Filmmaker Michael Kirk On The Latest ‘Frontline’: How The Republican Party Acquiesced To Donald Trump — And Why That’s Alarming For Democracy

deadline.com:

As President Joe Biden, the January 6th Committee and a number of longtime conservatives sound the alarm over the threat to American democracy, the latest Frontline, debuting on Tuesday on PBS, examines the warning signs.The two-hour season premiere, Lies, Politics and Democracy, digs into Donald Trump’s influence and grip over the Republican party.

The focus isn’t so much on the former president as it is the decisions that GOP leaders made that enabled his rise to power.The documentary offers a timeline of acquiescence, from the 2016 primary season to the present day, as so many in the party have aligned with Trump and his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen.

A reminder of how much Trump shattered norms comes at the start of the film, with clips of presidential election concession speeches going back to the 1930s, the obvious exception being the last occupant of the White House.When it comes to submitting to Trump and his movement, Frontline focuses on figures like Sen.

Ted Cruz (R-TX), who ultimately supported Trump even after he attacked his wife’s looks and his father’s background, as well as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Sen.