wow, you get to watch all your favorite stuff. it's to die for. now you won't miss a thing. this is the way. xfinity internet. ma for streaming. geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. on the “newshour” tonight, president biden holds a critical press conference amid calls that he should step away from the campaign. geoff: and in an exclusive interview during this week's nato summit, germany's chancellor says he's not seen anything to make him doubt president biden's ability to lead. ch. scholz: i think it would be a big mistake to underestimate the president.

amna: plus, judy woodruff examines the intersection of religion and political polarization by visiting an evangelical church known for its hardline views. ♪ >> major funding for the "pbs news hour" has been provided by. ♪ carnegie corporation of new york, working to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for education, democracy, and peace. more information at carnegierg. and with the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions.

♪ this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. amna: welcome to the “newshour”" president biden is facing a high-pressure moment, preparing to hold his first solo press conference in several months at the nato summit in washington. it's a major public test for the president's reelection campaign as he faces questions over his stamina and his health. geoff: earlier today, three of the president's top political advisers met with senate democrats behind closed doors to address concerns over his political future. some lawmakers expressed skepticism before and after the meeting. >> what's the main objective in

the room today? to find consensus? >> to make sure the health and well-being of the president is able to do the job. >> if things stay as they are, it's likely that donald trump will win the election and that we will lose the senate and we will lose the house. >> he has to continue to allay those concerns that have been expressed by the american people. more than myself or my colleagues, the voters are what matter geoff: for more analysis, were joined by democratic strategist and former advisor to the clinton campaign. critics i bite, they had to do a better job of selling it, not just in terms of the numbers, they have to sell it to the american people because they are

the ones who have to change their vote. if the election were held tomorrow, sort of a benchmark we use typically, i don't think it would turn out well. thankfully, the election is not tomorrow. we've got over 125 days. the question is, what does the president need to do to change that trajectory? frankly, we could've had that conversation the night before the debate, when things were going not on the greatest trajectory in terms of the race, including those states. he needs to -- first of all, he needs to get past the point where all we are talking about is the debate two weeks ago. and that is a lot easier said than done. this is a rarity in that most crises, whatever it is, is typically an event. a plane crash, and oil well that isn't being capped.

at some point, you get a handle on it and you put it behind you and say this is what we are doing to correct it. imagine for a moment that the problem is, a plane crashed, and not imagine, almost what has happened, a plane could crash every minute, every day for the next 125 days, and people are just looking up at the sky, waiting for it. and they are not looking at anything else. they are not listening to how you've created another 200,000 jobs announced last friday, how inflation is coming down. how the dow is through the roof. they are not doing that. they're just waiting for the next catastrophe, because by its nature, it is something that could happen again. if it doesn't happen at the press conference, people are going to be looking for it at every turn. so it is a very difficult pivot.

he could say, folks, this is what happened. i know it didn't look good. i didn't feel good. but you know what? it's going to maybe happen again, too, but i want you to know, this is all that it is. geoff: if the president says that for his press conference, will that be sufficient? >> i'm not sure there is anything he could say that turns the page. it is more about what is insufficient. it is insufficient, i believe in the minds of washington and hollywood to say the same thing and what white house has said through its spokesperson. if this is again about having a bad night and really nothing more, and why would i be tested? i get tested every day in the course of the job. if they are talking past each other we are not going to get -- if there is any kind of

reframing or acknowledgment or saying, you know what, i understand why folks are rattled. i do, and i want you to know why you should not be, and here is what i am going to do to earn it back. and, oh, by the way, if you want me to take a test let's me and the other guy carpool over to walter reed hospital. if we are going to do this when we are both 80, let's head to toe and have our doctors tell everyone the result. just because i'm not orange and loud doesn't mean i'm not healthy, and i will go toe to toe. folks, this is a choice between two men, and you should know everything about both of us. you know a lot about me because i've told you everything about my health. he has not been transparent. that's what we are not hearing. it is easy to sit here and say that's what should happen, but

that's what needs to happen to stem what we are hearing from members of congress, from donors who are saying you can't do it. is there a path? yes, but you do not just look at the past. you have to hit the gas to move forward. geoff: senator michael bennett who is among those members of congress who called for president biden to step aside says he is not just concerned president biden will lose the race. he is concerned republicans will pick up the house and the senate, and together they will have a monopoly on power. add into that the conservative super majority in the supreme court and they will in concert enact an extremist vision for this country. what can president biden himself say to democrats who have that level of concern to help them to get over it. >> he can say nothing scares me more than what you described. that is why i ran in 2019. because on four years was bad

enough. i was not going to let him have eight. i stepped in. i did pretty badly to start. it took a while to get our footing, then i won the nomination, i got more votes than any american in their history of our country and i have done pretty well. i understand why you are having some doubts. i wish you didn't. i accept that you do. i will do everything i can and we will get past this and get back to what we were doing, which is keeping this guy out, but i believe i am the only person who has ever beaten donald trump. i am the best person to do it again. if i did not think that i would be the first one to hand it over, because there is nothing more important to me than keeping them out of office. geoff: how much longer can this go on? >> you have to remember

something, we are here to protect democracy, not practice it. joe biden is the only person who can make joe biden do anything. if he wants to be the nominee, he will be the nominee. there could be some incredibly extreme steps taken at the convention to deny him the delegates already amassed. short of that, it is him. whether he decides between now and then it is something else, i do not know. i have never in the course of being in d.c., the professionals -- seen the professionals more unsure of what they think should have been and what they think will happen, and that is incredibly unnerving, and people do not make great decisions when they are unnerved. geoff: thank you for sharing your insights. we appreciate it.

stephanie: president biden held a high-stakes nearly one hour press conference this evening, starting with the speech touting progress made at the nato meetings which he called the most successful he had attended in a long time. during the lengthy question and answer period, he spoke about everything from the economy to the war in gaza and relations with china and russia. but many reporters query centered on his fitness for office. he misidentified vice president harris, replacing her name with his opponents. >> i wouldn't have picked vice president trump to be vice president, that i think -- if i think she is not qualified to be president, saul start there, number one. the fact is that the consideration is that i think i'm the most qualified person to run for president. i beat him once, and i will beat him again. secondly, the idea -- i served

in the senate a long time. the idea that senators and congressmen are running for office, worried about the ticket, is not unusual. and i might add, there were least five presidents running, or incumbent presidents who had lower numbers than i have now, later in the campaign. so there is a long way to go in this campaign. and so i'm just going to keep moving. keep moving, because i have more work to finish. we made so much progress. think about it. name me a war leader who wouldn't want to trade places with our economy. we've created 1.5 million jobs. things are moving. we've got more to go.

working-class people still need help. corporate greed is still at large. corporate profits have doubled since the pandemic. they are coming down, so i'm optimistic about where things are going. stephanie: before biden spoke, nadal leader spent the third and final day of their summit discussing the state of the alliance and ukraine's goal of becoming a member. the u.s. announced another $225 million aid package for ukraine, and president biden reaffirmed america's commitment during the meeting with ukrainian president zelenskyy. pres. biden: made it clear russia will not prevail in ukraine. ukraine will prevail, and we will be with you every step of the way. stephanie zelenskyy welcomed the : support calling it strong news but added he needs ukraine to -- ukraine needs the u.s. to lift limits on firing its weapons deeper into russia if it

hopes to win the war. in the middle east israel says it's negotiating team is headed to cairo for continue talks for a possible cease-fire deal with hamas. it comes as israel presses its offensive in northern gaza. more displaced palestinians fled gaza city today to head south, following the latest evacuation orders from israel. also today, prime minister benjamin netanyahu told a military graduation ceremony that hamas is to blame for any lack of progress in the ceasefire talks. >> i am committed to the framework deal for freeing our hostages, but the hamas murderers are sticking to demands that contradict the framework that endanger israel's security. the way to release our hostages is to continue pressuring hamas with all our might. higher stephanie: at that same ceremony, israel's defense minister called for a state inquiry to investigate netanyahu, and his entire cabinet, himself included, for security failures

around the october 7 attacks. yoav gallant said the probe, quote, must be objective, it needs to investigate all of us, those who make decisions and those who carry them out, the government, the military, and the security agencies. there's relief in france tonight, after firefighters put out a blaze at the city of rouen's medieval cathedral. cell phone video captured smoke billowing from the spire around mid-day. authorities have not provided a cause, but reported only minor damage after the fire was put out. the cathedral was a favorite subject of impressionist claude monet, and is considered one of the finest gothic churches in france. the storm system that was hurricane beryl has now pushed into canada, but not before dumping torrential rains on vermont. at least one person has died, and more than 100 others had to be rescued, after more than six inches of rain fell in parts of the state. roads became rivers, as rushing waters slammed into businesses and homes. >> i don't even know where -- how much water came from where,

because there's mud everywhere now and i haven't been inside. i don't know what's going on. this is, in my impression, catastrophic. i've just never seen anything like this. stephanie: the images today echoed scenes when the state was swamped by deadly downpours at exactly this time last year. meantime in texas, energy officials say half-a million customers still won't have power by next week. beryl knocked out electricity to 2.7 million homes and businesses when it made landfall there as a category one hurricane on monday. frustration has been growing over the pace of getting power restored. the u.s. house of representatives rejected a republican effort to hold attorney general merrick garland in inherent contempt, for refusing to turn over recordings of president biden's interview in his classified documents case. the lawmakers wanted to fine garland $10,000 a day until he

did so. four republicans joined all democrats in rejecting the measure. it was the latest such effort by gop members, who voted last month to hold garland in contempt of congress. even if the resolution had passed, it was unclear how it would have been enforced. u.s. consumer prices dipped last month for the first time in four years. the consumer price index, measuring the costs of everyday staples like gas, groceries, and rent, fell by .1% from may to june. that's the first monthly decline since may of 2020. prices are still though 3% higher than the same time last year. but the cooling prices are welcome news for federal reserve officials, as they consider whether to cut interest rates. any passing of actor shelly devol died in her sleep at her texas home, according to her longtime partner. duvall was a protege of director robert altman, starring in seven of his films, including “nashville” and “3 women.” but many fans will remember

duvall for her role opposite jack nicholson in stanley kubrick's “the shining.” in the 1980's, duvall started producing children's television shows before leaving hollywood in the 1990's for her home state of texas. she lived the rest of her life mostly away from the public eye. shelley duvall was 75. still to come on the “newshour”" judy woodruff examines the role of evangelical churches and political polarization. and a first of its kind fashion show highlights the work of indigenous designers. >> this is the "pbs news hour" from weta studios in washington and in the west from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. amna: today is the final day of

the nato summit here in washington. at the top of the agenda, sustaining and expanding support on ukraine. not on the official agenda, concerns about the u.s. election and its potential outcomes. earlier today, i spoke exclusively with chancellor olaf scholz of germany to discuss how nato leaders are preparing to tackle some of the biggest geopolitical challenges facing the world, what he thinks about his counterpart president biden, and the prospect of a return to power by donald trump. chancellor scholz, welcome to the "news hour." thank you for being here. olaf scholz, german chancellor: hello. amna: let's begin with ukraine, which is clearly top of the nato summit agenda while you're here. you and others resisted language in the communique to extend ukraine an invitation to join nato. can you explain to us why that was? are you worried that that would send russia a signal of some kind of escalation? chancellor scholz: no, it's not about this. we are supporting ukraine. as you know, germany is the second biggest donor of also military support to ukraine after the united states.

and we will continue to be strong in our support for ukraine. and during the war, no one expects ukraine to enter nato. it is now that we do what we can say today, and this is the language which we worked on in vilnius, which was the right way of saying that there is a path to nato for ukraine, and it is irreversible, as we say today. and i think this is the right message. amna: you know, of course, russia is watching with great interest the messages from the summit. dmitry medvedev just tweeted this morning saying -- or commenting on this language about the irreversible path of ukraine. and he wrote this -- quote -- "for russia, two possible ways of how this path ends are acceptable. either ukraine disappears or nato does, still better, both.” what's your reaction to that? chancellor scholz: oh, the comments of medvedev are becoming more and more strange, to be very honest, but, in a way, it shows that our language is absolutely clear. and so it's good to hear this

after we have talked in the beginning about the language of the nato meeting here. it's a strong message about the irreversible path, and it's the right thing to do. amna: if the goal continues to be to get ukraine everything that it needs to win this war, then, there is the question of why you haven't yet authorized sending the taurus missiles, those long-range german cruise missiles, because the u.s. has sent their versions in the atacms. the u.k. has sent their version. so why isn't germany sending yours? chancellor scholz: as i already said, germany is the second biggest supporter of ukraine. also, when it comes to weapons, we delivered everything which is important for air defense, three patriot systems, the biggest number from all countries, and we invite many others to do more. we have delivered howitzers and tanks, and we continue to do so. so this is our way of doing support. and our decision is that we will not deliver weapons which have a

long range and where we do not have enough control about what will happen, if they will be used at aims that are far away. amna: but i take that to mean, just to put a clear point on this, you would not trust ukraine not to use those longer-range weapons in a way that you fear could escalate the conflict? chancellor scholz: i trust them, and we are working together intensely, and we took all the necessary decisions for ukraine that they could defend the country, also together with the united states, giving them the cance to be more effective in defending their own country, so that they can go against russian troops. amna: we know that you and the other nato allies and the rest of the world are watching this upcoming u.s. election with great interest. it was last month you said that you believe president biden is likely to win a second term. you have said this week that you don't have any concerns about his health, as other folks have raised questions. we have -- since that debate performance, though, we have seen the biggest shift in polls here in the u.s. away from him

and towards former president trump that we have seen to date. do you still believe that he is likely to win? chancellor scholz: i'm not someone that is able to say how will be the outcome of american elections. but i think it would be a big mistake to underestimate the president. he is successful in doing the necessary things, for instance, in organizing the nato alliance. and his leadership was very important in the last years and months, and also preparing this very meeting here in washington. and he is also a successful campaigner. so i think it is the american people that will take a decision. and i just can tell you, from my perspective, as someone that is speaking with biden, he is very focused, and he is very intensely doing what the president of the united states has to do for leading the alliance. amna: you have been in a sort of unique position this week. you have been meeting with him. you're watching him work.

have you seen any moments at all in your latest interactions with him that tell you in any way he is not up to another four years? chancellor scholz: no. amna: and can i also ask, did you watch the debate that has created so many headlines here? chancellor scholz: yes, i did. amna: you did? chancellor scholz: to be honest, everyone in europe is very much interested in the politics within the united states, because the united states are the strongest superpower in the world. and it's our most important ally. so we are trying to understand what goes on. amna: and, as you watched it, nothing that you saw gave you any concern or reason for pause? chancellor scholz: i think that he made his points, and he argued why it is necessary to work on a good cooperation globally with our friends and allies of democracy -- democratic states. and he was very clear and focused on questions of national politics. amna: mr. biden, as you mentioned, has been a strong and a vocal defender of nato, of its role in the world.

how much do you think is at stake for the alliance in this upcoming u.s. election? chancellor scholz: the alliance is important for the security of the united states, of canada, and all -- of all the european states on the other side of the atlantic. i think it is necessary that we understand that, though there might be differences between the states joining the alliance, it is not about the basic principles of how to run a country and about democracy, as i said. amna: under a potential second trump presidency, however, does your view on that change? i mean, this is someone who sent mixed messages on the alliance. he's previously called it obsolete. he's explicitly warned that the u.s. would not step in to defend nato allies who haven't met that 2% of gdp defense spending target. what happens to nato under a president trump? chancellor scholz: i met during

all the years many people from the congress, bipartisan, from all parties. i will say that there is constantly a clear understanding of both parties, that nato is in the interest of the united states. and this commitment is very strong. so i think that this is how american politicians who are in the security community think about this question, and i'm sure that this will continue for the next decades. amna: do you believe mr. trump shares that view of nato's importance? chancellor scholz: in the end, this was the experience we had during the last presidency of trump. but it is nothing where i would speculate about. i'm just knowing that republicans and democrats are very clear in this question. amna: have you yourself been in touch directly with former president trump? chancellor scholz: i met him when he was president. amna: and not since then? that's a no? chancellor scholz: i met him

when he was president. amna: ok. chancellor scholz: as a mayor and as a finance minister and vice chancellor at that time when my predecessor was visiting together, going together with me to these meetings of g7 and g20. amna: but not since he left office here in the u.s.? chancellor scholz: no. amna: i do want to ask you about the other major war. and that is, of course, israel's war in gaza. your foreign minister recently just condemned israel's strikes this week that were at both tent areas for displaced palestinians outside a school in southern gaza. those were called unacceptable by your foreign minister. and she said that the repeated attacks on schools by the israeli army must stop. the question is, how do you get them to stop? chancellor scholz: we have a clear understanding of what about the situation. the first is that, after the brutal attack of hamas against israeli citizens, israel has the right to defend itself against hamas.

and right from the beginning, we were very clear, saying that this has consequences for the way of doing this war against hamas, reducing the civilian casualties. we discussed about the need for humanitarian aid to get to gaza. we discussed about the question of west bank and that there should be not an enlargement of settlements and that there should be no attacks against palestinian civilians in the west bank. we were very clear on the perspective, and we are clear that there must be a two-state solution which gives the chance for israel and a palestinian state consisting of west bank and gaza to live peacefully together. amna: at the same time, chancellor, there have been expansions of the settlements in the west bank, and there have been tens of thousands of civilians killed. so, what can be done at this point?

chancellor scholz: we have to be clear. and, as friends of israel, we have to be especially clear. and this is what we do, the united states do, as far as i see it, and many others also. so that's what we can do. amna: i'd like to ask you also about our colleague in journalism from the wall street journal evan gershkovich, who is being held in russia. there's a convicted russian assassin by the name of vadim krasikov who remains jailed in germany. and there were reports that you were willing to trade him for evan and for alexei navalny when he was alive, before he ended up dying in a russian prison. can you confirm those reports? were you willing to make that trade? chancellor scholz: you don't really expect that i will be very clear on questions like this. we are very active to help those who are imprisoned in russia. and this is one -- this is an activity we are doing together with others. and, yes, that's what i will say

here. amna: i guess the question is relevant today because there remain so many westerners and americans jailed in russia. if it was a possibility to trade someone like krasikov before, could there be a deal on the table to trade now for evan gershkovich and paul whelan, who's also still in russia? chancellor scholz: as i said, there are aspects of international politics which i -- have to be done in a very pragmatic way and without debating them. and this is what we -- what you should have in mind. so we try to get prisoners out, but it's very difficult. and it's nothing for speculating about this. amna: but a trade is potentially one way these men could be freed; is that fair to say? chancellor scholz: it's not fair to say, because you're trying to get an answer from me, where i said i won't give you an answer. amna: fair enough. chancellor, i want to ask you about issues back home in germany and across europe. the rest of the world has been watching recent elections there

with great interest as well. you expressed some relief that the far right in france did not prevail in their recent elections. germany is, of course, reckoning with its own rise in a far right party in the alternative for germany party. how worried are you about the rise of those far right forces in germany? chancellor scholz: i'm worried about the rise of far right forces all over the world, and especially in many of the rich countries. we have to understand why this is happening. we have always to understand that the big majority of people is not agreeing with them in all these countries. and -- but we have to develop a strategy which is making it more sure that the support for them will decrease. but it is a time where we have to organize that the change will be successful, not just on an abstract perspective, but also if we look at the individual perspective of people who look at themselves or those who are like them. amna: i found it interesting, in

reaction to the success of some of those far right parties in recent european elections, you called it a decisive turning point in politics, and you attributed much of that to really a public loss of trust in mainstream politics. so how do you and other leaders facing this similar challenge, how do you get that trust back? chancellor scholz: we are living in times where there is a lot of insecurity. so, hope and the view that there is a good perspective for everyone is key for fighting against these right populist parties. i think we have to go away from this idea of a zero sum game. we have to be more optimistic rules on about the future. this is the basis for getting our societies together and for social coherence, which i think is important. amna: german chancellor olaf scholz, thank you so much for your time, for being here today. really appreciate it. chancellor scholz: thank you.

♪ geoff: we turn now to religion in america and the political divide. in her last story, judy woodruff reported on the decline among white christian churches and the influence of politics. tonight, she visits an evangelical church in tennessee that's bucking that trend, seeing strong growth as its leaned into hard-line politics. it's part of her ongoing series on divisions, america at a crossroads. judy: in a country where many pews increasingly sit empty, twice a week in mount juliet, tennessee, outside of nashville, hundreds gather to sing, worship, and find community in the converted tent of global vision bible church.

they're led by pastor greg locke, a one-time fundamentalist baptist who gained fame and followers over the past decade while taking hard-line positions on issues like gender-neutral bathrooms in target stores. pastor greg locke, global vision bible church: what you are targeting are perverts, pedophiles, people who are going to harm our children. judy: calling covid-19 a hoax. pastor locke: if they go through round two and you start showing up in all these masks and all this nonsense, i will ask you to leave. i will ask you to leave. judy: claiming that democrats could not be christians. pastor locke: you cannot be a christian and vote democrat in this nation! they are god-denying demons that butcher babies! judy: and spreading election fraud claims. man: global vision bible pastor one greg locke told me he was at the u.s. capitol getting to the steps, praying and preaching while the insurrection went on behind him. pastor locke: there was a time, i think, that maybe i felt it

was my responsibility to play to the division a little bit more maybe than i do now. i'm very demonstrative. i'm very conservative, very well-known and outspoken for my political and religious beliefs. but i think we're at a place that if we don't figure out now how to bridge the chasm, we're never going to. judy: you consider yourself an evangelical? pastor locke: yes, although that is a hijacked term, i think, in the day and age in which we live, because there was a time that if you said you were an evangelical, it really meant a handful of things. you believed in the inerrancy of scripture, the second coming of christ, jesus christ as the only way to heaven, and you shared your faith. but now if you say you're an evangelical, well, then that means you vote a certain way, you dress a certain way, you're a certain denomination. and so i think it's been hijacked by a political agenda in some ways. judy: that political agenda dates back decades, to the late 1970s and the rise of baptist minister jerry falwell and the moral majority.

in 1980, white evangelicals abandoned fellow evangelical democrat jimmy carter and voted for ronald reagan, who embraced falwell and his culturally conservative agenda, starting a trend that has only grown. three-quarters of white evangelicals voted for george w. bush, john mccain, and mitt romney for president, and eight in 10 voted for donald trump in 2016 and 2020. ryan burge, eastern illinois university: so the church had about 100 people by 1996. judy: american baptist pastor and political scientist ryan burge. >> today, churches have become so homogeneous. you know, white evangelicalism is 80% republican today. if you go to a white evangelical church, you're probably not going to find a single democrat in the congregation. and the pastor is probably also a strong republican as well. so you're going to hear one message and one understanding of the world. judy: and that trend, he says, was only accelerated by covid-19 and the way the pandemic

response was politicized. ryan burge: pastors have always sort of, like, dodged land mines during their sermons because they don't want to wade into these issues. the problem with covid was, you couldn't dodge the land mines anymore. you had to make a decision, mask or no mask, distancing or no distancing, all online, all in person. what do we do? judy: pastor locke refused to close down his church during the pandemic, defying state authorities, and warned his members not to wear masks, nor to get vaccinated. pastor locke: the fact that without the grace of god, we would all be in hell. but i think covid showed us there's a lot of people that are not willing to say anything when the government stands up and says, this is the way that it should be. well, we became very quickly well-known for, no, no, no, that's not the way it's going to be. we're going to put our feet in the ground and we're going to draw a line in the sand and say, no, no, no, this is what the bible teaches. and come hell or high water, we're going to believe the bible. >> there's a lot of fake in the world today.

judy: that was a message that strongly resonated with some of his members, like boston native andrew flessa, who first came to this church in 2022 through the reawaken america tour, a right-wing religious revival. he then moved from texas to tennessee to join greg locke. andrew flessa: there's a lot of misinformation. there's a lot of confusion. so, when you find a voice that you can tell has a lot of truth coming out of them, then you do start to realize, ok, this is a move of god. he's a mouthpiece of god. so i want to be a part of this. judy: billie kennedy started coming to global vision more than a decade ago, and found a personal connection with pastor locke. >> he explains everything from top to bottom, line by line. he just makes it so easy, and the freedom just flows. >> we moved here in 2022. judy: tracy wells also moved to join this church, in her case, all the way from oregon with her husband. tracy wells: at that time, we

had been looking in oregon for a church, and, with covid, everything just closed up. so, there were no churches. and we started following online every sunday and every wednesday. and, finally, we said, why do we want to be in oregon, when we really want to be in the church? so, we sold everything and we moved here, and we have not looked back. >> there's so much divisiveness in this country right now. judy: milo wright is a lifelong tennessean who found this church nearly 15 years and found a community too. milo wright: whether it be political, whether it be religious, there's just too much lukewarmness in the church, where people aren't firm in their beliefs, they are not firm believers of the bible, because they allow things to creep into

the church that shouldn't be there. judy: for this group, their church and their faith greatly inform the way they view politics and their choices in this year's presidential election. >> it's whoever stands with israel. and at least in president trump's last go-around, he was much more close with israel, much more pro-israel. and biden has not been very strong in terms of israel. and that's one of the commandments in the bible. you know, whoever blesses israel, whoever protects israel will also receive my blessing, will also receive my protection. tracy wells: there are many issues in the church that we look at biblically. we don't look at them politically. abortion is one. god says in the bible it is life. it begins at conception.

that is righteous. and if someone is going to stand for that, i'm going to be with that person. judy: pick up on that, milo, on this question of what former president trump believes about reproductive rights. if one believes abortion is wrong, his view is that it should be up to the state to decide. is that a position you're comfortable with? milo wright: i'm very comfortable with that, because each state contains a different demographic. so each state should be controlled by their demographic. that's the way our government works. judy: at the same time, they pushed back against the idea that someone who supports reproductive rights, as president biden does, could be considered a christian. milo wright: does his practicing catholicism line up with his pro-abortion stance? i ask you that. it doesn't really pass the smell test in my book.

judy: their support of former president trump was also qualified, a question of choosing between the better of two imperfect choices. billie kennedy: there was a time that there was no doubt. it was all trump. it was trump, trump. well, i feel that trump -- i don't know who will be president, but at least he loved the country. >> there's no magic bullet. trump's not a magic bullet whatsoever. so it just kind of depends on how much faith you put in the bible or how much faith you put in a man, a politician. >> i don't think either man could be held to a high christian standard. judy: for milo wright, the critique is broader than religion. >> border was pretty tight when trump was in. the economy was pretty good pre-covid when trump was in. the stock market was way up. with biden, i don't see any results. pastor locke: i'm not nearly as

trumpian in some ways as i used to be. but is he better for the nation than joe biden? oh, 10000%. joe biden's ruined the nation. he has destroyed the economy. he can talk about how much the economy is doing better. the economy is worse now than it has been in the history of any of our lifetimes. and it's only going to get worse. judy: despite evidence showing a strong u.s. economy, greg locke says many in his congregation are suffering. and yet he's also dismayed by trump's unwillingness to support a national ban on abortion. pastor locke: biblically, i believe there is never a time that we should opt for abortion. adoption over abortion 1,000 times every single time. judy: how much do you plan to advocate for him this year from now until the election? pastor locke: i don't plan to advocate for him at all, except going to the voting booth. judy: so, it's different from 2020?

pastor locke: 100% different. i'm bored with politics, because politics is not going to save this nation. politics are going to be corrupt until jesus comes. and so i thought, you know what? i have wasted a lot of energy on tying to change something that i'm not going to change. judy: how do you see the country working its way through this divide right now? do you see people coming together? do you see one side weakening? pastor locke: i don't know that either side is weakening. i think both sides are emboldening themselves, and i think that is going to be dangerous. i don't know what that looks like. inevitably, i know i don't want some kind of conflict. i don't want some kind of civil war. i don't want secessionism people break out. i don't want all that. but, at the end of the day, i'm not sure that we can fully bridge the gap that we've created. i mean, we are more divided now than we have ever been. if donald trump gets in the white house, is that going to change? probably not. and i have been part of that problem in the past, that it's either democrat or it's either republican. no, i am pretty messed up about

both of them at this point. judy: what caused you to rethink that? pastor locke: i tell people, i used to fight democrats. now i fight demons, right? i used to fight the left. and i'm like, you know want? i want to see people set free, and i don't care what side of the aisle they're on. and so i had to get to a place where i was like, you know what? republicans aren't going to save us. democrats aren't going to save us. as far as i'm concerned, they're two heads of the same snake. they both have their problems. ryan burge: i think that's interesting. i always wonder, as a political scientist, how many decisions are made strategically and how many are made spiritually? judy: for pastor and political scientist ryan burge, greg locke's journey raises some familiar questions about faith and following. ryan burge: you have seen a lot of people do this. they have really gone hard in one direction and then backed off over time. even if you looked at billy graham, for instance, he used to preach a pretty fire-and-brimstone message, but near the end of his life, you got a lot softer on a lot of

gospel issues. i think a lot of people realize, like, you can build up an audience, but what's it worth long term for the health of my soul and me as a person? judy: so you're saying its hard to believe that he's sincere? is that what you're saying, or ryan burge: any time a public figure changes their direction, it's always a question of, what's guiding -- what's directing the ship? what's guiding the show? i can't see into greg locke's heart. i hope to god that he finds a gospel that's redemptive, that's salvific, that brings people together, not pushes people apart, that realizes that christianity is a religion that builds bigger tables, not taller walls. unfortunately, the message of taller walls and keeping people out tends to do really well in america. judy: for the "pbs newshour," i'm judy woodruff in mount juliet, tennessee. amna: a first in the fashion

world happened in sante fe, new mexico recently, putting a burgeoning fashion sector on the map. special correspondent megan thompson had a front row seat for our arts and culture series, "canvas." megan: it was what you might expect of a high-end, standing-room-only fashion show -- stunning clothing, booming music, and a decked-out crowd recording every minute on their phones. but what made this runway show different, all the clothing was created by indigenous designers from the u.s. and canada. the event was put on by the southwestern association for indian arts, or swaia. >> swaia native fashion week is the first indigenous fashion week held in the united states. we have been very invisible or very minimal in some of these industries. so we are creating a platform to highlight these voices in the world. megan: over four days, designers, models, media, and more than 2000 fashionistas and fans packed photo opps, pop-up

shops and more. 17 designers presented at two different runway shows. >> the original design of north america is based on indigenous design, everything. megan: 10 years ago, amber-dawn bear robe produced a single runway show for swaia during its annual indigenous art market. she says interest has grown so much, she had to create this much larger event. but bear robe, a native art historian, says what's happening here isn't necessarily new. for thousands of years, indigenous people have been creating couture, fashion-speak for clothing that is custom-made. >> you do not get more couture than hunting an animal, gutting and cleaning intestine to make this pristine, beautiful, exquisite material, to make a one of a kind gut skin garment. megan: some designers put a modern spin on traditional materials like beads and feathers. canadian helen oro is plains cree from the pelican lake first

nation. >> one of the questions when i first started was, do you have to be indigenous to wear beadwork? it's for everyone. megan: for creators who don't have brick and mortar stores, the event gave them a chance to sell directly to customers. orlando dugi designs luxury women's and menswear, all hand-made in his santa fe studio. >> the beating, i do all of that myself. megan: his work is inspired by the stars, which hold important spiritual and cultural meaning for the navajo. >> how the stars show up in my work is through a lot of beading and embroidery, lots of sparkles and, i chose evening wear, because it's usually worn at night under the stars. megan: dugi's new collection, which he's planning to launch next year, is called stargazer. >> it's a crew in a ship traveling the galaxy. i want to represent my culture, my heritage, but without being very literal in translation. one of the challenges is, my

work not being native enough, for non-native people and also native people. >> there are expectations of what a native designer should be, and i've run away from that concept my whole life. megan: taos pueblo designer patricia michaels has been in the business for 40 years and she says she's always dealt with ignorance and stereotypes. including in 2013, when she was the first native american on the long-running, hugely popular tv show, project runway. where she made it all the way to the final. >> being from taos pueblo, living matter is important to us. many of the imagery that i have on my hand, painted silks and different fabrications of my textiles are ideas that come from nature. >> amazing. megan: michaels recently made a dress for actor tantoo cardinal, who starred in the oscar-nominated "killers of the flower moon," to wear to the cannes film festival.

>> i thought of an eagle headdress. and that's the biggest honor. so i took it from the man's head and i flipped it, and i put it at her core, and i wanted her to feel like she was in flight. >> i remember when it was shameful to be wearing anything indian. and now to see what's happened with our industry, oh my god. megan: but excitement and interest can lead to cultural appropriation. when non-native designers profit from native patterns and motifs without permission or acknowledgement. ralph lauren came under fire in 2022 for using indigenous mexican designs. >> and we're working on getting native people into every department. megan: filmmaker and model peshawn bread has been working with ralph lauren to increase inclusivity. last year, the brand announced its first artist-in-residence, navajo weaver naiomi glasses,

who has created two collections so far. bread, who is comanche, kiowa, and cherokee, hopes fashion events like this will continue the progress. >> i really hope that this opens the fashion world's eyes into our world, and successfully creates a bridge where we can collaborate with different brands, or anything that we dream of as designers. megan: this is bread's first runway show as a designer. their collection is an ode to the 1970's, when federal law finally guaranteed native americans the right to religious freedom. >> it was such a politically charged time for indigenous people, for native people around the country. so i wanted to imagine, what if we weren't always fighting? what if we could have some joy? what would we wear to the disco? megan: when saturday's runway show began, bread's were the first looks to come down the runway. seven more designers followed. for many of the spectators, the show was about more than beautiful clothes. >> it became very emotional.

>> i'm speechless. >> this is history in the making. megan: patricia michaels' designs ended the evening. her signature hand-dyed and painted garments receiving a standing ovation from a devoted crowd. >> i see how it's evolved so that every native tribe now can have their story told in a very modern, contemporary sense, without ridicule, but celebration. megan: for the "pbs news hour," i'm megan thompson in santa fe, new mexico. ♪ geoff: that is the newshour for tonight. i'm geoff bennett. amna: on behalf of the entire news hour team, thanks for

joining us. >> major funding for the "pbs news hour" has been provided by. the ongoing support of these individuals and institutions, and friends of the "news hour," including leonard and norma klorfine, and the judy and peter blum kovler foundation. >> a law partner rediscovers her grandmother's artistry and creates a trust to keep the craft alive. a raymondjames financial advisor gets to know you, your passions, and the way you enrich your community. life well planned. >> the ford foundation, working with visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. and with the ongoing support of these institutions. and friends of the "news hour."

this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy.] >> this is the "pbs newshour" west from weta studios in washington, and from the walter cronkite school of journalism at arizona state university. geoff: the speech that's the foundation for democrats as they push for voting rights. >> the protesters have not been moved, basically having the run of the place. >> what's it like on that stage? geoff: join us every weeknight on the pbs news hour.

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