Trump famously once said that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight and hold onto his supporters anyway. For his white evangelical base, at least, that seems to be true. Eighty-one percent of white evangelical voters chose Trump. Since his inauguration, Trump’s approval rating among white evangelicals has remained steadily high. It’s currently at 71 percent, just one point down from its all-time high in April.
Why did white evangelicals support Trump in such numbers? And why do they still support him? That’s what independent filmmaker Christopher Maloney, 32, whose documentaries have appeared on PBS and the Discovery Channel, decided to find out.
In his documentary In God We Trump, now on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, Maloney explored the long-standing relationship between white evangelicals and the GOP, and how Trump captured not only the GOP nomination, but the party’s full-throated support.
I spoke with Maloney about his filmmaking process, Christian nationalism, justifications for Trump, and the end of days. The interview has been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Tara Isabella Burton
So, before we get into the specifics of In God We Trump, I’d love to know about your own thought process behind making this film. Certainly, the rise of the evangelical right in politics has been a much wider, longer-standing story than Trump’s ascension to power. What makes now different, and what made you decide “this is the story I want to tell now”?
Why did white evangelicals support Trump in such numbers? And why do they still support him? That’s what independent filmmaker Christopher Maloney, 32, whose documentaries have appeared on PBS and the Discovery Channel, decided to find out.
In his documentary In God We Trump, now on iTunes and Amazon Prime Video, Maloney explored the long-standing relationship between white evangelicals and the GOP, and how Trump captured not only the GOP nomination, but the party’s full-throated support.
I spoke with Maloney about his filmmaking process, Christian nationalism, justifications for Trump, and the end of days. The interview has been condensed and lightly edited for length and clarity.
Tara Isabella Burton
So, before we get into the specifics of In God We Trump, I’d love to know about your own thought process behind making this film. Certainly, the rise of the evangelical right in politics has been a much wider, longer-standing story than Trump’s ascension to power. What makes now different, and what made you decide “this is the story I want to tell now”?
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