University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the breakdown of productive religious discourse in American public life, arguing that the religious right has seized control of the conversation through strategic framing, the appropriation of the undifferentiated label “Christian,” and the suppression of inconvenient facts. Professor Hamilton proposes three corrective rules: insist on factual accuracy in policy debates rather than deferring to religious framing, recognize Christianity as a diverse category rather than a monolith, and embrace open theological disagreement among believers as a legitimate and necessary form of public discourse.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses Donald Trump’s dual strategy for institutionalizing White Christian Nationalism by installing a conservative Supreme Court majority and empowering the religious right’s political agenda. Professor Hamilton argues that these efforts subvert the separation of church and state by promoting a false historical narrative and prioritizing the specific theological demands of a minority over the rule of law and civil liberties.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the systemic barriers child sex abuse survivors face when seeking justice and highlights three individuals who use their professional expertise to force institutional transparency and reform. Professor Hamilton argues that while these survivors courageously drive progress, society must stop placing the burden of child protection on the victims and instead proactively hold institutions accountable.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines Donald Trump’s public projection of himself as a messianic figure, contextualizing this behavior within his interactions with other global leaders and religious authorities. Professor Hamilton argues that the American religious right is responsible for fostering Trump’s dangerous messiah complex and urges them to reckon with the authoritarian monster they have helped create.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines the Trump administration’s promotion of Christian Nationalism across multiple domains—the White House, the military, and Congress—and its corresponding erosion of church-state separation, particularly in the context of Trump’s war with Iran. Professor Hamilton argues that this government alignment with a specific evangelical Christian agenda violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, distorts American religious history, and has created a political permission structure for unconstitutional attacks on Muslims and other religious minorities.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the three primary avenues through which accountability in the Jeffrey Epstein cases can be pursued—congressional hearings, a New Mexico state investigation, and a United Nations crimes-against-humanity inquiry—in the face of what she characterizes as a deliberate federal cover-up by the Trump administration. Professor Hamilton argues that despite the administration’s efforts to suppress further investigation, the partial release of Epstein’s files has already implicated dozens of powerful figures across the political spectrum, and that these three pathways will continue to expose the truth, bring shame to those involved, and ultimately deliver justice to survivors.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, criticizing the selective release of documents and attempts to minimize their importance to the public. Professor Hamilton argues that none of the powerful men in Jeffrey Epstein’s orbit acted with moral decency by reporting the obvious abuse of young girls they witnessed, and she calls for complete transparency rather than allowing officials to suppress information and avoid accountability.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton addresses the Trump administration’s handling of public health, particularly its promotion of anti-vaccine rhetoric and policy decisions that have led to a resurgence of preventable childhood diseases and deaths. Professor Hamilton argues that by empowering figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and prioritizing parental “rights” over established science, the administration has fostered a reckless and deadly culture that endangers children’s lives.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the anticipated release of the Jeffrey Epstein files under the Epstein Transparency Act and the Trump administration’s expected efforts to limit disclosure, set against the broader context of society’s evolving response to child sex abuse cover-ups. Professor Hamilton argues that despite attempts to suppress the truth, a powerful cultural shift toward justice for survivors and public demand for accountability will ultimately defeat the efforts to protect powerful abusers and enablers.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton traces the decades-long movement to reform statutes of limitations (SOLs) for child sex abuse victims, highlighting the legal, political, and cultural progress made and the recent challenges posed by unscrupulous legal practices. Professor Hamilton argues that while the movement has empowered many survivors and exposed hidden abuse, the rise of false claims by unethical mass tort firms threatens its integrity, necessitating legal safeguards like certificate of merit requirements to preserve justice and protect genuine victims.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton explores the intersection of free speech, political overreach, and the First Amendment in the context of Donald Trump’s attempts to silence critics like Jimmy Kimmel and suppress damaging information such as the Epstein files. Professor Hamilton argues that despite the Trump administration’s efforts to control narratives and promote its narrow cultural and religious views, the American public’s constitutional right to free expression remains a powerful force that will ultimately expose truth and resist authoritarianism.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton draws parallels between her experience clerking at the U.S. Supreme Court during efforts to undermine Roe v. Wade and the Trump administration’s implementation of its secretive Project 2025 policy agenda. Professor Hamilton argues that, much like the conservative clerk “cabal,” the administration operates through covert, coordinated strategies to impose unpopular ideology without public debate, using authoritarian means to bypass democratic norms.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines the Trump administration’s cover-up of former President Trump’s connections to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and the broader implications for survivors of child sexual abuse seeking justice. Professor Hamilton argues that the effort to obscure the truth has backfired by mobilizing survivors and the public, underscoring the urgent need for legal reform—particularly the elimination of restrictive statutes of limitations—to ensure survivors can seek justice when they are ready.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton addresses the Trump administration’s attempts to cover up the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking files and draws parallels to the Catholic Church’s long-standing concealment of clergy sexual abuse. Professor Hamilton argues that true justice for child sex abuse victims requires transparency, prosecution, and institutional accountability, and warns that failing to fully disclose the Epstein files undermines public trust and perpetuates a culture of impunity for the powerful.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton responds to Francis X. Maier’s proposal to remove child sex abuse victims from the legal system and place them in “autonomous reparations programs,” examining the implications for institutions like the Catholic Church, Boy Scouts, and state entities facing billion-dollar settlements. Professor Hamilton argues that Maier’s approach would prioritize cost reduction and institutional secrecy over justice and truth, contending that civil litigation is essential for uncovering institutional cover-ups, validating victims’ experiences, and preventing future abuse through transparency and accountability.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton critiques President Donald Trump’s handling of foreign policy, particularly his recent Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and argues that Trump’s deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin stems from ideological alignment with the religious right rather than merely personal or financial motivations. Professor Hamilton argues that Trump’s pro-Russia stance reflects the religious right’s alignment with Putin’s anti-LGBTQ policies, and that evangelical leaders are willing to support autocrats who share their “family values” agenda while undermining democratic principles and the separation of church and state.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines Christian Nationalism and the Napa Legal Institute's Faith and Freedom Index, exploring how they relate to religious liberty, extreme religious liberty, and theocracy in America. Professor Hamilton argues that Christian Nationalism and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) represent dangerous departures from traditional First Amendment religious liberty protections, as they enable religious groups to discriminate against others and violate neutral laws while potentially paving the way for an intolerant Christian theocracy.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton analyzes three key outcomes for the religious right following Election Day: their diminishing control over abortion policy, their continued success in “othering” certain groups (particularly LGBTQ+ individuals), and their unexposed agenda regarding children's rights and education. Professor Hamilton argues that while the religious right has lost ground on abortion rights due to successful state ballot measures and Trump’s apparent abandonment of their stance, they continue to wield significant influence through their campaign against LGBTQ+ rights and could pose future threats through their lesser-known initiatives to weaken child labor laws, compulsory education, and vaccination requirements.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton examines the current U.S. presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Joe Biden, through the lens of the Founding Fathers’ constitutional principles and concerns about tyranny and abuse of power. Professor Hamilton argues that neither candidate is suitable for the presidency based on the Framers’ ideals, with Biden potentially leading to an ineffective government due to age-related issues and Trump posing a threat to democracy through his authoritarian tendencies, ultimately suggesting that voters should reject both options.
University of Pennsylvania professor Marci A. Hamilton discusses the transformation of religious liberty in the United States into a force that can harm others, critiquing the misuse of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the rise of radical religious liberty law. Professor Hamilton argues that while religious liberty includes the absolute right to believe and speak about one's religion, it should not extend to conduct that harms others, warning against the dangerous trend of using religious liberty as a weapon against marginalized groups and advocating for a return to the original principles of the First Amendment.
