Trump says “Americans kneel to God, and God alone” as Republican support for Christian nationalism rises
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
In a speech on Saturday, former President Donald Trump claimed that “Americans kneel to God” alone, as Christian nationalism continues to gain support among conservatives.
Trump made the remark while speaking at a gathering of the student conservative organization Turning Point USA in Tampa, Florida, and shared a video of it on his Truth Social account.
“We will not break, we will not yield, we will never give in, we will never give up, we will never, ever, ever back down. As long as we are confident and united, the tyrants we are fighting do not stand a chance,” Trump said. “Because we are Americans and Americans kneel to God, and God alone.”
Trump’s office did not react to Insider’s request for comment, but the statement aligns with the GOP’s embrace of Christian nationalism and some of its ideologies. The New York Times, The New Yorker, and CNN have all recently posted stories that claim Christian nationalism is on the rise, especially among the far right, as per Insider reported.
According to Christianity Today, Christian nationalism is “the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way.” Christian nationalists believe the US is and should remain a “Christian nation.”
They also believe in freedom of religion, but that Christianity should have a “privileged position in the public square,” the outlet reported.
An even darker aspect of the ideology is stated in a CNN report that was released on Sunday, according to which Christian nationalists utilize theology to defend racism and sexism in order to create an ideal White Christian America. According to the research, such ideas are growing across the country’s churches.
Some said January 6, 2021, uprising was also a “Christian revolt” when Trump backers who stormed the Capitol carried crosses or used religion to excuse their acts.
Recent Republican lawmakers have pushed the idea and some of its ideologies.
In an interview, this past weekend, Georgia’s Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who also attended the Turning Point USA gathering, identified herself as a Christian nationalist and argued that Republicans should represent their constituents rather than special interests or big donors.
“We need to be the party of nationalism, and I’m a Christian and I say it proudly, we should be Christian nationalists,” Greene said, adding that when the GOP learns to represent their voters, the party will grow.
Greene’s office did not immediately respond to Insider’s questions about how she personally defines the concept.
Others have been more direct: Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, who is a Christian and will be present at the gathering this weekend in Florida, recently declared that the church ought to run the government.
“The church is supposed to direct the government, the government is not supposed to direct the church,” she said last month. “That is not how our founding fathers intended it. And I’m tired of this separation of church and state junk that’s not in the Constitution.”
However, some Republicans have opposed such ideas. One such Republican is the Christian Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger, who denounced Boebert’s comments and contrasted them with the Taliban, an Islamic violent organization.
