At the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C., last month, summit co-chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett addressed a joint session. Noting the summit’s theme, “Religious Freedom for Everybody, Everywhere, All the Time,” Brownback characterized his idea of religious freedom as societies allowing “freedom for the soul and respect for each other.” But the rhetoric of individuals and groups present at the summit shows how extremists wield the language of religious freedom in a very different way: to oppress others.

Far-right propagandist Vincent James Foxx echoed “Great Replacement” conspiracy theories in a speech to a gathering of North Idaho Republicans just over a week ago, alleging that unspecified conspirators had “intentionally and deliberately and consistently changed the demographics of this country ... because they know that certain groups vote a certain way, and they know they can use that, that’s a benefit to them.”