Re: “Influential evangelical magazine calls for the president’s removal” [Dec. 20, A6]:
President Donald Trump’s response to the Christianity Today editorial calling for his removal from office does more to make the case for why he should be removed from office than anything else. Trump’s tweet contains this line: “No President has done more for the Evangelical community, and it’s not even close.” In it, he succinctly reveals his view of government.
As usual, his corrupt message is: I do stuff for them, so they should be loyal and do stuff for me. This is Trump’s core bilateralism that got him into trouble in Ukraine, and informs all his dealings. It is who he is.
Government enables people to achieve collectively what they cannot do individually, whether building interstate systems or feeding the needy. It is not an individual’s, or even a party’s, leverage to barter handouts in exchange for votes. Evangelicals don’t owe Trump anything for his politically cynical support. It is simply his job to serve the body politic.
It is time for Evangelicals to stop pandering to Trump’s narcissism—and for him to stop expecting loyalty and favors in return for misuse of influence.
Bob Selby, Blaine
Note from KBJ: Because Democrats never "do stuff" for people in exchange for their votes.
