Christian nationalism has simmered in the American psyche for decades, and in the last 15 years has boiled over with increasing frequency into the public square, energized by growing resistance to cultural liberalism. Keystone events like the election of the nation’s first Black president, the presidency of Donald Trump and pandemic shutdowns have fueled the growing movement. Though many Christians nationalists see that phrase as derogatory, some embrace it and agree its definition is apt: they want the Christian God in control of government.
The Inland Northwest has long been a nexus point for movements across the extreme right, from the militia movement to white nationalism to sects of Christian identitarianism in many forms and flavors.
For some Christian nationalists, the Inland Northwest is even more than a nexus. It is the promised land. A place for believers to gather and eventually rule, whether the ultimate name for that holy country is the Unstoppable Kingdom, the State of Liberty or the American Redoubt.