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The Kennedy Center was made into a hub of Christian evangelical propaganda last week, demonstrating the extent to which the Trump administration is attempting to use the institution to proselytize its culturally conservative worldview to the public.
Last Wednesday, the center screened the documentary “The Revival Generation: Gen Z Turning to Jesus,” produced by the extremist-friendly Christian Broadcasting Network. (The documentary’s executive producer is the granddaughter of Pat Robertson, who founded CBN.) The film features right-wing Christian activists who advocate for a “national revival movement” at American colleges and universities, where right-wing culture warriors like activist Charlie Kirk have sought to expand their power and influence.
The Christian Broadcasting Network posted images on social media that show the worship session, featuring gospel artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard, that it hosted after the screening.
The context here is that young people, particularly members of Gen Z, are significantly less likely than older generations to identify with a particular religion, according to polling data in recent years, including Gallup polling data from April. And that trend threatens the future of a conservative movement that has used far-right religious views as a guide for policymaking.
My colleague Steve Benen has been doing some excellent reporting on Donald Trump’s efforts to pervert the Kennedy Center into a political plaything. Last week’s film screening appeared to continue that trend, as the center was converted into an upscale tent revival in which evangelicals could promote their propaganda to American youth.