https://t.co/F3cnLl3Lqa

The clearest lens through which I view the 1776 Report, Trump's apologia in response to the 1619 Project, is the same lens for viewing our overall political divisions: one of competing theories of American Exceptionalism:

Is America exceptional? How? Why? 1/x

The 1776 Report postulates that America is _inherently_ exceptional. We don't have to do anything in particular to be exceptional, and we remain exceptional no matter what we've done. It's deeply interwoven with white Christianity: a faith in inevitability of God's plan. 2/x

This religious inevitability of exceptionalism sharpens a lot about the Trump phenomenon, probably often confused for white supremacy, when it's really religious conviction. America simply can't lose, and they're defending America against critics, naysayers, and threats. 3/x

Trump's loss has caused complete disorientation. They view their faith as being challenged. They rise up in fulfillment of prophecy. They exegete the Constitution as sacred text for God's plan to keep Trump in office. They become apocalyptic at the end times. 4/x

But if the Constitution is their Old Testament, the 1776 Report is their gospel. It's important to distill the kernel of their faith: America is, always has been, and always will be inherently exceptional. That's what underlies the right's patriotic correctness. 5/x

Whether @realDonaldTrump is inaugurated on Jan 20 or not, he’s fulfilled an incredible purpose. Truly, he is one of the greatest Presidents we’ve ever had. His legacy will last, and the greatest part is that the work that he started has merely just begun.

We don’t think any of us ever believed he would march into the White House and drain the entire swamp in 4 years. He promised us he would try to #MakeAmericaGreatAgain, and he did. He awakened MILLIONS of people to the corruption and rot in our government.

He awakened us to just how deep the deep state really is, and he showed us that the entire system is rigged against #WeThePeople. He entirely exposed the globalist plot to overtake our republic. God used Donald Trump to light the fuse of an American Revolution.

We will never stop fighting for our country. Above that, we will never stop fighting for God, for truth, and for what is good and right. We are Americans, and this is just what we do. We never give up, we never stop fighting, and we do it even if it means losing everything.

We do it because of the brave men and women who came before us. They fought for our freedom, and they put it all on the line. As a result, we’ve enjoyed immense blessings, as a people and as a nation. At the #PatriotParty, we want to see those blessings continue for generations.

The media issue a scathing, well-documented look at how much money US Catholic dioceses raked in under Trump's pandemic relief initiative, and watch the response in Catholic circles, Catholic media, among many Catholic laity. /1

It's a variant of the VERY SAME response used repeatedly by Catholic leaders to exonerate top-level responsibility for priests abusing minors and going unpunished.

The typical gambit now being used to justify the lavish feeding at the Trump trough: /2

Well, maybe dioceses were grabby and did not need all that money — look at the assets they're sitting on already — but poor, struggling parishes needed that money.

As if a parish is somehow disconnected from a diocese …. As if a parish is not integrally tied to a diocese. /3

As I say, this is a variant of the argument often advanced by Catholic leaders to justify doing nothing when a priest is known to be abusing minors: Well, he's only a hired employee on a contract. What does he have to do with us, with the bishop, with the chancellor? /4

The whole Catholic governing system is set up in a way that totally integrates parishes with dioceses. No parish and no parish priest can possibly function with independence from diocesan structures. Let a parish/parish priest try that, and see how quick the reprisal is. /5

The 1776 Commission Report has been removed. Not to worry, I downloaded a copy.