Faithful Politics "The Claremont Institute: The Anti-Democracy Think Tank" w/Katherine Stewart
This week we speak with investigative reporter Katherine Stewart, author of a new article The Claremont Institute: The Anti-Democracy Think Tank from The New Republic delves into the transformation of the Claremont Institute from a traditionally conservative think tank to one that openly promotes anti-democratic and authoritarian ideologies. The institute has become a significant player in the rise of what's called the "New Right," which is increasingly contemptuous of democracy and leans towards extremism.
The Claremont Institute has been involved in various conservative events and movements, including National Conservatism conferences and the "war on woke" led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The institute has also been associated with key GOP figures like Josh Hawley, J.D. Vance, and Donald Trump.
The article argues that the Claremont Institute has moved away from its original mission and is now providing an intellectual veneer to paranoid ideas that view principles of equality and justice as threats to Western civilization. It has also been deeply involved in efforts to reshape Florida's state universities and is likely to play a significant role if either Trump or DeSantis becomes president in 2024.
The institute's shift towards extremism is seen as a moral collapse, as it now provides a platform for white nationalists and has been implicated in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Guest Bio:
Katherine Stewart is an investigative reporter and author who has covered religious liberty, politics, policy, and education for over a decade. Her latest book, THE POWER WORSHIPPERS: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism, is a rare look inside the machinery of the movement that brought Donald Trump to power. Stewart’s journalism appears in the New York Times op ed, NBC, the New Republic, and the New York Review of Books.
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