Hello and welcome to Background Briefing available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll examine a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with an autocrat and a kleptocrat joining forces with a theocrat and explore the role of white Christian nationalism as a vital component of the coalition to re-elect Trump, now bolstered by Trump's Christian soldier, Maga Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House.

Joining us is Clyde Wilcox, a professor of American government at Georgetown University and a scholar

at its Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, who teaches at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

Previously a statistician at the Federal Election Commission.

He has trained diplomats in the U.S. and abroad, spoken to international visitors in

State Department programs from more than 185 countries, and has consulted with

presidential campaigns, trade associations, and citizens groups.

He's the author of numerous books on comparative in American politics, including God's

Warriors, the Christian Right in 20th century America,

between two absolutes, public opinion and the politics of abortion,

the politics of gay rights, and onward Christian soldiers.

Then, with Israel about to invade Gaza and the Islamic

Republic of Iran threatening to unleash its proxies, we will look into whether Iran's aging

supreme leader will avoid a wider war or stoke the apocalyptic fires theocratic regime routinely

in flames. Joining us is Abbas Malani,

Director of Iranian Studies and Professed the Center on Democracy Development

and the Rule of Law at the Freeman Spogley Institute at Stanford University.

Until 1986, he taught at Tehran University's Faculty of Law and Political Science,

where he was also a member of the Board of

Directors of the University's Center for International Relations. His books include

...