525. JD Vance vs. the Pope and the Far-Right Funding Machine (Question Time)

This episode of The Rest Is Politics delves into the escalating clash between the Trump-aligned right and religious authority, focusing on J.D. Vance's theological disputes with the Pope over concepts like 'just war' and 'order of love.' Hosts Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell critique the MAGA movement's weaponization of religious rhetoric, arguing it reflects a deeper ideological project of replacing moral and legal frameworks with naked power politics. They highlight how figures like Vance and Hegseth use selective religious citations to justify aggressive foreign policies while ignoring core Christian teachings on compassion and justice. The discussion expands to expose a transatlantic network of far-right funding, with a $1.18 billion campaign from 2019–2023 targeting gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive health across Europe—led by Hungary under Viktor Orbán. The hosts examine how state-funded propaganda institutions like Hungary’s Matthias Corvinus Collegium have been used to spread right-wing ideology, and question whether Orbán’s fall from power will weaken this global movement. The episode concludes with reflections on devolution in the UK and a poignant metaphor from chimpanzee civil war, suggesting that tribal conflict may be innate, not just cultural.