Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, California, is among the leading Republican candidates for governor—and a Christian nationalist. That ideology was on full display during a recent appearance on the His Glory TV network, where Bianco argued that the separation of church and state has been misunderstood.
He claimed the Founders intended government to stay out of religion while embedding Christian values into governance, asserting the nation was formed “only for a Christian nation” and that the Constitution depends on Christian values to function. Bianco urged voters to elect leaders based on “values,” not party, to restore the country to its early roots. His claim about the Founding is patently false, as the Constitution explicitly forbids any religious test for public office.