Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening — this is Paul Truesdell, and you are listening to the Paul Truesdell Podcast.

Tomorrow, October 14, marks the birthday of the late Christian evangelist and unapologetic promoter of traditional American values, Charlie Kirk. I will have the honor of serving as the master of ceremonies at what will be a solemn, well-attended, peaceful, and deeply respectful event in Ocala, Florida.

Let me be clear about what this gathering is — and what it is not.
There will be no circus atmosphere.
No costumes.
No sequin hats.
No caustic language.
No calls for violence.

Instead, this will be a coming together of individuals who were profoundly impacted by the loss of a man who accomplished what very few do in a single lifetime. While I do not preach the Gospel, nor do I claim to possess the theological training that others rightfully hold, I am comfortable in my own skin — as every follower of the Christian faith should be. Faith should not require apology.

Yet we live in an era where those with uncontrolled emotions lash out over whose “imaginary friend” they believe is more real. We watch people who openly mock faith, celebrate chaos, and seem determined to drag society into a dystopian, Mad Max-style existence. This rising hostility toward people of belief — toward order, morality, and stability — must be understood for what it truly is: a warning sign.

The time is coming, and in many ways has already arrived, when strong enforcement of laws, rules, and regulations will be required if we want to preserve a civilized society. Without order, there is only fear — physical, emotional, economic, and spiritual. And fear is the fuel of destruction.

For those planning to attend tomorrow’s event, I believe it will be memorable — not just in emotion, but in purpose. Because what we are doing is more than honoring a life. We are setting the stage for a much larger conversation that must be had in this country. A conversation that leads to political action. A conversation that leads to boots on the ground — not in protest theater, but in real, tangible support for those who do the hard work most people are either unable or unwilling to do, yet depend on every single day.

As always, I approach every topic through an economic lens. I am a lifestyle business — or more accurately, business is my lifestyle. And when chaos is allowed to spiral, it does not just tear at culture and community — it destroys the wheels and gears of the economy. And when those wheels seize up, the great machinery of our nation grinds to a halt.

So in today’s podcast, I thank you in advance for your time and consideration. What follows will not only honor a man — it will challenge a nation.

A wave of violence has gripped American cities in recent months, transforming streets into battlegrounds and echoing the chaos of historical upheavals. From Portland, Oregon—the heart of this unrest—to cities nationwide, groups like Antifa and their allies are waging what many call sophisticated guerrilla warfare, targeting federal facilities, law enforcement, and independent journalists. This isn’t a spontaneous outburst; it’s a calculated campaign, chillingly similar to the socialist and communist movements that tore through Russia during the White-Red War from 1917 to 1923 or Germany between the World Wars. In Russia, Bolsheviks used propaganda and brute force to topple a fledgling democracy, sparking a civil war that killed millions and left families destitute. In Weimar Germany, communist street fighters sowed disorder, creating a vacuum that fueled extremism and led to untold suffering. Today, we see parallel tactics: decentralized cells, media manipulation, and a growing number of “useful idiots”—well-meaning but naive individuals who amplify chaos without understanding its deadly cost.

As a conservative Christian who rejects violence in all its forms, I view this crisis through a moral lens. Scripture calls us to seek justice and love mercy, but these acts of destruction defy that calling, harming innocent people and unraveling the God-given order of society. The mainstream media—what I call the “lamestream media,” outlets like ABC, NBC, and CBS—often buries the truth, downplaying the violence or spinning it as protest. This episode draws on firsthand accounts from independent journalists risking their lives to expose reality. We’ll unpack the escalating violence, its devastating toll on lives and livelihoods, the shadowy funding fueling it, and the Trump administration’s response. At the core is a tragedy that has shaken the nation: the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, gunned down on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University. His death wasn’t random—it was a calculated strike by a radicalized 22-year-old, a wake-up call to a nation ignoring history’s warnings.

Let’s start in Portland, where since June 2025, nightly sieges have targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Antifa, a far-left anarchist network, leads these assaults, joined by Mexican nationalists, open-borders extremists, and even cartel-linked groups cloaked in “liberation” rhetoric. These aren’t peaceful protests; they’re organized attacks using tactics refined over years, including doxxing ICE officers through outlets like Rose City Counter-Info, which publish personal details to incite harassment. On July 4, 2025, in Alvarado, Texas, a North Texas Antifa cell—16 to 17 members, some tied to the John Brown Gun Club militia—ambushed the Prairieland ICE facility with gunfire and fireworks. An officer was shot in the neck, clinging to life as attackers in tactical gear stormed the building. The ringleader, Benjamin Song, hid in a Dallas Antifa safe house for nearly two weeks before an FBI manhunt caught him. This violence has spread to Seattle, Chicago, and Los Angeles, with militants blocking streets, hurling rocks, and intimidating journalists. In Portland, Antifa has breached ICE offices with stop signs, burned flags, and assaulted officers with pepper spray and bricks, driving a 1,000% surge in attacks on ICE personnel nationwide.

The human toll is staggering. Officers face blinding lasers, concussions from frozen water bottles, and gunfire from shadows. In 2020, dozens of Portland agents suffered permanent eye damage from laser attacks, a tactic now resurging, with Antifa blogs urging comrades to target DHS helicopter pilots to cause crashes. Civilians aren’t spared. Independent journalist Katie Davis Court, who risks her life to report unfiltered truth, was attacked in Portland weeks ago, struck in the head with a flagpole, leaving her with a concussion and a black eye. Video shows her assailant mocking police, flipping them off, and escaping to a safe house as officers dawdled. Only after Katie pointed them to his location did they issue a “be on the lookout” bulletin the next day. Residents near the ICE facility live in fear, wearing gas masks indoors as fireworks and tear gas choke the air nightly.

No event underscores the danger like Charlie Kirk’s assassination. On September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University, Kirk was addressing 2,000 supporters when 22-year-old Tyler Robinson fired from a rooftop. His rifle cartridges bore lyrics from “Bella Ciao,” Antifa’s adopted anthem, signaling a targeted hit rooted in far-left ideology. Robinson texted a roommate, “I took out Charlie Kirk,” and surrendered days later after his mother identified him. The lamestream media—CNN, PBS—pushed false claims of a “far-right” motive, despite Utah Governor Spencer Cox calling it a “political assassination.” Kirk’s widow, Erika, vowed to carry on his mission, but his death mirrors Bolshevik purges that silenced dissent. Fueled by online radicalization, young “useful idiots” romanticize this violence, ignorant of its historical cost. Presi...