Brad Onishi hosts a live event panel with Sarah Posner, Dr. Julie Ingersoll, and Dr. Matthew D. Taylor on the religious dimensions of the Iran conflict and its effects on Christian nationalism and MAGA. Posner explains how influential Christian Zionists have long sought U.S. confrontation with Iran, tying it to end-times prophecy, unconditional support for Netanyahu, and Republican foreign policy influence through figures like John Hagee, Paula White, and ambassador Mike Huckabee. Ingersoll contrasts this with postmillennial Christian Reconstructionism linked to Doug Wilson and Pete Hegseth, noting no special theological role for Israel and emerging internal fissures over the war. Taylor describes Iran as a Shiite religious nationalist state and argues religious extremism on both sides amplifies escalation, highlighting NAR “spiritual warfare” against the “Prince of Persia.”

As the discussion unfolds, the panel explores fractures within the religious right, including tensions between evangelicals and far-right Catholics, generational divides among Reconstructionists, and the uncertain political future of figures like J.D. Vance. With attention to media ecosystems, ideological alliances, and the role of key influencers, the episode situates the Iran conflict within a broader struggle over power, identity, and the future of American politics. The result is a nuanced portrait of a movement that is far from monolithic—and whose internal contradictions may prove as consequential as its external ambitions.

Donate to Season 2: https://www.irmce.org/donate

00:00 Welcome and Panel Intro

02:27 Religious Stakes of Iran

05:49 Christian Zionist Playbook

10:05 Reconstructionists and Hegseth

15:01 NAR Spiritual Warfare

20:53 Huckabee and GOP Zionism

25:04 Reconstructionist Bro Culture Split

27:03 Catholic Right and Israel Rift

32:21 Sarah Pushes Back on Fissures

35:24 Catholic Trump Split

36:51 Protestant Infiltration Claims

37:31 Three MAGA Faith Factions

38:28 Post Trump Power Struggle

40:35 Catholics War Theology Gap

42:18 J D Vance 2028 Test

45:56 Billionaire Catholic Network

48:29 Kushner Media Blind Spots

51:27 Russia Israel Prophecy Lens

53:07 Pope Versus Trump Wedge

56:56 Midterms Economic Fallout

01:01:11 Wrap Up And Sign Off

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

This week on Reign of Error, host Sarah Posner speaks with Texas Monthly senior writer Robert Downen about how long-standing anti-Muslim activism has moved from the fringes of right-wing politics to the center of Texas GOP campaigns. They examine the role of Christian nationalist figures, right-wing media, and national operatives in fueling the backlash—from curriculum battles in Texas schools to calls to designate Muslim organizations as terrorist groups. The conversation also explores how fears about Sharia and Muslim “invasion” are intertwined with broader Christian nationalist efforts to redefine the United States as a “Judeo-Christian nation,” reshaping policy debates not just in Texas but across the country.

Last week’s Texas Republican primaries were widely framed as a contest between an “establishment” Republican and a more extreme MAGA challenger. But when it came to Islamophobia, the differences between candidates were far less clear. Across races for Senate, attorney general, governor, and even railroad commissioner, Republican candidates competed to amplify anti-Muslim conspiracy theories—portraying Islam as a political ideology rather than a religion and warning of a supposed “Islamification” of Texas. The panic centers on claims about Sharia law and developments like the proposed EPIC City Muslim-centered community near Plano, which far-right activists have recast as evidence of a looming civilizational threat, despite Muslims making up only a small fraction of the state’s population.

Robert Downen is a senior writer at Texas Monthly who often focuses on the intersection of politics and religion. Before joining TM in 2025, he covered politics and extremism for The Texas Tribune, where his work on the influence of far-right megadonors and white supremacists on the Texas GOP won or placed for numerous national investigative awards. A native of the Chicago suburbs, Robert arrived in Houston the day before Hurricane Harvey, and soon after, he began leading the Houston Chronicle’s groundbreaking coverage of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention—coverage that led to historic reforms, new laws in Texas, and a Department of Justice investigation.

Additional Resources:

Robert Downen, “Once Relegated to the Fringes, the Texas Far Right Had a Huge Election Day,” Texas Monthly, March 4, 2026, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-primary-results-state-gop-drifting-rightward/

Robert Downen, “What Does the Texas Railroad Commission Do? This Candidate Thinks It Fights ‘Radical Islamists,” Texas Monthly, November 26, 2025, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/what-does-the-texas-railroad-commission-do-this-candidate-thinks-it-fights-radical-islamists/

Robert Downen, “She Wanted to Speak on Anti-Muslim Bigotry. She Was Labeled a Terrorist Leader.,” Texas Monthly, November 21, 2025, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-board-of-education-cair-terrorist-designation/

Patricia Mazzei, “Judge Blocks DeSantis’s Declaration of Muslim Group as Terrorist Organization,” New York Times, March 4, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/desantis-cair-muslim-group-terrorist-organization.html

Lauren McGaughy, “Austin Shooting Puts Islam at Center of Tuesday’s Primaries in Texas,” New York Times, March 2, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/austin-shooting-politics.html

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, “GOP lawmaker who called Muslims ‘savages’ wins House vote to brand CAIR a terrorist group,” Arizona Mirror, February 26, 2026, https://azmirror.com/2026/02/26/gop-lawmaker-who-called-muslims-savages-wins-house-vote-to-brand-cair-a-terrorist-group/

 Mobashra Tazamal, “Islamophobia Takes Center Stage in the Lone Star State,” The Bridge Initiative, February 19, 2026, https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/islamophobia-takes-center-stage-in-the-lone-star-state/

Juliana Lightsey, “Ken Paxton Is No Stranger to Controversy. Here’s a Timeline of Nearly 20 Years of Scandals & Headlines.,” The Barbed Wire, February 17, 2026, https://thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/17/ken-paxton-scandal-timeline/

Dylan Duke, “Ken Paxton sues Council on American-Islamic Relations to shut down Texas operations,” KUT News, February 5, 2026, https://www.kut.org/texas/2026-02-05/ken-paxton-sues-council-on-american-islamic-relations-to-shut-them-down-in-texas

Liz Crampton and Jessica Piper, “Republicans go all-in on 'Sharia law' attacks ahead of Texas primary,” Politico, January 26, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/26/republicans-go-all-in-on-sharia-law-attacks-ahead-of-texas-primary-00745647

Penelope Rivera, “Gov. Abbott declares CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups,” November 18, 2025, https://www.keranews.org/politics/2025-11-18/gov-abbott-declares-cair-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-groups

Proclamation by the Governor of Texas, November 18, 2025, https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/PROC_declaring_Muslim_Brotherhood_and_CAIR_Transnational_Criminal_Organizations_IMAGE_11-18-2025.pdf

Jennifer Schuessler, “When DOGE Unleashed ChatGPT on the Humanities,” New York Times, March 7, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/arts/humanities-endowment-doge-trump.html?searchResultPosition=1

Marisa Kabas, “Police body cam footage shows DOGE knew Institute of Peace was private property during raid,” The Handbasket, March 6, 2026

Depositions in MLA-ACLS-AHA Lawsuit Over the NEH, Modern Language Association YouTube Channel, https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKhlPKGDHqdxJoKIXwCmoQLrW2oWY8Pcp&si=303Vs2xNEzbbCYiR

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Sarah Posner sits down with New York Magazine senior writer Sarah Jones to unpack the accelerating assault on transgender rights in Kansas and beyond. They trace how a new Kansas law retroactively invalidating updated gender markers on driver’s licenses fits into a broader, decades-long Christian right strategy—one that cloaks theological convictions in the language of “common sense” and “biology.” From spiritual warfare rhetoric in statehouses to Supreme Court signals about religious motivation, Posner and Jones explore how anti-trans legislation operates as both a wedge issue and a cornerstone of a hierarchical gender ideology rooted in patriarchy, biblical literalism, and political calculation. They connect these state-level efforts to federal actions under Trump—from executive orders to agency guidance on bathroom bans—and examine how figures like Pete Hegseth and his mentor Doug Wilson frame masculinity, authority, and power.

The conversation widens to consider how anti-trans politics intersects with abortion criminalization, punitive theology, and the rise of pronatalism across MAGA and NatCon spaces. They analyze the confirmation hearing of Surgeon General nominee Casey Means, whose blend of anti–birth control rhetoric, “sacred fertility” language, and pseudoscientific wellness ideology has sparked backlash—even from Christian right influencers like Erick Erickson, who denounced her as dabbling in witchcraft. Posner and Jones probe the uneasy coalition between evangelical patriarchy and MAHA-style new age conspiracism, asking whether this radicalized right-wing alignment can outlast Trump—or simply mutate into something more extreme.

The episode closes with Posner’s Anti-Doom segment, highlighting federal judges—some Trump-appointed—who are forcefully pushing back against unlawful immigration enforcement, reminding listeners that the constitutional order still has defenders.

Sarah Jones is an award-winning senior writer for New York Magazine, where she covers religion and national politics. She serves on the editorial board of Dissent Magazine, and was previously a staff writer for The New Republic. Her first book, Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass, is available now from Avid Reader Press. She is based in Brooklyn. 

Additional Resources

Sarah Jones, Disposable: America's Contempt for the Underclass - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Disposable/Sarah-Jones/9781982197438

Susan Rinkunas, “Prosecutors Keep Charging Women Who Have Abortions For Crimes They Did Not Commit,” Balls and Strikes, March 2, 2026, https://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/kentucky-abortion-charge-prosecutor-miranda-king/

Christopher Wiggins, “Conservative Supreme Court justices curb California’s effort to shield transgender students from forced outing,” The Advocate, March 2, 2026, https://www.advocate.com/news/education/supreme-court-forced-outing-transgender

Kyle Cheney, “Judges in a Trump stronghold condemn ICE tactics,” Politico, March 1, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/01/west-virginia-immigration-rulings-00804575

Ben Finley and Jamie Stengle, “Pentagon and Scouting America reach deal to keep ties after Hegseth’s anti-DEI push,” Associated Press, February 27, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/scouting-america-pentagon-military-boy-scouts-14a5fc1521fcd1e51103638f6f504214

Press Release, “EEOC Issues Federal Sector Appellate Decision Recognizing the Ability of Federal Agencies to Designate Intimate Spaces in Federal Workplaces by Sex,” February 26, 2026, https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-issues-federal-sector-appellate-decision-recognizing-ability-federal-agencies

Mattathias Schwartz, Zach Montague and Ernesto Londoño, “Judges Grow Angry Over Trump Administration Violating Their Orders,” New York Times, February 24, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/23/us/politics/judges-contempt-immigration-trump.html

John Hanna, “New law puts Kansas at vanguard of denying trans identities on drivers licenses, birth certificates,” Associated Press, February 22, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-drivers-licenses-birth-certificates-bathrooms-3048b856b81d24553efd9da4aaa94bc7

Vivian Jones, “TN bill would allow death penalty for women who have an abortion,” The Tennessean, February 20, 2026, https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2026/02/20/tennessee-bill-death-penalty-women-abortion/88777975007/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook

Stacey Saldanha-Olson, “Trans legislator in Kansas talks about decision that changed her life,” Topeka Capital Journal, February 13, 2026, https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2026/02/13/trans-legislator-in-kansas-talks-about-decision-that-changed-her-life/88550496007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=false&gca-epti=z11xx99p117150c117150v11xx99&gca-ft=23&gca-ds=sophi

Zane Irwin, “Kansas lawmakers skirt public comment to pass bill on bathroom use by transgender people,” KCUR, January 29, 2026, https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2026-01-29/kansas-legislature-transgender-bathroom-bill-no-public-comment

Sarah Jones, “What a Diabetes Diagnosis Taught Me About MAHA,” New York Magazine, October 26, 2025, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/what-a-diabetes-diagnosis-taught-me-about-maha.html 

Sarah Jones, “How New Age Women Turned Right,” New York Magazine, April 9, 2025, ​​https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/new-age-woman-amy-carlson.html

Sarah Jones, “The Nursemaids of National Conservatism At a conference on the future of the right, women are a resource for men.,” New York, July 11, 2024, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/women-national-conservatism-conference.html

Sarah Posner, “The Christian Nationalist Boot Camp Pushing Anti-Trans Laws Across America,” Type Investigations/Business Insider, September 21, 2022, https://www.typeinvestigations.org/investigation/2022/09/21/christian-nationalism-anti-trans-laws/

Sarah Posner, “The Secret History of Bathroom Bills,” Type Investigations/Rolling Stone, January 22, 2018, https://www.typeinvestigations.org/investigation/2018/01/22/secret-history-bathroom-bills/

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

In this episode of Reign of Error, host Sarah Posner speaks with Matthew D. Taylor, visiting scholar at Georgetown University and author of The Violent Take It by Force, about the growing influence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and charismatic Christian nationalism within Trump’s political machine. The conversation traces how figures like Paula White, Lance Wallnau, and Ché Ahn are mobilizing spiritual warfare theology, modern-day prophecy, and dominionist ideas to energize evangelical voters ahead of the midterms. Taylor explains how the National Faith Advisory Board functions as a bridge between Trump and charismatic Christian leaders, advancing a vision in which apostles and prophets “disciple nations” by taking positions of political power. From election denialism to aggressive Christian Zionism and support for confrontation with Iran, this movement frames American politics as a literal battle against demonic forces.

The episode also examines how this rhetoric translates into concrete political strategy — from mobilizing swing-state revival tours to backing legislation like the SAVE Act and portraying immigration enforcement as a form of spiritual exorcism. Posner and Taylor unpack the theological logic that casts political opponents, immigrants, and protestors as agents of demonic power, a framework that undermines democratic pluralism and normalizes authoritarian tactics in the name of divine mandate. The show concludes with Posner’s “Anti-Doom” segment, highlighting acts of resistance — including whistleblower testimony exposing unconstitutional ICE training practices — as reminders that accountability and courage persist even amid escalating Christian nationalist activism.

Matthew D. Taylor is a visiting scholar at the Center on Faith and Justice at Georgetown University. He is the author of Scripture People, The Violent Take It by Force, and the forthcoming book Defying Tyrants, which will be published in October. His work has appeared or been featured in the New York Times, Weekend Edition, On the Media, Rolling Stone, The Bulwark, Politico, Sojourners, and Religion News Service. A theologian and religious studies scholar who specializes in American Islam, Christian nationalism, and Christian extremism, he is also the creator of two limited podcast series–American Unexceptionalism and Charismatic Revival Fury. Taylor holds a PhD from Georgetown University and an MA from Fuller Theological Seminary.

• https://matthewdtaylor.substack.com/
• https://x.com/TaylorMatthewD
• https://bsky.app/profile/matthewdtaylor.bsky.social
• https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497785/The-Violent-Take-It-by-Force

Additional Resources:

Matthew D. Taylor, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement That Is Threatening Our Democracy (Minneapolis: Broadleaf Books 2024)

Ariel Edwards-Levy and Jennifer Agiesta, “Trump’s approval rating with independents hits a new low ahead of the State of the Union,” CNN, February 23, 2026, https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/23/politics/trump-approval-rating-independents-cnn-poll

Nick Turse, “Kristi Noem Repeatedly Claimed ICE Deported a Cannibal. It Was ‘Completely Made Up’,” The Intercept, February 23, 2026, https://theintercept.com/2026/02/23/kristi-noem-ice-cannibal/

Dan Balz and Scott Clement, “60% disapprove of Trump ahead of State of the Union, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds,” Washington Post, February 22, 2026, https://wapo.st/4tQBNyk

Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll Feb. 12-17, 2026 (crosstabs) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17c2tXnNkasvEwK2aW8yF2PizYJfge7UsZAA7-5FrV6k/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Melanie Lidman and Samy Magdy, “US says ambassador’s comments on Israel and the Middle East were taken out of context,” Associated Press, February 22, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hamas-war-news-02-22-2026-17cc3abc5002151a81b55cb6acd35463

Sam Mednick and Samy Magdy, “US ambassador causes uproar by claiming Israel has a right to much of the Middle East,” Associated Press, February 21, 2026, https://apnews.com/article/israel-ambassador-huckabee-middle-east-arab-muslim-e88a235c48bfb904f0ee7f8a72edf250

Benjamin Swasey, “A Republican plan to overhaul voting is back. Here's what's new in the bill,” NPR, February 19, 2026, https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719252/trump-voting-save-america-act-explainer

Michael Waldman, “The SAVE Act and the Election Power Grab,” Brennan Center, February 10, 2026, https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/save-act-and-election-power-grab

Kyle Mantyla, “'Pray For The Midterms': MAGA Cultist Lance Wallnau Warns The Election Could Be A 'Bloodbath',” Right Wing Watch, February 5, 2026, https://www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwatch/pray-midterms-maga-cultist-lance-wallnau-warns-election-could-be-bloodbath

David Nakamura and Sarah Blaskey, “Ex-ICE instructor testifies that agency slashed officer training, lied to Congress,” Washington Post, February 23, 2026, https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/2026/02/23/former-ice-instructor-says-agency-slashed-training-new-officers/

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

On this episode of Reign of Error, investigative journalist Sarah Posner unpacks the implosion of Donald Trump’s White House Religious Liberty Commission after a chaotic hearing at the Museum of the Bible exposed deep fractures inside the MAGA coalition. Former beauty queen and recent Catholic convert Carrie Prejean Boller sparked outrage with antisemitic rhetoric tied to right-wing influencer Candace Owens, igniting a public feud with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and drawing backlash from conservative Catholics and evangelicals alike. Posner and scholar Matthew J. Cressler explore how debates over Zionism, Christian nationalism, and the phrase “Christ is King” reveal a growing split between traditional religious-right leaders and a digitally fueled Catholic far-right operating in Trump’s social media ecosystem.

The conversation traces how figures like Nick Fuentes, Owens, and other MAGA Catholics deploy antisemitic tropes rooted in older Catholic anti-communist and anti-Jewish traditions, now amplified by online platforms and political patronage. From clashes over Vatican teaching and Christian Zionism to tensions with evangelical allies, this episode examines whether the MAGA movement’s Catholic wing is on a collision course with both the broader GOP and the institutional Church. Plus, in this week’s “Anti-Doom,” Posner highlights a federal court ruling restoring a slavery exhibit removed under Trump’s executive order—an important victory in the ongoing fight over American history and truth.

Matthew J. Cressler, Ph.D. is a writer, independent scholar, and chief of staff of the Corporation for Public Interest Technology. He is the author of Authentically Black and Truly Catholic: The Rise of Black Catholicism in the Great Migrations and creator of Bad Catholics, Good Trouble, the educational webcomic series. He’s written for America, The Atlantic, National Catholic Reporter, The Revealer, Slate, U.S. Catholic, and numerous academic journals. He co-reported the Religion News Service series “Beyond the Most Segregated Hour,” which won a Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council. He has two forthcoming books under contract: the co-authored Body & Blood: Catholic Horror in America, due out from NYU Press this Halloween, and Catholics and the Making of MAGA: How an Immigrant Church Became America’s Law and Order Faith, which is set to be published by HarperCollins in fall 2027.

• Matthew’s professional website (https://matthewjcressler.com/) 
• Matthew’s webcomic website (https://badcatholics-comics.org/).

Additional Resources

Yair Rosenberg, “Carrie Prejean Boller Is Not Going Quietly,” The Atlantic, February 12, 2026, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/carrie-prejean-boller-religious-liberty/685987/

Will Sommer, “Candace Owens Gets Inside TPUSA’s Head,” The Bulwark, February 12, 2026, https://www.thebulwark.com/p/candace-owens-tpusa-charlie-kirk-death-conspiracy-theories-elijah-schaffer

Mira Fox, “What Carrie Prejean Boller tells us about Christian Zionism in the US,” The Forward, February 11, 2026, https://forward.com/culture/804601/carrie-prejean-christian-zionism-religious-liberties-council/

The Editorial Board, “Hijacking Trump’s Religious Liberty Council,” Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2026, https://www.wsj.com/opinion/carrie-prejean-boller-religious-liberty-commission-white-house-israel-palestine-85bbbba8?reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Kate Scanlon, Catholic member of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission sparks tense exchange over antisemitism and Israel, America, February 10, 2026, https://www.americamagazine.org/news/2026/02/10/religious-liberty-commission-prejean-boller-catholic-antisemitism-israel/

Joel Swanson, “Zionism was never a single concept. We should be grateful to JFNA’s survey for the reminder.,” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, February 9, 2026, https://www.jta.org/2026/02/09/ideas/zionism-was-never-a-single-concept-we-should-be-grateful-to-jfnas-survey-for-the-reminder

Complaint for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief, The Interfaith Alliance v. Trump, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Civil Action No. 1:26-cv-01075, February 9, 2026, https://democracyforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FACA-1-Complaint.pdf

Chip Rotolo and Gregory A. Smith, “White evangelicals remain among Trump’s strongest supporters, but they’re less supportive than a year ago,” Pew Research Center, February 9, 2026,https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/09/white-evangelicals-remain-among-trumps-strongest-supporters-but-theyre-less-supportive-than-a-year-ago

Hannah Hartig, Scott Keeter, Andrew Daniller and Ted Van Green, “Voting patterns in the 2024 election,” Pew Research Center, June 26, 2025, https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/06/26/voting-patterns-in-the-2024-election/

The White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the Religious Liberty Commission,” May 1, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-establishes-the-religious-liberty-commission/

Center on Extremism, Candace Owens Backgrounder, Anti-Defamation League, August 27, 2024, https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/candace-owens

​​Camden Carter and Jack Winstanley, “Right-wing and far-right media throw their support behind Candace Owens amid her antisemitism and departure from Daily Wire,” Media Matters, March 27, 2024, https://www.mediamatters.org/candace-owens/right-wing-and-far-right-media-throw-their-support-behind-candace-owens-amid-her

Matt Gertz, “A mask-off week for right-wing antisemitism,” Media Matters, November 21, 2023, 

https://www.mediamatters.org/elon-musk/its-antisemitism-stupid

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

This week on Reign of Error, host Sarah Posner examines the Department of Homeland Security’s use of neo-Nazi and white nationalist imagery in ICE recruitment ads—and what it reveals about the deeper ideological currents shaping Trump’s second term. In conversation with political theorist Laura K. Field, author of Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right, Posner traces how once-fringe intellectual movements have consolidated power inside elite conservative institutions, from the Heritage Foundation to Project 2025. Together they unpack the factions driving this transformation—national conservatives, post-liberals, Claremont theorists, and the hard-right underbelly—and explore how their rejection of liberal democracy, embrace of nativism, and intellectualized misogyny are reshaping federal policy and political culture.

The episode also probes fractures within the movement, including rising antisemitism, tensions with Christian Zionists, and the growing influence of t “groyper” networks inside government ranks. As Trump attacks universities and doubles down on culture war politics, Posner and Field consider whether the MAGA intellectual project has reached its limits—or is simply playing a longer game.

Plus, this week’s “Anti-Doom” highlights the MAGA backlash to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show as evidence that, for all its institutional power, the movement may be losing its grip on American culture.

Laura K. Field is an associate with the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, and visiting scholar in residence at American University. A political theorist by training, she holds a PhD in government from the University of Texas at Austin, and has held faculty positions at Rhodes College in Memphis, Georgetown University, and American University in Washington, DC. In addition to her academic work she has written for The New Republic, Politico, The Bulwark, Le Monde, and The New York Times. Her book Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right is now out with Princeton University Press. She lives in Washington, DC. 

Bluesky: @lkatfield.bsky.social

Instagram: @laurakfield 

X: @lkatfield

www.lkfield.com

https://lkfieldnotes.substack.com/

Additional Resources:

Laura K. Field, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2025)

Laura K. Field, “The Intellectual Edgelords of the GOP,” The Atlantic, February 5, 2026, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/02/ice-trump-new-right/685854/?gift=stxZIT1Prmsx1l9n8DO7DHaVw4CxSAZatLqXbtIvRyg

Dean Robbins, “Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UW–Madison had just the one.,” Wisconsin News, February 10, 2026, https://news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad-bunny-needed-a-puerto-rican-history-scholar-uw-madison-had-just-the-one/

Doug Bock Clark, “The Conservative Researcher Being Linked to the FBI’s Seizure of Election Records in Georgia,” Pro Publica, February 9, 2026, https://www.propublica.org/article/kevin-moncla-election-researcher-fulton-county-georgia?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=propublica-bsky

Hunter Walker, “A Conspiracy Fueled Report Preceded ‘Black Pill’ Tulsi Gabbard’s Fulton County Election Raid,” Talking Points Memo, February 6, 2026, https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2020-election-report-tulsi-gabbard-fulton-county

Austin Campbell, Lawmakers Call on Meta to Stop Running ICE Ad Featuring Neo-Nazi Anthem, The Intercept, February 5, 2026, https://theintercept.com/2026/02/05/dhs-ice-ad-facebook-meta-instagram/

Evan Gorelick, “Administration Social Media Posts Echo White Supremacist Messaging,” New York Times, January 27, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/politics/white-supremacy-trump-administration-social-media.html

Hannah Gais, “DHS, White House shared white nationalist song in ICE recruitment posts,” Hatewatch, Southern Poverty Law Center, January 15, 2026, https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/white-nationalist-song-ice-recruitment-posts/

Roger Severino, Jay Richards, PhD, Emma Waters, Delano Squires, Rachel Sheffield and Robert Rector, “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years,” The Heritage Foundation, January 8, 2026, https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/report/saving-america-saving-the-family-foundation-the-next-250-years

Drew Harwell and Joyce Sohyun Lee, “ICE plans $100 million ‘wartime recruitment’ push targeting gun shows, military fans for hires,” Washington Post, December 31, 2025,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/31/ice-wartime-recruitment-push/

Caleb Kieffer and R.G. Cravens, “Homeland Security deploys white nationalist, anti-immigrant graphics to recruit,” Southern Poverty Law Center Hatewatch, August 28, 2025, https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/dhs-white-nationalist-anti-immigrant-social-media/

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Last week, the Department of Justice escalated its prosecution of anti-ICE activists at a St. Paul, Minnesota church by arresting two journalists who were covering the protest: Emmy Award–winning independent reporter Georgia Fort, vice president of the local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, and Don Lemon, a former CNN host now reporting independently. Charging journalists with conspiring to violate worshipers’ religious freedom simply for documenting a newsworthy protest is a blatant assault on press freedom and the First Amendment. The DOJ’s unprecedented use of the 1994 FACE Act—long applied to physical blockades of abortion clinics—to criminalize peaceful protest and journalistic coverage inside a church marks a dangerous expansion of state power.

This episode examines how the case reveals the Trump administration’s broader project: recasting Christian nationalist grievance as “religious freedom” while weaponizing the law against dissenters.

Host Sarah Posner speaks with Brian Kaylor, a Baptist minister, political communication scholar, and author of A Public Witness, about the myth of “anti-Christian bias,” the selective enforcement of the FACE Act, the criminalization of opposition to ICE, and why white evangelicals remain Trump’s most loyal base even as public backlash grows. As protests against immigration enforcement spread nationwide, the administration is once again leaning into persecution narratives to shore up political support—at the direct expense of civil liberties, democratic norms, and the Constitution itself.

Dr. Brian Kaylor is Editor-in-chief of Word&Way. He is also a Baptist minister with a Ph.D. in political communication, and the author or coauthor of several books, including The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power and Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism. He writes about religion and politics at his award-winning newsletter A Public Witness.

Jem Bartholomew, “‘I Might Get Arrested, People,’” Columbia Journalism Review, February 2, 2026, https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/don-lemon-georgia-fort-arrests-church-st-saint-paul-ice-pastor-dhs-maga-media-benny-johnson-tim-pool.php?mc_cid=43c485a738&mc_eid=298969b3fc

Opinion and Order of the Court, Conejo Arias v. Noem, United States District Court for the Western District of Texas, Civ. No. A-26-CV-415-FB, January 31, 2026, https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172886492/gov.uscourts.txwd.1172886492.9.0.pdf

Quinta Jurecic, “The Case Against Don Lemon Is Junk, and Dangerous,” The Atlantic, January 30, 2026, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/don-lemon-arrest/685840/?mc_cid=43c485a738&mc_eid=298969b3fc

Ryan J. Reilly, Matt Lavietes, Chloe Melas and Dennis Romero, “Don Lemon arrested after covering protest at Minnesota church,” NBCNews, January 30, 2026, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/don-lemon-arrested-federal-authorities-attorney-says-rcna256680

Amanda Becker, “Journalist Georgia Fort arrested over reporting on anti-ICE protest,” The 19th, January 30, 2026, https://19thnews.org/2026/01/georgia-fort-arrested-journalist-minnesota/

Laura Kelly Fanucci, “I’m a Minnesota Catholic mom. Here’s what my neighbors are saying about ICE.,” America, January 30, 2026, https://www.americamagazine.org/faithinfocus/2026/01/30/im-a-minnesota-catholic-mom-heres-what-my-neighbors-are-saying-about-ice/

Hannah Hartig and Jocelyn Kiley, “Confidence in Trump Dips, and Fewer Now Say They Support His Policies and Plans,” Pew Research Center, January 29, 2026,  https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/01/29/confidence-in-trump-dips-and-fewer-now-say-they-support-his-policies-and-plans/?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=26-01-29%20W185%20Main%20Report&org=982&lvl=100&ite=17283&lea=4830404&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0DQm00000AFTqLMAX

Dana Blanton, “Fox News Poll: 59% of voters say ICE is too aggressive, up 10 points since July,” Fox News, January 28, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-59-voters-say-ice-too-aggressive-up-10-points-since-july 

Brian Kaylor, “GOP Judge Blasts ICE Pastor for ‘Extraordinary’ Court Order Violations,” Word and Way, January 28, 2026, https://wordandway.org/2026/01/28/gop-judge-blasts-ice-pastor-for-extraordinary-court-order-violations/

Sarah Posner, “Trump just promised an authoritarian ‘task force’ to impose Christian ideology,” MSNOW, January 7, 2024, https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-2024-christian-right-truth-social-rcna132082

Glenn Thrush and Adam Goldman, “No Bias Found in F.B.I. Report on Catholic Extremists,” New York Times, April 18, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/us/politics/catholic-extremists-fbi.html

Sarah Posner, “Trump’s ‘Christian Day of Visibility’ tantrum is also a warning,” MSNOW, April 4, 2024, https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-christian-day-of-visibility-trans-rights-rcna146225

Sarah Posner, “Why Trump targeted Christians with his darkest promise yet,” MSNOW, July 31, 2024, https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/christian-nationalist-trump-speech-voting-rcna164091

Sarah Posner, “Jim Jordan’s new myth: an ‘anti-Catholic’ FBI,” MSNOW, April 15, 2023, https://www.ms.now/opinion/msnbc-opinion/jim-jordan-anti-catholic-fbi-myth-rcna79815

Sarah Posner, “The Southern Baptist Convention’s Deal With the Devil,” The Nation, September 12, 2022, https://www.thenation.com/article/society/southern-baptists-roe-gop-dobbs/

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Host Sarah Posner examines Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s escalating campaign to remake the Pentagon in the image of a militant, hyper-masculine Christian nationalism—from dismantling small-business contracting as “DEI,” to purging diversity programs, hosting monthly Christian prayer meetings inside the Pentagon, and framing U.S. military power as divinely sanctioned. As Trump rattles the global order with threats against NATO allies and Greenland, Posner traces how Hegseth’s theology and politics blur the lines among biblical law, domestic authority, and international norms—raising urgent questions about religion, war, and state power.

Posner is joined by Dr. Julie Ingersoll, professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Florida and author of Building God’s Kingdom, for a deep dive into the radical Christian Reconstructionist movement shaping Hegseth’s worldview. They unpack the influence of Doug Wilson and the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, including beliefs about biblical law, patriarchy, Christian dominion, and a “God of war” theology that legitimizes violence and conquest. The conversation explores how once-fringe theocratic ideas have quietly moved into the corridors of power—and what it means when U.S. military leaders see themselves as carrying out God’s will, at home and abroad.

Julie Ingersoll is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where she teaches and writes about religion in American culture, with a particular focus on religion and politics and the religious right.

Originally from Maine, she earned a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, along with degrees in history from George Washington University and political science from Rutgers College. She began studying religion as an undergraduate because of her interest in politics, which she saw as deeply intertwined with religious life—an understanding that only deepened as her studies continued.

More about Dr. Ingersoll: https://julieingersoll.weebly.com/about.html

Additional Resources:

Julie Ingersoll, Building God’s Kingdom: Inside the World of Christian Reconstruction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015)

Julie Ingersoll, “Why the religious beliefs of Trump defense pick Pete Hegseth matter,” The Conversation, December 12, 2024, https://theconversation.com/why-the-religious-beliefs-of-trump-defense-pick-pete-hegseth-matter-245601

Brian Kaylor, “Hegseth Shares War Psalm He Prayed During Venezuela Attack,” A Public Witness, January 21, 2026, https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseth-shares-war-psalm-he-prayed

Brian Kaylor, “At Pentagon Christmas Service, Franklin Graham Praises ‘God of War’,” A Public Witness, December 17, 2025, https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentagon-christmas-service-franklin

Government Worship Watch, A Public Witness, https://publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/government-worship-watch

“The Christian nationalist pastor with ties to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,” CNN, August 8, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/video/christian-nationalist-doug-wilson-pam-brown-digvid

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

One year into Donald Trump’s second term, his administration is openly reframing civil rights as a threat to white Americans. From attacks on DEI to the gutting of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Trump has moved to turn the federal government away from protecting equality and toward enforcing white grievance—under the banner of combating “anti-Christian bias,” “woke ideology,” and defending gun rights. This episode examines how those changes are playing out in real time, including the DOJ’s criminal investigation of anti-ICE protesters in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Trump’s push to rewrite American history through schools, museums, and the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.

Host Sarah Posner is joined by Anthea Butler, Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania and author of White Evangelical Racism. Together they unpack how Trump’s agenda fulfills decades-long white evangelical resentment toward racial justice, why many white Christians actively support the dismantling of civil rights enforcement, and how Christian nationalism underpins efforts to re-segregate American life. From immigration crackdowns to historical revisionism, this conversation connects today’s headlines to a longer history of religious opposition to civil rights—and why resistance, public pressure, and historical memory still matter.

Additional Resources:

Anthea Butler, White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2021) https://uncpress.org/9781469681511/white-evangelical-racism-second-edition/

Brian Kaylor, “Protesters Disrupt Southern Baptist Church of Pastor Who Leads ICE Office in Minnesota,” A Public Witness Substack, https://open.substack.com/pub/publicwitness/p/protesters-disrupt-southern-baptist?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email, January 18, 2026

Kyle Cheney, Hassan Ali Kanu and Josh Gerstein, “‘Unconstitutional conspiracy’: Judge slams Trump administration over targeted deportations,” Politico, January 15, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/15/unconstitutional-conspiracy-judge-slams-trump-administration-over-targeted-deportations-00733070

People for the American Way, “Father-Son Christian Nationalist Pseudo-Historians David And Tim Barton Are Shaping The Trump Administration's War On The Smithsonian,” January 6, 2026, https://www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwatch/father-son-christian-nationalist-pseudo-historians-david-and-tim-barton-are-shaping

Jonathan Feingold and Victor Ray, “Promoting a New Segregation,” Liberal Currents, January 2, 2026, https://www.liberalcurrents.com/promoting-a-new-segregation/

Madiba K. Dennie, “How the Trump Administration Is Quietly Resegregating the American Workforce,” Balls and Strikes, December 17, 2025, https://ballsandstrikes.org/law-politics/disparate-impact-department-justice-rollback-trump/

Kevin Kruse, “The Perversion of Justice,” Campaign Trails newsletter, January 28, 2025, https://campaign-trails.ghost.io/the-perversion-of-justice/

Creator: Sarah Posner

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Reign of Error is a weekly podcast hosted by acclaimed journalist and author Sarah Posner, exploring how religious and ideological extremism—especially white Christian nationalism—has become central to U.S. politics in the Trump era and beyond. Bridging investigative journalism and interdisciplinary scholarship, the show unpacks current events, uncovering their historical and ideological roots to illuminate the forces fueling the subversion of democratic norms and institutions.