 Donald Trump’s true character has been on full display since retaking the White House last year. But in recent weeks Trump’s narcissism, amorality and indifference to the suffering of others have caused even his most ardent supporters to question his competence and mental fitness. Trump’s unsanctioned and unnecessary war in Iran hasn’t gone as planned. As the war drags into its seventh week, Iranian resistance has stymied any easy off ramp for Trump. The war has damaged economies across the globe, and the likelihood of the United States strongarming the Iranian regime into peaceful compliance is a pipe dream. This has left Trump embittered and increasingly unhinged. Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s entire civilization, attacked world leaders, including the Pope, for criticizing him, and has taken to his social media platform to post crazy diatribes and offensive AI generated images. Trump provoked nearly universal condemnation with a profanity-laced post on Easter Sunday, the most sacred day on the Christian calendar. Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s civilian infrastructure and mocked Islam’s God. This was followed two days later with a post with the following warning to the Iranians, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”  What really caught my attention, and that of the billions of Christians around the world, were his mind-numbingly stupid posts on Orthodox Easter Sunday. In one post Trump attacked Pope Leo, calling him weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy. Trump posted that he didn’t “want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do”. Soon after posting his criticism of the Pope, Trump posted the infamous AI generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. This was quickly condemned by many of his Christian supporters who viewed the image as blasphemous, offensive and an affront to Christianity. Trump claims to have thought that the image depicted him as a doctor, but no one was buying it and the image was taken down.  I Don't Think So!Trump vs the Pope: In matters of Christian theology and morality, I will take the side of the Pope Leo XIV over Trump any day. Trump and his defense secretary have portrayed the Iran War as a moral crusade, a “holy war”. During a worship service at the Pentagon, Secretary Hegseth asked God to pour “overwhelming violence” on Iran. Hegseth went further by praying that American bullets be guided straight into the bodies of their targets, to “break the teeth of the ungodly” and “rain violence and death on the enemy.” The prayer concluded with “in bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ”. Invoking the name of Jesus Christ to justify war and the killing of innocents crossed a red line for the Pope. As the spiritual leader of approximately 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, the Pope was compelled to speak out against the increasingly violent rhetoric and warmongering coming from the White House. In his Palm Sunday sermon the Pope proclaimed, “Brothers and sisters, this our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood”. This sermon rankled Trump who doesn’t take kindly to criticism, particularly from other world leaders. When asked by reporters how he felt about comments directed at him by Trump, the Pope responded, “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.” Amen to that! To counter the Pope’s narrative and reassure his Christian supporters, Trump responded in his typical juvenile manner, by posting an image of himself being embraced by Jesus. In recent days Trump and Vice President JD Vance have taken to the airways and social media to tell the Pope to essentially stick to his knitting and stay out of the affairs of the United States.  During his travels in Africa this week, the Pope took the opportunity to continue spreading the word of peace and condemning the suffering and devastation caused by wars. The Pope’s words were directed to African leaders fueling many of the violent conflicts on the continent as well as leaders around the world, (yes, you Donald Trump), who view war as necessary and justified by some moral imperative. “Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers”, preached the Pope. “But woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain. Dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.” Masters of war “turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found.” “The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.” Unfortunately, one of those tyrants is home grown and leading us down a path few Americans embrace. It is time for Christians of all stripes, as well as for all decent people, to embrace the words of the Pope and distant themselves from the destructive and anti-Christian policies and actions of the Trump Administration.  If Trump’s war in Iran has accomplished anything it is the shredding of any remnants of the United States’ moral authority in the world. In Ronald Reagan’s farewell address to the nation, he portrayed America as a “shining city on a hill”, “a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here.” Today America is at an inflection point created by immoral, corrupt and incompetent leaders. The war in Iran has divided the American people even further, eroded our standing in the world, and created increased tensions with our strategic and military allies. The city walls of that shining city on the hill that Reagan once visualized are today much higher, its doors are closed to all but a few, and the light has dimmed almost to darkness. Let’s hope and pray that the enduring spirit of the American people will be the spark that rekindles the light, and that illusive shining city on the hill will once again be within our reach. For those who would like to read more about my views on Christianity and how they are incompatible with Trump and Trumpism, I refer you to my October 18, 2024, blog , “Are Christian Values Compatible With Trumpism?”
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 In the past I have written that I have disqualified Donald Trump from consideration for the presidency due to his character flaws and lack of moral integrity. Nearly half of the American electorate, including many Christians disagree with me. Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States with over 63% of Americans identifying as such. In the latest national polls approximately 47% of registered voters support Donald Trump for president. Most of these voters are Christians who can separate Trump’s moral failings from his policies. I believe in the separation of church and state and have never voted for anyone because of their religious affiliation or beliefs. But the values I learned from my Christian upbringing are so opposed to Donald Trump’s lies and rhetoric that I would have to cast aside my foundational principles as a Christian to support him.  Trumpism: Volumes have already been written in the few short years that the MAGA movement and Trumpism have taken hold of the Republican Party. It has been equated to right-wing populism, Christian nationalism, national conservatism, authoritarianism, and even neo-fascism. Trump may indeed have certain tendencies which puts him into one or more of these political ideologies, but he really doesn’t have a political philosophy. Trumpism is simply a political movement that supports Donald Trump, and he will align himself with any group that supports him, and then coopt their views as his own. Rather than having a political philosophy, Trump has a moral philosophy which he learned from his friend and lawyer Roy Cohn. Trump learned from Cohn that in business and in life, in order to win you must “Attack, attack, attack. Admit nothing, deny everything. No matter what happens, you claim victory, and never admit defeat.” This philosophy of Trump’s is at the root of his conflict with Christian values.  Christianity: I am not a theologian, but I was born and raised a Catholic. I have come to believe that being a Christian doesn’t require affiliation with a particular church, but it requires a belief in and the practice of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christianity in America encompasses a diverse group of people from many different backgrounds, beliefs and churches. One thing that binds most of these groups together is the teachings of Jesus Christ as written in the New Testament. The teachings that I remember are those found in “The Gospel According to Matthew”, particularly the teachings known as the “Sermon on the Mount”. Before examining how Trump’s campaign rhetoric has diverged from Christian values and norms it is important to review some of the teachings of Jesus, which are foundational to Christianity.  Christian Values: This is just a partial list of Jesus’ teachings. Many of these are familiar to Christians and non-Christians, and also appear in the writings of other religions.
 Jesus also taught about the importance of following the ten commandments. The most relevant commandment for our discussion of Trumpism is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.” To bear false witness against others is to lie about them, and the word “neighbor” as written in the English translations of the bible means an associate, brother, neighbor, companion, fellow, friend, husband, or anyone else. Jesus taught us to be good neighbors to others, to be kind and generous, to help those in need, to be forgiving, to be humble and honest. How do these teachings square with our understanding of Trumpism and the words and deeds of Donald Trump?  Can a Vote for Trump be Morally Justified: The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant, and second largest Christian organization in the United States. In 1998 it wrote about the candidacy of Bill Clinton in a resolution which stated that “۰۰۰moral character matters to God and should matter to all citizens, especially God’s people, when choosing public leaders.” The resolution further urged “۰۰۰all Americans to embrace and act on the conviction that character does count in public office, and to elect those officials and candidates who, although imperfect, demonstrate consistent honest, moral purity and the highest character.” Twenty-six years after many conservative Christian organizations spoke out against the moral failings of Bill Clinton, how is it that they can now support Donald Trump who falls much lower on the moral purity scale? I don’t consider myself a conservative Christian and will not attempt to justify something that I don’t understand. All I can do is assess the words and deeds of Donald Trump which speak to the character of the man who may very well be the next president of our country.  The Violation of Christian Values: In the final days of the 2024 presidential race, the violation of Christian values by Donald Trump are on full display. He tells lies and spreads false rumors to instill fear, divide the American people, and denigrate a large segment of our population. He calls immigrants rapists, murderers, and blood thirsty criminals “poisoning the blood of our country”. Trump uses rhetoric such as, “the Haitians are eating the pets” to promote hate and set people against one another. He portrays America as a country in decline, ravished by criminal gangs of illegal immigrants. Trump has a record of mistreating women, distaining the rule of law, and undermining public trust in government institutions. He lacks the humility to admit that he lost the 2020 election and continues to push the false claim that the election system is rigged against him. His false claims that the Biden/Harris administration withheld hurricane relief funds from predominately Republican areas, have led to threats of violence against FEMA employees and the closing of FEMA offices. Trump’s lies have led to violence and threats of violence against Capitol police officers, poll workers, elections officials, immigrants in this country legally, and public officials who have attempted to hold him accountable for his actions. Trump has promised retribution against those who have wronged him and to use the power of the presidency to punish those who disagree with him. He has vilified his political opponents by calling them the “enemy within” our country and has suggested that he will use the military if necessary to crush them. Are these examples of love for one’s neighbor, kindness and compassion towards others, forgiveness, humility, and not judging others? Well, the answer goes without saying.  Trump is Not Pro-Life: For decades many conservatives supported the Republican Party due to its pro-life stance. Trump was hailed as a hero in conservative circles for appointing three Supreme Court justices who supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade. But Trump is an unprincipled man who has changed his views on abortion several times to fit the prevailing political winds. Evangelicals and other conservative Christians have supported Trump over the years because he was the pro-life candidate. But it is difficult to reconcile that support with Trump’s shifting position in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe. Trump now claims to be the champion of women’s reproductive rights. He is against a national abortion ban and has called Florida’s six-week abortion ban “too harsh” and “a terrible mistake”. Will this cause conservative Christian voters to withhold their support for Trump? We will know in a few short weeks.  I have made my views on Donald Trump crystal clear during this election cycle. As I have expressed in a previous blog, character counts in the selection of any candidate for public office. My views on the character traits that I feel are important in a candidate were formed by my Catholic upbringing and the teachings of Jesus Christ. That is why I question the morality of supporting and putting into power a man who has hate in his heart, is vengeful, and lacks humility and integrity. Donald Trump has told conservative Christian groups that he “loves Christians” and will defend them against the radical-left. Even for Trump that is a wildly self-serving proposition. If he truly wants to align himself with Christians and their values, I suggest that he reads the Bible rather than hawking his own “God Bless the USA” Bible. One final piece of advice for Donald Trump, “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you”.   If you enjoy reading this type of commentary, please subscribe to my blog and tell a friend. You will receive an email notification when new blogs are posted. The email will come from the site’s email: [email protected].
Thanks, Armchair American |
AuthorThe Armchair American. 
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