A week has now passed since the 47th president’s first full day in office, and it is hard to express adequately how calamitous these days since his inauguration have been for the country—and the world. Consider the following list of Trump’s troubling decisions and two additional serious concerns.
Here are six of the worst changes begun by Trump’s “executive orders” and shifts in government policies that have occurred since January 20. (A whole article could easily be written about each of these.)
* Changes from
prosecuting the January 6, 2021, wrongdoers to pardoning them and
persisting in promotion of the “big lie” regarding the 2020 election.
* Changes from
policies to combat climate change and ameliorate the growing ecological crisis to
adopting those that will accelerate harmful global warming.
* Changes from
accepting asylum seekers and other immigrants seeking to protect their lives
and well-being to rejecting even those currently in the U.S.
* Changes from
promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion of all citizens so there can be
social justice for all to fostering dominance by White males.
* Changes from
honoring past treaties with Panama to threatening to use force if necessary
to gain control over the Panama Canal again.
* Changes from
a government of, by, and for all the people of the country to one definitely tilted
to a government of, by, and for billionaires.*1
The “idolatry”
surrounding President Trump
is one of my main concerns. In his inaugural speech, which even prominent
conservative columnist George Will said was one of the worst in U.S. history, the
47th POTUS said he was spared by God from the assassin’s bullet in
order to make America great again.
What hubris for
the President to claim that God saved him on the same day the nation was
honoring MLKing Jr., who was killed by an assassin! He also referred to
“our God,” whom he seems to think wants the U.S. to be greater even though that
would be detrimental to most of the rest of the world.
This “idolatry”
is fostered by conservative evangelical Christians such as Franklin Graham, who
in one of the inaugural prayers intoned, “Father, when Donald Trump’s enemies
thought he was down and out, You and You alone saved his life and raised him up
with strength and power by Your mighty hand.”
Trump seems to
gloat at the fact that many conservative Christians consider him as the
“savior” of a failed nation, and in his inaugural speech he referred to January
20 as “Liberation Day.”
Trump’s
alignment with Christian nationalists
is also a troubling concern. Two of his nominees for prominent offices are
outspoken in this regard.
Russell Vought
is Trump’s choice to be director of the Office of Management and Budget. Vought,
who was highly involved in the production of Project 2025, has called Trump “God’s
gift” to America who was elected to restore the nation’s Christian calling “as
a nation under God.”*2
Pete Hegseth is
another highly questionable Trump appointee. Last Friday in a tie Senate vote
that was broken by VP Vance, Hegseth was approved as the new U.S. Secretary of Defense, and
he assumed that office on January 25.
Six weeks
before the inaugural address on Jan. 20, the New York Times posted an article
titled “Pete Hegseth and His ‘Battle Cry’ for a New Christian Crusade” (see here). That seems to have been more than
just a figure of speech.
In his 2020 book
American Crusade, Hegseth wrote, “We don’t want to fight, but, like our
fellow Christians one thousand years ago, we must.” In that book, he also suggests
the possibility of future violence: “Our American Crusade is not about literal
swords, and our fight is not with guns. Yet.”
There are many
reasons why Hegseth is unfit for a seat in the President’s cabinet. But I agree
with Robert P. Jones, who objected primarily to “his support for Christian
nationalism, “a set of beliefs that undermine the bedrock principles of a
racially and religiously pluralistic democracy.”*3
Jones and I agree that there should be peace and justice for
all USAmericans.
_____
*1 At the end of his inaugural
address, Trump mentioned the “golden age” of America that has “just begun.” Trump’s
love for gold is well known, but it needs to be noted that in nearly all
cultures, gold represents luxury and wealth as well as greed and excess. So, it is
no surprise that most of Trump’s top appointees are billionaires, which reminds
me of the old twist of the meaning of the “golden rule”: those who have the gold
make the rules.
*2 See this January 7 post by Baptist News Global is titled “Russell
Vought: The gung-ho Christian nationalist who helps Trump be Trump.”
*3 Jones (b. 1968) is the founder and
president of Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). Here is a link to Jones’s
instructive January
16 article about Hegseth.
Note: Even though quite long, I recommend reading this GoodFaithMedia
January
27 post titled Pete Hegseth: Religious Extremism in a Brooks Brothers
Suit by Jemar Tisby, PhD, Professor of History at Simmons College of
Kentucky, a faith-based HBCU.
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In '15 Apollyon descended via escalator at the Abbadon Hotel, Greed's emblem enfleshed; now, still, a destroyer and divider flouts his dissimulating nature--a golden god but with feet of clay. Pure wretched rapaciousness.
ReplyDeleteMetaphors tumble out profusely in response to the spectacle, and to the tragedy of idolatry made so stark among Confessed Believers.
Thanks, Dr. Summers, for your strong words in support of the central emphasis of my blog post.
DeleteFor you who need some help understanding the meaning of "Apollyon" and "Abbadon," here is a brief explanation from Christianity.com:
"There are several names in the Bible for Satan and his minions. One of these is 'the Apollyon,' which might refer to Satan or to a high-ranking demon. The name 'Apollyon' is the Greek for 'Abaddon' meaning 'Destroyer.'
"We see this name mentioned in Revelation 9: 'They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer)' (Revelation 9:11)."
I just now saw the following in this morning's New York Times, an opinion article by columnist Thomas B. Edsall.
ReplyDelete"In November, the British newspaper the Guardian compared what H.L. Mencken wrote about Warren G. Harding with a contemporary portrait of Trump:
"'Historians will long scratch their heads that a Republican candidate who — despite an inability to string a coherent sentence together, being grossly underqualified and rife with extramarital affairs — would go on to not only win election but become one of the most popular presidents in U.S. history.'
"'The core of Harding’s support, according to Mencken, was “small town yokels, of low political serfs, or morons scarcely able to understand a word of more than two syllables, and wholly unable to pursue a logical idea for more than two centimeters.'
"Harding, however, was no Trump: The newly re-elected president has a mean, if not sadistic, streak, an exorbitant taste for revenge, a charismatic persona and, to put it mildly, a flair for publicity.
"Now the question — after a frenzied week of pardons, executive orders, threatening phone calls and emergency declarations — is: Where is this man taking America?"
Here are brief comments from local Thinking Friend Greg Brown:
ReplyDelete"Well said Leroy. This could get even uglier and have longer term consequences than we know."
Thanks for your comments, Greg. I agree that things may well get uglier, but we'll have to see whether there will be "longer term consequences." I referred to the "short-term future" of the country, for I fully expect there to be a "big Blue wave" in 2026 that will continue to a complete change of administration in 2028--and I think this is a realistic expectation, not just an optimistic one.
DeleteAnd now these longer, thought-provoking comments by Thinking Friend Eric Dollard in Chicago:
ReplyDelete"Thanks, Leroy, for sharing your views of the Trump regime (I hesitate to use 'administration').
"I have tried to think of any executive action or policy proposal by Trump with which I agree. I have found only one--to deport undocumented persons who have been convicted of violent crimes. I cannot think of any others.
"Trump wants America to 'drill, baby, drill,' but the oil companies are not interested because they fear an oil glut. The movement to green energy sources is unstoppable and there is little Trump can do about it.
"The prayer by Franklin Graham at Trump's inauguration was, to put it bluntly, pathetic."
"These are dark days indeed!"
Thanks for your comments, Eric. Regarding the one positive thing you found in Trump's actions this week, I recalled what I read early this morning in Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter posted late last night:
Delete"White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced yesterday morning that “[d]eportation flights have begun.” In fact, nothing is 'beginning.' In 2024, Colombia accepted on average more than two U.S. flights of migrants a week. And, as immigration scholar Austin Kocher noted, 'everyone on this deportation flight was arrested and detained by the Biden administration.'"
So, what Trump has done so far in this regard is no different or more extensive than what was done under Pres. Biden--and much earlier, even under Pres. Obama.
If you or others would like to read Dr. Richardson's full (and lengthy) article, here is a link to it:
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-27-2025
Charles Kiker commenting anonymously for cyber-technical reasons. Leroy, thanks for your article. I agree that our lower case d democratic government is in severe peril. Trump is threatening our neighbors (Panama and Canada) our NATO partner Denmark. I have some hope that the mid-terms in 2026 will diminish his power in the legislative branch. But it may not make any difference if he has cemented his military power by having nothing but lackeys a la Hegspeth (sp?) in the leadership of the armed forces. Our far from perfect union has survived perilous times before. Our pastor has encouraged us to "be not afraid" and maintain hope. Well, I'm not afraid. But I am deeply concerned.
ReplyDeleteIndeed! These are dark days. I agree with the comments so far and with your blog entry, Leroy. I'm still struggling with how to go forth personally from here; continue contributing to the fight which is currently futile (at least stay on the right side of history) or retreat into tending one's garden. I think that all is lost for now and will be until the disasters that this coalition of right-wing, white-male, christian, and billionaire autocrats plays out, and America and the world wakes up. I think the 21st century is largely lost to any significant advance for humanity. Perhaps out of the ashes of another disastrous century, a phoenix of enlightenment, justice, and humanity will arise. Or not.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate The Guardian's quote from H.L. Mencken, whom I've begun reading since the election.
ReplyDeleteI think you are quite correct about Franklin Graham. His father is one of my earthly heroes. I think Franklin does fine work with his organization Samaritan's Purse and have volunteered time and resources there. When I noticed many years ago that his tweets were getting more and political and increasingly divisive. I commented many times on his tweets and asked him to focus more on his ministry and less on his political opinions. When prominent preachers express their privately held opinions publicly it can mistakenly make the preacher sound these opinions are or should be widely held or worse directly from God. Graham's comments really could foster idolatry. I'm not sure if they are idolatrous themselves or just idolatry adjacent, most troubling is how one interprets "raised him up with strength and power" does Graham mean that God used his strength and power to raise up Trump? or does he mean that God imbued Trump with special strength and power by sparing his life? The second sounds like special revelation and could be interpreted as blasphemy and idolatry. Thanks for spending so much of you r valuable time enunciating your concerns.
ReplyDelete(Did not mean to post this anonymously. So I am posting it again with my information.)
Thank you Leroy for your clear analysis and prophetic voice (with good footnotes). 2025 is 1933 in Germany. We need to be Bonhoeffers. Many have appreciated Bishop Budde's here in Britain, including a Muslim friend. Bishop Budde has relaunched Bonhoeffer's courageous resistance.
ReplyDelete(I appreciate Mark Thiessen Nations book "Discipleship in a World Full of Nazis: Recovering the True Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer" who argues that Bonhoeffer was not involved in an assassination plot, but who kept faith with his Sermon on the Mount position in "Cost of Discipleship.")
I want to remind those in my surrounding 'Trump country' German soldiers in WW II were found to fight with "Gott Mit Uns" molded into their belt buckles. I agree with deporting immigrants guilty of violent crimes, but I am not optimistic about the political warfare we face as a nation. One of Trump's followers has said if they can get around this citizenship by birth constitutional question, they will address the question of presidential term limitations. Before that, however, I think the idea will surface if the president has the power to delay or even cancel mid term elections if he feels they are a "threat to national security" and thus avoid a congressional rejection of his reign. At this point the Supreme Court might even support it.
ReplyDeleteAs for Franklin Graham, he is a fruit fallen far from the tree. His father once said one of his mistakes was getting too close to the president (Nixon) and politics.
Timothy Snyder's 2017 book warning about Trump has had a second coming in popularity this season, and I believe we are deep into Chapter 18: "Be calm when the unthinkable arrives." Trump wants us to panic, to fail to find a coherent response. We must bear witness even if seven angels sound seven Trumps and pour out seven vials of woe. We must prepare for what must be done afterwards.
ReplyDeleteAs for Trump's claim to have been saved by God, I am reminded of an old song by Dion. You can listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5hFMy4pTrs
Here are comments sent earlier today from Thinking Friend Pat Harris:
ReplyDelete"I liked and appreciated your article. There’s a lot of news about Trump doing this or that horrendous action. But what’s to done about it?
"How does one resist Trump’s policies in such a way that his followers (worshipers?) are willing to complain to their congressional representatives in order to stop him."
Thinking Friend Dick Horn is a personal friend and for many years was my missionary colleague in Japan. I am impressed by what he shares with regard to today's blog post:
ReplyDelete"Thanks for the good words, Leroy. I can hardly believe we have come to this place in America. I personally intend to resist at every opportunity. I have on hand a supply of Red Cards that tell people who might be targeted or just swept up in this insane deportation operation. The cards are in English on one side and the language of your choice on the other side. I have of course chosen Spanish and started passing them out to both people I know and to folks I meet in the grocery store or just on the street. I have to say the response has been surprisingly gratifying. The site is Immigrant Legal Resource Center. The cards can be ordered or you can as I did download and print on stock paper. Tells people what their 5th and 4th amendment rights are and how to use them when confronted by ICE or other Law Enforcement Officers.
"Certainly not the solution of this problem but simply one way we can all participate in getting information out to the public. Our churches can also offer Sanctuary. In such case I suggest that some one from the Congregation be present at all times to be the Gateway when and if ICE should decide to arrest those who have sought sanctuary. I am that person at out Church.
"Keep the faith and lets fight the good fight."
Thanks, Dick, for your comments and for your activity in dealing with the issue you wrote about. I had not heard of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and/or their Red Cards, but I was able to learn more about both on their website (https://www.ilrc.org/). -- I accept the challenge of your final words, and I trust many other readers of this blog will also.
ReplyDeleteAnd here are comments from Thinking Friend Virginia Belk in New Mexico:"
ReplyDelete"The only positive thing I'v read about the current president is that he favors returning to standard time, thereby abolishing day light saving time. Everything else is designed to undo all the positive things meant to prolong a habitable planet and bring a bit of social justice to our world."
And things keep getting worse. It is quite long, but I recommend reading the Substack post Heather Cox Richardson made late last night:
ReplyDeletehttps://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-28-2025
But to show what MAGA people think, here is a link to "President Trump's first week: A bold return to faith and values" from yesterday's issue of "Christian Post."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.christianpost.com/voices/president-trumps-first-week-a-bold-return-to-faith-and-values.html
And then there are these comments from a much respected local Thinking Friend:
ReplyDelete"A grim story. And, a worrisome story. -- Recently, I've found myself thinking about the parallels between Trump's attack on Immigrants (including children born in the U.S.) and Hitler's attack on Jews. Fear and Hate result in a lot of votes. Where do we go from here?"
Jerry Jumper, a retired medical doctor in southwest Missouri, make this brief, potent comment:
ReplyDelete"If the justice system doesn't do it's job we're in deep dung."