Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is under fire after a speech Monday night in which he advocated “Christian nationalism” for the good of the nation.
The Missouri Republican was speaking at the National Conservatism Conservatism in Washington, D.C., when he attempted to put a positive spin on “Christian nationalism,” a far-right ideology that promotes the belief that America was founded as a Christian nation and that policy should be decided using a fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible.
As such, Christian nationalist goals include banning abortion in the U.S., overturning laws protecting marriage equality and the rights of LGBTQ citizens, and removing books from libraries.
During his speech, Hawley claimed that “Christian nationalism founded American democracy” and that “the Christian political tradition is our political tradition” before going on the attack.
“They want the religion of the pride flag. We want the religion of the Bible,” Hawley said before suggesting, “Why don’t we take down the trans flag from all the federal buildings from which it’s flying, and instead, inscribe on every federal building our national motto: In God We Trust?”
Hawley also became the second U.S. politician after Marjorie Taylor Greene to declare themselves a “Christian nationalist”:
“Some will say now that I am calling America a Christian nation. So I am. And some will say that I am advocating Christian nationalism. And so I do.”
Considering Christian nationalism seems to violate the First Amendment, many people had thoughts about Hawley’s speech.
Some people used Hawley’s rhetorical device against him.
Others just brought receipts.
Hawley’s opponent for his Senate seat, Democrat Lucas Kunce, said the speech proves that the Republican senator “is not like us” and thinks “he should be in charge of what happens in your bedroom, your doctor’s office, your workplace, your marriage, and even your own body.”
He added: “It’s creepy. It’s weird. It’s Big Brother bullshit. And it sure as hell isn’t his job.”