Weekly Roundup: Mamdani and the Rebirth of Birtherism + Christofascism in the Big Bill (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

Brad and Dan begin with a deep dive into the GOP’s controversial new bill targeting Medicaid access and how it ties into white Christian nationalist ideology.

The conversation moves to JD Vance’s pro-natalist rhetoric and his troubling comments on immigration, revealing the racial and religious undertones driving the GOP’s messaging. Brad and Dan also discuss Trump’s escalating feud with Elon Musk and the disturbing implications of Trump’s remarks about Zoran Momdani.

Throughout the episode, Brad and Dan connect the dots between these stories—examining how immigration, xenophobia, and Christian nationalism are shaping American politics and threatening democratic norms.
Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-mamdani-and-the-rebirth-of-birtherism-christofascism-in-the-big-bill/

5 Clips from Trump’s Neo-Nazi Rally in New York City (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this episode, Brad scrutinizes the unsettling rhetoric at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, featuring Sid Rosenberg, Stephen Miller, and Tony Hinchcliffe. The discussion addresses open racism, xenophobia, and ethno-nationalism, and their alignment with Trump’s broader campaign strategy. Key topics include:

• Trump’s divisive remarks on ethnic demographics, 
• potential election interference hinted at through statements about ‘secrets’ with the Speaker of the House, and mass deportation policies suggested by Mike Johnson. 
• Additionally, the episode breaks down the Electoral Count Reform Act’s implications, stressing the importance of vigilance against efforts to undermine electoral integrity.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/5-clips-from-trumps-neo-nazi-rally-in-new-york-city/

 

Weekly Roundup: “They’re Eating the Dogs” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this weekly roundup, we discuss Donald Trump’s repetition of a conspiracy theory about immigrants eating pets during a recent presidential debate. 

We analyze Kamala Harris’s impressive and composed performance, the strategic implications of the debate, and the damaging effects of Trump’s rhetoric. 

The episode also covers Taylor Swift’s political endorsement of Kamala Harris, a viral debate moment involving Charlie Kirk, and the historical context of xenophobic conspiracy theories. 

We reflect on the significance of these events and their broader impact on American society and politics.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-theyre-eating-the-dogs/

Vance offers the wrong defense for promoting ugly misinformation

"A bunch of hysterical people told the senator that the ludicrous theory might be true, so Vance, instead of relying on facts, proceeded as if the preposterous claims had merit and deserved to be amplified..."

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/vance-offers-wrong-defense-promoting-ugly-misinformation-rcna170371

Neo-Nazi and far right groups seize on Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric

Extremist groups are latching on to ex-president's xenophobic messages to recruit people and spread ideology…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/08/trump-immigration-neo-nazi-far-right

Opinion | Donald Trump Doesn’t Have the Support of Corporate America - The New York Times

As such, it was hardly surprising that just as when Mr. Trump faced a chilly reaction from hundreds of top executives when he spoke at my Yale Chief Executive summit in 2005, he appeared to face a similarly frigid reception when he spoke to the Business Roundtable this month, with no noticeable applause at any point during his "remarkably meandering" remarks, according to CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin, and with Mr. Trump assuming a subdued, if not hostile, posture. Chief executives are not protectionist, isolationist or xenophobic, and they believe in investing where there is the rule of law, not the law of rulers...

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/23/opinion/ceo-trump-republican-support.html

What is the ‘great replacement theory’? A scholar of race relations explains

In less than two decades, the theory has become a major idea, with as many as 60% of the French population believing some aspects of it. According to that survey, they are worried or at least concerned that they might be replaced. In the U.K. and the U.S., close to one-third of those polled believe that white people are systematically being replaced by nonwhite immigrants. Some in the U.S. fear that America might lose its culture and identity as a result. 

 Being aware of conspiracy theories and standing up to hatred, I argue, can help societies deal with the continuing fallout of extreme xenophobia, racist rants, the rise of white supremacy and the victimization of innocent people...

https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-great-replacement-theory-a-scholar-of-race-relations-explains-224835

DeSantis portrays himself as champion of immigrants’ welfare after backlash

Yet many have called the action "a vile political stunt" by a man considered a likely frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. It also appears that it has sinister racist roots that long predate Biden's ascent to the Oval Office and are now designed to inflame white nationalism and xenophobia within the modern Republican party...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/sep/25/ron-desantis-marthas-vineyard-immigrants-welfare

Christian Nationalism with Andrew Whitehead & Samuel Perry

Christian Nationalism “is related to racism, but it’s not just racism, and it’s related to authoritarianism, but it’s not just authoritarianism,” Whitehead says on the show. “It’s related to xenophobia, but it’s not just reducible to that. And so it’s connected and it connects all of these other negative ideologies in this powerful way that we felt like we needed to unpack some more.” 

https://youtu.be/ubk8tEvUoyA

‘Why did you bring Corona to America?’ Asian Americans detail Trump-inspired xenophobic attacks

Racism against East Asian communities continues to rise as the coronavirus spreads. Those taking public transportation worldwide have been subject to both physical and verbal violence as a result of misinformation. In the U.S. alone, multiple cases have been shared on social media where Asian Americans have faced discrimination or have been attacked. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/3/18/1928651/--Why-did-you-bring-Corona-to-America-Asian-Americans-detail-Trump-inspired-xenophobic-attacks

Internet piles on Matt Gaetz after xenophobic remarks: ‘Go find a brain’ – Raw Story

On Thursday, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), a notorious backer of President Donald Trump, took a swipe at former Vice President Joe Biden for speaking positively about immigrants’ contribution to America: ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/internet-piles-on-matt-gaetz-after-xenophobic-remarks-go-find-a-brain/

Facts undercut the rationale for Trump's latest travel ban | TheHill

On Jan. 31, the Trump administration expanded its country-specific travel ban by barring immigrants from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. When President Trump issued his first travel ban three years ago — commonly called the “Muslim ban” because six of the targeted countries are predominantly Muslim — many Americans took to the streets. The Trump administration revised the ban several times as it worked its way through legal challenges in federal court. On June 26, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the third iteration of the original travel ban.....
https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/482081-facts-undercut-the-rationale-for-trumps-latest-travel-ban

Here’s why Trump’s reality-TV gimmicks and xenophobic rhetoric in his SOTU speech appeals to evangelicals – Raw Story

Since late December, 2019, when retiring editor-in-chief of Christianity Today Mark Galli published his infamous “Trump Should Be Removed from Office” editorial, there’s been a great deal of buzz in the pundit class over whether Trump, after a highly publicized impeachment trial, needs to be concerned with possible defections in his white evangelical base. From an analytical standpoint, the buzz is mere noise, horse race politics nonsense from people who don’t understand that most white evangelicals have long since come to regard CT as “too liberal.” As John Stoehr observed on RD back in December, “It’s not going to change much.” ....
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/heres-why-trumps-reality-tv-gimmicks-and-xenophobic-rhetoric-in-his-sotu-speech-appeals-to-evangelicals/

Trump's key initiative is collapsing under the weight of his pending impeachment - Raw Story

With the Ukraine scandal kicking into full gear last week, Trump's White House tried to distract its loyal fans into amped-up xenophobia. But this attempt at counterprogramming seems to have fallen flat after a series of federal court decisions struck down major aspects of Trump's crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration.....
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/trumps-key-initiative-is-collapsing-under-the-weight-of-his-pending-impeachment/

Trump's Public Charge Rule Is a Cover-Up for Racism—With Disturbing Origins - Newsweek

New York, Connecticut and Vermont announced Tuesday that they have filed a lawsuit against the federal agencies that are set to implement the Trump administration's xenophobic and racist "public charge" immigration rule. ....
https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-public-charge-rule-cover-racism-disturbing-historical-origins-opinion-1455485

Trump State Department official defends racism, nationalism, and xenophobia - Daily Kos

A Trump-appointed State Department official "tore into" standard UN documents stating that national leaders should oppose racism, nationalism, and xenophobia. According to CNN, deputy assistant secretary for refugees and migration Andrew Veprek not only defended nationalism, he claimed that title for Donald Trump while "softening language" on racism. ....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1776928

GOP candidates are now mimicking Trump’s authoritarianism. That’s ominous. - The Washington Post

Around the country, Republicans embroiled in tough primaries are increasingly emulating President Trump — by echoing his xenophobia, his veiled racist appeals, his attacks on the news media, and even occasionally his calls for imprisoning his political opponents.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2018/04/23/multiple-gop-candidates-are-now-mimicking-trumps-authoritarianism/

Where the White House Gets its Racist Immigration Policies | Political Research Associates

It should come as no surprise that President Trump disparages scores of countries while lamenting the lack of European immigrants coming to the U.S., as he reportedly did during a meeting with lawmakers in January 2018. In addition to his racially charged rhetoric at public events, his administration has sought formal and informal advice from leaders of the Xenophobic Right that has espoused such bigotry for decades.

https://www.politicalresearch.org/2018/03/01/where-the-white-house-gets-its-racist-immigration-policies/

Steve Bannon Thinks Lefties Will Join His Xenophobic Crusade - The Daily Beast

As I argued in these pages last January, it was premature to write Steve Bannon's political obituary. Now, he's announced his comeback in an interview with Ben Schreckinger in GQ magazine. He is, Schreckinger writes, "plotting the next stage of his right-wing populist revolution" which he plans to launch this spring or summer. ....
https://www.thedailybeast.com/steve-bannon-thinks-lefties-will-join-his-xenophobic-crusade

U.S. Latinos report facing discrimination while applying for jobs, housing, and seeking medical care

A new survey reveals a significant portion of adult U.S. Latinos are experiencing discrimination while living their daily lives. This isn’t groundbreaking news for many in this community, as hate crimes against immigrants and people of color are on the rise due to xenophobic and racist government leaders and policies:....
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/11/2/1712007/-U-S-Latinos-report-facing-discrimination-while-applying-for-jobs-housing-and-seeking-medical-care