Evangelicals using religion for political gain is nothing new. It is a US tradition

[guillaumeb]

6. Very well said.

Insecurity breeds anger, and it can lead to a search for meaning, or a search for solutions. And no matter what the US corporate media insists on saying, the US economy is only doing well for the top 10% or so. And people know that they are not really doing well. So any would be autocratic leader must use language that will appeal to his/her intended audience to make them easier to be motivated

In the case of unscrupulous leaders, these leaders will use whatever language is most likely to appeal to their audience. In a religious society, that leader will no doubt use religious themes and language to justify their control over the society. In a non-religious society, that leader might use ethnicity, or skin color, or language to divide people.

And in the case of Christians, Biblical literalism can indeed lead to negative outcomes. A Biblical literalist might dismiss climate change as a problem by assuming that the end times are near. Or by assuming that God intends this to happen. And that literalist might also look for a Pastor who reinforces that message.