How Christian Nationalists Used One Word to Control American Politics

For more than a century, the word “socialism” has been used as a weapon in American politics—not as an economic theory, but as a moral and cultural attack against anything that threatens white, Christian, conservative power.

It has been used to demonize civil rights leaders, to vilify feminists, to discredit LGBTQ+ rights, and to paint progressive policies as an existential threat to the “American way of life.”

But how did this happen? How did socialism, a term that describes economic policy, come to mean godlessness, moral decay, and an attack on traditional values?

To understand this, we have to go back to the early 20th century, when a revolution halfway across the world gave conservative Christians the perfect villain.

The Bolshevik Revolution & The Birth of the “Jewish Socialist” Scare (1917-1930s)

In 1917, the Bolshevik Revolution overthrew the Russian monarchy and established the world’s first communist state. The revolution was led by Vladimir Lenin, who seized control of the government, abolished private property, and declared that atheism would be the foundation of the new Soviet Union.

For many Christian conservatives in the United States, this was not just a political shift—it was a spiritual crisis. If communism was built on atheism, then it wasn’t just a different economic model—it was a war against Christianity itself.

But there was another aspect of the Russian Revolution that American conservatives seized upon: some of the early Bolshevik leaders, including Leon Trotsky, were Jewish.

Almost immediately, far-right groups in the U.S. began promoting the “Jewish Bolshevik” conspiracy—the idea that Jewish people were behind communism and were using it to overthrow Christian civilization​.

Henry Ford, the industrialist and car manufacturer, was one of the most powerful figures spreading this myth. He published anti-Semitic propaganda claiming that Jews controlled both capitalism and communism, so that no matter what happened, they would always be in power​Jewish Led Communism Co…. The Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups fully embraced this idea, blending together anti-Semitism, fear of socialism, and Christian nationalism into a single worldview.

By the 1920s, “socialism” had already become more than just an economic theory—it was a stand-in for everything white, Protestant conservatives feared.

And it would only get worse from there.

McCarthyism & The Christian Nationalist Red Scare (1940s-1950s)

After World War II, the Soviet Union emerged as America’s greatest geopolitical enemy. With nuclear weapons in development and a growing sphere of influence, the United States saw communism not just as a political threat, but as an existential one.

This was the backdrop for McCarthyism, a political witch hunt led by Senator Joseph McCarthy, who launched investigations into supposed communist infiltrators in the U.S. government, media, and education​.

But McCarthyism did not stay confined to politics. Christian conservatives seized the opportunity to merge anti-communism with religious fundamentalism.

Christian leaders and right-wing politicians argued that socialism was inherently godless—and therefore, any movement associated with socialism was part of an attack on Christianity​.

This led to several key cultural shifts:

• In 1954, “Under God” was added to the Pledge of Allegiance as a way to distinguish Christian America from the “godless” Soviet Union​.

• In 1956, “In God We Trust” became the official U.S. motto, explicitly tying religion to American identity​.

• LGBTQ+ individuals were persecuted as “sexual deviants” and accused of communist sympathies during the Lavender Scare, which led to mass firings of LGBTQ+ government employees​.

By the 1950s, the narrative was fully formed: socialism was not just an economic system—it was a tool of Satan to destroy Christianity, promote racial equality, and dismantle traditional gender roles.

This foundation of fear-based propaganda would be the key to mobilizing Christian conservatives into a dominant political force in the coming decades.

How Martin Luther King Jr. Was Demonized as a Socialist

One of the clearest examples of how socialism was weaponized to attack civil rights leaders was the way Martin Luther King Jr. was treated during his lifetime.

King openly advocated for economic justice, believing that racial equality was inseparable from economic equality. He spoke about the redistribution of wealth and criticized capitalism’s failures to address poverty, particularly among Black Americans​.

This made him a target for white conservatives, who labeled him a communist and a threat to Christian values.

• J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI conducted surveillance on King, trying to tie him to socialist organizations in an effort to discredit him​.

• Southern white pastors condemned King, claiming civil rights activism was part of a “Marxist” plot to stir up racial tensions​.

• The Ku Klux Klan and segregationists equated racial integration with socialism, arguing that it was a tool to weaken white Christian America​.

King himself addressed these accusations in 1965, saying:

“There are those who are saying: ‘You are advocating violence, and socialism, and the destruction of the American way of life!’ I would simply say that what we advocate is a more just society where people of all colors can live with dignity.”

Despite King’s dedication to nonviolence, democracy, and faith, the socialist smear was used to turn white Christians against the civil rights movement.

The Rise of the Christian Right (1970s-Present): How “Socialism” Became the Ultimate Insult

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, conservative Christians felt under siege.

• The civil rights movement had dismantled segregation.

• The women’s liberation movement was fighting for equal rights.

• The LGBTQ+ movement was becoming more visible.

• The Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade (1973) that abortion was a constitutional right.

To white evangelical leaders, America was slipping away.

And so they fought back.

The Moral Majority & The Evangelical Takeover of Politics (1970s-1980s)

Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and James Dobson saw an opportunity: they would mobilize white evangelicals into a voting bloc that would reshape American politics.

The Moral Majority, founded in 1979, tied every major social issue to the “evils” of socialism:

• Feminism was socialist because it destroyed traditional family values.

• Abortion was socialist because it devalued human life.

• LGBTQ+ rights were socialist because they promoted moral depravity.

• Secular education was socialist because it removed Christianity from public life.

Christian conservatives fully merged their religious movement with the Republican Party—and in 1980, they delivered the presidency to Ronald Reagan.

The Reagan Revolution & The Culture Wars (1980s-1990s)

Under Reagan, Christian nationalism became Republican orthodoxy.

• Reagan framed the Cold War as a religious war against socialism, using biblical language to describe America’s divine duty to defeat the Soviet Union.

• Public schools became battlegrounds as Christian conservatives pushed for prayer in schools and attacked “socialist indoctrination” in textbooks.

• The rise of homeschooling allowed evangelicals to keep their children away from “socialist” public education.

At the same time, the religious right began a full-scale war against LGBTQ+ rights.

• In 1992, Pat Buchanan declared that the LGBTQ+ movement was part of a Marxist plot to destroy the American family.

• The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed in 1996, legally defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

With every progressive movement, Christian conservatives responded with the same strategy: label it “socialist”, claim it’s an attack on Christianity, and mobilize their base against it.

Trump, The January 6th Insurrection, and The New Red Scare (2000s-Present)

By the time Donald Trump ran for office, Christian nationalists had spent 50 years perfecting their messaging.

Trump’s entire campaign was built on the fear of “socialist Democrats” destroying America.

• LGBTQ+ rights were framed as a socialist attempt to erase Christian values.

• Black Lives Matter was painted as a socialist attack on law and order.

• Public schools were once again under attack as “socialist indoctrination centers.”

During his presidency, Trump repeatedly conflated socialism, communism, and left-wing activism, making statements such as:

"Socialism and communism are not about justice. They are not about equality. They are not about lifting up the poor. They are certainly not about the good of the country. Socialism and communism are about one thing only—power for the ruling class.” (Trump, UN Speech, 2019)​

Trump’s rhetoric helped fuel a resurgence of McCarthyist fear-mongering, this time with Democrats, LGBTQ+ activists, and progressive policies cast as "communist" and "anti-God."

On January 6, 2021, Christian nationalists stormed the Capitol, carrying crosses, Christian flags, and Trump banners. They believed they were fighting a holy war against socialist Democrats. Many rioters wore shirts with slogans like “God, Guns, Trump” and prayed in the Senate chamber, believing that their violent coup was ordained by God​.

The message was clear: stopping “socialism” had become a spiritual duty—one that justified violence and insurrection.

Christian Nationalism’s “New McCarthyism” (2021-Present)

Since January 6th, the Republican Party has continued its crusade against “socialism”, using it as a catch-all term to demonize progressivism.

LGBTQ+ Rights as "Socialist Grooming"

• Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law (2022) was justified as a way to stop "socialist indoctrination" in schools.

• Christian nationalist politicians claim LGBTQ+ rights are part of a communist effort to “erase Christian values.”

• Books with LGBTQ+ representation are being banned across conservative states, with lawmakers calling them “Marxist propaganda.”

Banning Education, Attacking Public Schools

• Right-wing activists now call public schools “indoctrination camps” that are “teaching socialism to kids.”

• Republicans have pushed laws banning the teaching of systemic racism, claiming it’s a Marxist attempt to divide America.

• Christian homeschooling is at an all-time high, as evangelicals seek to escape “woke” education.

The GOP’s War on Democracy as a War on "Socialism"

• Christian nationalist lawmakers have openly called for ending democracy, arguing that “socialists will use democracy to destroy America.”

• Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, and others have claimed that the Democratic Party is not just socialist—but an actual "communist enemy within."

• Evangelicals now openly say America should be a “Christian nation,” meaning theocracy, not democracy.

The word “socialism” has been completely detached from its actual meaning. It now simply means anything Christian nationalists don’t like—whether that’s abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, or teaching history in schools.

What Is Socialism, Really?

The irony of the Christian Right’s fear of socialism is that socialist policies exist in nearly every successful country in the world, including the United States.

Socialism is not a single system—it refers to economic models that prioritize social welfare, workers' rights, and government regulation of essential services.

Many highly developed, Christian-majority countries implement socialist policies, and they thrive because of them:

• Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have strong social safety nets while maintaining vibrant capitalist economies.

• Germany has universal healthcare, strong labor protections, and tuition-free universities—yet it is one of the world’s strongest economies.

• Canada and the UK have single-payer healthcare systems, ensuring that no one goes bankrupt due to medical expenses.

Even in the U.S., many programs that Americans rely on are based on socialist principles:

• Social Security

• Medicare & Medicaid

• The GI Bill

• Public schools and libraries

• Police and fire departments

Despite this, Christian nationalism continues to weaponize socialism as a scare tactic—not because it’s inherently bad, but because it threatens their power.

Conclusion: The Real Threat Isn’t Socialism—It’s Theocracy

For over a century, the word "socialism" has been used as a political weapon—not as a real economic argument, but as a tool to silence opposition and justify Christian nationalism.

🔥 Final Thought: If MLK, feminists, civil rights activists, and LGBTQ+ people were all called socialists in their time, maybe “socialism” was never the problem—maybe it was just the excuse for maintaining white Christian power.