008: GOP’s Islamophobia Surge and the Christian Nationalist Agenda

This week on Reign of Error, host Sarah Posner speaks with Texas Monthly senior writer Robert Downen about how long-standing anti-Muslim activism has moved from the fringes of right-wing politics to the center of Texas GOP campaigns. They examine the role of Christian nationalist figures, right-wing media, and national operatives in fueling the backlash—from curriculum battles in Texas schools to calls to designate Muslim organizations as terrorist groups. The conversation also explores how fears about Sharia and Muslim “invasion” are intertwined with broader Christian nationalist efforts to redefine the United States as a “Judeo-Christian nation,” reshaping policy debates not just in Texas but across the country.

Last week’s Texas Republican primaries were widely framed as a contest between an “establishment” Republican and a more extreme MAGA challenger. But when it came to Islamophobia, the differences between candidates were far less clear. Across races for Senate, attorney general, governor, and even railroad commissioner, Republican candidates competed to amplify anti-Muslim conspiracy theories—portraying Islam as a political ideology rather than a religion and warning of a supposed “Islamification” of Texas. The panic centers on claims about Sharia law and developments like the proposed EPIC City Muslim-centered community near Plano, which far-right activists have recast as evidence of a looming civilizational threat, despite Muslims making up only a small fraction of the state’s population.

Robert Downen is a senior writer at Texas Monthly who often focuses on the intersection of politics and religion. Before joining TM in 2025, he covered politics and extremism for The Texas Tribune, where his work on the influence of far-right megadonors and white supremacists on the Texas GOP won or placed for numerous national investigative awards. A native of the Chicago suburbs, Robert arrived in Houston the day before Hurricane Harvey, and soon after, he began leading the Houston Chronicle’s groundbreaking coverage of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention—coverage that led to historic reforms, new laws in Texas, and a Department of Justice investigation.

Additional Resources:

Robert Downen, “Once Relegated to the Fringes, the Texas Far Right Had a Huge Election Day,” Texas Monthly, March 4, 2026, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-primary-results-state-gop-drifting-rightward/

Robert Downen, “What Does the Texas Railroad Commission Do? This Candidate Thinks It Fights ‘Radical Islamists,” Texas Monthly, November 26, 2025, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/what-does-the-texas-railroad-commission-do-this-candidate-thinks-it-fights-radical-islamists/

Robert Downen, “She Wanted to Speak on Anti-Muslim Bigotry. She Was Labeled a Terrorist Leader.,” Texas Monthly, November 21, 2025, https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-board-of-education-cair-terrorist-designation/

Patricia Mazzei, “Judge Blocks DeSantis’s Declaration of Muslim Group as Terrorist Organization,” New York Times, March 4, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/desantis-cair-muslim-group-terrorist-organization.html

Lauren McGaughy, “Austin Shooting Puts Islam at Center of Tuesday’s Primaries in Texas,” New York Times, March 2, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/austin-shooting-politics.html

Jerod MacDonald-Evoy, “GOP lawmaker who called Muslims ‘savages’ wins House vote to brand CAIR a terrorist group,” Arizona Mirror, February 26, 2026, https://azmirror.com/2026/02/26/gop-lawmaker-who-called-muslims-savages-wins-house-vote-to-brand-cair-a-terrorist-group/

 Mobashra Tazamal, “Islamophobia Takes Center Stage in the Lone Star State,” The Bridge Initiative, February 19, 2026, https://bridge.georgetown.edu/research/islamophobia-takes-center-stage-in-the-lone-star-state/

Juliana Lightsey, “Ken Paxton Is No Stranger to Controversy. Here’s a Timeline of Nearly 20 Years of Scandals & Headlines.,” The Barbed Wire, February 17, 2026, https://thebarbedwire.com/2026/02/17/ken-paxton-scandal-timeline/

Dylan Duke, “Ken Paxton sues Council on American-Islamic Relations to shut down Texas operations,” KUT News, February 5, 2026, https://www.kut.org/texas/2026-02-05/ken-paxton-sues-council-on-american-islamic-relations-to-shut-them-down-in-texas

Liz Crampton and Jessica Piper, “Republicans go all-in on 'Sharia law' attacks ahead of Texas primary,” Politico, January 26, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/26/republicans-go-all-in-on-sharia-law-attacks-ahead-of-texas-primary-00745647

Penelope Rivera, “Gov. Abbott declares CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups,” November 18, 2025, https://www.keranews.org/politics/2025-11-18/gov-abbott-declares-cair-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-groups

Proclamation by the Governor of Texas, November 18, 2025, https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/PROC_declaring_Muslim_Brotherhood_and_CAIR_Transnational_Criminal_Organizations_IMAGE_11-18-2025.pdf

Jennifer Schuessler, “When DOGE Unleashed ChatGPT on the Humanities,” New York Times, March 7, 2026, https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/arts/humanities-endowment-doge-trump.html?searchResultPosition=1

Marisa Kabas, “Police body cam footage shows DOGE knew Institute of Peace was private property during raid,” The Handbasket, March 6, 2026

Depositions in MLA-ACLS-AHA Lawsuit Over the NEH, Modern Language Association YouTube Channel, https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKhlPKGDHqdxJoKIXwCmoQLrW2oWY8Pcp&si=303Vs2xNEzbbCYiR

Creator: Sarah Posner: https://www.sarahposner.com/

Producer and Engineer: Dr. Ger FitzGerald

Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi

Production Assistance: Kari Onishi

Generous funding provided by the Henry Luce Foundation.