A think tank associated with former president Donald Trump is looking to advance Christian nationalist ideas in a potential second Trump administration. Spearheaded by Russell Vought, the Center for Renewing America aims to prioritize Christian values in government policy. This effort aligns with broader conservative strategies to influence a future Trump presidency, drawing on Vought's close ties to the former president and Christian nationalist figures like William Wolfe.
Faculty experts at the George Washington University are available to offer commentary, insight and analysis on merging political and religious authority. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Tayah Frye at [email protected].
Todd Belt is the director of the Political Management Program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management. Belt is an expert on the presidency, campaigns and elections, mass media and politics, public opinion, and political humor. In addition to his expertise, Belt is co-author of four books and helps to run GW’s political poll, which recently shared new findings.
Matt Dallek, a professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, is a political historian with expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics. Along with four co-authored books, Dallek is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right, which explores the history and influence of America’s right-wing activism.
Samuel Goldman is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the George Washington University. He is also executive director of the John L. Loeb, Jr. Institute for Religious Freedom and director of the Politics & Values Program. His first book God’s Country: Christian Zionism in America was published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2018. His second book, After Nationalism, was published from the University of Pennsylvania Press in early 2021. In addition to his academic research, Goldman's writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. His expertise includes political theory, religion and politics, political theology, and conservative political thought.
-GW-