Trump supporters’ silence about his threat for vengeance

In the 1990s, my friends on the far left were upset that I favored impeaching and convicting President Bill Clinton for lying under oath.

When Democrats on social media were lauding Garth Brooks’ singing of “Amazing Grace” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, I asserted that using a distinctly Christian hymn did not promote unity in a diverse country and would have been more appropriate at a worship service of the president’s choosing. A few conceded this point; others rather harshly resented my popping the bubble of the inauguration party. One even said “Amazing Grace” is no longer a Christian hymn. Gracious.

Recently, a Republican candidate was in my neighborhood campaigning for state office. I told him my criteria for ever voting for a Republican was that they clearly denounce the events of January 6, 2021. He said, “I’ll never do that.” Eventually I told him that when my children misbehaved, I confronted the misbehavior. He said, “As you should have.” Inspired by the late Sens. Howard Baker and Fred Thompson soundly confronting President Richard Nixon of their own party, I told him that not having the moral character to repudiate vile behavior meant he lacked the moral character to hold office.

The reluctance to criticize people of one’s own party baffles me. I spent the summer of 1986 in the Philippines. The dictator Ferdinand Marcos had just gone into exile in the United States, toppled by the mostly peaceful People Power revolution. A missionary explained that the Philippines had multiple tribes and Marcos’ support came largely from his own tribe who defended him regardless of his behavior. Tribalism and rigid partisanship represent the opposite of healthy democracy.

By contrast, say what you will about Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi but, when convinced of inappropriate behavior by members of their own party, they have sent those members packing. Ask former Sen. Al Franken and Representatives Katie Hill, Ruben Kihuen and John Conyers — all of whom were forced to resign or retire.

“Bill Clinton’s Oval Office indiscretion and coverup seem quaint compared to the debauched and anti-democratic behavior of Donald Trump.”

As stated though, we’ve seen Democrats resist holding their own accountable. But now, by comparison, Bill Clinton’s Oval Office indiscretion and coverup seem quaint compared to the debauched and anti-democratic behavior of Donald Trump. That debauchery is protected and even lauded by the support of Christians in general and Baptists in particular who have joined Trump’s secular orgy and baptized it with religious fervor and Christian icons. Witness (here, here and here) examples of the overtly Christian signage at the January 6  insurrection — or the instance of “some folks (getting) carried away” as one of my Trump-supporting friends re-christened it.

Unimaginable behavior

The latest heads-in-the-sand debacle is simultaneously mind-bending and completely unsurprising in the context of the second nomination of a candidate who behaves worse than a 2-year-old merged with a belligerent drunk. To wit, he called war-hero Sen. John McCain a loser for getting captured, and he claimed to have had the largest inauguration crowd ever despite photographic evidence of one of the lowest modern turnouts. The list could go on for pages, yet here we are with the merger of feckless stupidity and authoritarian bullying. Again.

I suffer from no delusion that anyone who has drunk the MAGAhol will be swayed by pointing out yet another instance of The Emperor wearing only Arnold-Palmer-in-the-shower clothes. So, why do I trouble myself to write? I idealistically hope some person out there will know there are people of the Christian faith who strongly repudiate the merger of Christianity and MAGAholism.

“I idealistically hope some person out there will know there are people of the Christian faith who strongly repudiate the merger of Christianity and MAGAholism.”

Thus, I recently posted the following on social media. It started as a reply to someone who relentlessly posts pro-Trump comments without substantive argumentation. A friend suggested I ask the person some pointed questions in the thread in an attempt to engage constructive dialog, so I did.

After some time passed without an answer, even though I offered confidentiality,  I generalized the questions and made a stand-alone post (which is reproduced in full below). Getting no immediate reply, I sent the post to multiple Trump-supporting friends and politicians. As of this writing I’ve gotten no reply. I did eventually get some comments, but they mostly spoke all around the issue or denied Trump meant what he said — although I suppose, on the bright side, the denials of those who spoke up at least acknowledge that using the military to suppress political opponents would be wrong.

One person seemed to imply I was being “ridiculous” for asking these questions since Trump didn’t use the military against opponents in his first term. It strikes me as gaslighting for his supporters to say, “Trump says what he means and means what he says” and then call others ridiculous for taking him at his word. Also, one wonders why Trump gets this pass when the credible report of Gen. Mark Milley indicates Trump merely failed at his desire to use the military on American citizens because Milley, with the backing of Attorney General William Barr, refused to use the military that way.

(While on this topic, fairness demands repudiating the violence of leftist protestors who — in protesting the brutal killing of George Floyd — horribly besmirched the efforts of those trying to peacefully protest in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. When protesters became violent at the White House on May 30-31, 2020, 60 Secret Service agents were injured with 11 being hospitalized. We all need to clean our own houses.)

Regarding Trump’s suggestion of using the military against even peaceful opponents, while I haven’t heard back from any of the individuals I wrote, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked a similar line of questions to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. Johnson merely denied Trump said what he said and changed the subject. Trump himself later denied he said it and that it would be “bad for the country.”

Questions for Trump-supporting friends

So, here are the questions to which I’ve heard only eerie silence, denials of plain language, changing the subject or gaslighting:

Please help me connect some dots so I can mentally prepare for the future.

I’ve heard many say, “I like Donald Trump because he says what he means and means what he says.”

With that in mind: During a recent Fox News interview, Trump was asked if he expected chaos on Election Day. He responded, “I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within, not even the people that have come in and (are destroying) our country — I don’t think they’re the problem in terms of Election Day — I think the bigger problem are the people from within. … We have some very bad people; we have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And it should be very easily handled, if necessary, by the National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen. … The enemy from within, in my opinion, is more dangerous than China, Russia (and other foreign adversaries of the United States). I always say, so we have two enemies — we have the outside enemy and then we have the enemy from within. … The thing that’s tougher to handle are these lunatics that we have inside, like Adam Schiff. … Adam Shifty Schiff, who’s a total sleazebag, is going to become a senator. But I call him the enemy from within.”  

I haven’t found any record of Adam Schiff ever being charged with or endorsing civil violence.

Like Schiff, I am vociferously opposed to MAGA ideology in general and Trump in particular.

So, here are my questions:

Do you think the U.S. military should be used against me and my family members who actively voice our opposition to MAGA/Trump?

What would that military action look like?

And how would it reflect the Jesus followed by a “Christian nation”?

I started to end this piece with Ephesians 5:11: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness; rather, expose them.” However, the problem with Christians’ silence in this case is much deeper than failing to expose unrighteousness. The true failure lies in not seeing it as a problem in the first place. Thus, we are witnessing yet another fulfillment of the warning of Jesus from Matthew 24:24: “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

Qui tacet consentire videtur

The Latin phrase qui tacet consentire videtur is translated, “Silence implies consent.” I once asked someone why they were not speaking out against Christian nationalism. They denied Christian nationalism is a real threat. The conversation revealed, however, that if Christian nationalism were to happen, this person really wouldn’t care.

Thus, in contemplating the silence about Trump labeling Adam Schiff and Nancy Pelosi as examples of “the enemy within” in the context of using the military against such enemies, I’m concerned the silence of Trump’s staunchest supporters in addressing his threat isn’t at all that they are too embarrassed to say anything. Rather, and most disturbingly, maybe they don’t care if it happens, or maybe they even want it to happen.

This has seemed very clear when they quote, out of context, Thomas Jefferson when he said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” After all, those who trust in authoritarian power rather than Christlike service are seeking, well, authoritarian power.

No. This can’t end there either. I just realized the other reason I feel compelled to write. For all who foresee a Trump presidency leading not just to a disaster for democracy but the persecution of those who lawfully and appropriately oppose such authoritarianism, comfort can be found in the last words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 23: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

Brad Bull has served as a hospital chaplain, pastor, professor and therapist. One of his earliest childhood memories is of seeing The Sound of Music. His father — in the middle of the movie — gave a standing ovation to Captain Von Trapp shredding the Nazi flag — the authoritarian flag tragically adored by the most “Christian” and well-educated nation of the day.

 

Related articles:

Trump has made 100 threats to prosecute his enemies, and that could include religious foes

If you plan to vote for Donald Trump … | Opinion by Mark Wingfield