Trump framed white evangelicals as a persecuted majority needing to claim power

Evidence

What Trump lacked in eloquence he made up for in passion. Christianity was “under siege.” In Syria, “they’re chopping off heads.” Identifying himself as a proud Christian, he urged Christians to band together for protection, because “very bad things are happening.” Christians already had the numbers—“70 percent, 75 percent, some people say even more”—they just needed to claim their power. … He denigrated generals who said it would take a long time to defeat ISIS. He wanted the sort of general “where we knock the hell out of them fast.” The audience erupted in cheers. … Trump might not be the best Christian, but as a Christian nationalist he could more than hold his own. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 576

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim that a demographic ~70-75% of the US could be ‘under siege’ and needing to ‘band together for protection’ is worth unpacking — Du Mez is flagging the strategic deployment of a persecution narrative against a numerical majority.
• SEED: Potential essay: the internal logic of majority-group persecution narratives — how ‘claim your power’ rhetoric converts demographics into a grievance-based identity.
• XREF: connects to: White evangelical quietism is a tactic that flips when power shifts — Robert P. Jones, White Too Long: The Legacy of White…, 294; White Christians supported Trump despite his apparent moral violations — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 18; White Christian nationalists sincerely believe whites and Christians are the most persecuted in America — Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian…, 48 (+3 more)