Donald Trump maintains a significant lead in the polls ahead of the Iowa caucuses, making his securing of the Republican nomination for president increasingly inevitable. Recent national polls show Trump ahead of President Biden for the 2024 election. All of this led me to reconsider my past criticisms of former President Trump. Perhaps a second Trump presidential term wouldn’t be bad, especially considering the unwavering support from many evangelicals, a support that hasn’t significantly changed since 2016. This makes me question whether I might be on the wrong side of history.
President Biden is perceived as old and boring, consistently performing his duties without much fanfare or outrageous statements, the occasional gaffes notwithstanding. Despite this, he has achieved positive things for the country. The American Rescue Plan, signed during the pandemic, provided crucial support for vaccine distribution, school openings, childcare centers, and families. Additionally, the Biden administration’s actions have led to a significant increase in manufacturing investments in the U.S., creating well-paying jobs. Despite these achievements, some Americans don’t feel the improvement due to concerns about inflation and economic uncertainty. It’s difficult for many to trust Biden, even though the markets recently made record gains and inflation is falling.
By comparison, during Trump’s presidency, his supporters were optimistic, feeling aligned with the values he represented in the White House. President Trump consistently said that he represented the forgotten man and woman, and symbolically fought for Christian values. He went so far as to order the launching of tear gas canisters into a group of peaceful protesters outside the gates of the White House. He did this to clear a path so that he could safely cross the street, stand in front of a church, and have his picture taken while holding up a Bible. If that doesn’t make Christians feel better about their place in America, what will? Maybe I was wrong, a second Trump presidency won’t be that bad.
Sure, President Biden has shown steady leadership during conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, garnering support for Ukraine against Russian aggression and assisting Israel in dealing with attacks from Hamas, while also negotiating cease-fires to ensure the release of hostages while working to limit the escalation of hostilities. However, Trump, with his unconventional approach, praised Putin and criticized Israeli leaders, showcasing a different perspective on international relations. At a recent rally in New Hampshire, Trump praised Putin, offering this bit of wisdom from an experienced dictator, “Even Vladimir Putin…says that Biden’s, and this is a quote, politically motivated persecution of his political rival is very good for Russia because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy.” Trump has also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called Hezbollah militants “very smart.” Unlike President Biden who continues to challenge dictators around the world, Trump, as President, had good relationships with dictators like Russia’s Putin and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, even exchanging “love” letters with Un. So, maybe a second Trump term won’t be bad?
I’m late to the party, but maybe evangelical supporters of Trump are on to something, especially given the impact Trump had on issues like abortion. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many of those wanting an abortion must go elsewhere. In Texas, an expectant mother, Kate Cox had to leave the state for an abortion after the Texas Supreme Court upheld a law that would have forced her to carry her child to term. The child’s genetic condition would have resulted in the child’s death and would have threatened the life of the mother. Not to mention the pregnancy also threatened Cox’s future fertility. None of this would have been possible without the efforts of Trump. Since the Dobbs decision reversed the federal protection of abortion, abortions have increased nationwide, but the goal was to overturn Roe v. Wade, and Trump did that.
It certainly seems that Trump will be the designated champion of evangelicals once again in the upcoming presidential race despite multiple felony indictments and the legacy of January 6th, 2021. Biden has his issues, well, his son has issues, allegedly stemming from his years as a drug addict. And now that the House GOP has voted to authorize a formal inquiry into impeachment proceedings against President Biden, they seem confident that they will find the evidence they have yet to find. This evidence, they claim, once discovered, will amount to high crimes and misdemeanors committed by President Biden while he was Vice President. So, I don’t know. The contrast seems clear. Perhaps a second presidential term for Trump won’t be bad?
Trump has made it clear that he will utilize all the powers of the presidency to seek retribution for all the grief he’s suffered. As such, maybe he is representative of all the perceived persecution of Christians in America.
Given all of this, maybe a second Trump presidential term won’t be bad?
In my estimation, it will be worse. Much, much worse.
Photo by Phil Scroggs on Unsplash
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