The Christian Nationalists Are a Threat to Democracy

They Aim to Reshape the U.S. with Expanded Presidential Powers, if its Their Guy

A prominent loyalist has finally voiced what many in the fascist corners of the Trump movement are thinking. According to him, America is ready for a "radical constitutionalism" regime. In practice, this means vastly expanded presidential powers, allowing their man, if elected, to rule by fiat.

The theory of radical constitutionalism was introduced by Russel Vought, who served as the head of the Office for Management and Budget during Trump’s 2016-2020 administration. As recently reported in The Washington Post, Vought believes Trump should violate existing laws by deploying the military to quash protests and use a line-item veto to change spending bills crafted by Congress. According to the Post, Vought believes these actions should commence on Trump’s first day in office, with more to follow.

Vought's ideas are significant because he is likely to hold a prominent post in a new Trump administration—perhaps as chief of staff. He is highly influential in pro-Trump circles and has been developing his proposal for a “post-constitutional” America for at least two years. Once a political sponsor of former Vice President Mike Pence, Vought split from Pence over the latter’s belief that Trump’s claims of massive fraud in the 2020 election disqualify him from returning to the Oval Office.

Although Pence was the highest-level conservative evangelical Christian to serve, Vought makes him look moderate or even liberal by comparison. Vought has declared himself a Christian nationalist and published an essay in 2021 titled, "Is There Anything Actually Wrong With ‘Christian Nationalism?’" In this piece, he argues that America is a Christian nation and should be governed as such.

It may be comforting to think Vought is just one man who would be swimming against the tide if he tried to implement his ideas. Normally, the other branches of government, Congress and the Judiciary, would assert their prerogatives to block his agenda. But these are not normal circumstances.

Indeed, the current House of Representatives is run by Christian Nationalist Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who believes the country should operate under “Biblical values.” In an interview, Johnson said, “Go pick a Bible off your shelf and read it. That’s my worldview.” Johnson and other Christian nationalists interpret the Bible to require America to be ruled by their fundamentalist principles, relegating those of other faiths (or no faith at all) to a kind of second-class status.

At the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Alito believes the country must return to “godliness” and considers the nation engaged in a massive struggle over basic values, where “one side or the other is going to win.” It’s clear that this justice has abandoned the court’s traditional neutrality and chosen a side.

Alito’s sentiments were revealed when he was secretly recorded by a liberal activist who pretended to be a right-wing Catholic, like the justice himself. While this kind of "reporting" is questionable, Lauren Windsor did expose Alito’s dangerous bias.

Fortunately, when Windsor tried to get Chief Justice John Roberts to ally himself with Alito, Roberts refused. “Would you want me to be in charge of putting the nation on a more moral path?” Roberts asked Windsor after being pressed for his thoughts. “That’s for people we elect. That’s not for lawyers.” He said it’s “not our job” to consider religious principles in its decisions, adding, “I don’t know that we live in a Christian nation. I know a lot of Jewish and Muslim friends who would say maybe not, and it’s not our job to do that.”

Having been raised in churches where many Christian nationalists are present, I know they dream of a country governed by their view of the Bible rather than the rule of law. Would an America run under these principles differ much from, say, Saudi Arabia, where a conservative reading of the Koran dictates governance? I fear the answer would be, “Not much.”

I remain devoted to the Christian faith, but I believe our Constitution, as written, must be the law of the land. If you agree, you should be alarmed.