Whether Donald Trump knows it or not, Dominionists are now in control of his presidential campaign. In recent weeks, Trump has appointed Stephen Bannon to the position of campaign CEO and Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager. Both of these individuals are members of the Council For National Policy, a secretive Dominionists organization. In fact, Kellyanne Conway sits on the executive committee.
Dominionists believe that America is a Christian nation and they oppose the separation of church and state. Ted Cruz’s father is a Dominionist preacher. They mix well with Christian Reconstructionists who want to impose strict biblical laws on America including execution for adultery, blasphemy, and homosexuality. These two fringe religious groups make up the majority of the Council’s 500 member base; along with a colorful array of extreme activists on the far right. The Council’s goal is to manipulate government agenda from within.
Nation magazine says that the Council “networks wealthy right-wing donors together with top conservative operatives to plan long-term movement strategy.” Marc Ambinder of ABC News said “The group wants to be the conservative version of the Council on Foreign Relations.” That’s the organization Ted Cruz’s wife Heidi worked for previously.
If you’re still not convinced the Dominionists have taken over the Trump campaign guess where Kellyanne Conway used to work before making her move over to Trump. She managed Ted Cruz’s biggest Super PAC called Keep The Promise 1, where she raised over $16 million dollars from just one source; New York City hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer.
Together these two ran millions of dollars in anti-Trump ads in defense of Ted Cruz. But once Trump won and Cruz dropped out Mercer switched horses, changed the name of the Super PAC and re-focused on anti-Hillary ads for Donald.
And all of this overseen by the Council For National Policy, which was founded in 1981 by fundamentalist Baptist pastor Tim LaHaye, author of the Left Behind book series and the head of the Moral Majority organization. Founding members of the Council also included Nelson Bunker Hunt, the billionaire who lost everything trying to corner the world market in silver, and T. Cullen Davis the oil tycoon who stood trial for allegedly forcing his second wife’s 12 year-old daughter into the basement of her home and making her kneel before shooting and killing her.
Woody Jenkins, the Council’s first executive director, told Newsweek quote: “One day before the end of this century, the Council will be so influential that no president, regardless of party or philosophy, will be able to ignore us or our concerns or shut us out of the highest levels of government.”
As the council grew, it entertained some far right wing extremists including Ku Klux Klan members Richard Shoff and Lawrence Pratt along with Michael Peroutka who served on the board of the League of the South, a neo-Confederate hate group that advocates for a newly seceded South ruled by white people.
Other less extreme but still dangerous members of the Council include Tony Perkins and Kenneth Blackwell of the Family Research Council. Both have sat on the Executive Committee. These are the guys that claim that pedophilia is “a homosexual problem,” and that gay people want to “recruit” children.
Mat Staver of the Liberty Counsel was on the Board of Governors. Mat has attempted to push for the re-criminalization of gay sex. He has also described the Boy Scouts as a “playground for pedophiles,” and likened LGBT activists to terrorists.
There is even an amazing crossover of members from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Council for National Policy. Nearly a dozen have shown up in the 2014 directory. With that many members dually active on both councils you have to question if the CFR hasn’t already been influenced by the CNP’s agenda.
What does this say about the Trump campaign. Is he putting everything on black at the roulette table and looking only to attract extremists and the disillusioned? It seems like an equation for failure. But what if Trump actually starts gaining in the polls? What does that say about America. Are we really a country of hate and bigotry or will good level headed Americans prevail in this election cycle?