There’s been quite a hubbub over the editorial in Christianity Today, founded by the late and widely respected evangelist Billy Graham, Jr., which calls for the removal of President Trump in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial. (In fact, at the moment I cannot even connect to the CT website, although I do not know whether that’s because it’s overwhelmed with legitimate traffic generated by the editorial, or under a Denial of Service attack connected to same.) Later: Here we go:
But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.
The reason many are not shocked about this is that this president has dumbed down the idea of morality in his administration. He has hired and fired a number of people who are now convicted criminals. He himself has admitted to immoral actions in business and his relationship with women, about which he remains proud. His Twitter feed alone—with its habitual string of mischaracterizations, lies, and slanders—is a near perfect example of a human being who is morally lost and confused.
Trump’s evangelical supporters have pointed to his Supreme Court nominees, his defense of religious liberty, and his stewardship of the economy, among other things, as achievements that justify their support of the president. We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see. This damages the institution of the presidency, damages the reputation of our country, and damages both the spirit and the future of our people. None of the president’s positives can balance the moral and political danger we face under a leader of such grossly immoral character. …
Unfortunately, the words that we applied to Mr. Clinton 20 years ago apply almost perfectly to our current president. Whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election—that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.
Connecting his removal to God’s will is logical if iffy, since the big guy’s failed to come down to register an opinion.
But it’s too bad CT’s indulged in a common misconception:
Let’s grant this to the president: The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.
Ummmmm, no, just no. President Trump was offered the opportunity to participate in the public hearings, and declined. Nor does it matter – the Senate is the proper place for a defense to be presented; the impeachment itself is about investigation and determination of the facts, and evaluation of whether the alleged offenses rise to the level required for an impeachment and conviction. The Senate is where the trial actually occurs. This is all spelled out in the Constitution, and it’s to CT’s discredit that they’d make that remark about the impeachment hearings.
More generally, this morality-free paragraph ignores the rampant mendacity, incompetency, and corruption which set in from day one of the Trump Administration – and even before. Documented and unambiguous. So strong that the Republicans, not the Democrats, on damn near day 1 set in motion an investigation of President Trump, an investigation led by a Republican, Robert Mueller, and which resulted in multiple indictments, convictions, and charges of obstruction of justice. So if the Democrats had it in from day one, they were justified. The craven, immoral actions of the Republican majority of the first half of his term enabled a President intent on corrupting multiple government agencies, as evidenced by the nominations and confirmations of Cabinet members Pruitt, Price, Ross, and a number of others, not to mention advisors of dubious competency or character, such as Bannon and Miller. For those who are starting to shake their heads and claim these happen in all administrations, I say this: When it takes four hands to enumerate all the investigations going on for ONLY EPA head Pruitt, this is a sign of gross, and even record-setting, corruption. Please, reader, stop enabling corruption by excusing it; step up and condemn it. CT should recognize that where there’s smoke, there may be a fire, and Trump began smokin’ during the campaign days. Remember his lies about our “historical peak” in crime rates? Yeah, we were actually deep in a trough.
Still, CT gets back on track with a reprimanding paragraph echoing my own thoughts on implicit Evangelical praise of corruption:
To the many evangelicals who continue to support Mr. Trump in spite of his blackened moral record, we might say this: Remember who you are and whom you serve. Consider how your justification of Mr. Trump influences your witness to your Lord and Savior. Consider what an unbelieving world will say if you continue to brush off Mr. Trump’s immoral words and behavior in the cause of political expediency. If we don’t reverse course now, will anyone take anything we say about justice and righteousness with any seriousness for decades to come? Can we say with a straight face that abortion is a great evil that cannot be tolerated and, with the same straight face, say that the bent and broken character of our nation’s leader doesn’t really matter in the end?
If Trump is the best the Evangelical community can do, why should anyone deal with them with respect to their honor and their honesty? When you suckle Satan at your breast, you are allied with him, and Satan is the Father of Lies, boys and girls. CT has it right.
Graham’s son, Franklin, is annoyed, according to WaPo:
Graham’s son, the Rev. Franklin Graham, has been a highly vocal supporter of Trump and prayed at his inauguration. In an interview, Franklin Graham, who is not involved with Christianity Today, said his father would have been disappointed by the magazine’s stance. He said his father liked Trump and they were friends.
Without independent evidence, it’s difficult to accept such a statement concerning his father at face value. Furthermore, as one of those who actually participated in Trump’s inauguration and has backed him on numerous occasions, he has a vested interest in Trump’s surviving the trial. He can put “Rev” in front of his name and strut about concerning President Trump and his lies, sexual deceits, and terrible treatment of anyone who displeases him, but it doesn’t appear he’s measuring up to his father.
My Arts Editor grew up in the Evangelical community and says this is a big deal; I suppose Franklin Graham’s riposte is evidence of the alarm the leaders of the community who are benefiting from Trump’s position of power must be feeling. Time will tell.
