A Government that is "for the People" vs. "the Keeper of the Commander's Intent"

Plus, last call on subscription offer, sharing resources on Latinos in the election and the threat of Christian nationalism in all 50 states.

Dear #WhiteTooLong readers,

The entire nation is reeling from the first 10 days (yes, it’s only been 10 days) of Trump’s “break everything” presidency. As I noted in a column back in July, Trump simply lied (gasp) when he disavowed Project 2025. This was my take then:

Trump has been desperately trying to duck questions about Project 2025 over the last few weeks, claiming “I know nothing about Project 2025” and “I have no idea who is behind it.” But of course we’ve heard this kind of denial before. Trump, for example, repeatedly made similar claims about E. Jean Carroll, the woman a jury determined Trump had sexually assaulted and then defamed, saying “This woman… I don’t know her, I never met her, I have no idea who she is.” Like the Carroll case, Trump’s claims to ignorance are paper thin.

Trump’s actions in these first days of his return to power, while head spinning, are merely the opening salvos of his authoritarian attempt to follow the Project 2025 blueprint to weaponize the government for partisan and personal ends, to bend it to his will. Perhaps the most disturbing element of the new regime is Trump’s public insistence on, and the Republican Party’s open acquiescence to, the idea that the proper object of elected officials’ and civil servants’ loyalty is not to the Constitution but to the president, who is conceived not as a civil servant but as a militant commander.

I summed up the clear implications of Project 2025 this way:

This Christian nationalist vision, where conservative white Christian theology dictates the contours of “the good life” for all citizens, is the animating spirit of Project 2025. And that worldview, in turn, authorizes the creation of a blueprint for an authoritarian president who, in the name of God and the people, will set about dismantling democracy as we know it.

That misplaced loyalty, substituting a leader elected by less than a majority of voters for the Constitution, is the death of democracy. I will write more on this in a future post, but this much is clear. The looming potential senate confirmation of Russell Vought—an election denier, proponent of Christian nationalism, and one of the chief architects of Project 2025 who wrote that he conceives of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as “the keeper of the ‘commander’s intent’”—would be catastrophic, the key turning the lock for the authoritarian president.

As we are watching the confirmation hearings of RFK Jr. and Russell Vought play out, I’m also sharing three other things in this issue:

• A last call to receive a free signed book with an annual paid subscription. I have just a handful of copies left.

• Two recent appearances where I talk about the complex political and cultural dynamics among Latinos that the 2024 election revealed.

• An invitation to a webinar releasing new PRRI data that examines the threat of Christian nationalism in all 50 states and the connections between these attitudes and support for Trump, authoritarianism, and political violence.

Onward,

Robby

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LAST CALL! Subscription Offer (Expires 1/31): Free Signed Book with Annual Paid Subscription to WTL

In honor of the 23,000 new free subscribers who have joined us, my publisher has made 23 copies of my latest book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the Path to a Shared American Future, available to give away as an incentive for new ANNUAL PAID subscriptions to my newsletter between now and the end of this month.

In addition to supporting my work, paid subscribers get exclusive access to live monthly author forums, where you can interact with bestselling authors (e.g., Sarah McCammon, Jemar Tisby, Kelly Brown Douglas, Jim Wallis, and others), occasional “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) chats, and the ability to participate in comments on posts.

To qualify, sign up or upgrade to a new annual paid subscribers by January 31; then, just drop me an email (robertpjones.substack@gmail.com) telling me where to mail the book and how you’d like it inscribed. If you’re one of the first 23 new annual paid subscribers, I’ll mail you a book.

**PLEASE NOTE: This offer ends January 31, 2025 and is available only for US addresses.**

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Two Appearances Examining the Role of Latinos in the 2024 Election

NPR: How Latinos found Evangelicalism and Trump

I joined Brittany Luse, hose of NPR’s “It’s Been a Minute,” and Axios Justice and Race reporter Russell Contreras to get at the root of this shift and what it means for our political future.

Holy Post Podcast: Character, Christian Colleges, & Why Trump Won with Robert P. Jones

I join Holy Post host Skye Jethani to unpack the numbers from the presidential election. Why did more Latinos support Trump, and are Democrats learning the wrong lessons from their loss?

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INVITATION (Webinar and survey release): Christian Nationalism and Trump’s Return

On Tuesday, 02/04/2025 at 12:00 p.m. ET, you are invited to join us for a conversation about new PRRI survey findings that examine support for Christian nationalism in all 50 states and the connection of these views to support for Trump, authoritarianism, and political violence. This webinar will feature experts including:

• Robert P. Jones, President and Founder of PRRI;

• Melissa Deckman, CEO of PRRI;

• Samuel Perry, Professor of Sociology at University of Oklahoma; and

• Erica Ramirez, Senior Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives at the Louisville Institute.

You can register for the live webinar here, which will also be made available on PRRI’s website after the event.