Faith, politics and Trump

“What do you think about Donald Trump?”

(Lightstock/Cross added with photoshop AI)

Ask this question if you want to spark a heated debate at your next family gathering or church event. And if you’re feeling particularly bold, post it on social media and watch the fireworks begin. It seems that everyone, whether Canadian or American, has an opinion about Donald Trump.

Politics is a delicate subject even at the best of times. In some cases, families have a long history of voting for one party or another. Any challenge to tradition is often taken personally. In other cases, people vote for a particular party because they truly believe that party’s policies best match their core beliefs. Thus, stating that someone’s political views are wrong is akin to saying that they have the wrong set of values. This too can lead to hurt feelings.

However, political tensions on both sides of the border are even higher than usual right now. Much of this can be traced to the outsized impact of President Donald Trump.

Why Donald Trump is controversial

When Donald Trump first announced his intention to run for president, many people dismissed it as a joke. While Trump was a high-profile businessman and a reality television star, he had no political experience. To find another example of someone with no political experience winning a presidential election, we must go back to Dwight Eisenhower’s successful run back in 1952—and Eisenhower was a four-star general who commanded the Allied forces on D-Day during the Second World War.

Because Trump hadn’t worked his way up in politics the usual way, he made little effort to temper his statements. He bombastically promised to build a wall on the Mexican border (and make Mexico pay for it), regularly used derogatory nicknames to castigate his opponents (e.g. “Crooked Hillary”), and pledged to enact a ban on all Muslim immigration to the United States (something he backed away from after getting elected).

In addition, Trump made a direct play for political support from evangelical Christians. He switched his position on abortion from pro-choice to pro-life and promised to appoint judges who would take a strict constructionist approach to interpreting the Constitution. Trump followed through on this pledge. All three of Trump’s Supreme Court appointees formed part of the majority that voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. As a result, individual states now have the power to enact unfettered restrictions on abortion. This was a significant victory for the American pro-life movement.

However, during his second term, Trump has largely shifted his focus to international issues. His threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico threatens to undermine decades-long trade relationships. Even more significant, Trump regularly muses about turning Canada into the 51st state, something that no Canadian politician supports. Trump is also not afraid to threaten the use of military force to annex Greenland and possibly even take over the Panama Canal. His recent musings about the United States taking control of the Gaza Strip seemed to catch even his own officials off guard.

In short, Trump is not afraid to use hard power to get his way. Because the United States is the most powerful country in the world, Trump knows that other countries often have little choice but to give him what he wants.

Looking at historical precedents

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.” This was the favourite saying of Theodore Roosevelt, who served as U.S. president from 1901–1909. Roosevelt was not afraid to threaten military force when he wanted something. Early in his term, Canada and the United States were locked in a border dispute over the Alaskan panhandle. Roosevelt indicated that he was willing to go to war if he didn’t get his way. Unsurprisingly, the British representative on the negotiation panel ultimately sided with the Americans, thus giving Roosevelt what he wanted.

In addition, from 1907–1909 President Roosevelt sent a fleet of American battleships on a trip around the world. Known as the Great White Fleet, these battleships showcased American naval power to other countries, with a not-so-subtle reminder that Roosevelt wasn’t afraid to use them. The Great White Fleet is largely credited with deterring a potential war with Japan. “Big stick” diplomacy, as it was often called, got results. It’s important, however, to remember that “speaking softly” was the other half of Roosevelt’s strategy. He understood that there’s more to diplomacy than making threats.

Meanwhile, Roosevelt’s successor, William Howard Taft, was no less assertive in promoting American interests abroad. His approach, often called “dollar diplomacy,” focused on using American banks and economic influence to exert power. Taft had no problem with damaging the financial interests of other countries if it benefited the United States. Unfortunately, dollar diplomacy also tarnished the reputation of the United States around the world, something President Trump should keep in mind as he imposes tariffs on longstanding trade partners.

As for President Trump’s musings about making Canada the 51st state, there is nothing new about that either. The “Manifest Destiny” slogan was first coined by an American newspaper editor in 1845 and was often used by American presidents to justify everything from annexing Texas to potentially taking over Canada. In fact, the threat of American aggression was a key impetus in the constitutional negotiations that created the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

Thus, while there is good reason for Canadians to be concerned about what Trump’s presidency will mean for Canada, it’s important to remember that our relationship with the United States has always been fraught with difficulty. This should remind us of some wise words written nearly 3,000 years ago. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). This principle is just as true now as it was back then.

Different Christian responses to Trump

Because of Donald Trump’s overtures to evangelical Christians, he retains strong support among American evangelicals. Prominent evangelical leaders who have endorsed Trump include Reverend Franklin Graham, theologian Wayne Grudem, First Baptist Church pastor Robert Jeffress, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, and author Eric Metaxas. These men appreciate Trump’s pro-life policies, his willingness to stand up for women’s sex-based rights, his steadfast support for Israel, and his vigorous defense of religious liberty.

However, Trump also has many evangelical critics. Theologian and podcaster Preston Sprinkle has made it clear that he disagrees with Trump’s empire-building approach and says that Christians should have nothing to do with it. New Testament theologian Scott McKnight and Woodland Hills Church pastor Gregory Boyd have also denounced Trump on numerous occasions. Meanwhile Shane Claiborne, co-founder of Red-Letter Christians, has gone so far as to say that we must follow the Christianity of Christ, not the Christianity of Trump.

Meanwhile, many other Christians find themselves caught in the middle. They like Trump’s pro-life policies but they don’t agree with his economically destructive tariffs. They deplore Trump’s refusal to accept his obvious defeat in the 2020 presidential election, but they admire his successful comeback in 2024. They like the way in which Trump affirms the sex-based rights of women, but they can’t ignore the many times Trump has demeaned women in his personal life. In short, many Christians aren’t sure what to make of Trump.

Those of us in Anabaptist churches must also wrestle with the reality that the Anabaptist tradition has always been skeptical about politics. The Anabaptist emphasis on the separation of church and state affirms that while Christians live in the world, we must not “love the world or the things of the world” (1 John 2:15 ESV). Jesus also made it clear that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).

Does this principle necessitate staying out of politics entirely? Some Anabaptists have answered this question in the affirmative. For example, former EMC pastor and theologian Archie Penner argued that it is inconsistent for Christians to seek higher level political office due to the inherent problems in upholding the non-resistance ideal once in office. Other Christian leaders have argued that we must refrain from politics so we can avoid entangling ourselves in controversies that unnecessarily divide the church.

On the other hand, Jesus told his followers that they are to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13–15). If we withdraw entirely from politics, we remove our potential Christian witness from that arena. In addition, the Bible tells us of many godly men and women who held influential roles in government. Joseph served as second-in-command of Egypt, Daniel held important political roles in Babylon, and Esther was queen of Persia. God used each of these individuals to benefit others, and even to save lives.

Thus, while Anabaptist Christians agree that we must be cautious about excessive political involvement, they disagree about the extent to which Christians should get involved in politics. This issue obviously requires considerable discernment.

How should Christians handle political disagreement?

In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that Christians will disagree with each other on a wide variety of topics. Rather than judging each other and getting into counterproductive arguments, Paul recommends that Christian believers show charity and grace to those who think differently. Just as it made no sense back then to quarrel about dietary choices and days of worship, we should not let debates about political ideology divide Christians today.

Finally, there are some appropriate cautions for Christians on both sides of the Trump debate.

Christians who admire President Trump and identify with his Make America Great Again movement need to remember that God’s will when he raises or humbles leaders is far from clear to us and triumphalism never reflects Jesus’ attitude. For example, at no point does the Apostle Paul or any other New Testament writer encourage Christians to take over the government or turn the Roman Empire into a Christian dominion. In addition, while it is appropriate for a government to prioritize the welfare of its own citizens, no Christian should be complacent about policies that disrespect and harm others—regardless of which country they come from.

On the other hand, Trump’s critics must remember that while it is important to care for and protect the vulnerable, there are legitimate differences of opinion over how this can best be done. Reflexively criticizing Trump for cutting government programs ignores the fact that government waste is a real thing, and it makes sense to cut waste whenever possible. In addition, private charities are often far more effective at helping the poor than government agencies. It’s also important to remember that Trump is tackling issues that many working-class citizens feel have been ignored by professional politicians for many years.

In short, political disagreement among Christians is not new, nor should we panic when disagreements happen. So long as a Christian puts Christ first, there is no reason why he or she cannot be a Liberal, a Conservative, or a New Democrat. In the United States, there are sincere Christian believers in both the Republican and the Democratic parties. We should never make the error of assuming that Christians must all be members of the same political party or must all vote the same way in every election.

It’s also important to keep a broader historical picture in mind. Throughout much of history, Christians lived under governments that were openly hostile to their faith. This is still true in many parts of the world today. We are fortunate to live in a democracy where we are free to live out our faith freely, share our opinions about government policy, vote in democratic elections, and even run for office ourselves. Let’s not allow this freedom to turn us against each other.

Paul reminds us in Philippians 2:10–11 that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Christians may not all agree about Donald Trump, but we should all agree that Jesus is our Lord. As long as our primary allegiance is to Jesus, we will remain on the right track.