Patricia Lopez, Columnist

Republicans’ War on Divorce Is Just Christian Nationalism in Disguise

The latest push is part larger strategy by extreme conservatives to return the US to traditional patriarchy.

July 17, 2024 at 12:00 PM UTC

Patricia Lopez is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. She is a former member of the editorial board at the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where she also worked as a senior political editor and reporter.

JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, once said that no-fault laws allow people to “shift spouses like they change their underwear.” — JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, once said that no-fault laws allow people to “shift spouses like they change their underwear.”
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images North America

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No-fault divorce is an option available in all 50 states. But it might not be for long if Donald Trump wins a second term, further emboldening a surging Christian nationalist movement that has divorce reform in its sights.

Already, several GOP-led states, including Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, are moving to end or restrict the ability of a spouse to exit a marriage without establishing fault.