Why these Black voters support Donald Trump

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THE WEEKLY REVEAL

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Hello! In this issue:

We talk with Black Republicans about why they support Donald Trump.
In a podcast extra, Al Letson interviews a former Christian nationalist who reflects on how he may have helped paved the way for Trump—and regrets it.
In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we examine the effects of an ideology that says Christians should control society.
Watch our hit documentary The Grab, now streaming on Hulu.

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THIS WEEK’S PODCAST

Red, Black, and Blue

Credit: All photos by Wesaam Al-Badry

Every four years, the presidential election brings with it a perennial question about an essential voting bloc: Who will Black voters turn out for?

Mother Jones video correspondent Garrison Hayes has spent months on the campaign trail talking to Black voters about how they see their own political power. He paid special attention to Black Republicans and a new crop of Black supporters of former President Donald Trump.

This week on Reveal, we hear from voters at the Republican National Convention, a graduate from a historically Black university whose star is rising on the right, and a Republican organizing other Black voters to turn out for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Listen to the episode

🎧 Other places to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Pandora, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Text that says, you count on us. Can we count on you?

PODCAST EXTRA

A Christian Nationalist Has Second Thoughts

The Reverend Rob Schenck, once an influential Christian activist. Credit: Lexey Swall

The Reverend Rob Schenck was once one of America’s most powerful and influential evangelical leaders. He routinely lobbied legislators to adopt a Christian conservative agenda. Members of his anti-abortion activist group barricaded the doors and driveways of abortion clinics. He even trained wealthy couples to befriend Supreme Court justices in an attempt to persuade them to render judgments that would please conservative Christians.

“I’m afraid I helped build the ramp that took Trump to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” he says. “And that’s a very painful reality for me.”

In a special podcast extra, Schenck sits down with Reveal host Al Letson to talk about his evolution and when he realized that he had been forging a dangerous and divisive path.

Listen to the episode

A Quote to Remember

“So that's the end game: to bring about the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.”

The Reverend Naomi Washington-Leapheart works for Political Research Associates, a watchdog group that monitors extremist activity. She has been researching the New Apostolic Reformation, and her organization believes that this brand of Christianity is trying to get rid of the separation between church and state.

Listen: In God We Vote

Ending on a Good Note

📽️ In The Grab, our investigative reporter Nate Halverson teams up with filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite to expose the money, influence, and alarming rationale behind covert efforts to control the most vital resource on the planet. Stream now on Hulu!

In Case You Missed It

🎧 Not All Votes Are Created Equal

🎧 Did the US Cause Its Own Border Crisis?

This issue of The Weekly Reveal was written by Kate Howard and edited by Nikki Frick. If you enjoyed this issue, forward it to a friend. Have some thoughts? Drop us a line with feedback or ideas!

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