Samantha Bee documents how abortion was turned into a GOP hot-button issue

Donald Trump is winning the support of many religious conservatives even though he has a spotty past on opposing abortion, which conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer calls "the central issue of the conservative movement for the last 30 years, in terms of social issues." But before the early 1980s, Samantha Bee chronicled on Monday's Full Frontal, evangelical Christians and Southern Baptists didn't care much about abortion, considering it an issue for the Catholics to fret over. They had to be convinced to oppose abortion by religious-Republican leaders like Jerry Falwell and Paul Weyrich, Bee says, and Falwell and his peers got "an assist from a talented young sci-fi filmmaker," Frank Schaeffer.

Schaeffer sat down with Full Frontal and explained that "one of the things that I did, back in the day, when I was young, was help found, start, begin what became known as the pro-life movement." He made a series of creepy anti-abortion films, featuring his father, evangelical theologian Francis Schaeffer, and future surgeon general Dr. C. Everett Koop. Making those films is "the single greatest regret of my life," he said. Bee set them up: "Two pals who shared a love of theology and novelty beards, plus a 20-something raised on Fellini films: What could go wrong?" Evangelical leaders didn't like the films, but thanks to Jack Kemp and congressional movie night, they came around. Watch below for the full story, and be warned, there is some NSFW language and disturbing imagery. Peter Weber

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