A Letter to Christians Voting for Trump
- Jamie Hudalla
- Sep 30, 2020
- 4 min read
In 2016, 80 percent of white evangelicals voted for Donald Trump. We hear the label “white evangelicals” tossed around in politics and we think racist, homophobic, sexist: the entire anti-humanity starter kit. I don’t need to dig through the church’s history to understand why. I’m reminded every day by the combo of a red hat and a cross necklace/Jesus-fish tattoo/Instagram caption with a verse.
I have Christian friends who vary on the spectrum: Some sport MAGA caps, some shrug and say he’s not that bad, some identify as apolitical and claim God is in control, rendering voting arbitrary. Though I get the urge to backhand some folks with a hardcover Bible, I refuse to participate in cancel culture. To my Christian acquaintances voting for Trump: I don’t want to terminate our relationship. I don’t want to call you uneducated and biblically misguided. I want to understand you. And in my attempt to understand, here is what I’ve heard you say:
“I’m voting for Trump to ‘keep America great.’”
What do you think is great about America currently? If it’s that you have freedom, remember that not every U.S. citizen does. Over 2 million people are incarcerated in the U.S. That’s the highest rate of any country. If it’s that you’re safe, remember that a Black woman asleep in bed was shot by a police officer who now walks free – this is not an isolated incident. Remember that women can’t walk down the street without clutching keys or pepper spray because 1 in 6 American women have been sexually assaulted. Granted, these issues existed long before Trump—but by openly supporting white supremacy groups and rape culture, he’s inflamed the injury. The savior of your world was not white. The savior of your world came from a woman – the least you can do is respect them. A vote for Trump isn’t a vote for greatness; it’s a vote for a man who said, “Just grab ’em by the pussy.”
I don’t understand.
“Democratic presidents threaten my religious rights.”
By voting for Trump, you are the threat to the rights of non-Christian religious groups. Trump blocked Syrian refugees and others from predominately Muslim countries from entering the U.S. -- the opposite of Jesus’ embrace of the “outsider.” Trump has threatened to close mosques in the U.S. because he views them as hateful and violent. If you agree, remember the KKK identifies as a Christian group. A “great” country is not synonymous with a Christian one. A vote for Trump is a vote for religious persecution.
I don’t understand.
“A Democratic president will abuse governmental power in regard to the pandemic.”
Trump has declared he won’t commit to a peaceful transfer of power post-election. That is the definition of authoritarian abuse. And let me remind you: China has had 85,384 coronavirus cases. The U.S. is up to 7 million. If you’ve tested positive for COVID-19, didn’t have symptoms, and think it’s “not a big deal,” hear this: More than 205,000 U.S. citizens have died. But numbers are difficult to imagine. So instead imagine your grandparent, your mother, your uncle unable to breathe, hooked up to a ventilator. Imagine not being able to attend their funeral over concern that you might catch what killed them. Then imagine yourself posting that “funny” meme or Tweet, ridiculing people who fear COVID-19, ridiculing how people look like brainless government sheep when they wear masks. Imagine complaining to a doctor who’s worn a Hazmat suit since March that wearing a mask is itchy. A vote for Trump is a vote against public health.
I don’t understand.
“Trump is pro-life.”
He cares more about your vote than your children. Trump has close ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender who assaulted numerous women and girls, some under the age of 14. He’s nixed protections for transgender students and separated children from their parents by placing them in ICE cages. If you’re a parent, imagine the government peeling your sobbing kid from your arms. The child knit in the womb doesn’t lose importance due to their gender identity or country of birth. You cannot claim to be pro-life and for a president who has no respect for it. A vote for Trump is a vote for someone who endangers life.
I don’t understand.
“At least Trump stands for law and order.”
Trump stands for Trump’s law and Trump’s order. Tear-gassing and sending troops to peaceful protests is not biblical law and order. It is weaponizing a country’s military against its people. Also known as a tool used by dictatorships. Jesus didn’t stand for the law and order of the day. He condemned the Pharisees and ran with the radicals. His defiance of the law was an act of hope, of knowing that his society could do better. A vote for Trump is a vote for the erasure of democracy.
I don’t understand.
Christian Trump supporters, help me understand: Why are you voting for everything Jesus was against? Trump has wielded the white evangelical vote as a bludgeon against this nation. He understands its power. He understands the key issues that swing your vote. So please, when you fill out your ballot this November, think beyond yourself.
Note to Christians Voting Third Party:
I get it. Joe’s no prophet of the Second Coming. But we all know a third party isn’t going to beat Trump. Yes, if enough people thought otherwise that wouldn’t be so -- but this is not the election to risk it. Yes, we hear that every year. Yes, we all believe the world will end if a particular candidate gets into office. We’re self-centered human beings who declare the current moment the most important and view historical crises as lacking in comparison. I don’t think a president will impel the apocalypse. But I do think the lives of people who aren’t white, cisgender, heterosexual, and Christian are in danger. And that’s enough to motivate me to cast a vote that’s against a president rather than for one. If that’s not enough for you, remember that Jesus flipped tables in the name of justice.
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