In a December 19, 2019 editorial, Mark Galli, the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, opines that President Trump should be “removed from office.” This conclusion by Christianity Today’s editorial board is disheartening and, in profound ways, does a disservice both to the Christian community and the nation as a whole.
Let’s be clear from the beginning. One does not have to support President Trump or the Republican party to be a Christian. One does not have to be an American to be a Christian. These truths ought to go without saying, but I think they need to be stated. Why? Because the truth matters. This editorial position is wrong, not because it is anti-Trump, but because it is anti-truth.
In the editorial, Galli acknowledges, “The Democrats have had it out for him from day one, and therefore nearly everything they do is under a cloud of partisan suspicion. This has led many to suspect not only motives but facts in these recent impeachment hearings. And, no, Mr. Trump did not have a serious opportunity to offer his side of the story in the House hearings on impeachment.”
These facts, cited by Galli, ought to matter. Yes, there is good reason to seriously doubt anything the Democrats throw up against this president and his administration. Yes, their motives may certainly be questioned. Furthermore, there wasn’t due process during any part of the so-called “hearings.” Galli acknowledges these truths. However, it’s at this point, that he and the editorial board abandon the truth.
The next line in the editorial shows CT’s betrayal of truth. Galli writes, “But the facts in this instance are unambiguous: The president of the United States attempted to use his political power to coerce a foreign leader to harass and discredit one of the president’s political opponents. That is not only a violation of the Constitution; more importantly, it is profoundly immoral.”
No, Mr. Galli, that is not a fact. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said there was no blackmail involved during a telephone call with President Trump. The Ukrainian president himself denied there was a “quid pro quo.” Furthermore, there is no evidence that President Trump sought to have the Ukraine harass or discredit Joe Biden. In fact, Zelensky has gone on record asserting the opposite. He says he was not pressured to investigate the Biden family during their now-controversial phone call over the summer and, when asked about it replied, “Nobody pushed me.”
Again, you don’t have to like the president or agree with this defense, but to assert that the facts are “unambiguous” is a lie.
In the next paragraph, Galli launches into a personal attack against the president. He’s certainly entitled to his opinion, as is the editorial board of CT. He then notes that much of the evangelical world supports what the president has done regarding the Supreme Court, the economy, and religious liberty.
His next two lines, once again, show CT’s abandonment of truth. “We believe the impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain and betrayed his constitutional oath. The impeachment hearings have illuminated the president’s moral deficiencies for all to see.”
Unless you just accept the Democrat talking points line for line, these two statements make no sense. The Mueller investigation revealed nothing because there was nothing to reveal. The impeachment hearings revealed moral deficiencies, but not of the president.
Galli attempts to justify this editorial based on what CT wrote about Bill Clinton in 1998. The key phrase written in the 1998 CT editorial is “live by the law.” What law, Mr. Galli, did President Trump break? He doesn’t address it, because he can’t. There were no laws broken.
Galli then self-righteously derides evangelicals who support Trump and bemoans how anyone who claims to live for the gospel can support such a person. And, with that, elitism rears its head in evangelical Christianity.
I wonder if they ever criticize Pope Francis. There was only one perfect man to ever walk the earth. I thing CT prefers socialist-inspired trendiness over consistently opposing leaders, who fall short of perfection…