Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and other Republicans are including Christian nationalist themes in their messaging and campaign rhetoric in the final days before the midterm elections.
This past weekend, Johnson appeared on “The Week on Capitol Hill,” a right-wing Christian program hosted by Tony Perkins. Perkins asked Johnson what advice he’d give to conservatives “who are considering sitting this election out.”
Johnson responded by chiding such individuals, saying they’d be “derelict in [their] duty” if they didn’t participate in the elections.
“God calls us to be engaged, to be salt and light in our culture, to advance and stand for his principles, and they are under assault right now,” he claimed.
Johnson then said that conservatives should only vote for candidates that share his and other far right leaders’ Christian nationalist vision.
“We have to be engaged in that process to make sure that the righteous are ruling. … To put it bluntly, you cannot allow these radical elements to take over your country,” Johnson said.
Christian nationalism is a white supremacist political ideology that asserts that the country should only be run by lawmakers who champion right-wing “Christian values.” Adherents of the idea wrongly claim that the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation, and that it was God’s intention to have Christians govern.
Johnson has frequently cited his Christian nationalist beliefs to justify his support of the U.S.’s war on Iran, claiming it is in part a fight against Islam, which he described as a “misguided religion” earlier this year.
Johnson’s backing of Christian nationalist principles has been well-documented. According to a 2024 report from the Congressional Freethought Caucus, Johnson has spent much of his career “working to deny, reject, and undermine the constitutional separation of church and state, including trafficking in fake histories about our nation’s founding.” He also worked alongside groups aligned with the New Apostolic Reformation movement, which aims for Christians to “conquer” and “take dominion” over “key mountains of society,” such as business realms, local and national governments, and more.
Other Republicans have targeted non-Christian Democratic candidates by claiming their beliefs are inherently un-American, another tenet of Christian nationalism. During a political rally this week in Ohio, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R) told his audience that Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed (D) should be disqualified from running due to his Muslim faith.
“This character, Abdul El-Sayed, can be nowhere near Washington, D.C.,” Moreno said. “Do you think he understands that concept, that our rights come from God Almighty? That Jesus came here for our salvation?”
Notably, Moreno made the remark at a rally in support of Republican candidate for Ohio governor Vivek Ramaswamy, who is a practicing Hindu.
Moreno’s statements contradict the country’s founding documents. According to Article VI of the U.S. Constitution, “no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” The Declaration of Independence does make mention of “Nature’s God” entitling freedom and equality to the people, but that phrase is largely understood by scholars to be a term deists, like the document’s author Thomas Jefferson, used at the time to refer to whatever force created the universe, not necessarily a specific deity.
By Chris Walker
Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on people. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker.
