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Saturday, January 13th, 2024

“Tectonic shift in power”: How MAGA pastors boost Trump’s campaign

Author:     Sophia Cai
Source:     Axios
Publication Date:     11 January 2024
 Link: “Tectonic shift in power”: How MAGA pastors boost Trump’s campaign
Stephan:  

The second trend I see shaping the American culture in a profoundly negative way is the transformation of Christianity into a political White supremacy cult that uses the language of Jesus but reflects none of his beliefs. The movement’s real savior is not Jesus but Trump. Here is a description of what I mean.

Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Mark Wilson, Paras Griffin, Ida Mae Astute, Al Drago, Dustin Franz, William DeShazer, Suzanne Cordeiro / Getty

DAVENPORT, IOWA — Donald Trump doesn’t have the support of Iowa’s most prominent evangelical leader in Monday’s caucuses. But in Iowa and across the country, MAGA pastors are among Trump’s most loyal backers.

Why it matters: It’s not just that they like the former president for appointing three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn abortion rights.

  • Some of Trump’s most enthusiastic believers are pastors who share his dark view of U.S. politics — or who’ve touted him as they’ve risen to prominence on social media.

Zoom in: Faith leaders who’ve endorsed Trump include hundreds of traditional conservatives a lot like Bob Vander Plaats — the influential Iowa evangelical leader who’s backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

  • They also include MAGA pastors who, in speeches and podcasts, offer an apocalyptic view of U.S. politics — casting Democrats as demonic, promoting Christian nationalism and touting Trump as chosen by God to save Christianity.
  • Many also echo Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen.

Details: They include […]

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