For four weeks, Christophe Deborsu traveled the United States to understand the stakes of a historic presidential election. He sets out to meet the rednecks, these white and rural Americans for whom the return of Donald Trump is synonymous with hope.
Christophe Deborsu continues his journey across America as a prelude to the presidential election. By November 5, 262 million Americans will be required to vote. In this third episode of “Made in USA”, he goes to meet the rednecks, these white and rural Americans for whom the return of Donald Trump would be the hope of preserving their way of life.
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Rednecks, a derogatory term, embody a rural and traditional America, where evangelical faith holds a preponderant place. In Tennessee, Christophe Deborsu meets Ken Peters, an evangelist pastor at the head of the “Patriote Church”. In this church where politics and religion intertwine, Ken Peters preaches the word of God while showing unwavering support for Donald Trump.
For him and his followers, America is sacred land, to be protected from progressive influence. “We are a slightly different church, because we have no shame in saying that we are involved in politics for the good of our nation. The United States is my country, it is my house, where my children live, it must be taken care of”declares the pastor.
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Ken Peters’ commitment goes beyond simple speeches: he was present in Washington on January 6, 2020, during the assault on the Capitol, convinced that the elections had been rigged. For him, the election of Joe Biden remains unacceptable, and his contempt for former President Barack Obama only fuels his activism. “They are trying to make us believe that Biden had more votes than Obama. It’s impossible, President Obama was a rockstar. I don’t like Obama. He was the worst in history. He put gay flags in the White House, he allowed gay marriage.”.
In 2020, a few months after the election of the Democratic president, the pastor, openly homophobic and who willingly adheres to conspiracy theories, decided to change his life. He left his hometown of Seattle, too progressive in his eyes, and moved with his family to Tennessee, to found his church there. Every year, like Ken Peters, more than 2,000 of them flee Democratic states to settle in Tennessee or Kentucky, the new promised land of conservative Republicans. A simple life in the countryside, far from the hustle and bustle of large American cities.
Living to the rhythm of contrasts
The life of rednecks is marked by striking contrasts: between a fervent faith and colorful festivals, where big cars and bikini contests are in the spotlight. It is a way of life that reveals the desire of these Americans to live far from the hustle and bustle of big cities, while celebrating their own culture.
However, this deep America is not immune to the problems that undermine the country: insecurity, galloping inflation and the opioid crisis are weakening rural communities. This situation reinforces their rejection of progressive America and its values, pushing them even further towards a dream of returning to their roots, which Donald Trump embodies for them.
A crucial choice for the future of the United States
With the presidential election approaching, these rednecks see in Trump a hope to restore their traditional way of life. As Christophe Deborsu travels through these territories, he discovers an America in full questioning, where the question of who will be the next tenant of the White House could well determine the future of these rural communities. For now, these men and women, faithful to their convictions, hope for an America that resembles them, far from the spotlight of Hollywood.
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Discover the third episode of “Made in USA: meeting deep America“, this Friday October 25 at 7:50 p.m. on RTL tvi and streaming on RTL play.
american elections 2024 Made in USA christophe deborsu usa united states Kamala Harris donald trump
