The problem is that the Trumpian ethic hasn’t been confined to the Trump family. Morality and lawfulness must always be subordinated to the pursuit of power and self-interest. He believes, as his father does, that politics should be practiced ruthlessly, mercilessly, and vengefully. A decade ago, I wrote a book with Michael Gerson, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, in which we dealt with that issue, among others. Translating the teachings of Jesus into public life, and figuring out how they ought to influence the duties of the state, is a complicated matter. If the ethic of Jesus encourages sensibilities that might cause people in politics to act a little less brutally, a bit more civilly, with a touch more grace? Then it needs to go. The teachings of Jesus have “gotten us nothing.” It’s worse than that, really the ethic of Jesus has gotten in the way of successfully prosecuting the culture wars against the left. And the former president’s son has a message for the tens of millions of evangelicals who form the energized base of the GOP: the scriptures are essentially a manual for suckers. This in turn justifies any necessary means to win. One side must prevail the other must be crushed. He portrayed it as an existential battle between good and evil. painted a scenario in which Trump supporters-Americans living in red America-are under relentless attack from a wicked and brutal enemy. Okay? It’s gotten us nothing while we’ve ceded ground in every major institution in our country.” Right? We’ve turned the other cheek, and I understand, sort of, the biblical reference-I understand the mentality- but it’s gotten us nothing. Okay? We’ve been playing T-ball for half a century while they’re playing hardball and cheating. But as long as it does, folks, we better be playing the same game. And this will be contrary to a lot of our beliefs because-I’d love not to have to participate in cancel culture. Relatively early in the speech, he said, “If we get together, they cannot cancel us all. He displayed seething, nearly pathological resentments playground insults (he led the crowd in “ Let’s Go, Brandon” chants) tough guy/average Joe shtick and a pulsating sense of aggrieved victimhood and persecution, all of it coming from the elitist, extravagantly rich son of a former president.īut there was one short section of Trump’s speech that I thought was particularly revealing. Trump spoke at a Turning Point USA gathering on December 19. So, from time to time, it is worth paying attention to what he has to say. He’s also attuned to what appeals to the base of the GOP. has been his father’s chief emissary to MAGA world he’s one of the most popular figures in the Republican Party and he’s influential with Republicans in positions of power. There’s a case to be made that he’s worth ignoring, except for this: Don Jr. He is perpetually aggrieved obsessed with trolling the left a crude, one-dimensional figure who has done a remarkably good job of keeping from public view any redeeming qualities he might have. He combines in his person corruption, ineptitude, and banality. is both intensely unappealing and uninteresting.
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