Is Pam Bondi a Christian Nationalist?

It’s a fair question for the Attorney General candidate selected by the president-elect: the darling of the radical right political movement challenging the Constitution.

Nov 23, 2024

Biographical news reports on Pam Bondi, Donald Trump’s second and present choice for Attorney General of the United States, don’t seem to mention her religious affiliation.

But what caught my attention: photos of her at political rallies for Trump-Pence and Trump-Vance show her neck, in the first case, draped by a small cross sitting atop a pearl, in the second case, by a small silver cross. Both pieces of jewelry are attractive and could be simply symbols that she believes in the Christian faith.

But when worn at major Republican presidential political rallies -- speaking at the dais in close-up on national television -- that not-so-subtle symbol is a message to her audience that she is at least both a Christian and a conservative.

Alex Brandon/AP

But it could be also a symbol of alignment with one of Trump’s major right-wing support groups: Christian Nationalism – which is not a religion but a radical conservative political movement using Christianity as a vehicle to challenge the U.S. Constitution.

With Bondi’s AG nomination this week, the question really came up front to me when The Washington Post quoted praise for Bondi from Ralph Reed. Reed is an American political consultant and lobbyist, best known as the first executive director of the 1990’s Christian Coalition. But he’s risen to prominence this year as a mainstay of Christian Nationalism.

In fact on May 6, the progressive Baptist News Global (BNG) -- a nonprofit, reader-supported news organization covering American religion and culture from a Baptist perspective –- ran an opinion piece by its publisher headlined “He may be slick, but Ralph Reed is as wrong as ever”. It’s accompanied by a photo of Reed standing over Trump with a solemn expression, his right hand on Trump’s right shoulder. The column opens with this acid criticism:

The one-time wunderkind of the Christian Coalition has gone more underground of late as founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, but he’s still orchestrating and spewing the kind of nonsense that makes evangelicals swoon and smells like heresy to the rest of us. If there were a poster child for Christian nationalism, it would be Ralph Reed…

…Donald Trump is the natural outgrowth of Ralph Reed’s malignant political work, offered up in the name of Jesus.

So, it would seem to make BNG and other Christian opponents of Christian Nationalism suspicious to see Reed praising Trump’s new AG candidate. And, obviously, The Washington Post must also see a connection, having called on Reed for his view. The Post reported:

“Pam is a thorough professional, a seasoned and capable prosecutor and a woman of enormous integrity who has Trump’s respect and confidence,” said Ralph Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “She is uniquely qualified to restore the rule of law and put the blindfold back on Lady Justice and the Department of Justice.”

One might translate that view as Bondi running a Justice Department, not based on the Constitution and law, but rather on Trump’s will. Which, of course, is what Trump has made clear he wants: loyalists. And Bondi is one. According to The New York Times:

Ms. Bondi, 59, served on Mr. Trump’s legal team during his first impeachment and currently leads the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think tank that has kept close ties to Mr. Trump’s transition team. Ms. Bondi oversaw the filing of voting-related lawsuits in battleground states.

Christian Nationalism and Trump

What makes Christian Nationalism so objectionable to Baptist Global News and other Christians? And what can make it of concern to other Americans?

First, Christian nationalism asserts that the United States is a country founded by and for Christians. That may have been a cool fantasy back when the Pilgrims landed. But in America today, only 63 per cent of its citizens are Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. That means over a third of the nation are NOT Christian. And they may not respond well to being told to leave or get baptized.

Religious News Service in February 2023 reported that a third of Americans are Christian Nationalists “and most are white evangelicals”. That’s 33 per cent. They stand behind Trump, believing that he will deliver on, let’s say “making America Christian again”. But that means the other 30 per cent of Christians in the U.S. are not Christian Nationalists, who number faithful believing the nation should be Christianized by force. Think January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol.

Another problem: Christian Nationalism is noted to overlap with white supremacy (you remember slavery) and dominionism -- a nation governed by Christians and based on their understanding of biblical law…not Constitutional law.

Questions for Bondi

So, it might behoove some U.S. senator or senators, when the AG nom testifies before them, to ask Bondi some pertinent questions, such as:

Do you believe the Bible should take precedence over the U.S. Constitution?

You’ll be serving under a president you’ve been loyal to. He has said he wants to be a dictator. Will you support him in this effort? Or will you defend the Constitution against all enemies both foreign and domestic?

The president-elect in his first term made clear he considered the press to be an enemy. Do you consider the press to be an enemy? Or will you as Attorney General support the Constitution and its stated freedom of the press?

As president, Trump encouraged violence against legal public protestors, and has indicated he will again. Do you support him in that? Or will you support the Constitution and its stated freedoms of expression and assembly?

As president, Trump supported the Jan. 6 attack on our Congress, has defended the attackers, and has suggested he might pardon those who are currently serving prison terms. Do you support those actions and attitudes?

Many of our U.S. senators are attorneys themselves. They can surely come up with other vital questions to direct at Bondi.

But the above should be included early on.

Trump Picks Pam Bondi for Attorney General After Matt Gaetz Withdraws - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

Pam Bondi - Wikipedia

Who is Pam Bondi, Trump’s pick for attorney general? - The Washington Post

Ralph Reed - Wikipedia

He may be slick, but Ralph Reed is as wrong as ever – Baptist News Global

Evangelical Leaders Raise Alarms About Christian Nationalism In Their Ranks : NPR

Christian nationalism - Wikipedia

Christianity in the United States - Wikipedia

Poll: A third of Americans are Christian nationalists and most are white evangelicals (religionnews.com)

Prepare to Fall to Fascism, 2025 and Beyond (substack.com)