Christian Objections to Trump

Trump is a very polarizing figure.  It seems that either people love him or hate him, with few people on the fence.  I've found it interesting that one demographic with mixed emotions is conservative, evangelical Christians.  This group has little in common with the progressive liberal agenda, which is actively opposed to traditional values and a Christian worldview.  But despite sharing many economic, voting integrity, morality, parental rights, and safety issues with conservatives, some are either actively opposed to Trump, or at least are ambivalent.  What drives this?  Why is this group often among the lower voter turnout demographics? 

Objections and Contrasts

Trump isn't a Christian

• Honestly, that may be true, but there are few, if any, committed followers of Christ that have been presidents in the last century.  Some have suggested that perhaps he is a young, immature Christian, or is on a journey toward Christ, like Jordan Peterson.  Regardless, we really are not electing a spiritual leader, and we should be looking for a candidate who shares our view of America, who will fight to preserve our rights and freedoms, and who will not be actively hostile to our values. 
• For me, it matters most who best aligns with the Judeo-Christian worldview of the Founders, and who will support conservative values in the culture wars.  Personally, I would vote for a non-Christian (e.g. a Hindu or Mormon) with whom I share values (but not theology), rather than someone whose party supports socialism, environmental worship, immorality, and the destruction of the nuclear family.

Trump is mean and insults people

• He makes mean, vicious tweets, often in ALL CAPS.
• He talks like a New Yorker, with rough language and personal attacks.  He speaks his mind, sometimes unfiltered, but you know where he really stands.  
• Rhetoric and ridicule are powerful tactics in debate and politics.  Perception is often more valuable than reality, and that is why a one-sided media is so dangerous.  Is exposing ridiculous stands by assigning "labels" really a terrible thing?  How about constantly misrepresenting a person and their character with unproven assertions and mischaracterizations like the Democrat supporters constantly do?
• And even if aspects of his personality greatly offend you, how is he really any different than many others in the media and political power?  How should that be a deciding factor in voting decisions?  Should feelings trump policy and results?

Trump lies

• See my perspective on the difference between truth, lies, rhetoric, and opinions here.
• All politicians spin records, positions, the economy, and world events to their advantage.  Often it is from their perspective, and it is really disingenuous to claim that these are always "lies".  Perhaps in some cases they may actually be factually inaccurate and deliberate distortions of the truth, but far more often they are perspectives on larger issues that require more than just sound-bites.
• I find it hard to swallow that an unbiased person can rake Trump over the coals for his campaign rhetoric, while giving a pass to the other side, which in many ways is far more egregious.  According to his critics he is worse than Hitler, a threat to democracy, will take away women's rights, and is racist and anti-Semitic.  Seems like that justifies anything to the Left, including assassination!

Trump won't admit defeat

• Yes, given the way that the election was run and votes tallied, Joe Biden was elected President.  
• There are legitimate reasons to question the validity of the outcome, though, when there were numerous irregularities that abounded.  Would these have made a difference in the outcome?  We'll never know, because it has become taboo to even question election integrity issues.  Did the media interfere in the election by failing to cover/expose/deny inconvenient truths?  What impact did last minute (possibly illegal) changes to voting methods in various states have?  What is wrong with demanding only eligible citizens get to vote, requiring voter id, and proof of citizenship?
• Note: Virtually every national election in recent years has been challenged by the losers, many times by the Democrats.
• Do you want a leader who will quit and give up, or someone who will keep trying to win?  I think we saw that spirit in Trump right after an assassin came close to taking his life because of the hatred toward him and what he represents.  Do you want a leader who will stand up for what is right to other world leaders, or to be a puppet of a political oligarchy?

Trump is a woman hater and abuser

• Was Trump basically a super-rich playboy who enjoyed his fame, power, and fortune?  Of course!  Did he always live a virtuous and morally pure life?  Seems not likely, but also be careful with blindly believing past accusations.  Has he continued this way of life, or has he changed?  I'd argue that his recent track record shows change.  As scripture says, we need to make fair and unhypocritical judgments.    
• Held to the same standards, many current politicians (including presidents and hopefuls) look to be guilty of taking bribes, influence peddling, adultery with wives of staffers, political careers started by affairs with older men, credible rape allegations, DEI discrimination against the most qualified, and even inappropriate showering with children.  Who has raised their children well, and who has crack and sex addicted ones?  I think that says a lot about their parenting and character, don't you? 
• Do current candidates (and their parties) have an active disdain for traditional sexual morality, or do they champion moral perversions in the name of diversity and pride? 

Trump will be a dictator and is a threat to Democracy

• Really?  How did you come to that conclusion?  Is he a threat to democracy, or a threat to their power and control?
• Trump was President for 4 years.  During that time, what did he do that could be called dictatorial?  Democracy clearly didn't die.  He was a leader, and leaders make hard decisions.  The implication by the Left is that now it will be different because he said, "I'll be a dictator on Day One!"  Of course, just like the Charlottesville claim that he said that white supremacists were good people, this is also a deliberate distortion (i.e. "a lie").  What he said is that he will "be a dictator" and immediately reverse all of Biden's unwise executive orders ASAP.  If making executive orders makes one a dictator, then you need to convict them all.

Trump is divisive and polarizing

• It is claimed that he is polarizing and divisive, as if that is necessarily a bad thing.  Many great leaders have been, and forced people to pick a side (e.g. Jesus, Lincoln).  Maybe it is a time to take a stand and not just go with the establishment party leadership.  
• And "C'mon man," the constant stream of propaganda from the mainstream media and progressive politicians isn't?  They constantly try to divide us along DEI lines: race, sexuality, oppressed status, identity, and more.  They teach our kids to be ashamed of who they are because their skin color is different than others.  They tell us that their opposition is so evil that we must silence and destroy them.   

Trump will seek revenge

• Trump has been unbelievably targeted by unjust attacks both during office and in the years since.  He has been impeached for ridiculous reasons, assigned blame for a riot where he clearly called for peaceful protest by patriotic Americans, persecuted with lawfare and farcical over-charging of "novel" crimes, and constantly smeared by the media when he tries to defend his policies and actions.
• Yet, what indication is there that he will "seek revenge"?  I suspect that the Democrats are shaking in their boots because they know what they did to him, and fear that once the shoe is on the other foot, that they are next.  Maybe that will happen, or maybe not.  Sometimes the only way to stop a bully is to make them feel real consequences for their actions.  As an example, did Trump "lock her up" after the election for Hillary's crimes of destruction of evidence?  The evidence was there, but no, he didn't. 
• This claim is just a big red-herring and has no basis in fact.  Just a scare tactic like claiming that granny will be thrown over the medicare/welfare cliff if the other party is elected.

Trump has a big ego and is not humble

• I tend to agree with this and personally feel like this is something he needs to work on.  However, is this really a disqualifying characteristic?  I don't know many individuals who are at the top of their respective fields that don't have some level of pride in themselves.  Can that be a bad thing?  Yes, if not tempered.
• Related to this are claims that he doesn't have empathy.  Where did that idea come from except the Democrats and their media?  Supporting policies that you disagree with, such as deportations, doesn't mean he has no empathy.  Since when is expecting enforcement of our laws and justice in prosecution mean?  In fact, he cares deeply about the safety and welfare of the American people first.  His interactions with victims of crimes and disasters seems to be very genuine, so on what basis do you claim that it is faked?    
• Again I would ask that this be fairly applied when you are making critical judgments.

 Trump is not 100% Pro-life

• Trump appears to be a pragmatist on abortion, at this point, in a highly divided country.  While he agrees that abortion is a terrible thing, he realizes that you have to win elections to impact policy.  His position appears to be in support of state-level restrictions on most abortions, except in the cases of rape, mother's life, and very early week pregnancies.  
• As a Christian, I personally feel that abortion is wrong in almost every circumstance, except in rare cases where it is really needed to save the mother's life.  Yes, carrying a baby to term is a burden, perhaps even an involuntary one, but killing an innocent baby is far worse.  But, I would rather compromise and ban most abortions, even if it means some still happen, rather than being a political absolutist and end up with all abortions being legal with no restrictions.  Start somewhere first, and then work towards better laws.  Sometimes the "all or nothing" approach is actually the worst choice morally.
• He did appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court that overturned the terrible Roe vs. Wade ruling, thus returning the power to the States.  He agrees with this ruling and that it is best left to the individual states to decide how they want to regulate it. 

Trump takes credit for the COVID vaccine

• In the midst of the pandemic, as President, he facilitated the development of a vaccine.  He often has taken credit for getting this done rapidly.  It seems that he may have gotten bad advice from some people on this, but in the heat of the moment, it may not be fair to be too judgmental.  Can we really say that he knowingly pushed a harmful vaccine out to the public, especially when he was being advised that it would save millions of lives?
• While he never forced vaccinations, as Biden did, he did encourage people to take it.  Whether it ultimately saved lives may be questioned by some.  Clearly, it was a rapid development, with insufficient testing prior to release.  There were significant side-effects for some, especially in the young, who generally had the least risk from the disease.  While it is controversial, I cannot fault high-risk people for taking it when recommended by their trusted doctors, right or wrong, and it is wrong to demonize them.
• Remember which president completely locked down the country and schools, forced masking, and mandated vaccinations on pain of termination.

Trump is a racist and anti-Semite

• Let's see -- he has immediate family members who are Jewish and was the best Presidential supporter of Israel ever.  Yep, that has to be anti-Semitic.
• Does being anti-illegal immigration make him racist?  Do repeated out of context quotes about supporting white supremacy make it so? 
• Does defunding and sanctioning terrorist states and groups make him an Islamophobe too?
• How in the world did you ever come to the conclusion that he is a racist?  Oh, by listening to the liberal progressives and their mainstream media outlets!?!  Shame on you for trusting them!

Trump hates immigrants

• Understanding that uncontrolled illegal immigration is harmful to our country and wishing to see it fixed is hardly hatred.  If anything, this is compassion and love of OUR COUNTRY.  
• Putting restrictions or halts to the massive influx of illegal border crossings is a good thing.  As is enforcing our asylum laws and regulations as intended, without the perversion of letting them be used to let most crossers to stay indefinitely.
• Some claim that this Nationalism is antithetical to Christian values.  But it is a liberal distortion of Christianity to claim that concerns about the oppressed, refugees and illegal migrants, and even the environment must take priority over responsibilities to care for our own people first.  As I previously noted, a sinking life raft can't save anyone.
• Finding humane ways to deport people is not cruel, but it is just.  Perhaps disincentivizing employers with tax consequences for hiring illegal employees would put pressure on them to return.  Rewarding unlawful entry and identity theft with permanent status, and free welfare, healthcare, and lifestyle support does nothing to fix the situation, but rather makes it worse both now and in the long run. 

The Takeaway

Voting for the progressive liberals, or just not voting at all, will be a disaster for our country in terms of the continued lurch away from traditional values, destruction of our economic systems, and the division of our country along racial and progressive CRT ideology.  If your personal hatred of Trump extends that far, then I suppose you will get what you deserve, at the expense of the rest of us.  

Instead of voting for those holding to values antithetical to the Christian Worldview, why not ... ?

• Vote for our constitutional freedoms. 
• Vote for Supreme Court Justices who will faithfully uphold the Constitution.  
• Vote for a better economy.  
• Vote for voter integrity and not mob democracy.  
• Vote for law, order, and safety by supporting the police and military.  
• Vote for secure borders and less trafficking and drugs.  
• Vote against endless foreign wars.  
• Vote for protecting our freedoms from censorship and against suppression of free speech.  
• Vote for all human life, regardless of arbitrary categories, including the unborn.  
• Vote for Equality over Equity, Color-blindness over CRT glasses, and Real Justice over Social Justice.

God help us restore our country!