Thread by @sarahposner

THREAD:

1. Let's have some real talk about the CT editorial.

I understand the site has crashed.

But it doesn't mean Trump's evangelical support has imploded. AT ALL.

2. I've spent the better part of the last four years reporting on Trump's evangelical support--and why Trump's white evangelical supporters won out over the never Trumpers.

The result: a book, which you will be able to read next year.

penguinrandomhouse.com/books/605774/u…

3. In the meantime, just today, with @typeinvestigate and @HuffPost, we published this piece about why white evangelicals remain a crucial base of support and defense for Trump in the face of impeachment.

Read the whole thing here:

huffpost.com/entry/white-ev…

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost 4. While CT was founded by Billy Graham, evangelicalism has changed a lot, A LOT, since then.

And, as @BigDaddyWeave points out, CT's influence is overstated now, and perhaps even was back in the day.

https://twitter.com/BigDaddyWeave/status/1207797922152243202

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 5. Look at Graham's own family. Two of his children who themselves now have prominent perches (Anne and Franklin) are big supporters of Trump. (Obviously the whole Graham family does not support Trump, but Anne and Franklin have huge platforms.)

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 6. It's true, the CT editorial is powerful and important. But I seriously doubt that it would sway any evangelicals who already weren't Trump-skeptical, or anti-Trump.

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 7. Trump's base--described here, but also in much, much greater detail in my book--does not read Christianity Today, and does not care about the editorial.

huffpost.com/entry/white-ev…

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 8. Gone are the days when there were just a handful of leaders who purported to speak on behalf of evangelicals. Through a combination of expanding social media, television, conferences, book sales, mega-churches, etc etc, there are far more people with platforms and audiences.

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 9. This network was in place, and a great fit with the Trump era.

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 10. Yes, yes, it's true there are evangelicals who oppose Trump and support impeachment. But the sheer power of the expansive network of Trump supporters, and their devotion to him, is what lies behind the immovability of Republican lawmakers on impeachment.

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 11. Evangelical-land is not one huge monolith, where everyone dutifully reads a magazine like Christianity Today. Far from it.

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 12. For example, as I note in my piece today (huffpost.com/entry/white-ev…)

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 13. And (crucial):

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 14. The CT editorial is trying to speak to these people. But will they listen?

@typeinvestigate @HuffPost @BigDaddyWeave 15. In any case (shameless self-promotion alert), you can pre-order my book from your favorite bookseller.

penguinrandomhouse.com/books/605774/u…

/fin