Amid a Republican leadership shakeup in the House & questions about the future of Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the Senate, FRONTLINE investigates the life & legacy of one of the most powerful Republican leaders in Senate history.
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“McConnell, the GOP & the Court” shows the path to power of an unlikely political leader who has dramatically reshaped the Supreme Court — and whose consequential decisions helped usher in an era of deep polarization in both the U.S. and the Republican party.
“McConnell, the GOP & the Court” tells the dramatic, decades-long story of McConnell’s rise to power, and the costs of attaining and keeping it. That story is told through a powerful video archive and incisive interviews that delve into McConnell’s defining early struggle against childhood polio, his political method, and the roots of his quest for power. Through interviews with close advisors and associates, critics, biographers and journalists, the film goes on to trace McConnell’s political journey from his days as a supporter of the civil rights movement through his shift rightward in the Reagan era, to his reluctant embrace of Donald Trump and then his anger at the president on January 6th, 2021, to questions about how long he will continue to lead Senate Republicans.
As McConnell faces political and physical challenges to his long hold on power, “McConnell, the GOP & the Court” offers an illuminating look at the long-serving leader and how his shrewd choices have reshaped the Supreme Court and U.S. politics.
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“McConnell, the GOP & the Court” is a FRONTLINE production with the Kirk Documentary Group. The director is Michael Kirk. The producers are Michael Kirk, Mike Wiser and Vanessa Fica. The writers are Michael Kirk and Mike Wiser. The reporter is Vanessa Fica. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; Park Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. Funding for “McConnell, the GOP & the Court” is provided by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.
CHAPTERS:
Prologue – 00:00
Sen. Mitch McConnell Faces Health Challenges in 2023 – 0:34
Mitch McConnell’s Childhood Battle With Polio -3:15
A Young Mitch McConnell Finds His Calling in Politics – 5:42
A Young Mitch McConnell’s Support of the Civil Rights Movement – 8:58
Mitch McConnell’s Political Career Begins – 11:45
Mitch McConnell and Roger Ailes’ Early Alliance – 14:09
Mitch McConnell Shifts Rightward During Reagan’s Presidency -16:43
Mitch McConnell Vows Revenge After Robert Bork’s Failed Supreme Court Nomination – 19:11
Mitch McConnell Plays Key Role in Reshaping U.S. Supreme Court – 21:21
Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump’s ‘Transactional’ Relationship – 28:50
McConnell, Trump and the 2017 Charlottesville White Supremacist Rally – 30:40
With Trump’s Support, McConnell Fills Federal Judiciary With Conservative Judges – 35:06
The Impact of Mitch McConnell’s Alliance With Donald Trump – 40:05
McConnell, Longest-Serving Leader in Senate History, Faces Health Challenges – 50:11
Credits – 51:54