Photograph Sources: Gage Skidmore – CC BY-SA 2.0 and Craine, Detroit, Via Library of Congress – Public Domain

Charles Edward Coughlin was an ultra-right Catholic priest, Christian nationalist and fascist sympathizer in the 1930s and 1940s. Although he began his public career as someone opposed to capitalism and communism, his politics turned right as his interest in European fascism grew. He used the latest technology—the AM radio—to broadcast his anti-left, anti-Semitic and pro-fascist thoughts to millions of listeners during that period. At his urging, an organization calling itself the Christian Front was founded by some of his followers. The group opposed labor unions, liberalism and progressivism, FDR while supporting the fascist rulers Hitler of Germany and Franco of Spain. When the FBI raided the group’s Brooklyn headquarters Coughlin issued a statement, saying that he was not a member of the Christian Front and disavowed violence, yet he did not disassociate himself from the group. Coughlin’s reach was vast. Like many such groups, the organization occasionally saw members leave the main organization to form their own more extreme sects. The 1940 arrests resulted in charges alleging the men planned to surround the White House with thousands of followers and then install the fascist George Van Horn Moseley (a retired Major General) as dictator of the United States.

Charles Kirk (Charlie) was an ultra-right Christian nationalist and fascist sympathizer in the 2010s and 2020s. He used the latest technology—internet video and podcasting software—to broadcast his, anti-left, anti-Semitic, white supremacist and misogynist statements to millions of listeners during that period. He was a founder of the extreme right-wing youth organization called Turning point USA. This group became known for its surveillance of teachers, liberal........

© CounterPunch