Eric Metaxas and John Strand on January 6 Prison Persecution and the Coming American Revolution

Enjoying this? Share it with someone who needs to see it.

Up Next

Charlie Kirk Reveals the Fundamental Crisis Destroying American Education and How to Fight Back

Charlie Kirk Reveals the Fundamental Crisis Destroying American Education and How to Fight Back

31:43

Russell Brand and Jack Posobiec Explore Spiritual Warfare Following Charlie Kirk's Death and America's Fragmentation

Russell Brand and Jack Posobiec Explore Spiritual Warfare Following Charlie Kirk's Death and America's Fragmentation

29:57

Dennis Prager Explains Why Judging America's Founders by Modern Standards Reveals Left's Moral Arrogance

Dennis Prager Explains Why Judging America's Founders by Modern Standards Reveals Left's Moral Arrogance

3:01

Eric Metaxas and John Strand on January 6 Prison Persecution and the Coming American Revolution

Eric Metaxas sits down with his friend John Strand, a January 6 political prisoner who spent a year in jail with four months in solitary confinement. Strand, an actor and creative director for America's Frontline Doctors, refused a plea deal despite facing a 20-year felony, choosing to stand for truth instead. Now running for Congress in Florida's 19th district to fill Byron Donalds' seat, Strand discusses his forthcoming book Patriot Plea, the spiritual awakening happening in America, and why 2026 represents our generation's 1776. This conversation explores the persecution of January 6 attendees, the battle between good and evil in America, and the revival movement sweeping the nation as we enter the super centennial year celebrating 250 years of American independence.

December 31, 2025

The Personal Cost of January 6

Eric Metaxas opens this powerful conversation by explaining how the January 6 persecution became deeply personal when his friend John Strand was imprisoned for a year, spending four months in solitary confinement. Metaxas emphasizes that when you know and love someone who has been put through hell by your own government, the evil becomes undeniable. Strand's story compelled Metaxas to write the forward to Strand's forthcoming book, Patriot Plea, and deepened his commitment to exposing the truth about what really happened on January 6.

Metaxas expresses frustration that most Americans still believe false narratives about January 6, that Joe Biden was legitimately elected, and that the vaccine was beneficial. He notes that even Fox News refuses to acknowledge the full truth, creating a situation where speaking reality feels like going through the looking glass into wonderland. Despite the difficulty, Metaxas insists that God has chosen people like him and Strand to speak truth and put the results in God's hands.

John Strand's Journey from Hollywood to Political Prisoner

John Strand introduces himself as an artist, actor, and writer who worked in Hollywood for many years. Born in California to an Italian-American family with a Navy father, he was raised with Judeo-Christian values emphasizing absolute truth, love, goodness, beauty, and the value of freedom. Strand was pursuing his American dream as a creative professional when the world turned upside down in 2020.

As the Marxism of BLM literally burned down streets and COVID propaganda brought tyranny to America's shores, God spoke to Strand's heart. He began speaking out publicly against the lockdowns, which proved unacceptable in Hollywood and quickly ended his entertainment career. Strand led the Beverly Hills Freedom Rally to push back against lockdowns and fight for constitutional rights on the West Coast. President Trump retweeted the rally, giving it significant notoriety and driving people into the freedom movement.

Through this work, Strand connected with leaders like Eric Metaxas, Dennis Prager, Dave Rubin, and Dr. Simone Gold, who founded America's Frontline Doctors. Strand became the creative director of America's Frontline Doctors and goldcare.com, a position he has held for five years. This work placed him in position for speeches at an event with a government-approved permit on January 5th and 6th. While January 5th proceeded without incident, January 6th went sideways, and Strand found himself entrapped in what he describes as an incredibly malicious and destructive event.

The Impossible Choice and Unwavering Conviction

Twelve days after January 6, Strand's door was splintered by a battering ram followed by 20 agents in tactical gear, like a scene from a Jason Bourne movie. Facing a 20-year felony charge, the Biden DOJ offered him a golden parachute plea deal of a single misdemeanor. Everyone in his world, including colleagues, friends, family, attorneys, and even his pastor, told him it was not immoral to take the plea deal and that it was the rational choice.

But Strand believes there is never a right time to do the wrong thing. He describes this as the clearest decision he ever made, one he had actually made years earlier when he gave his heart to Jesus Christ and committed to surrendering his will to God's, choosing what is right and necessary regardless of personal cost. Strand refused the plea deal knowing he would go to prison. The extraordinary history that followed is detailed in his upcoming book, Patriot Plea, which will be released by Skyhorse Publishing in early 2026.

Confronting Evil and the Call to Fight

Metaxas praises the name of Jesus and warns against the clever distractions of Satan, who knows how to pull people away from what matters most. At the heart of everything is revival, Metaxas insists. People have prayed for decades to see what is happening now, with Donald Trump back in the White House. Wonderful things are happening at the beginning of what Metaxas calls a golden age.

As America enters the super centennial year, the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, Metaxas firmly believes it is a year of blessing from God. He identifies this moment as the third existential crisis in American history, alongside the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. While there are sacrifices and casualties in this war, including people like John Strand enduring solitary confinement for doing the right thing, God always wins.

Metaxas sees the viciousness of the enemy right now as evidence that Satan knows he is losing. People are coming to faith in Jesus every day. A boldness has been unleashed in the country, with people more willing to talk about God and Jesus. While it is a beautiful moment, Metaxas acknowledges they are in a war, and God has called them to it.

Strand agrees completely, framing two essential questions society must grapple with: Does evil exist, and what qualifies something as evil or good? And second, are Christians supposed to fight against evil or just condemn it from the corner? These two questions, Strand argues, are everything in our world right now.

AmericaFest and the Battle Lines

Strand describes AmericaFest as extraordinary, with over 30,000 attendees this year compared to 20,000 the previous year, nearly doubling attendance. He praises Erika Kirk as an absolute champion, an angelic form of grace, courage, and leadership amidst unbelievable suffering and tragedy. Kirk opened the event, followed by Ben Shapiro, who laid out the battle lines of current discourse. Vice President JD Vance brought it home with an outstanding speech capturing where America stands politically, culturally, and spiritually.

Running for Congress in Florida's 19th District

Strand announces that he has filed to run for Congress in Florida's 19th congressional district. He declares that 2026 is our generation's 1776, a singular moment of choosing and destiny. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reclaim the republic and the birthright of liberty, justice, and morality.

Drawing a parallel to the American Revolution, Strand notes that George Washington was the great leader, but he was supported by soldiers, a 3% remnant like Gideon's army. In 2026, President Trump is clearly the George Washington figure with God's hand upon him. But Trump needs soldiers to support him in Congress, where the vast majority of democratically chosen power resides via Article One of the Constitution. Strand urges people to join the fight at johnstrand.com.

Strand is running for the seat currently held by Byron Donalds, who is stepping up to run for governor of Florida due to term limits for Governor Ron DeSantis. Strand praises both leaders as heroes who have set standards for defending liberty. He escaped what he calls the communism of California four years ago to defend liberty and morality in Naples and Southwest Florida. While in prison, God spoke to his heart with the question: If not you, then who? If not now, then when?

Three Policy Pillars: Defending America

Strand's mission in Congress centers on defending the American worker, the American family, and the American dream through three policy pillars. The first is sovereignty, encompassing immigration, election integrity, and bodily sovereignty through medical freedom. Strand advocates banning all medical mandates of any kind, period.

On immigration, Strand emphasizes that Americans have a sacred duty from God to be stewards of what has been given to them. Understanding sovereignty, immigration, and the rule of law is critical to that stewardship. He praises Governor Ron DeSantis for his extraordinary work supporting President Trump's immigration agenda, including initiatives like alligator Alcatraz, aligning with ICE to secure borders and ensure the rule of law is upheld starting with who enters the country.

The Necessity of Civics Education

Metaxas stresses the absolute necessity of civics education, arguing that everyone in America needs to understand these foundational principles. You cannot be a free people unless the people understand what is being discussed. You can be a slave or a subject, but you cannot be a free self-governing citizen in a self-governing republic unless we the people understand these things and live them out.

Metaxas references his book If You Can Keep It, explaining that Benjamin Franklin knew the Constitution is utterly worthless unless we the people understand it and live it out. Otherwise, it is just a dead piece of paper. Americans must understand their history, know their stories, and learn the lessons of leadership, both failures and victories.

In 1960, if you took a microphone to Main Street and asked people about American history, they knew the names and stories because they learned it in school and it was part of the culture. That has disappeared since the 1960s, which is why fewer people understand these principles and why Americans have been able to be manipulated. This erosion of civic knowledge is why someone like Joe Biden or whoever was running his campaign could steal an election, and when people were told not to ask questions, many complied because the spirit of America was nearly dead.

Trump repeatedly says, with characteristic flair, that America was almost dead but is now the hottest country, the sexiest, hottest country. While Metaxas laughs at the phrasing, he agrees with the point: America is beginning to be who it is supposed to be again. There is a long way to go, but the nation is on the way, and it is a battle with people like John Strand leading the charge.

The Power of Homeschooling

Metaxas believes all those who went through the hell of January 6 should run for office or get involved in some capacity because they have suffered and understand what can happen even in a country like America. When the January 6 persecution was happening, Metaxas found it hard to process that such things could occur in America. He thought, not in America. But obviously it can happen anywhere, requiring vigilance and understanding.

As Ronald Reagan said, freedom is always one generation away from extinction. The Bible demonstrates this with the nation of Israel, using these stories to teach all humanity the importance of remembrance, priorities, and worship, with God first and above all in the first commandment. The founders described the Constitution as a parchment barrier, meaning if you do not know it, practice it, and defend it, it will be shredded and taken away. The Bible teaches that people perish for lack of knowledge.

Strand reveals that he was homeschooled, crediting his incredible foundation to parents who took seriously their responsibility from God that their children belong to them on earth. God entrusted them with sacred stewardship to teach and raise their children in the way they should go, as Proverbs instructs. Homeschooling can look different for everybody, including micro schools, charter schools, and private schools, but there must be an understanding and heart for raising your own kids.

Metaxas emphatically declares that homeschooling is the way back. Traveling around the country, he meets homeschoolers and their parents who are going to take over the world. God is raising up a generation in an absolutely extraordinary way that gives him tremendous hope.

Revolution: The Only Real Revolution

Strand describes next year as a year of revolution. Metaxas reveals that his forthcoming book is titled Revolution, not the American Revolution, because to him the only real revolution was the American Revolution. The French Revolution was a failed tragic parody of the American Revolution, in some ways a diabolical parody. The Soviet Bolshevik Revolution was an absolutely demonic parody.

The only real revolution in human thinking that produced a unique country was the American Revolution. It was a revolution in human thinking that brought into history a nation unlike any that had ever existed. This is about American exceptionalism, not that Americans are better as people, but that the ideas bequeathed by the founders, which come from scripture, are exceptional. These biblical ideas about how people can govern themselves, looking directly to God in a covenant relationship, answering to the high authority of God rather than rulers or tyrants, had never happened in human history until 1776.

Americans have been given the glorious ability to live in such a country and keep the flame of liberty alive. Everyone has a responsibility, whether running for office like John Strand or homeschooling children to learn about these foundational truths.

A Sacred Stewardship

Strand reflects on how society has drifted and abdicated its duty as families to make hard, tough, righteous choices, putting children above ourselves, community and church above ourselves, and nation above ourselves. He quotes John F. Kennedy: Ask not what your government can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Apply this to church and to God as well. God's desire for believers, as children of God, is to be in community with him, to choose joy, find purpose, and discover the incredible goodness and eternal future of glory he has destined for all of us.

Metaxas and Strand close by affirming their hope in God's plan for America, the revival happening across the nation, and the responsibility every American has to preserve and defend the freedoms entrusted to this generation. With leaders like John Strand willing to sacrifice everything for truth and justice, and with God raising up a new generation through homeschooling and spiritual awakening, America stands on the threshold of reclaiming its birthright as the land of the free.

Video Transcript

Link copied to clipboard!