In 2016 theology-first evangelicals (as opposed to political ones) had a Trump problem: how to support a person who boasted about breaking God’s commands. But at least some could imagine that his misdeeds were all in the past—and Donald Trump did promise prolife Supreme Court appointees.
In 2020 those evangelicals had a Trump problem: In most policy areas Trump had made cruel rather than compassionate conservatism the GOP standard. And yet, he had appointed to the Supreme Court three prolife justices, and he opposed the mob rule advocated by the extreme left.
In 2024 the Trump problem is even bigger. He is American history’s most powerful advocate of mob rule by the extreme right. If elected he seems likely to pardon the January 6 perpetrators but do nothing more to pardon unborn children. He still ridicules repentance.
Nick Catoggio of The Dispatch nailed it last week: “That a person who treats remorse as a failing of character would become the great political idol of conservative Christians, whose faith sacralizes remorse and repentance, is one of the most disgusting political developments in modern American history.”
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