In 2016, Donald Trump pledged to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe v Wade.
Eight years later, voted out of office and campaigning to return to the White House, and buoyed by his fulfilled prophecy of a Supreme Court that revoked a constitutional right to abortion,
Trump returned to a crowd of right-wing evangelical Christians to once again ask for their vote.
“You have to go with your heart,” Trump told the crowd at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s June conference. “But you have to also remember: you have to get elected.”
Four months later, powerful figures within America’s far-right evangelical movement and the architects of the modern Christian nationalist movement are wrestling with his position on abortion.
Christian nationalists spent nearly 45 years steering Republican politics into this moment, but the movement’s crowning achievement is now a political liability. Trump won’t publicly endorse a national abortion ban, pivoting instead to saying that those decisions are now up to individual states.
Trump repeatedly lies that doctors are killing babies to perform “after birth” abortions and tells his supporters to stand for “innocent life”. Those words come straight from the language of anti-abortion activists and a right-wing evangelical movement that has looked to Trump to continue what they see as a biblical call to arms to defend the “unborn”.
Yet the Supreme Court’s decision is overwhelmingly unpopular, and a vast majority of Americans don’t want the government interfering in their reproductive healthcare.
Meanwhile, the Christian nationalist movement – driven by a belief the US was, is, and forever should be a Christian nation, with Christianity embedded in all aspects of law and society – has a foothold in federal, state and local governments and a home within Republican politics.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 25, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October 25, 2024-Ausgabe von The Independent.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Tuchel left with big calls to make after Carsley refresh
No pressure, Thomas. Lee Carsley hands over to Thomas Tuchel promising to give England’s next manager a comprehensive debrief on the three autumn camps but perhaps also elevating expectations. Not so much with the results – promotion in the Nations League was anticipated for a team ranked fourth in the world and who reached the final of Euro 2024 – as with his assessment of England’s prospects for the time covered by Tuchel’s 18-month deal.
Wiegman calls up uncapped trio for injury-hit Lionesses
England manager Sarina Wiegman is confident Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace can both make the most of their first senior call-ups to an injury-hit squad.
Wales promoted as Cullen double freezes out Iceland
Wales won Nations League promotion as Liam Cullen’s first two international goals helped them to a 4-1 victory over Iceland.
Retail bosses gifted excuse for when things go wrong
It’s not just British farmers who are hacked off by the latest Budget some of the biggest names in retail have now joined forces to send one of those angry, multi-signature letters to the chancellor, scolding her for the imminent tax hikes coming their way.
Jaguar pounces on new logo
Car giant Jaguar has unveiled a new logo and a rebranded range of electric cars alongside marketing slogans such as “delete ordinary,” “live vivid,” and “copy nothing.”
OF UNSOUND MIND
A disquieting mood permeates the BBC's 'The Listeners', the complex story of a teacher whose life unravels after she starts hearing a ceaseless, mysterious hum, writes Nick Hilton
It's grit over gloss in photo show's eye on the Eighties
Protest, poverty and privilege - The 80s: Photographing Britain at Tate Britain offers an exciting, if partial, view of a decade that remains highly polarising, writes Mark Hudson
Publicly-owned rail may not get us back on right track
Nationalisation is often touted as a golden ticket to a better train service. Simon Calder is less optimistic it will work
CAFFEINE FIX
Why does a squirt of syrup in your coffee at Christmas burn such a massive hole in your wallet? Olivia Petter finds out.
Longing and loss: our era of British cinematic elegance
It is four decades since A Room with a View’ made Merchant Ivory a household name. Sarah Sands recalls a world in which her brother Kit and her then husband Julian were central
