I decided to expand this one out because I ran out of room to finish my argument here on the blog. I wrote about why a recent OPM memo allowing Christian Nationalists to attempt to convert their federal coworkers is a disturbing sign that may point to what the Trump regime's next excuse for a fascist crusade will be - combatting "anti-Christian bias" (by doing more fascism!)

https://www.ninaillingworth.com/2025/07/30/nina-bytes-dark-omens-of-a-new-crusade/

Nina-Bytes: Dark Omens of a New Crusade

"There will of course be folks who accuse me of overreacting when I say this new guidance is clearly the on ramp for the official adoption of Christian Nationalism as a state ideology, but I think even a cursory reading of what OPM Director Scott Kupor just released here demonstrates that this has nothing to do with workplace tolerance, or freedom of religion. In addition to allowing religious iconography, and public prayer, Kupor also wants government employees to be able to display “posters” with “religious messages” and solicit participation from even non-Christian employees in group expressions of religious sentiment. So what happens when your evangelical nazi co-worker puts up a poster saying “God hates queers?” How about when your Christian Nationalist supervisor calls “the team” together for a group prayer asking Jesus to protect the chosen one, Donald J. Trump? If you have to ask those questions, you’re clearly not understanding the policy; remember, laws, rights, and rules have no dominion over fascists in power, and only serve to bind or oppress their enemies."

#Fascism #OPM #Trump #ScottKupor #ChristianNationalism #FederalWorkforce #Fundamentalism #ChristianZionism #IdeologicalPolicing #MarcoRubio

Although it feels like a lifetime, it's important to remember that we are only six months into the second Trump presidency. Right now, the Pork Reich appears to be laser focused on subjugating the media and higher education, while rapidly progressing a white nationalist ethnic cleansing project that will end in mass graves. The anti-trans pogrom is still rolling forward, the regime is still trying to co-op local police and every security force in the country, and the funneling of wealth to oligarchic power at the expense of labor class lives, disaster preparation, and a planet that can sustain human life, continues unabated. The reality however is that nothing is ever stable or static in a fascist society; Trump and his minions will eventually start casting around for their next crusade, because the fascist style of rule requires an endless cast of threats and enemies, to create the ever-shrinking "us" who must be protected, and always-expanding "them" who must be eliminated.

Having watched the regime carefully, and knowing which groups in Trump's coalition of openly fascist cliques and power blocs feel like the Swine Emperor still owes them something for his election victory, I am increasingly convinced that next crusade will be the enforced adoption of Christian Nationalism as a quasi-state religion, under the guise of fighting "anti-Christian persecution." To that point there have already been disturbing signs that this is the case from Marco Rubio's State Department, who back in April announced an attempt to root out "anti-Christian bias" at Foggy Bottom; a plan which functionally amounted to allowing Christian Nationalists at State to purge their less fascist, and less religious colleagues, while crying about how cracker fundie nazis are actually the ppl being persecuted, in the true fascist fashion.

Well, it sure sounds like whatever Rubio installed at the State Department was a success, because a recent memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management makes it clear that Christian Nationalist domination is intended to be a government-wide policy for the Pork Reich.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/opm-religion-workplace

Trump Administration Lets Federal Employees Push Religion in Workplaces

"FFRF co-president Laurie Gaylor said that "these shocking changes essentially permit workplace evangelizing, but worse still, allow supervisors to evangelize underlings and federal workers to proselytize the public they serve."

"This is the implementation of Christian nationalism in our federal government," Gaylor added."

There will of course be folks who accuse me of overreacting when I say this new guidance is clearly the on ramp for the official adoption of Christian Nationalism as a state ideology, but I think even a cursory reading of what OPM Director Scott Kupor is doing here, puts to lie the idea that this has anything to do with workplace tolerance, or freedom of religion. In addition to allowing religious iconography, and public prayer, Kupor also wants government employees to be able to display "posters" with "religious messages" and solicit participation from even non-Christian employees in group expressions of religious sentiment. So what happens when your fundie nazi co-worker puts up a poster saying "god hates queers?" How about when your Christian Nationalist supervisor calls "the team" together for a group prayer asking Jesus to protect the chosen one, Donald Trump? If you have to ask those questions, you're clearly not understanding the policy.

Even more alarmingly, the OPM memo expressly allows fundie fascists to proselytize their coworkers and subordinates, encourages the kind of religious "debate" we all know is a code for Christian Nationalist harassment, and thereby institutionalizes a marking system that allows fundamentalist nazis in government to easily identify the necessary "us" and "them" inside the federal workforce to enact precisely the kind of fascist purges Rubio was talking about conducting at Foggy Bottom.

"Employees may engage in conversations regarding religious topics with fellow employees, including attempting to persuade others of the correctness of their own religious views, provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature," OPM said—without elaborating on what constitutes harassment.

"Employees may also encourage their coworkers to participate in religious expressions of faith, such as prayer, to the same extent that they would be permitted to encourage coworkers participate in other personal activities," the memo adds."

If you think this is just going to be about letting Christians annoy people at work in the government, I don't think you understand how committed to the fascist bit this administration is. This isn't about religious freedom, this is about institutionalizing a Christian Nationalist religious worldview as a perquisite for government service in the Trumpenreich. This train doesn't stop here.

#Fascism #Trump #ChristianNationalism #USPol #Fundamentalism #OPM #ScottKupor

🧵 7/

Table of #DOGE members.

(31 - 35) (of 68)

From #Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Government_Efficiency#DOGE_members

31) #ColeKillian, Federal Detailee, #EPA

32) #GavinKliger, Senior advisor to the Director, #CFPB, #OPM, #USAID, #IRS

33) #KeenanKmiec, Lawyer, #EOP

34) #TomKrause, Fiscal Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, #USDT

35) #ScottKupor, Director, OPM