The conservative Christian media outlet Charisma has published a blog post by Rick Wiles, an intensely and relentlessly anti-Semitic online personality, in which he defended his recent remarks denouncing the House impeachment inquiry as a “Jew coup.” The new Wiles column includes a long list of “seditious leftwing Jews” who he says are “conspirators” pushing for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. Charisma has been an ardent promoter of the idea that Trump was anointed and placed in office by God.
Charisma had previously published a column by Michael Brown, an anti-LGBTQ activist and Christian author, criticizing Wiles’ rhetorical attacks on Jews. Charisma’s decision to publish Wiles’ defense was accompanied by a declaration that “we respect Rick Wiles”—a declaration that is even more remarkable than their decision to publish his screed. In the Charisma post, Wiles defiantly stands by comments he made on November 22. “These are seditious, treacherous Jews who are undermining the president of the United States and pushing this country to civil war. I consider them domestic enemies, he said. “This is an American style, Jewish led Bolshevik revolution.”
Right Wing Watch first reported Wiles’ “Jew coup” comments, which attracted widespread attention and criticism. Right Wing Watch has extensively documented Wiles’ anti-Semitism and repeatedly asked why the Trump White House gives his TruNews operation media credentials.
In his new column, Wiles complains, “Right-Wing Watch is the primary source of Michael Brown’s talking points to smear my name and ministry.” And he warns Brown “and other slanderers smearing my name and ministry” to “ask their attorneys to define defamation of character and libel, and make sure their liability insurance policies are in force.”
Charisma also published Brown’s response to Wiles’ latest diatribe. Brown quoted a recent Wiles charge that a “Jewish cabal” would be coming next for the church: “The church of Jesus Christ, you’re next,” Wiles said. “Get it through your head! They’re coming for you. There will be a purge. That’s the next thing that happens when Jews take over a country, they kill millions.”
In his response, Brown tells Wiles, “You are guilty of spreading lies and inciting fear concerning the Jewish people,” and he urged Wiles to “repent.”
In another editor’s note introducing Brown’s response, Charisma says that they agree that Wiles “should apologize and repent for some of his views,” but Charisma also repeats the idea that Wiles is a “respected” commentator, saying “we ran both pieces verbatim so that our editing process did not alter anything that these two respected men had to say about these issues, which go way beyond simply our decision to publish Dr. Brown’s original op-ed.”
Charisma has not stated what it is about Wiles that it respects. Could it be last year’s warning that “leftist mobs” could soon be executing Christians, or his recent claim that Democrats are “forcing” him to stockpile ammunition in preparation for “a violent” civil war between the “pagan left” and “religious right”?
