I had voted exclusively for conservative Republican candidates since 1973. I actively participated in local GOP precinct caucuses. I even spent five years as an editor in the public policy division of the ultra-conservative, evangelical Focus on the Family, a global Christian ministry.
Then Came Trump
I laughed when I learned that Donald Trump was running for the office of president of the United States, and as a Republican no less! Surely no one would take him seriously. But many did – most prominently white evangelical Christians, my people. And they were not about to be dissuaded. I tried to reason with them, to no avail. Their infatuation developed into adoration, which then evolved into reckless worship of a man who had a long history of violating every principle and standard they claimed to cherish.
How could this possibly happen, I wondered. How could my fellow evangelicals claim to revere a sham and flat-out liar? And yet most of the rank-and-file pew sitters became caught up in the emotions of the movement. They didn’t understand that they were succumbing to his lies, that a master manipulator and his minions were controlling them.
Truth Prevailed
When news broke that Richard Nixon’s “plumbers” had broken into the Watergate hotel to dig up dirt on Nixon’s Democratic opponent for the presidency, even the most devoted Republicans faced up to the truth that their party’s leader was a crook, a criminal. Eventually, Nixon owned up to the truth and exited public life in disgrace.
When news broke that Ronald Reagan and his administration had sold weapons to Iran and used the money from that sale to fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua, most Republicans conceded that their leaders were in the wrong. And eventually, Reagan took responsibility for the bad decision. The affair was a black mark on Reagan’s record. But again the truth won out.
When news broke of Bill Clinton’s inappropriate relationship with a White House intern, President Clinton initially denied the accusations. When the evidence became too compelling for continued denials, Clinton acknowledged his guilt. Republicans sought to impeach the president over his lies to the American public. Democrats defended Clinton, but not by denying the truth. Their defense was simply that, while guilty, the president’s offense did not rise to the level of being impeachable. Presidential decorum was violated, but truth was never in serious peril.
Truth Compromised
When President Trump was caught in his many lies and scandals (too many to list here, see “The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump’s presidency” if you need a refresher), he denied every one of them. Each time, his followers chose to believe his denials rather than the obvious truths. And most of those followers who chose to believe those lies are conservative white evangelicals, people who claim to revere the truth.
In 2020, I concluded an article I wrote for The Culture Crush magazine with these words:
“Can a culture willing to accept obvious deceptions over unambiguous, verifiable facts continue to function properly? Perhaps, but not for long. As bad as the loss of the nation’s constitutional and cultural norms would be, the loss of our individual and collective ability to know anything for certain - religious or otherwise - would be even more frightening.”
The magnitude of the nation’s losses would be nothing short of profound. Sadly, the MAGA movement appears wedded to this thinking, and that disturbing perspective was my primary reason for leaving the conservative movement and joining The Union. If you, too, care about the truth and its role in a healthy democracy, take action and join us today.
Post submitted by Jerry Gramckow, a volunteer with The Union
Note: The views and opinions expressed by volunteer contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of The Union, a single-issue organization that welcomes all and is dedicated to protecting democracy.
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Thanks for sharing your unique perspective. How do we ensure truth breaks thru and prevails ?
What is it, do you think, that caused your fellow evangelicals to be drawn in to Trump’s lies and deceptions, but not you?