Federal Appeals Court Judge James Ho, notorious for writing opinions and journal articles that make him sound more like a ranting MAGA pundit than a federal judge, is scheduled to appear at a Christian nationalist legal gathering Monday night, sharing the keynote spotlight with dominionists Dutch Sheets and Gene Bailey. When President Donald Trump nominated Ho to the appeals court, People For the American Way opposed his confirmation.
The event, the third annual National Consecration of our Courts, is being sponsored by the Judicial Action Group Foundation, whose leader Phillip Jauregui is trying to convince the White House and Senate Republicans to impose an unconstitutional religion test on future Supreme Court nominees by refusing to accept any judge who does not meet his right-wing “biblical worldview” standard. Ho is one of the handful of potential justices Jauregui is promoting as acceptable. The event is being held at the Museum of the Bible, which has become a base of operations for Christian nationalist activists in Washington, D.C.
“Apostle” Dutch Sheets was named by Religion Dispatches one of the top 24 leaders of the dominionist New Apostolic Reformation earlier this year. Sheets, who spreads false Christian nationalist history, has ardently promoted the idea that Donald Trump was anointed by God and waged spiritual warfare against Trump’s political opponents. Sheets was active in efforts to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election. “No Christian leader did more to mobilize Christians to be in DC on January 6th than Dutch Sheets,” according to religion scholar Matthew Taylor. Sheets, who is close to White House Faith Director Paula White, was featured at Intercessors for America’s gathering to “rededicate” America to God in July; he also spoke at the White House-sponsored “rededication” event in May. Sheets has prayed for God to “remove” judges who rule against Trump.
Gene Bailey is the host of FlashPoint, a program that launched on Kenneth Copeland’s Victory Channel in the fall of 2020 to rally conservative Christians to vote for Trump. As Right Wing Watch has reported, "'FlashPoint' played a key role in spreading lies about the 2020 election and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, with host Gene Bailey regularly welcoming right-wing 'prophets' and evangelists like Lance Wallnau, Hank Kunneman, and Mario Murillo on to the program, where they steadfastly refuse to accept the election results.”
FlashPoint remained a relentless promoter of pro-Trump propaganda, right-wing conspiracy theories, Christian nationalist ideology, and Seven Mountains dominionism, both before and after it became an independent operation last year. It seeks to mobilize its activist “army” to elect right-wing candidates and advance its dominionist vision in culture and law. Bailey has complained that Rep. Ilhan Omar “feels safe enough” to criticize Trump, and said earlier this year that she should be deported.
The dinner at which Judge Ho is scheduled to speak tonight is the “headline event” for the Consecration of our Courts. The keynote speaker for the daytime session is dominionist “apostle” Chuck Pierce, another top leader of the New Apostolic Reformation. Session speakers and prayer leaders are a parade of religious-right legal and political figures, including NAR figure Jim Garlow, American Family Association Vice President Walker Wildmon, former Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker, Intercessors for America’s Dave Kubal, First Liberty Institute’s Mike Berry, and the Family Research Council’s Jay Johnston.
Among the requirements in the "Code of Conduct" that participants agree to "abide by and be bound by" is this: "Participants also acknowledge that they are a born-again follower of Jesus Christ and agree with the JAGF mission for the Supreme Court to repair the breach in our national relationship with God."
