This Friday on Ben Kissel Politics, we unpack a news cycle that somehow manages to include Pokémon, Theo Von, Donald Trump, and Charlie Kirk.

First, Kristi Noem is in hot water for rolling out a Department of Homeland Security ad that featured Theo Von and Pokémon characters—without permission. Turns out, copyright infringement is still a thing, even if you’re in politics.

Then we head to New York, where Donald Trump had a rough go at the United Nations, stumbling through a meeting where world leaders weren’t exactly buying what he was selling.

And finally, in Oklahoma, the state announced that every high school will host a Turning Point USA chapter in memory of Charlie Kirk. Because when you think of extracurriculars, you think debate team, chess club, and nationwide political indoctrination.

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Tuesday’s Ben Kissel Politics opens with a 1985 speech from John Denver, reminding us that when information is hidden from the public, curiosity only grows. That idea frames a conversation about what happens when politics and performance take over spaces meant for sincerity.

We look at the odd spectacle of Charlie Kirk’s funeral, where many speakers used the podium less to eulogize and more to push their own political messages or promote their brands. What should have been a farewell often felt like a rally.

And in one of the most unsettling turns, a pastor used AI to recreate Charlie Kirk’s voice, projecting the idea that Charlie demands people: “Do not mourn me for one second because I am in heaven.” It raised questions about authenticity, technology, and how far people are willing to go to make a point.

It’s a journey from Denver’s warning to a modern media circus—proving that the more politics hijacks our grief, the more we should all stop and ask: who is this really for?

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This weekend on Ben Kissel Politics, we put the spotlight on Pastor James David Manning and what might be the best political ad of our lifetime.

We also unpack the continuing fallout from the suspensions and scandals of Jimmy Kimmel now featuring Tucker Carlson, and what their situations say about media, censorship, and the culture wars still raging on our screens.

And finally, we close with a simple but crucial point: words are not violence. Words are words, and violence is violence. Conflating the two may make for good outrage clicks, but it’s a dangerous way to run a society.

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This Thursday on Ben Kissel Politics, we dive into the growing storm around free speech in America—and how it’s being selectively protected, punished, and paraded around for political gain.

We break down Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from ABC, what it says about corporate skittishness, and how late-night comedy has become the latest battleground in the culture war.

Then we explore how a Trump-appointed FCC has been weaponizing speech regulations, using them less to defend free expression and more to police it—especially when it threatens their political allies.

And finally, we meet the ultimate political wildcard: Pastor James David Manning, who is somehow mounting a mayoral run in New York City. Against all odds—and probably against his better judgment—he’s taking his pulpit to the polls.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, we break down the online circus surrounding the death of Charlie Kirk.

Within minutes, the news became a Rorschach test for social media: some are grieving, some are cheering, and some are furious that anyone is cheering. The algorithm rewarded outrage like it was a national sport, turning a human death into another round of digital mud wrestling.

We dig into the echo chambers that shape these reactions, the conspiracy theories already blooming in the comment sections, and the media literacy desperately missing from the discourse.

And maybe—just maybe—we ask everyone to step away from the timeline, breathe some air, and touch some actual grass. Because if your first instinct to tragedy is “post,” it might be time to go outside and remember how to be a person again.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, the news cycle reads like a surrealist play.

Pete Hegseth decided to announce the mission of the newly rebranded Department of War not with a statement, but with a kind of spoken-word poem—because nothing says military might like snapping fingers in the Pentagon.

Meanwhile, Greta Thunberg takes climate activism literally into the fire with her flaming flotilla, proving that protest at sea doesn’t always stay afloat quietly.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump insists that anything on video that makes him look bad is simply AI trickery. According to this logic, deepfakes have been haunting him since the ‘80s.

And finally, Epstein’s victims are speaking out—vowing to release the names of their political abusers while military jets fly overhead, a scene so cinematic it could only be real life.

It’s poetry, pyrotechnics, and political paranoia—served with the usual side of sarcasm and disbelief.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, we open the floor to a live Q&A and tackle a grab bag of political curveballs.

First up, Donald Trump floats the idea of rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War, proving once again that subtlety is not his strong suit.

Meanwhile, in a plot twist no one had on their bingo card, the NRA is backing the trans community after a floated proposal to ban gun sales to trans people.

And finally, we dig into the eyebrow-raising claim that Trump has been an FBI informant in the Epstein case for decades. If true, that would mean one of the most chaotic figures in American politics was also moonlighting as a snitch.

It’s rebrands, rights, and rumors—all wrapped in a conversation that proves politics is stranger than fiction.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, the headlines stretch from the classroom to the doctor’s office to the floor of the United Nations.

Media figures are already sparring over the pronouns used for a trans school shooter, turning tragedy into yet another culture war skirmish.

Meanwhile, the debate over Donald Trump’s health heats up—raising questions about fitness, transparency, and whether his campaign trail doctors moonlight as hype men.

And on the world stage, Israel lashes out at Belgium after the European nation officially recognized Palestine as a state in the UN—a diplomatic move that further complicates an already volatile global scene.

It’s a mix of language battles, medical mysteries, and international recognition, delivered with the usual dose of sarcasm, skepticism, and a stiff drink.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, we’re tackling the strange mix of fear, free speech, and full-on political backpedaling.

😨 First up: fear of fear itself. How do you confront the anxiety of living in a time where panic feels like the default setting? We dig into what it means to conquer that fear and keep moving forward.

📚 Then we dive into the new pronoun-policing legislation, which caps damages at $50,000 for people offended by speech. Because nothing says protecting freedom like slapping a price tag on it.

🏛️ And finally, Gavin Newsom continues his bid to fight his way to the middle—this time with some spectacular backtracking on earlier stances. Turns out, running for president means your spine has to be as flexible as your polling data.

It’s fear management, language lawfare, and political gymnastics—all wrapped in sarcasm and a stiff drink.

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Today on Ben Kissel Politics, we cover the news cycle’s perfect trifecta of absurdity.

🎤 Alabama Governor Kay Ivey gave a press conference that went off script—thanks to a rogue burp into the microphone. Call it southern charm, call it indigestion, call it the most relatable thing a politician has done all year.

🇺🇸 Meanwhile, Donald Trump is promising that burning an American flag will mean a mandatory one-year prison sentence. Because nothing says freedom quite like locking someone up for using it.

💻 And across the country, data centers keep multiplying like political scandals—draining power, eating resources, and making neighbors wonder if cloud computing is really worth the blackout risk.

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