It's Time To Call Them What They Are – Christian Nationalists
If there is one area where Republicans continue to outflank Democrats, it is in the understanding and consistency of framing and language. That consistency of language then seeps its way into the media and becomes the accepted shorthand for discussing particular issues or polices. Perhaps the greatest example of this is the phrase “death tax” as an alternative to the estate tax but there are countless others.
The way this process works is largely by having the GOP pundit class and propaganda outfits start using the phrase which then forces its way into the public consciousness. When GOP public officials start using the phrase, then the media is forced to at least report it that way. Soon the phrase becomes a shorthand description that everyone understands, even if the media constantly explains that the “death tax” is an estate tax.
One of the most incredible features of the whole Trump phenomenon, and there are so many, is that his strongest supporters still come from the group that is variously denoted in the media as the “evangelical community”, “conservative Christians”, “religious right”, or “values voters”. 80% of that group voted for Trump in 2016. And even today, after all the evidence about Trump’s philandering and lying, a recent CBS News poll showed that 70% of white evangelicals still support the President.
The explanations for this fall into two camps, both with the similar view that Trump’s policies are in line with that group’s ideology despite his personal failures. For segments of the media, it is explained by the Neil Gorsuch appointment and the correspondingly increased likelihood that Roe v. Wade will be overturned. Others in the media point to Trump’s strong defense of the concept of “religious liberty”.
Whatever the reason, it is also clear that the current labels given to this group, such as “evangelical community”, “conservative Christians”, “religious right”, or “values voters”, no longer accurately represents who these voters really are and what they actually believe. In fact, the racial divide in the evangelical community as a whole is even starker than in the general populace. In Alabama, 80% of white evangelicals supported Roy Moore and 95% of black evangelicals supported Doug Jones.
A study earlier this year found that the most robust predictor for voting for Trump was the “adherence to Christian nationalist ideology…Christian nationalist ideology…operates as a unique and independent ideology that can influence political actions by calling forth a defense of mythological narratives about America’s distinctively Christian heritage and future”. This ideology can provide the intellectual basis for anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant positions. It thrives on the concept that Christianity is under attack not only from the increasing secularization of society but that white American Christianity in particular is under threat from invading hordes of non-believers. Because of this perceived threat, Christian nationalism often bleeds over into white nationalism and its corresponding outright racism. In addition, the ideology is more focused on political outcomes than on moral and ideological purity, thus explaining its continued strong support of Trump.
The words “evangelical community”, “values voters”, and even “religious right” imply a certain moral and ethical compass that the support of the Trump presidency puts lie to very clearly. Even the term Christian nationalism is somewhat misleading because it’s clear that much of what most believe to be Christian values are missing from its ideology. But the term is a far better descriptor of Trump’s supporters than what gets used now. It’s high time that Democratic and progressive pundit class start calling this group by its proper name and not allow the media to couch the Christian nationalist ideology in more fuzzy religious and moral terms.
