A new movement, described as an "unholy mix" of Christian nationalists, billionaire oligarchs, and conservative ideologues, has seized control of the Republican Party, aiming to fundamentally change the United States and bring an end to democracy as it is known. This movement is characterized by a strong focus on Christian nationalism, where many members believe that America was founded as a Christian nation and must be governed accordingly. Additionally, the movement seeks to secure the wealth of the ultra-rich at the expense of others.
This movement has gained momentum with significant support from tens of millions of Americans who are fervent supporters of former President Donald Trump. Wealthy donors such as Thomas Monaghan, Frank Hanna, Sean Fieler, and Timothy Busch have played a crucial role in this movement by pledging fortunes to Republican candidates and causes. These donors have also established think tanks and organizations dedicated to promoting pro-capitalist and antidemocratic causes.
The movement's success is evident in its ability to mobilize voters, particularly during elections. However, it has been marked by lies and conscious disinformation, contributing to what some describe as the "unraveling of the American political mind." This phenomenon has been compared to a "madness" that affects one side of nearly every political debate.
Katherine Stewart, who has extensively studied this movement, explains it as a form of "reactionary nihilism." She describes it as "reactionary in the sense that it expresses itself as mortal opposition to a perceived catastrophic change in the political order; it is nihilistic because its deepest premise is that the actual world is devoid of value, impervious to reason, and governable only through brutal acts of will."
“The best label I can find for the phenomenon – and I do not pretend it is a fully satisfactory label – is ‘reactionary nihilism’. It is reactionary in the sense that it expresses itself as mortal opposition to a perceived catastrophic change in the political order; it is nihilistic because its deepest premise is that the actual world is devoid of value, impervious to reason, and governable only through brutal acts of will. It stands for a kind of unraveling of the American political mind – a madness that now afflicts one side of nearly every political debate.”
— Katherine Stewart
The movement's characteristics include a lack of focus on policy and issues and an absence of identification and mentorship of young talent. This approach contrasts with pro-democracy forces, which tend to center on policy and issues but lack the strategic organization seen in this movement.
“there are pro-democracy thinktanks and institutions and the like, but they tend to center on policy and issues: pro-democracy forces don’t seem to identify and mentor young talent in the same way, they don’t organize and collaborate in the same way.”
— Katherine Stewart
This movement has taken on the form of a "crusade" with the intention of ending democracy in the United States. Many members view election integrity as a central issue, pushing for policies that restrict voting rights and undermine the democratic process. Chad Connelly, founder of Faith Wins, exemplifies how this movement prioritizes election integrity.
“Much of the energy of the movement, too, comes from below, from the anger and resentment that characterizes life among those who perceive, more or less accurately, that they are falling behind.”
— Katherine Stewart
Faith Wins encourages event attendees to help lead voter registration efforts within their churches using tools provided by what they call a "pastors tool kit." These efforts include becoming poll watchers and assisting in voter integrity efforts.
“The Faith Wins website encourages event attendees to help lead voter registration in their churches with the help of a ‘pastors tool kit’, become poll watchers, and assist ‘with voter integrity efforts’ and other actions.”
— Katherine Stewart
Despite its successful organization and strategic approach, this movement's potential for long-term dominance is not guaranteed. Katherine Stewart remains hopeful that democracy's core principles will prevail.
“There’s no feature as of yet in the American political system that would ensure that the Maga movement is going to rule indefinitely. And frankly, I take heart from the fact that those of us who believe in democracy and its core principles probably represent a majority and not a minority of the population. I continue to believe more Americans support a democratic political system over some sort of cronyistic, kleptocratic and theocratic system that has authoritarian features.”
— Katherine Stewart
The movement's reliance on money, disinformation, and religious ideology poses significant challenges to American democracy. According to Stewart:
“Money is a huge part of the story, meaning that huge concentrations of wealth have destabilized the political system. Second, lies, or conscious disinformation, is a huge feature of this movement. And third God, because the most important ideological framework for the largest part of this movement is Christian nationalism.”
— Katherine Stewart