The Watchlist

Despite having obtained only a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oral Roberts University in the 1970s, David Barton now routinely bills himself as “America’s premier historian” and has established a reputation as the Religious Right’s go-to “expert” for making the case that the Founding Fathers intended to establish America to be a Christian nation that operates according to the laws of God as set out in the Bible.

Doug Wilson is a far-right Christian nationalist pastor and political activist. Notorious for publishing a book downplaying the evils of slavery, Wilson promotes extreme political positions: he opposes women having the right to vote, believes that non-Christians should not be allowed to hold public office or worship in public, and wants to see the Apostles’ Creed incorporated into the U.S. Constitution. Wilson is based in Idaho and exerts nationwide influence through his publishing house Canon Press, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and a network of “classical Christian” schools. In 2025, Wilson planted a church in Washington, D.C. to bring Christians working for the Trump administration into alignment with his worldview. 

The son of Christian nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton, Tim Barton has followed in his father’s footsteps, taking over as president of the WallBuilders organization, serving as co-host of the daily “WallBuilders Live” radio program, and traveling the nation delivering presentations filled with Christian nationalist disinformation.