Church of Trump

Overview

“Church of Trump” investigates the Trump administration's relationship with the religious right and implications for U.S. politics and Civil Rights.

Episode 11: “Church of Trump

FAULT LINES, SEASON 07: EPISODE 11: “CHURCH OF TRUMP”

The United States has just gone through its most contentious Supreme Court nomination in decades. The US watched as Brett Kavanaugh ascended to the highest court in the country, despite a serious allegation of sexual assault from his high school days. As the Senate reviewed his nomination, protesters took to the streets, and the events once again broke open the country's political and cultural divides.

One group had backed Kavanaugh's nomination from the beginning: The religious right in the US, which is a strategic, highly organised minority that has found itself more powerful than ever under President Donald Trump. In his first two years in office, Trump has electrified this segment of the Republican base by advancing the movement's opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights. President Trump has appointed more judges on federal appeals courts than any of his recent predecessors.

In the wake of the Supreme Court confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh, the US' so-called "values voters" are heading to the midterm election polls with the wind in their sails - and a sophisticated legislative and judicial ground-game to build on their momentum.

Fault Lines goes inside the US religious right to explore the grassroots strategy and the powerful institutions fueling its resurgence - revealing the movement's secretive state-level legislative strategy, known as Project Blitz, as well as the Republican party's plan to stack the federal judiciary with conservative judges.

Ultimately, Fault Lines explores what's driving this movement's support for President Trump and what their success could mean for the future of the country.