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Addressing the Recent Heretic Happy Hour Podcast Episode

Addressing the Recent Heretic Happy Hour Podcast Episode

Last updated on: September 8, 2026 at 3:35 pm by Matthew Distefano

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Addressing the Recent Heretic Happy Hour Podcast Episode 2026-09-08T15:35:37-06:00 Matthew Distefano

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On September 8, Pastor Evan McClanahan joined the Heretic Happy Hour—a podcast I’ve been co-hosting for nine years now—to offer a Christian defense of Donald Trump. Yes, that Donald Trump. The civilly-liable sexual abuser. The cancer-charity defrauder. The felon. The liar. The cheat. The grifter. The Christian signaler. The blasphemer. The guy who added cheesy song lyrics, his signature, and a $1,000 price tag to the Scriptures Pastor Evan claims to revere so damn much. Yeah, that guy.

And while the conversation itself was fine—and yes, I use that term intentionally—there were a lot of frustrating moments, for us as hosts and I’m sure for our listeners. That is why we will be addressing things on this coming Friday Bonus Show, as well as in this article.

Below, I would like to mention the two most frustrating moments and clarify what was espoused on the show I have loved for nearly a decade. If you want to hear our expanded thoughts, make sure to subscribe to the Heretic Happy Hour and tune in to this week’s Bonus Show.

ISSUE 1: INCONSISTENT RED LINES

Throughout the conversation, Keith Giles and I attempted to get an answer to the question, “what is your red line with Donald Trump?” Meaning, what would the president have to do to lose your support? Could he really shoot someone on 5th Avenue, or would that be too far to go? Evan told us two things: 1) a credible accusation of rape or sexual assault, and 2) direct violence against another person.

Of course, when we brought up the multiple accusations Trump has faced, Evan dismissed them all as “not credible.”

Convenient.

Evan though a jury found Trump civilly liable for sexual assault and defamation in the E. Jean Carroll case, they were wrong. Carroll is a “kook,” according to McClanahan. Even though Trump bragged about grabbing women by the genitals, he does a lot of “talking.” The locker room variety, as we’ve all heard. Even though 28 women have accused Trump of various forms of sexual assault, they were all lying. Or, at least that must be what Pastor Evan tells himself so he can sleep soundly at night.

But then, on the flipside, if anyone not in McClanahan’s political camp does anything that remotely resembles the accusations Trump has faced, they are instantly guilty. And look, maybe they are. Bill Clinton is a scumbag. Graham Platner is a scumbag. Eric Swallwell is a scumbag. And you know what they all have in common? They have zero influence on today’s progressive political movement.

But what really pissed me off, more than the blatant whataboutisms, were the lies. Pastor Evan, I suppose in an attempt to normalize the grotesqueness of Trump, went to the well-worn-out anti-Black-woman trope and stated that Kamala Harris’ political career began because she engaged in a sexual relationship with yet-to-be San Francisco mayor Willie Brown. In other words, she slept her way to the top. This is untrue. Harris and Brown dated in 1994 and 1995, four years after Harris graduated from law school, passed the BAR, and began working as Deputy DA for Alameda County. Then, Pastor Evan doubled down on the demonization of Harris by suggesting she was somehow complicit in her husband’s prior poor decision making. Of course, everything the Pastor brought up regarding Harris’ husband Doug happened well before his marriage to Harris, so I am not sure how any of this was related other than to yet again blame a woman for something a man did.

Yuck.

No doubt, this was all just an attempt to deflect from the real issue at hand, namely, the fact that as a Pastor, there should be no justification for supporting someone who is literally as antithetical to Jesus as one can get. Full stop. End of story. Roll the credits.

ISSUE 2: THE DEMONIZATION OF IMMIGRANTS

Toward the very end of the show, I asked Evan point blank what is now better under Donald Trump. The answer he gave astounded me. With his whole chest, he stated that because of Trump’s immigration crackdown, he and his family are now safer. Yes, you read that right. Safer, in spite of the fact that immigrants—documented and undocumented—account for less crime per capita than people born in the States.

Oh, but Pastor Evan probably wouldn’t want you to know that. Because it doesn’t fit with his narrative. But it’s true. Studies upon studies show that immigrants commit significantly less crime than native-born folks. That’s documented immigrants. That’s undocumented immigrants. All of them. So, to suggest that crime is down (which it is, and has been trending that way for a long time) because “the border is closed” is nonsense. Nothing but classic anti-brown and anti-Black rhetoric from someone who I’m sure wouldn’t consider himself racist.

And look, it’s not my intention to accuse others of being racist, but if you are gonna use the same tropes as those who openly are, maybe it’s time to reevaluate your positions. We all have blind spots, but once those blind spots are pointed out to you, maybe you should pay attention to them. Just sayin’.

Now, while I earlier admitted that the conversation was indeed frustrating, I still think people should listen to it. While we didn’t address every nonsensical thing Pastor Evan stated on the show in real time, we believe we did well to push back as often as we could. And if we missed anything, well, that is what this article is for, and what Friday’s Bonus Show will be devoted to. So, until then, stay locked in because these people vote, generally against the best interest of others, and we have midterms coming up.

If you’re navigating faith after certainty, loving Jesus but not the empire, or trying to hold on to hope in a burning world, you’re not alone. I explore these themes weekly on the Heretic Happy Hour podcast.

You can also explore my books—including Heretic!, The Wisdom of Hobbits, and others—right here: https://quoir.com/authors/matthew-j-distefano/

Thanks for reading. Thanks for thinking. And thanks for refusing to settle for easy answers.

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About Matthew J. Distefano

Matthew J. Distefano is an award-winning author, best known for The Wisdom of Hobbits and Mimetic Theory & Middle-earth. He is the co-host of the popular Heretic Happy Hour podcast, co-owner of Quoir Publishing, and owner of Happy Woods Farm—a small permaculture farm nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Matthew's thought-provoking work explores spirituality, theology, philosophy, politics, and culture, and his writing has been featured in Sojourners, Patheos, and beyond. He is a graduate of Chico State University, and when he's not writing, farming, or playing The Last of Us, he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. You can read more about the author here.

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