to Spot a Fascist. The Italian writer explained Ur-Fascism, or eternal fascism, thusly:
“this involves an Armageddon complex: since enemies must and can be defeated, there must be a final battle after which the movement will take control of the world. This final solution implies that an era of peace will follow, a golden age contradicting the principle of permanent war.”
We must understand what this massive intrusion of millenarianism into contemporary society means: there are now only two camps facing each other, fighting to the death. With Christ’s return imminent, everyone must choose sides between Jesus and the Beast! The victory or defeat will be final, and humanity will reach the end of God’s plan: the Last Judgement. This is far removed from the foundations of democracy, from the ideal of liberty celebrated in the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, and its closing lines: “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” With an imminent end-of-the-world mindset, what threatens is nothing less than civil war. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former right-hand man in the early months of his first administration and a continuing far-right activist, has never hidden his desire to lead the “MAGA army” to final victory. Was he speaking only of the presidential election?
With an imminent end-of-the-world mindset, what threatens is nothing less than civil war.
Either way, millenarianism undeniably permeates American society and politics more and more. Recently, people have begun asking whether the MAGA movement is turning into a religion. The horrible murder of Kirk and its theological-political exploitation provide fresh evidence for this thesis. One might try to find comfort in the thought that such eschatological musings come only from a small, radicalized minority. Unfortunately, this is not the case: the fanatics of the Apocalypse seem to have already seized power.
Joël E. Schnapp is a French historian, holding a PHD in Modern History from the University of Paris-X Nanterre. He is a research associate at University of Grenoble and a specialist of Apocalyptic Traditions in the Renaissance and the Christian Polemics against Islam. He published in 2017 a book called Prophéties de fin du monde et peur des Turcs au XVe siècle: Ottomans, Antichrist, Apocalypse. In 2023, he published an essay called Chroniques de l’Antichrist: Crises et Apocalypses au XXIe siècle, in which he reflects on medieval apocalytic traditions applied to contemporary history. He has also written numerous articles for Le Monde, Le Média, Le Nouvel Observateur, Le Point and Lundi.am.
Image made by John Chrobak using “Spring American Comeback Tour 2025 257” by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. All other images used are in the public domain.
