![Art Thompson, CEO of the John Birch Society / [Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/7/16/660x290/b_502x220x82/art-thompson-ceo-of-the-john-birch-society-image-by-gage-skidmore-via-flickr-cc-by-sa-20_1447941.jpg "Art Thompson, CEO of the John Birch Society / [Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0]")
The rise of right-wing extremism and nationalism under the trump administration has opened up the ideology to start considering older, previously defunct organizations. For instance, Politico is reporting that a Central Texas Chapter of the John Birch Society is luring in new members and motivating one Texan to continue the ideology.
Extremist ideologies nurtured
The Trump administration has motivated the Republican Party to include the targeting or the Liberal left in their rhetoric, which is only the case because that kind of division motivates their voter base.
The organization also targeted the Liberal left in their day, saying that globalism was destroying the nation's values. During the 50s and 60s, the group saw the Liberal left as communists, as well as being part of the global conspiracy during the Cold War.
The article centers around Jan Carter, who runs the Texas Chapter -- who also said that not only were a lot of people showing up for their events, but that among them are lawmakers and statesmen. She also said those people were ready to fight Liberals who were looking to take their guns away, their constitutional rights, their freedoms, their values, and their heritage.
Birch Society legislation
Specifically, it seems that the State of Texas is primed for the Society's particular strain of politics.
The Politico article titled: "The John Birch Society Is Back" points to laws passed through the legislature that have a better chance of passing with the current right-wing ideology permeating today's politics. For instance, Texas legislature has already passed laws that limit engagement with the United Nations.
Other laws refer to "Sharia-creep" where Sharia law is prohibited from being used in the American court system, which is based off of the Islamophobic fear that Sharia law would take over their communities.
The article appropriately points out that the ideology is very much in line with that which is manufactured from the White House -- religious-minded, conspiracy-laden -- and it goes along with the effort the administration has made to "dismantle the administrative state."
One change in the ideology of the original John Birch Society is the idea that Russian communists are invading the country.
Given the assessment from the intelligence community that Russia interfered in the election in order to elect Donald Trump as the President of the United States, the new Birch Society wants the investigation over the Trump campaign colluding with Russian officials to stop -- a complete reversal of the group's foundation and reason to exist.
