Yesterday Trump announced he's nominating Pete Hegseth as his Secretary of Defense.

Hegseth's a prominent Fox News personality & veterans advocate, but he also has strong ties to the Christian far right that I've not seen fully exposed yet.

Here's a thread w/ receipts... 1/
1st, what's the Christian far right?

It's a coalition of different Christian social movts bound together by aggressive theologies & (often but not always) white supremacy.

This is the extreme, militant end of the spectrum of what is popularly called "Christian nationalism." 3/

It's bracing to hear the dauntless words that theological giants used to hold each other to the cause of resisting fascism.

This 1933 letter from Karl Barth to Dietrich Bonhoeffer -- "You are a German & the house of your church is burning" -- summons us to Christian courage. 1/

https://twitter.com/_kljohnson/status/1854638769963516182

We don't know whether 2025 will be a 1933. These things can happen fast. Dachau concentration camp was opened in March 1933 -- 2 months after Hitler came to power.

But we do know that's where casual dehumanization & demonization of vulnerable communities leads eventually. 2/

I've tried to approach this election unflinchingly & w/ clear eyes, but this is the absolute worst case scenario.

We're in an epochal shift in American history of the worst sort, &, while it does not spell the absolute end of Amer liberal democracy, MAGA is a fatal illness. 1/ I've been ruminating since last night over this quote from John Adams:

"Remember Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes exhausts & murders itself. There never was a Democracy Yet, that did not commit suicide. It's in vain to Say that Democracy is less vain, less proud... 2/

This is a disgusting & unbelievably irresponsible thing for a pastor to post on election day!

Landon Schott is a pastor at Mercy Culture, a hyper-political, charismatic church in the DFW area. Sean Feucht shows up there regularly, & he shared a stage w/ Feucht in DC on 10/26. 1/ If you don't know the reference here, many charismatics have railed for decades against the "spirit of Jezebel" (a demon representing feminism, LGBTQ rights, abortion, etc.) taking over the US.

More recently they've begun equating Kamala Harris w/ Jezebel & Trump w/ Jehu. 2/

I know Trump's rally at MSG got lots of press attn for its fascistic undertones, but the most fascistic thing to happen this week in Trump world -- in my view -- is this prophecy spoken over Trump by Messianic rabbi Jonathan Cahn at a relig ldrs event. 1/

You'll need some context to understand what he's saying in this prophecy, but I promise: When you understand the message he's conveying to Trump & to this audience, it's chilling.

1st, who is Jonathan Cahn?

He's mostly likely the most famous Messianic Jew in America today. 2/

Excellent (& terrifying) reporting here from @AndyKroll & @mtredden about how Russ Vought, a far-right extremist former OMB director & likely 2nd Trump Admin cabinet member, is thinking about the agenda for Trump 2.0...

Hint: It's all aggression! 1/

propublica.org/article/video-… Something we must all grasp heading into this election is how much Trump's lies about the 2020 election have become a new "lost cause" narrative, propagandizing & radicalizing many far-right actors to attack democracy in the name of defending the Constitution. 2/

In case everyone missed this: This photo is Donald Trump being prayed over by faith leaders at a Turning Point Action event in Georgia on 10/23.

The two most prominently featured faith leaders (next to Ben Carson) are Ché Ahn & Jenny Donnelly. Remember them? *It's important* 1/ Ché Ahn is one of the most respected apostles in the New Apostolic Reformation, a Christian supremacist network of charismatic leaders.

Ahn rejects the separation of church and state, because he believes Christians should control the "Seven Mountains" of culture. 2/

I was at the New Apostolic Reformation's "Million Women March" event on the National Mall today.

I gave comments to several reporters there but thought I'd offer a more extended set of reflections on this very alarming Christian nationalist episode. 1/

amillionwomen.org 1st, on crowd size: I'm suspicious of almost all claims about counting large crowds (unless there's a long history of benchmarking that exact space, e.g. Presidential inaugurations).

To illustrate: the NT Times story says there were "hundreds" there. 2/

nytimes.com/2024/10/12/us/…

The most important film you'll see this year--perhaps your entire life as a democratic citizen--is "Stopping the Steal" (HBO, released Sept 17, directed by @danreed1000)!

This is the inside story of the United States' recent past & impending future. 1/

hbo.com/movies/stoppin… If you are a true citizen, this movie will keep you up at night. This is the inside story of the anti-democratic campaign to overturn the 2020 election.

And I know you think, "OK, another January 6th documentary," but No.

This is the human story of how we came to the brink. 2/

Very important news: J.D. Vance is planning a town hall on Saturday, hosted by the Lance Wallnau Show at the Courage Tour.

This is Vance's endorsement of one of the worst, most conspiratorial, Christian supremacist spectacles in the country. 1/

donaldjtrump.com/news/90bcf4fd-… If you're not familiar w/ the Courage Tour, get educated ---

@7im:

@FredClarkson:

@anelsona:

@rickpidcock:

@chrissyjones316, @MajorCBS, @ArdenFarhi: 2/rollingstone.com/politics/polit…
religiondispatches.org/wheres-wallnau…
washingtonspectator.org/michigan/
baptistnews.com/article/how-co…
cbsnews.com/news/trump-lan…

If we weren't so used to Christians theologizing Trump, his clip of Mike Johnson would be headline news:

"Authorities are est'd by God... It seems apparent to us that God has chosen [Trump] to lead the greatest nation in the world for a 2nd time." 1/


He said this on a prayer call organized by Trump's National Faith Advisory Board, the latest version of Trump's evangelical advisory council, a group that has theologically propagandized Trump & helped mobilize Christians for January 6th. 2/

rightwingwatch.org/post/michael-f…

There's an undercovered, ongoing scandal involving sexual & spiritual abuse by unaccountable nondenominational Christian leaders. Sound familiar?

Except, because this segment of Christianity is nondenominational, people tend not to see the pattern. 1/

julieroys.com/president-morn… Specifically, the series of abuse revelations are occurring in what are known as "fivefold" or "apostolic & prophetic" ministry circles.

These ministries take their inspiration from Ephesians 4 & believe the primary leadership of apostles & prophets should be restored today. 2/

🧵-- I've spend the past 3.5 yrs researching the Christian leaders, theologies, & movts that gave us the chaotic, Christian nationalist violence we witnessed on #January6th.

We are currently seeing similar (if not more alarming) patterns emerging in this election cycle... 👇 1/ 1st, if you're unfamiliar w/ my research, I've argued that a little-understood network of Christian leaders called the New Apostolic Reformation was at the heart of Xn organizing & theologizing of the January 6th Insurrection.

See my audio-doc series. 2/

icjs.org/charismatic-re…

Today's ep. of Dutch Sheets' "Give Him 15" podcast exemplifies a LITTLE NOTICED THEOLOGICAL SHIFT in the Christian right that could seriously impact the 2024 election.

In short, many leaders on the Christian right have moved beyond "Rapture theology." 1/

I've had a number of reporters ask me about the phrase "the remnant" that you often hear among New Apostolic Reformation & other Independent Charismatic leaders.

Perhaps b/c of my own background, in the past I've generally chalked it up to a charis. stock phrase, one of many. 2/

This new article from @NormEisen should send a chill down the spine of every democracy-loving American!

Here's the big picture: Trump's friends & allies are actively monkeying w/ vote-counting procedures in swing states in ways that could matter.

Let's look at the pattern... 1/

https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/1821691093941158384

Evidence 1:

@NormEisen outlines how the America First Policy Institute (Trump Admin 2.0 in waiting) & the new *2020 ELECTION-DENYING MAJORITY* on the Georgia state election board are making it easier for local election officials to halt counting at their discretion. 2/

Joshua Caleb Standifer's organization Lion of Judah represents an urgent & unrecognized hazard to our democracy this fall.

It's targeting election workers.

I was at this event on Monday. I talked to Standifer himself.

So please, watch this video, & I'll continue... 1/

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1818709350581506286

Lion of Judah poses as a Christian ministry aimed at assisting Christians to register as election workers.

That might sound mostly innocuous-albeit strange-but you have to look at the context in which they're doing it & how they go about it.

They are 2020 election denyers! 2/

OK, I must comment, b/c I saw the same analytical error in 2 diff New Apostolic Reformation-related stories in the same day:

If you don't understand the concept of charismatic strategic spiritual warfare, you will misinterpret what NAR leaders are saying.

Let me explain... 1/ Illus. 1: In this otherwise good piece in @newrepublic, the journalist makes the interpretive leap from Lance Wallnau saying Kamala Harris "represents... an amalgam of the spirit of Jezebel" to say he's equating her w/ Jezebel.

Close, but not quite. 2/

newrepublic.com/article/184213…

I am glad the attempted assassination on Donald Trump failed, because his martyrdom would have torn the country apart.

But the current outcome is also very bad, not only for how it terrifies/polarizes the U.S., but also for how it ignites the prophecy/conspiracy theory world. 1/ I've argued that a major--& underestimated--rationale driving the violent mobilization for January 6 were a massive group of charismatic Christian prophecies about Donald Trump winning the election.

Millions of Xns believed it was God's will. 2/

icjs.org/charismatic-re…

ICYMI, Indiana Congressman Jim Banks pin-tweeted an Appeal to Heaven flag on the night Trump was convicted in New York (~1 week after the Sam Alito ATH flag story broke).

@NOTUSreports asked him about it, & his answer is menacing. 1/

notus.org/newsletter/000…
As a refresher, Banks supported Trump's 2020 election lies () & was slated to be a right-wing plant (along w/ Jim Jordan) to derail the January 6th Cmte, until Nancy Pelosi put the kibosh on that little plan -- to the feigned outrage of Banks/Jordan. 2/facebook.com/RepJimBanks/po…

I'm not certain with what intent this is posted, but I'll engage it in good faith.

I have never said the Appeal to Heaven flag only & exclusively means "Christian nationalism." Of course, there are history nuts & Americana collectors who love this flag for many reasons. 1/

https://twitter.com/RekLeCounte/status/1801045852787515559

In my view, traditions of flying the Appeal to Heaven flag along with other historical American flags -- as seemingly has been a practice in San Francisco & Los Angeles for some time -- is perfectly fine.

Especially if those traditions pre-date 2015 & Sheets' ATH campaign. 2/

A common objection I've seen since the @jodikantor story broke in the @NYTimes on Alito's Appeal to Heaven flag:

"The ATH flag was used at a BLM protest, so it can't be coded right wing, right?"

I'll address this claim seriously (recognizing many who use it are trolls). 1/

https://twitter.com/ingelramdecoucy/status/1793661871889031173

1st off, I'm suspicious of "trump card" photos online these days b/c of AI, but this does appear to have happened.

Photos of it were posted on this Substack in Sept 2020: and in other places online.

So, yes, the flag did show up at a BLM protest. 2/ravenewworld.substack.com/p/midnight-joy…