New from me: Hegseth's new Pentagon initiative is weirdly obsessed with...homeschooling?
What to know about Hegseth’s new office of religious affairs
"Our department is, you might say, putting on the full armor of God."
motherjones.com
Kiera Butler
@kieraevebutler.bsky.social
National Correspondent for Mother Jones. Extremism etc. https://www.motherjones.com/author/kiera-butler/ Tips: kbutlermotherjones@proton.me
This just in, more from my unlikely foray into sports journalism with @pablo.show www.motherjones.com/politics/202... :
Tim Tebow “pausing” Christian seminar promotion after our investigation
“I think the allegations are extremely serious."
motherjones.com
Peter Thiel says the "Antichrist" will preach "peace." Now his cronies in the Trump regime are pushing "Pax Silica" ("Silicon Peace"). It's a grandiose name for AI colonialism and imperialism. 1st target: The Philippines. More from @kieraevebutler.bsky.social www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Tech Bros and the Trump administration are building an AI empire—in the Philippines
Pax Silica aims to lock up rare earths, and hand Silicon Valley the keys.
motherjones.com
New from me: While AI insiders are begging for a slow-down, Peter Thiel-connected Silicon Valley titans are working with the State Department on a massive new pipeline project in a deregulated zone. What could go wrong? www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Tech Bros and the Trump administration are building an AI empire—in the Philippines
Pax Silica aims to lock up rare earths, and hand Silicon Valley the keys.
motherjones.com
I am a sports ignoramus and knew nothing about Tim Tebow till I started work on this investigation with @pablo.show into the Christian investment seminar events he speaks at like 10x/year. It was quite the introduction to him! www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh7s...
We Investigated the Christian "Scam" Fronted by Tim Tebow | PTFO
YouTube video by PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT
youtube.com
I had a lot of fun reflecting on my adventures with TheoBros and others in this Reddit AMA www.reddit.com/r/politics/c...
From the politics community on Reddit: AMA: I’m a reporter at Mother Jones covering the mainstreaming of far-right extremism. Ask me anything.
Explore this post and more from the politics community
reddit.com
Hi all! I'm going to be doing a Reddit AMA in r/politics today, beginning at 11 AM. I'll be taking questions about anything I write about, including religion in politics, tech, and beyond, conspiracy ideology, and rabbit holes. See ya there.
He called children "cum trophies." He made videos with Nazi imagery as "jokes." And he's favored to win. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Memes and machine guns: How Brandon Herrera built a path to Congress
His financial supporters live everywhere—except in his Texas district.
motherjones.com
He's a guns YouTuber and 2A fanatic with 4.2 million followers. His district includes Uvalde. And he's favored to win. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Memes and machine guns: How Brandon Herrera built a path to Congress
His financial supporters live everywhere—except in his Texas district.
motherjones.com
New from me: Gun YouTuber Brandon Herrrera ("the AK Guy") is poised to go to Congress from a district that includes Uvalde. 96 percent of his campaign contributions are not from his district, but rather, a dispersed network of, well, internet randos. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Memes and machine guns: How Brandon Herrera built a path to Congress
His financial supporters live everywhere—except in his Texas district.
motherjones.com
THREAD: I wrote a piece about Pete Hegseth's spiritual advisor, but probably the most interesting part of the reporting to me was talking to the women in the community. I sort of expected them to be trad wives—you know, denim jumpers, butter churns, etc. but... www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Pete Hegseth dreams of holy war. Meet his spiritual adviser.
Doug Wilson preaches iron discipline and male dominance. One of his disciples runs the Pentagon.
motherjones.com
This new one from me has been a long time coming: Pete Hegseth’s spiritual advisor wants an America dominated by “biblical masculinity.” I went over to his house for brunch. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Pete Hegseth dreams of holy war. Meet his spiritual adviser.
Doug Wilson preaches iron discipline and male dominance. One of his disciples runs the Pentagon.
motherjones.com
This is the guy in charge of overhauling the Pentagon's security clearance program. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Oh look, another far-right extremist at the Pentagon
He oversees defense intelligence and security agencies and helps shape military operations.
motherjones.com
I wrote about this guy, who also has kindly offered to help with a new project that aims to connect “talented young Christians” to “the institutions that shape public thought and national leadership.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Oh look, another far-right extremist at the Pentagon
He oversees defense intelligence and security agencies and helps shape military operations.
motherjones.com
Unable to find a smoking gun in Fauci's diary, conspiracy theorists are getting, uh, creative www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Covid truthers are claiming Fauci’s diary was “scrubbed”
Because of course they are.
motherjones.com
I wrote about the inevitable conspiracy theories being spun up around Fauci's diary. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Covid truthers are claiming Fauci’s diary was “scrubbed”
Because of course they are.
motherjones.com
Ugh this story is so grim and @annamerlan.bsky.social does a masterful job telling it
Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 2mo agoThis is an unusually detailed look at how the anti-vaccine movement involves itself into the life of a family, and a criminal case. As I wrote about in the piece, this is not the first time; @kieraevebutler.bsky.social covered a similar story in Texas. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
I wrote about Hegseth's weird new testosterone thing and how it fits in with his whole extremely online and Christian nationalist obsession with masculinity and lethality www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The manosphere and Christian Nationalist roots of Hegseth’s “Low-T” fixation
"We're keeping you on the leading edge of lethality.”
motherjones.com
New from me: I wrote about the arrest of the far-left (as in, thinks Putin's a great guy) activist I profiled in 2024: www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Meet the multi-millionaire pro-Hamas activist who was arrested in Spain
The DOJ has called for Fergie Chambers to be extradited on charges of international money laundering.
motherjones.com
A fun little scoop about the Christian nationalist-adjacent guy who just scored a recruitment contract with the State Department. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The State Department's new recruiting contractor wants more Christian diplomats
"All of a sudden you're in a position where you can have a huge influence for the rest of your life on the US government.”
motherjones.com
In which Andrew Isker, part of the techno-utopia Appalachia crew I wrote about, argues that data centers will allow us to drink more raw milk:
The leader of this movement believes “Mass migration is biological warfare waged by secular globalist elites against the native Christian peoples of the West.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The Southern Baptist Convention was going mainstream. Then the Christian nationalists weighed in.
The SBC appears to be making a significant course correction in the form of a sharp rightward tack.
motherjones.com
I wrote about a sea change in the country's largest protestant denomination. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
The Southern Baptist Convention was going mainstream. Then the Christian nationalists weighed in.
The SBC appears to be making a significant course correction in the form of a sharp rightward tack.
motherjones.com
New from me: A little context on the DOD Mormon dustup.
Here's what Pete Hegseth's religion believes about Mormons
“We would consider the Mormons to be a non-Christian faith with Christian terminology.”
motherjones.com
New from @revrobschenck.bsky.social: Arminian and Reformed evangelical Christians agree on few things—but increasingly, they’re both unhappy with Trump. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Can MAGA survive the great evangelical crack-up?
One of Trump’s most loyal voting blocs may be losing faith in him.
motherjones.com
Just a reminder that the guy behind Florida's antivax crusade is into levitating and communicating with spirits www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Florida is poised to make opting out of vaccines way easier
An eccentric surgeon general is behind a new bill to help parents exempt their children from immunizations.
motherjones.com
A lil bit proud of the hed/dek combo on today’s show with @kieraevebutler.bsky.social slate.com/podcasts/wha...
MAGA’s A.I. Schism
Ye, though I walk through the uncanny valley...
slate.com