Michael Abrahams | Understanding Christian Trump supporters

How can a Christian support Donald Trump? This is a question many people ask and are yet to receive a rational answer. The query is a reasonable one because, even to the casual observer, Trump is the antithesis of Christianity.

There are logical reasons why some Christians would reject Joe Biden’s administration and the Democratic Party. The party’s policies are friendly to the LGBTQ community and are strongly pro-choice, and the legitimisation of certain LGBTQ practices and abortion are actions many Christians vociferously oppose as they find them abhorrent and incongruent with their religious beliefs. So, rejection of the Democratic Party by Christians, and voting Republican, are understandable.

But the pertinent question is why, after observing what Trump has said and done since he has returned to office, would someone who claims to follow Jesus Christ and his teachings not just tolerate but stand firmly and resolutely behind this man? The Bible states, in Romans 3:23, that “all have sinned.” None among us is perfect. But some of us flout biblical and Christian rules way more than others, and Trump is a prime example.

In the Bible, adultery is prohibited in both the Old (Exodus 20:14) and New (Matthew 5:28) Testaments. However, it is well documented that Trump is a repeat offender and has also racked up at least 27 sexual assault allegations in addition to being found liable for sexually abusing and defaming one of his accusers. One of the golden rules in Christianity is to treat others as you would have them treat you (Matthew 7:12). Trump does not do that. He regularly criticises, ridicules and disrespects people he does not like but is intolerant of even the slightest criticism of him, verbally attacking or even seeking to punish those who oppose him.

MOST MENDACIOUS

Christians often refer to Leviticus 18:22 (“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”) to condemn homosexuality, as an “abomination” is an egregious offence that ought not to be tolerated. However, Proverbs 12:22 states, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord…” and Trump is an incessant liar and a candidate for the most mendacious president in American history. Fact-checkers at The Washington Post documented 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first presidential term, an average of 21 per day, and the lies have continued during his most recent presidential campaign and into his second term in office.

1 Timothy 6:10 states, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Trump and his close associate Elon Musk, the wealthiest man in the world, are billionaires who are seeking even more wealth. Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21), a statement addressing the importance of balancing religious devotion and secular authority. But Trump breaks laws with impunity and has been found guilty of tax fraud, among other infractions, and has been charged with a total of 88 felony counts across four criminal investigations. He has already been found guilty of 34 of them and is the first former U.S. president to become a convicted felon and the only one who has been impeached twice.

Christians who support Trump, compare him with King David, a flawed man who God chose to be a leader. But there are glaring differences. David repented and ruled with honesty and fairness. On the other hand, Trump is unrepentant and continues to exhibit perfidious and inequitable behaviour.

SUPPORT POLICIES

Christian supporters who admit Trump’s flaws say they stand with him because they support his policies. However, some of them run counter to what Christians profess to believe in. For instance, Proverbs 31:8-9 states: “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” But several of Trump’s policies go directly against these directives, with some designed to silence or punish those who try to make their voices heard but disagree with him. He does not judge fairly, pardoning people who viciously attacked police officers at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021, but threatening to send people who vandalise cars manufactured by Musk’s company (Tesla) to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Some of his policies have been unkind to the poor and needy, cutting off aid to impoverished people, including abused and abandoned children and people living with HIV and tuberculosis overseas. Leviticus 19:33-34 advocates kindness to foreigners and treating them as your “native-born.” However, the Trump administration has instituted hostile immigration policies, allowing some immigrants to be apprehended, detained and deported, even to countries they are not from, without due process.

If one peruses the tenets of Christianity, and examines Trump’s attitude, actions and policies, it is glaringly obvious that he and his regime are detached from Jesus Christ’s teachings. During a prayer service at Washington’s National Cathedral on the day after Trump’s inauguration, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, pleaded with the president to “have mercy upon people in our country who are scared now”, including immigrants, refugees and LGBTQ children, a plea in keeping with Christ’s attitude toward the vulnerable. But many Republican Christians spewed vitriol at her, with some even calling for her to be defrocked, and a pastor labelling her a “mental rapist.” More recently, Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, the world’s largest Christian denomination, criticised the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

The arguments used by Christians to support Donald Trump have more holes than his golf course near Mar-a-Lago. These people view him as a messianic figure sent by God to save America from the decadence of the demonic left but hypocritically absolve him from the level of scrutiny directed at those on the other side of the aisle. They are guided more by their biases, prejudices and fears than by their faith’s tenets. What would Jesus do? Not behave the way they do.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator, and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on X , formerly Twitter, @mikeyabrahams