And others better be careful or they may too

Trump Christians are largely good people. Not all of them are complicit. Many have simply been misguided by false or exaggerated right-wing media narratives or by Trump’s truth-stretching and false claims. They watch Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Tucker Carlson, but ignore Shep Smith and Chris Wallace (the few on Fox News who critique the President). Or, they listen to Trump defenders on Christian outlets, such as Steve Strang at Charisma Media, who epitomizes tunnel vision when declaring Hillary as “bringing a level of corruption that we have never seen,” while he totally ignores Trump’s abuses of power. For Trump Christians, CNN and MSNBC are bastions of the left-wing that they ignore. So, they miss former Fox News analyst and retired US Army lieutenant colonel Ralph Peters’ many appearances on CNN, when he said Fox News has become a “propaganda machine” for the Trump administration and is “is assaulting our constitutional order and the rule of law, while fostering corrosive and unjustified paranoia among viewers.” [1] When confronted with Trump’s lies and misdeeds, Trump Christians believe each one these claims is largely a lie itself.

But out of all President Trump’s defenders, Trump Christians who claim spiritual authority are the ones that should know better (in addition to those in Congress). They claim to be people of integrity with higher standards. People of principle. People of faith in a just God who warns of seven detestable behaviors, including, “haughty eyes, a lying tongue… a heart that devises wicked schemes, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.” (Proverbs 6:16). These defenders are the Franklin Grahams, Jerry Falwells, Jr., Steve Strangs, Michelle Bachmanns, Ralph Reeds, Robert Jeffresses, Christians in Congress, and any evangelical pastors who defend Trump. They endorse an unrepentant man who practices detestable behaviors.

The Mueller report has shed new light

Any fair reading of the Mueller Report concludes although there is not enough evidence to establish “conspiracy” (“collusion” is not a legal term), there is plenty to establish serious wrongdoing, lies, abuses of power, and “unquestionable evidence of obstruction of justice by the President,” says Jill Winebanks, former Watergate Assistant Special Prosecutor. In fact, up to 800 former federal prosecutors signed a document that stated that if Trump were not president and thus unprotected by a DOJ policy not to indict a sitting president, he would be charged with obstruction. [2]

Despite William Barr misrepresenting what Mueller said in his initial letter (and we know that because Mueller told us), anyone who at least reads the introduction and executive summaries of Volumes I and II of the Mueller Report will know that the above analysis rings true. Mueller said if he could have exonerated Trump on obstruction he would have, but that he cannot. With the DOJ policy, Mueller essentially said Congress is the constitutional avenue to address his ten prosecutorial-memo-like “factual results” of the obstruction investigation.

Harvard professor Lawrence Tribe tells us Trump “…wasn’t just obstructing nothing. He was obstructing the details of how he asked for Russia’s help, took advantage of it, [and] used it to become the president… [the framers] primary example of someone who had to be impeached… was someone who worked with a hostile foreign power to become president.…if this is not impeachable behavior, then for all time we would have established the precedent that the president can get away with anything.” He concluded that if we don’t impeach Trump we “might lose our souls.” [3]

Underlying crime and cult culture

But there was no underlying crime, contrarians say. Yet Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about an affair that was not a crime. An affair that did not threaten national security. You see, the federal code does not require an underlying crime for obstruction. Trump Christians know this. They overwhelmingly condemned Bill Clinton as unethical. Now they are blind to what former FBI Director James Comey calls our “deeply unethical president.” Cursory research on what Republicans said about the impeachment of Clinton in 1998-99 reveals how hypocritical they are today. [4]

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her father Mike Huckabee, both devout evangelicals, should also know better. But they have both succumbed to the Trump cult culture. A culture that hears blatant lies from the President’s mouth—“The Mueller Report completely exonerates me,” “Democrats want open borders,” “China is paying for the import tariffs”—and refuses to challenge those lies. It’s a culture that must constantly praise, honor, and be loyal to its leader or else suffer insults or risk being fired. Ask former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, White House Counsel Don McGahn, and James Comey, three of the few who had the integrity to refuse compromise with Trump. Trump gave them the boot.

Lies caught by Mueller and on videotape

Sarah Sanders was caught lying by Mueller. Blatantly. Publicly. Perpetually. In a press conference, she said “…the rank and file of the FBI had lost confidence in their director” [James Comey]. “When a reporter indicated that the ‘vast majority’ of FBI agents supported Comey, Sanders said, ‘Look, we’ve heard from countless members of the FBI that say very different things.’ Sanders told this Office that her reference to hearing from ‘countless members of the FBI’ was a ‘slip of the tongue.’ She also recalled that her statement in a separate press interview that rank-and-file FBI agents had lost confidence in Comey was a comment she made ‘in the heat of the moment’ that was not founded on anything.” This is straight from the Mueller Report.

Suddenly one lie becomes “a slip of the tongue.” Another lie is simply one excused by “the heat of the moment” even though it “was not founded on anything.” When exposed, rather than humbly admit her fault, she doubles down and says “…it was something that I said, which is why that one word [countless] has become a big deal. But the big takeaway here is that the sentiment is 100 percent accurate.” This is called double speak. Getting caught but still justifying the wrongdoing. Saying the rank and file [which means the major portion] of the FBI and “we’ve heard from countless members of the FBI” who’ve lost confidence in Comey is simply untrue. Examination shows the reporter was right, the vast majority of FBI agents supported Comey. A survey of employees later confirmed this when it indicated that confidence in the agency’s leadership declined after Comey’s firing.

In Bible speak, Sanders’ behavior is called being “unrepentant” and a “hypocrite” or one “who does not practice what they preach.” She should know better. But she is losing her soul to the cult of Trump. Many if not most of the statements she makes in defense of Trump are lies at worst and misleading at best and can be proven so with ease. As veteran journalist Sam Donaldson said, “Sarah Sanders lies about everything [not just about Trump’s unethical behavior], taking a cue from her boss. …she’s had a life-time achievement Oscar for lying.” Even if we can give her the benefit of the doubt and “feel a little sorry for her because it’s her boss that initiates the lies,” as Donaldson added, she should know better.

James Comey on losing your soul

Some fault James Comey for his mistakes announcing updates on the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation before the 2016 election. Yet anyone with a modicum of decency who reads his book will conclude that he was only doing what he thought was fair and right. As one who experienced and resisted the Trump cult culture, he says “losing your soul” within the Trump orbit is a slow process. It starts with shock and fearful reluctance to speak up and ends with praising a man who speaks “…rapid-fire with no spot for others to jump into the conversation…” and makes “everyone a co-conspirator to his preferred set of facts, or delusions” as he builds “a web of alternate reality.” [5] In other words, Trump is a grand fraud. When you stop questioning such a man and start defending him, you have lost your way.

The justification of course for Trump Christians to continue to support him is because they have adopted an “ends justify the means” philosophy, despite it being an obvious unbiblical notion.

How to rationalize

When pressed with evidence, their rationalizations either expressed or in their minds are [their consciences trying to rebut it are in parenthesis]:

“Okay, maybe he has lied. All politicians do! Besides, who cares if he’s a liar?” It is on God’s detestable behaviors list though

“Who cares if he’s a bully who insults? Who cares if he has a history of morally questionable behavior? [6] Who cares if he has mistreated refugee asylum seekers and separated their children?” Whom Jesus would call the least among us

“Who cares if he alienates our allies, rarely listens to his advisors, tells others to lie for him, acts like a mob-boss autocrat…” Jesus taught us not to lord it over others

“…and brags about himself constantly with not a whiff of humility?” The Bible says God opposes the proud

“Who cares if he is not a true Republican on free trade, balanced budgets, debt, and deficits?” Adding almost $1 trillion a year to the national debt [7]

“He has given us Christians conservative judges in courts to fight abortion, told us what we want to hear about religious rights, and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem. [8] He has given us tax cuts…” Mostly benefitting the rich “…and a great economy” That started moving in the right direction under Obama

“We don’t care if he’s a little rough around the edges. You see, we just can’t bring ourselves to call him unethical. Now Bill Clinton, he was unethical! And Hillary of course. And Obama for that matter. We just close our eyes and pray for him, because God has installed this man. Like the unrighteous Cyrus king who helped Israel. Hey, it’s in the Bible!” So are warnings about unethical behavior

But in this case their prayers and rationalizations are a spiritualized way of putting one’s head in the sand. Of justifying falsehoods and corruption by claiming God has chosen him (The Trump Prophecy film claims a real-life, PTSD-suffering man said, “God told me this,” regarding God choosing Trump to become President). They also claim anyone who doesn’t support him is not on God’s side and even demonic. [9] This is shameful fear-mongering manipulation that has nothing to do with honest faith.

Where principled, fact-following Republicans stand

These particular Trump defenders ignore hard facts and evidence. They are against true faith for true faith is based on truth. They ignore respected voices in their own Republican party who have sounded warnings for months and years about Trump’s wrongdoing, whether criminal, unethical, or irresponsible. People like George Will, Bill Krystol, Ana Navarro, David Brooks, William Bennett, John McCain, Jeff Flake, Carly Fiorina, Richard Burr (his Senate Intelligence Committee just subpoenaed Donald Trump, Jr), Max Boot, Steve Schmidt, Michael Steele, Condoleezza Rice, George Conway (husband of Trump Counselor Kellyann Conway!), Joe Scarborough, George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, Christine Todd Whitman, Bill Weld, John Kasich, and Mitt Romney, to name a few. They have even ignored Billy Graham, who was friends with Bill and Hillary Clinton and never bought into the myriad, wild, never-substantiated-or-deemed-criminal conspiracy theories concerning them, even after all the investigations (e.g. 10 into Benghazi alone).

A lesson in repentance

Michael Cohen could teach these most-complicit Trump Christians a lesson in repentance. His second testimony before Congress revealed remorse, humility, and desire to take responsibility for his previous lies to Congress, his financial crimes while working for Trump, and the almost 500 times he carried out an order from Trump to threaten an individual or entity. Federal prosecutors said two of the financial crimes were directed by Trump. Meaning Trump would likely be found guilty since Cohen pled guilty. These criminal investigations were not pursued by Mueller but referred to the Southern District of New York.

These Trump Christians ignore or downplay these crimes and accuse Cohen of being a liar no one can trust. So, Cohen lied to Congress, got caught, then got caught for financial crimes, and then went back to Congress and lied again? (despite warnings from Chairman Cummings that they would not tolerate more lies and the fact that if caught in lies again, he would add to his sentence). It’s nonsensical and doesn’t line up with the facts. Cohen admitted he’s a fool, that he’s ashamed he listened to Trump rather than his conscience, that he’s sorry for everything, for lying to Congress, for hiding the truth from the country, and sorry for the pain he caused his family, children, and friends. On Trump:

“Mr. Trump is an enigma. He is complicated, as am I. He has both good and bad, as do we all. But the bad far outweighs the good, and since taking office, he has become the worst version of himself. He is capable of behaving kindly, but he is not kind. He is capable of committing acts of generosity, but he is not generous. He is capable of being loyal, but he is fundamentally disloyal…. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a con man. He is a cheat.”

His warning to Republican lawmakers and Trump supporters who should know better:

“I did the same thing that you’re doing now for 10 years. I protected Mr. Trump for 10 years… I can only warn people, the more people that follow Mr. Trump as I did blindly are going to suffer the same consequences that I’m suffering.”

Jesus said the angels in heaven rejoice over one person who repents. He also said that those who support evil will reap what they sow. Losing your soul for Donald Trump has consequences.

[1] – Conservative Commentator Revolts Against Fox News
[2] – 800 Former Prosecutors on Trump
[3] – If We Don’t Impeach Trump
[4] – Clinton Impeachment and GOP Hypocrisy
[5] – How Trump Co-opts Leaders Like Bill Barr
[6] – It’s debatable if Trump ever showed genuine remorse for his misogyny and immorality as he called the Access Hollywood tape merely “locker room banter” and his apology seemed scripted and followed by immediate deflection to supposed worse behavior by Bill and even Hillary Clinton. Moreover, he’s never admitted to affairs and illegal payoffs to porn stars—to which Cohen pled guilty to doing under Trump’s direction—or sexual misconduct, calling 23 women with accusations liars.
[7] – National Debt Under Trump
[8] – Presidents Clinton, W. Bush and Obama consistently signed waivers deeming it detrimental to American national security interests to put the embassy in Jerusalem.
[9] Trump Christians on Fighting Spiritual Aftershocks