The Trump administration’s plans to celebrate the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary are shaping up to be an exhibition of Christian nationalist extremism.
The president — who has been found liable for fraud and sexual abuse and who has upset some in his own movement with his suggestion that he isn’t bound for heaven — has eagerly wrapped himself in Scripture and packed his administration with religious zealots who wish to erode the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.
And a new report from The New York Times spotlights the cadre of right-wing evangelicals who joined an event last month to plan a slate of explicitly Christian-centered programming in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary celebrations. One of the people in attendance was Eric Metaxas, the far-right media figure and promoter of election conspiracy theories who has touted his belief that Christians should “infiltrate” government.
What we know of the programming thus far suggests it will serve to reinforce the view that the country’s laws and customs have always been, and must be, rooted in Christianity — or at least the conservative movement’s interpretation of its teachings.
The Times’ report spotlighted an event called “Rededicate 250,” which is scheduled for May 17. The White House says it will feature a “large-scale revival” on the National Mall.
One of the people apparently helping plan the programming is a self-described Christian nationalist named Sean Feucht, who has portrayed himself as an informal adviser of sorts to Trump officials. He has been a fixture alongside Scott Turner, secretary of Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Last year, Feucht said he had been tapped to give “divine perspective” on California’s wildfire recovery efforts, and he joined Turner on a tour of damaged sites. At the time, a HUD spokesperson told MS NOW that Feucht wasn’t saying he had an “official role” — though he very well may have had an unofficial role. Feucht also performed onstage at a Christian worship session hosted by HUD on the National Mall last September — an event quite similar to the one set for May.
Feucht was specifically named by Rep. Jared Huffman last month, in a news release the California Democrat sent out rebuking the “whitewashing” and “corruption” surrounding the 250th anniversary events. Huffman cited Feucht’s claims of having collaborated with Trump officials on “revival meetings sponsored by the U.S. government,” as part of what the congressman called “Christian nationalism on the taxpayer dime.”
“The Trump administration is using this celebration to further erode church-state separation and force extreme Christian Nationalism on the American people,” the news release said, “pushing a false narrative that our country was founded as a Christian nation.”
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