Hello and welcome to Background Briefing, available 24-7 at Background Briefing.org.

I'm Ian Masters, and today we'll look into a number of stories and issues in the news.

We'll begin with the staggering hypocrisy of the Christian right, with the movement's most

prominent and powerful politician, the pious man of God, Mike Johnson, showing up today at Trump's

porn payoff trial to praise the defendant and trash the witness on the stand as the prosecution

makes the case that Trump is a corrupt and cruel sleazebag who has broken all 10 commandments

more often than Johnson has kneeled to pray. Joining us is Amanda Marcotte, a feminist author,

blogger and politics writer for Salon.

She is the author of Troll Nation, How the Right Became Trump Worshipping Monsters,

Set on Rat-Effing Liberals, America and Truth itself,

and her latest articles at Salon include Donald Trump's obsession with control

is backfiring on his lawyers in court and reaching her expiration date how Marjorie

Taylor Green fell so fast from Magistardum. Then we'll assess whether this trial which is not

televised is hurting Trump as his poll numbers in the latest New York Times Sieno survey

find him ahead in all swing states except Wisconsin.

Joining us is Joseph Lownds, a professor of political science at the University of Oregon,

and an expert on conservatism, the Tea Party, Social Movements, the GOP, Race and Elections.

He's the author of From the New Deal to the New Right, Race and the Southern Origins of Modern Conservatism,

and the co-author of Producers, Parasites, Patriots, Race,

and the New Right Wing Politics of Procarity.

Then finally we'll speak with Spencer Sunshine,

who has been researching the U.S. far right for 20 years

...