The presidency of Donald Trump was the most divisive, destructive, and scandal-ridden in American history. Corruption was practiced openly. The nation was betrayed to foreign dictators. Explosive economic inequality led to shocking rates of unemployment, hunger, and homelessness. Lies and conspiracy theories replaced science and reason. Discrimination became the new norm, as a new generation of Nazis marched openly on American streets. Plague was spread across the country through churches and political rallies where Trump supporters refused to take any medical precautions against infecting their neighbors. Hundreds of thousands of people died.
How did this happen? The destruction was too pervasive to blame on Donald Trump alone. Trump himself was obviously pathological, but his words and deeds found an enthusiastic audience in those who were ideologically prepared to receive it, trained through years of religious worship in the acceptance of cruel absurdities.
The electoral statistics from the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections plainly demonstrate where Donald Trump got his support. In both years, the majority of American Christians voted for Trump, and the majority of Trump voters were Christians.
It wasn’t a matter of Christians holding their noses to vote for Donald Trump. Throughout the Trump years, Christians zealously participated in his political movement, and viciously attacked anyone who stood in Trump’s way.
Donald Trump’s presidency was the epitome of American Christianity, not an aberration from it. Every violent, hateful, dishonest, abusive act by Trump had conspicuous precedents in Christian culture before he became a politician.
For generations, it has been the orthodox belief that Christianity is a positive social force in America. The presidency of Donald Trump has provoked a new skepticism of that belief.
For four years, the Christian choice was given the power to run the American government. The result was ruin.
The record is clear. Rather than serving as a tonic in American culture, Christianity is a toxin.