Why Some White Evangelicals are Cheerleading Russia

While the world looks on in horror as Russia's invasion of Ukraine unfolds, one group has been praising Russian President Vladimir Putin. It turns out Putin has a fan base in America's right-leaning evangelical politicians and pundits. At this year's Conservative Political Action Conference, which wrapped up over the weekend, Lauren Witzke, a GOP candidate for the Senate in Delaware, said: "Here's the deal. Russia is a Christian nationalist nation. They're actually Russian Orthodox. . . . I identify more with Putin's Christian values than I do with Joe Biden."