“Shame on you,” was the subject line in an email. I knew what was coming next.
“How can you be a Christian and support Donald Trump?”
An email from a self-described Reagan Republican was more subtle. “I am a Republican and have always admired your cartoons, but I am baffled by your defense of Trump’s derisive and polarizing behavior.”
Look, when I put my life in the hands of an airline pilot, or a doctor, or even an Uber driver, I don’t care if he or she is a Christian. I just want someone who is great at their job. While I prefer political leaders who share my spiritual beliefs, that is rarely an option.
So here were three reasons I voted for Trump in 2016. 1. Hillary Clinton and the Democrats’ progressive-liberal policies were antithetical to my biblical worldview. 2. Trump picked Mike Pence as his running mate. I know Pence and he and I agree ideologically. If he has the president’s ear, that is good enough for me. 3. If I had not voted in 2016, it would have helped Hillary.
I must admit I have a love/hate relationship with this president. I love his conservative policies, but I hate his foul language, name-calling and deficit spending.
I felt the same way toward Coach Bob Knight. I loved him for making Hoosier basketball great by winning three national championships. I also hated Knight’s angry outbursts and foul language.
In Trump’s defense, the derisive and polarizing behavior has come more from the Democrats and the media. For the past three years, they have tried to drive Trump from office.
After Trump was elected, Democrats accused him of treason and being a Russian agent. We now know that then-FBI Director James Comey initiated an illegal surveillance of Trump’s campaign by misleading the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. That led to the two-year Mueller investigation, which found no crime. Then the Democrats impeached Trump over a phone call with the Ukrainian president. The media’s coverage of Trump has been negative 90% of the time. No wonder he fights back.
While facing a daily barrage of hateful rhetoric, Trump instituted policies that made America energy-independent. He also passed new trade deals and appointed hundreds of constitutionalist judges who tend to be pro-free speech and pro-private property rights. Evangelicals did not want Hillary Clinton appointing liberal activist judges to the bench.
Trump cut taxes and regulations that unleashed tremendous economic growth, causing the stock market to skyrocket 10,000 points in 3-1/2 years.
On Jan. 31, Trump banned travel from China. Joe Biden called the action “hysterical xenophobia.” But the pandemic actually proves that Trump’s ban was the right decision.
This crisis has illustrated why Trump’s “America First” agenda was right. He warned that we were too dependent on China. He said we must secure our borders and bring manufacturing back home.
According to a Gallup poll, 60% of respondents approve of the way Trump has handled this crisis. Even CNN’s Dana Bash, who is not a friend of the president, said Trump “is being the kind of leader that people need.”
But some Democrats blame Trump for not acting soon enough. Adam Schiff plans a 9/11-style investigation into Trump’s response. The political war never ends.
1 Timothy 2:2 tells us to pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives.
So I will continue to pray for Trump daily and vote for him in November. I don’t see a better alternative.•
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Well stated, Gary. Thank you.
Well said. Very balanced during a time of political discord. Thanks.
Dear Lord,
Please deliver us from idiots that would vote against their own self interests: No social safety net, no affordable health care, no leadership. Please explain to these people that helping the poorest of their neighbors helps the whole community. Tell them when corporations run out of control and the goal is nothing but profits, everything in the system is corrupted by the influence of corporate money. Tell them that winning a political election is not the sole purpose of running for a public office, that the real reason should be that they believe they can make the US and the world a better place to live.
Amen