A secret audio recording of Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka wooing far-right Christian extremists in the weeks ahead of the 2016 presidential election has just been unearthed and it’s deeply creepy, to the say the least.
The recording appears in the new documentary Battleground, out this week, which offers a shocking deep dive into the anti-abortion movement in America.
According to the doc, the tape was recorded in September 2016 during a closed-door meeting between the Trumps and a gaggle of Christian leaders a little over a month before the election.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how Trump would “fulfill the Christian right’s legislative and cultural priorities” if elected president.
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Things kick off with Steve Bannon telling the group, “The key that picks the lock to this election is you. Conservative Catholics and evangelicals who have not voted, who have not been motivated to vote, have to come to the polls. If we don’t win on 8 November, it’s because evangelical and Catholic leaders have not delivered. Your fate is in your own hands.”
From there, Trump takes over, telling them: “And this president could choose. I mean, it could be five. Probably going to be three. It could very well be four, but it could even be five justices. So you get Hillary Clinton in there, it’s over.”
Related: Texas AG says he’s totally down to use Roe decision to ruin gay people’s lives
A little while later, he announces Ivanka, saying, “Here’s my daughter!” She then kisses everyone’s a** by responding, “Hello! Good morning, everyone! This is a very full, impressive room.”
“These are the most powerful people in the country,” Trump replies before condescendingly telling her to “go back to work now.”
After Ivanka seemingly exits, right-wing radio host Eric Metaxas can be heard saying: “As much as I love your daughter, she got you in trouble on the Planned Parenthood issue, however.”
To which, Trump replies, “The feeling is that a lot of women are very happy with Planned Parenthood, but because of the fact they perform abortions, I can’t support it. I would defund it.”
“Okay,” Metaxas acquiesces, “but unless you hit that very hard, there are many Christians that just don’t believe you.”
10 days later, Trump offered a vivid, violent, totally inaccurate description of abortion during the final presidential debate with Hillary Clinton:
After the election, Trump would make good on his promise (for once) by nominating three extreme right-wing Supreme Court justices–the illegitimate Neil Gorsuch, accused sexual predator Brett Kavanaugh, and handmaid Amy Coney Barrett–who would all go on to vote in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade.
Adding a layer of icing to the cake, during her father’s reelection campaign in 2020, Ivanka would tell Real Clear Politics that she was now “unapologetically” against abortion rights.
But things didn’t end there.
Adding a cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake, in his concurring opinion with the SCOTUS decision to gut Roe, Justice Clarence Thomas said the Court should also reconsider rulings that protect same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships, and contraception.
There is so much to grieve today, but at this moment I am mourning for the countless Americans who will be killed by the Supreme Court's decision, the mothers who will be forced into deeper poverty, the miscarriage patients investigated and denied care. https://t.co/f3s7J2neZv pic.twitter.com/zwMS7MUo96
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 24, 2022
Thankfully, Democrats (and a few decent Republicans) in the House saw the writing on the wall and passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which codifies same-sex marriage and interracial marriage into law.
The Act passed in a bipartisan vote on July 19, 2022. It is now working its way through the Senate, though its chief sponsor Tammy Baldwin said a vote won’t happen until after the midterm elections after several Republicans requested a delay.
Related: Roberta Kaplan on the demise of Roe v. Wade and what’s next for equality
“I’m still very confident that the bill will pass, but we will be taking the bill up later, after the election” Baldwin told reporters last month, noting that delaying the vote would help increase the chance of getting 10 Republicans to sign on and push it through the evenly divided Senate, where 60 votes are needed to move it forward.
According to the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of Americans support both abortion rights and same-sex marriage.
Chrisk
Yeah, like everyone already knew he made a deal with the Devil aka the Christian Right. They both would do anything for power.
abfab
MORE OF THIS MAN,
”major hunk Jonathan Majors’ hunky photo spread has everyone on their worst behavior”
And less or none at all from this god awful cretin scumbag and his family of fools. PLEASE!
Den
Because there are a small, but nonetheless significant number of of gay men who will vote for republicans, it is important to spotlight their corruption, anti-American nature and endless mendacity. . There is room for both beefcake and substance on Queerty, though admittedly the substance usually takes a back seat.
abfab
Why the need for the lecture, Den? You think I don’t know that? The CRETIN family is what you call substance. Oy vay. More power to ya….
Cam
One of the right wing troll account screenames always comes in and screams to never print anything about the Trump’s again.
You’re right on time sweetie.
johncp56
I made the mistake of watching him go head to head with Hilary, he did it we are going backwards, he stacked the courts, women we need to vote, or do you want a dictatorship like Russia or Iran, that guy and his party are not good for anyone
SFMike
Gay marriage and gay rights are on the Christofascist chopping block next and it looks like we have no way to stop it thanks to all those morons that thought voting for a “businessman” and “reality show” star wouldn’t hurt. Anyone voting Republican is voting against gay and women’s rights.
Doug
Where is the link to the audio, or is it not available online?
gregg2010
And unless people get off their asses and vote, we’re going to have Trump or DeSatin as our next President. vOTE!
My2CentsWorth
And there got to be more voting for the better candidate than for the horrible Trump or DeSantos.
If the Republicans take control they will do whatever they can muster to remain in control.
LumpyPillows
Vote in every election. EVERY DAMNED ONE. We need to win every election, because losing just one, as we did with Trump, can undo everything.
Jimmynj
The entire Trump family is trash. They are criminals and need to be locked up before 2024 so we don’t have be tortured by that unhinged idiot for another 4 years.
LumpyPillows
Just how stupid are religious people to be fooled by the Trumps? The Trumps are the most irreligious, selfish, opportunists who are just selling them what they want to hear transparently pandering. The Trumps show up in a church only for publicity or money. Just how stupid are they? Oh, wait, they believe in an invisible sky god…