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From PRRI Aug. 24 newsletter
Patagonia Boycotts Wyoming Resort for Hosting Fundraiser for House Freedom Caucus
D. Hunter Schwartz of Deseret News reports that the outdoor apparel and gear company Patagonia will no longer allow the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to sell their brand because the resort hosted a fundraising event for the far-right House Freedom Caucus, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-S.C.), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and former President Donald Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows.
QAnon Gathering Scheduled for October in Las Vegas
In Forbes, Suzanne Rowan Kelleher reports that in late October, a convention center owned by iconic Las Vegas hotel-casino company Caesar’s Entertainment will host a three-day “Patriot Double Down” conference aimed at attracting attendees who are followers of the QAnon conspiracy movement. The event will feature a number of far right-wing speakers, many of whom are looked to as leaders within the QAnon movement.
A Small but Substantial Percentage of Americans Believe QAnon Theories
A PRRI report from May shows that 15% of all Americans say they agree with the clearly false core QAnon conspiracy theory that “the government, media and financial worlds in the U.S. are controlled by a group of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who run a global child sex-trafficking operation.” Republicans (23%) are notably more likely than independents (12%) and Democrats (7%) to hold QAnon beliefs.
Some Pastors in Southern California are Taking a Sharp Right Turn
In a piece for the Orange County Register, Brooke Staggs reports how some nondenominational pastors in Southern California are taking bolder political stances, including conspiracy theories about the election and Christian nationalist principles. “Local support for Christian nationalism also raises flags for scholars who study extremism, since the political theology can overlap with white supremacy and other violent movements,” Staggs writes. To explain the reason for the shift, she cites PRRI CEO and founder Robert P. Jones in his most recent book White Too Long: “In Jones’ view, pastors who push against equal rights for people of color under the guise of patriotism are promoting a mythical idea that true Americans are White and Christian. He said it’s not a coincidence that White Christian nationalism is taking off during a period when evangelical power is waning.”