Some animals are most dangerous when they’re dying.

Death Throes

1. plural noun The death throes of something are its final stages, just before it fails completely or ends.

2. plural noun If a person or animal is in their death throes, they are dying and making violent, uncontrolled movements, usually because they are suffering great pain.

Hence the threat of Christian Nationalism. They didn’t need to be violent to maintain power before. Now they do.