Not so long ago I indicated I was a "never-Trumper". I thought then (and still think) the tactics of his campaign were unconscionable and destructive. It went beyond political "hardball" and veered into ridicule and character assassination. And I was not convinced his policy points, vague as they were, would be the best for the country compared to the other candidates. I had no reason to trust that his presidency would lean conservative.
Today, I still wince at every tweet and wish he would stop the outbursts. That does not mean I think he should be soft on those who have unfairly attacked him - only more articulate, specific and less personal.
But when it comes right down to it, in spite of a congress stocked with Republicans who once again have betrayed their own campaign promises on immigration, tax reform and health care, Trump has quietly done a number of things that any conservative should be cheering.
The stock market has been roaring and with the reversal of 8 years of Obama over-regulating and crushing small business, over a million new jobs have come into existence in the amount of time it took Obama to lose around 4 million.
His court nominations, particularly Judge Gorsuch, should be a tremendous encouragement to any who still care about the original intent of the constitution, particularly pro-lifers.
He has not rounded up millions of illegals storm trooper style and deported them as his critics feared, yet quietly illegal immigration has slowed and immigration enforcement officers no longer feel handcuffed and 5000 more agents have been authorized..
He has quietly begun to dismantle some of the autocratic healthcare regulations of the Obama "pen".
The size and influence of ISIS has decreased dramatically as the Trump administration has freed the US Military to act more like a military.
While he could do much more on behalf of persecuted Christians in Muslim countries, he has been supportive of Religious liberty on a number of key domestic issues, working to undo the violations of conscience inherent in Obamacare mandates, supporting a generally pro-life agenda, while leaning left on some of the agenda of the sexual revolutionaries.
But what has really come from out of the blue has been Trump's statesmanlike championing of American constitutional principles and opposition to Marxist tyranny. While he almost certainly didn't write either speech, his bold and articulate speech in Warsaw and his address to the United Nations were simply stunningly Reaganesque in their breadth and clarity. No one since Reagan has had the courage to take on Marxist tyranny so directly. Few have so clearly articulated the values of Western civilization on such a large stage. The Warsaw speech was the point at which my indifference turned toward support.
He has been unfairly treated in multiple news reports. The entire Charlottesville controversy over his remarks was absurd. Nazi Germany was responsible for the death of 6 million Jews so anyone who identifies with the Nazi symbols or ideology should certainly be condemned. But the counter protests, largely undertaken by those waving the red flag of communism, could be seen as not "equivalent" but worse as communist regimes have been responsible for perhaps 150 million deaths, many of whom were citizens of the countries supposedly "served" by the various "people's" movements.
All presidents are imperfect men and Donald Trump has a pretty sordid history. I still believe his personal attacks on his opponents are unwise and his responses could be more effective with more clarity and less personal venom, though perhaps not with less passion. If only his tweets and outbursts were more like his Warsaw and UN addresses. The media that Trump so regularly chides probably deserve to be called to account with a fair amount of vigor. Still, there's a lot to be desired in how it has been done.
I was certainly glad Hillary Clinton did not win the presidency. But after more than half a year of Trump, I have to say I have to quietly wish him well and point out that he has probably done more for the cause of conservatives than two-thirds of his Republican opponents would have. Maybe Cruz or Fiorina would have had the drive and will to do as much with less discomforting controversy. All I can say is I've moved from "never-Trump" to a stance of cautious support - with a few needed caveats. My hope is with time, the President will become more like the statesman in Poland and less like the loose-canon personna of the reality show mogul.
2 comments:
Dan, I must respectfully disagree. While a few good things have been accomplished, you're exaggerating Trump's role in much of your list. And a couple of scripted speeches does not a statesman make. I'm reminded of CS Lewis' comment about a scholar's parrot being able to speak Greek but not understanding what it's saying. When Reagan gave a speech we knew it reflected his deeply held beliefs. We don’t have this confidence with Trump. His tweets reflect who he really is, not the herculean efforts of some to get him to stay on script for a few minutes. I was part of the Reagan "revolution"; I find nothing remotely Reaganesque about Trump.
(While I'm thankful for the sane people in his administration, I am also critical of many who helped put him there and who continue to legitimize and normalize him. If you have a 3-year-old behind the wheel and they run the car off the road, the greater responsibility lies with the ones who gave him the keys in the first place and defend his continued driving.)
You seem to be okay with Trump's war on the media, though not with the way it has been conducted. Trump had the arrogance to take a term, "fake news," that characterized much of _his_ rhetoric and try to pin it on the media. I've been a critic of the media for years, decrying their selectivity of stories to report and the imbalance of much of their reporting. But I would never have suggested they were inventing stories out of whole cloth. This is slanderous. The scary thing is that Trump is succeeding in this outrageous campaign. This horrifies me as an American because a free press is essential to preventing tyranny. It horrifies me even more as a Christian and pastor because it is cultic thinking. Jehovah's Witnesses won't consider any source critical of their movement. Now many Christian supporters of Trump won't consider any news source other than Fox News or the 700 Club, etc because anything else is "fake news" and can't be trusted. This is a cult of personality, and believers are being duped (or should I say deceived).
But—despite all of this—even if Trump were amazingly successful: Can we sacrifice our moral convictions to support someone so morally repugnant for the sake of our political causes? (For temporary victories that can be easily reversed?) We are in 1 Cor 5 territory. Many in the church are defending and justifying someone who even most people outside the church find morally and ethically abhorrent. And if we give him support, then we are culpable. What comes out of the mouth reveals what is in the heart. A good tree does not produce bad fruit. The character of Donald Trump is abundantly clear to all. We cannot partner with darkness in an effort to shine the light. For the sake of our nation and our witness (which has been horribly damaged by all this), we must not be associated in any way with this morally bankrupt president. We must not be guilty of giving him aid and comfort. We must not legitimize and normalize an evil and corrupt megalomaniac. We must be a prophetic voice of conscience, speaking truth to power.
Blessings,
Curt
Thanks Curt. Just saw this so late in responding. I understand your viewpoint and others hold it as well. I respect that perspective even though I have tilted away from it. By no means am I a big fan of the personality cult of Trump (or Obama for that matter) and I still very much wish another conservative candidate were in the office. I am only saying my worst fears have not been realized and there have been some pleasant surprises. Whatever criticisms remain of Trump, there is still nothing about a Hillary presidency that could compare.
At this point, I don't see much value in the label "never Trump". He's in office and that's the way things are. Would Ted Cruz have pursued similar policies and been more deft and articulate in dealings with the left-wing press? I tend to think so. I'm not sure the other Republican candidates wouldn't have made conservative noises and then allowed the left to ram a different agenda down our throats.
As for "fake news", if memory serves correctly, that term was invented by the left and at least in the case of CNN it is often accurate. From removing the MLK bust to the endless implication that his travel ban applied to all Muslims, there have been plenty of stories that were at least slanted if not blatantly false.
Yes, Trump was a cad in the primaries. Yes I wish I didn't have to defend his worst tendencies in order to oppose the left. But thus far he hasn't destroyed classified documents sold Uranium to Communist governments or slandered middle-America as Bible thumping gun-clingers or given carte blanche to Planned Parenthood and groups who want to redefine the family. Meaning "sacrificing our moral convictions" cuts both ways. The lesser of two evils is still a reality we are sometimes faced with.
I guess I'm not so much supporting him as deciding not to oppose him, because the alternative has been and will be far worse.
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