Disclaimer: Wessex Scene does not condone the glorification of the passing of Charlie Kirk, nor the promotion of religious or political violence of any kind.
In both the USA and the UK, the far right has exploited Christian faith as a political tool. From Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk in the US to Tommy Robinson and other such figures in the UK, Christian language and symbols are being increasingly used to justify hostility towards migrants, minorities and progressive values.
The strategy is simple: by presenting political opinions as “Christian values”, far-right leaders turn their agendas into moral crusades. Anyone who disagrees isn’t just wrong – they are also anti-Christian.
The USA
Donald Trump’s connection to Christianity has always been more political than spiritual. Throughout both of his presidencies he has described himself as a defender of “Christian America”, claiming that the religion is “under attack” and exploiting Americans’ fears of spiritual deterioration to rally Christians to his conservative policies on immigration and abortion.
At his election rallies, Bible verses were quoted alongside his political slogans. For many supporters, voting for Trump became a religious duty. This mindset helped to cultivate the so-called “Christian nationalist” movement based on the idea that America’s identity and laws should be rooted in a politicised form of Christianity.
The consequences of that approach came to a head on the 6th of January 2021 when rioters stormed the US capital carrying crosses and “Jesus saves” flags. The line between faith and political extremism had effectively vanished.
The influence of Charlie Kirk
Few figures brought attention to the Christian nationalist message as aggressively as Charlie Kirk did before his assassination in September. Turning Point USA, a branch of his organisation, has gained a mass following among American students by combining right-wing politics with religious slogans.
Kirk often painted political issues as spiritual battles, urging Christian students to fight back against an educational and governmental system that he viewed as “anti-Christian”. Yet, with close analysis of these policies, his rhetoric often contradicted many of Christianity’s central teachings.
For example, Kirk argued that tighter immigration controls are necessary to protect America’s “Christian identity”. But the Bible, in numerous cases, encourages compassion towards strangers and refugees. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his followers to welcome the stranger. Furthermore, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, he praises kindness across ethnic and social divides. By portraying migrants as threats, Kirk’s politics directly opposed those teachings.
Turning Point UK has pushed similar ideas. Its social media posts often link moral decline to the rejection of “Christian values”. In practice, these messages often target multiculturalism and diversity rather than actually defending faith.
Following Kirk’s death, supporters quickly framed him as a Christian martyr. Public figures and media outlets cast his assassination as a symbolic attack on conservative Christianity itself.
Yet this narrative of martyrdom is precisely what critics warn against – it turns political opposition into persecution and transforms a single tragic event into an ideological rallying cry. One can call themselves a Christian supporter of Kirk, but fundamentally cannot act Christian while endorsing a rhetoric that contradicts the core teachings of compassion and inclusion found in the Gospels themselves.
The UK
In the UK, far-right movements have increasingly made use of Christian teaching to enforce their ideologies regarding the right to live in the country. Tommy Robinson’s rallies often include crosses and slogans about “defending Christian Britain”. Overall, his message is clear: Christianity defines those who fit in and those who do not, with asylum seekers, Muslims, members of the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups all portrayed as outsiders.
The same ideas have found their way into mainstream populism. Figures in Reform UK, such as Rupert Lowe, have justified hard-line immigration policies as expressions of “Christian values”. In these cases, Christianity becomes more of a quick excuse for monoculturalism than anything genuinely spiritual.
This weaponisation of faith isn’t confined to migration. In October 2025, an evangelical group calling itself “Kings Army” marched through Old Compton street in response to the perceived “immorality” of the LGBTQ+ community living there. The group, dressed in militarised black tracksuits and chanting “Jesus saves” was linked online to Turning Point UK. The demonstration directly signifies that this issue isn’t mutually exclusive to the US, and that even here in the UK Christian ideals can be twisted into means of intimidation. By staging the march in a neighbourhood known for its diversity and acceptance, the group exploited their own religious beliefs not to inspire compassion but to shame and divide. It’s another example of how spiritual language can be hijacked by the far-right to justify hatred.
It’s important to note that some Christian leaders have spoken out about these issues. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has often condemned the use of Christianity as a tool to be hostile towards migrants and argued that a truly Christian nation must show compassion for those in need. Moreover, bishop Christopher Chessum has also warned that portraying refugees as threats betrays the gospel’s welcoming message. These voices highlight a growing divide in modern Christianity between those who use faith to serve others and those who use it to serve themselves.
Why does it matter?
When religion becomes a political shield, moral debates stop being evidence-based. Instead, they shift into conversations of good vs evil, making open discussion and compromise almost impossible. It also risks damaging the reputation of the religion – when faith is used to attack migrants or minorities, it loses sight of what all religion claims to be: a source of hope and empathy.
Conclusion
In both the US and the UK, the far right’s use of Christianity isn’t about defending faith – it’s about exploiting it. Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, Tommy Robinson and Reform UK have all turned Christianity into a political brand. The louder these movements claim to speak for Christianity, the more important it becomes for Christians and the general public to remind themselves of what this religion actually teaches at its core. When religion becomes a weapon, it stops being holy.
