We’ve explained that the term “Christian,” because it has taken on an ethnic connotation in the minds of many whites, has become an invaluable dog whistle on the right to rally white conservatives to the defense of “our way of life,” “our heritage,” or “our country.” But as Trump’s rhetoric and that of his Christian right surrogates has shown, the word “socialist” has also become a critical dog whistle for white Americans who adhere to Christian nationalist ideology, helping to identify the “them” who pose such a grave threat to “us.”
