“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” (Isaiah 59:4)
By Pastor Rasheed Z. Baaith
It has on one hand been fascinating to watch and on the other hand appalling. President Trump refusing to be truthful about his behavior of corruption and the Republican Party, at least for the most part, supporting this campaign of mendacity.
In becoming the party of Trump, the Republicans have made unquestioning loyalty to President Trump no matter how dishonorable his behavior sine qua nou. They have decided that lies are better than truth and allegiance to Trump is above allegiance to this country or even God. It is despicable.
The Republicans in Congress in their fidelity to Trump are even more lacking in character than Trump is. It reminds us that fear is a great motivator. They will not speak out against the President’s lies and corruption because they are afraid. Afraid of what he will say about them, afraid what he says will cause the extremists in their party to punish them with a primary opponent. They gave support to Trump in the first place because they were afraid of the way America is changing. They have accepted racism as a foundation of Republican “values” because they are afraid of people who do not look like them. Fear has now become their greatest inspiration.
Their newest fear, of course, is this road to impeachment we are presently on. Walking this road will do a number of things the Republicans would rather not happen. One is seeing the depth of disloyalty this President has for his country. Of being forced to admit the deep concern he has for himself outweighs any obligation he has ever felt to his office. We are going to see that whatever has to be sacrificed for him to profit in some way is never too much for him to do. It does not matter whether it is American alliances, the economy, foreign policies or the reputations of others; nothing and on one is off limits.
This Presidential administration has been the most corrupt administration in modern history. The Republican Party knows that as well as we all do. The Republican Party has become a gang and President Trump is their Godfather. He is proud of that fact and while other Republicans may not share his pride, they do share in his determined destruction of American institutions. They have not been just observers of his war against the Constitution of this country; they have enabled his efforts.
But there is also this. Donald Trump is what America believed it wanted. They wanted to be deceived. He promised them jobs, and he promised to turn the clock of history back to a time when being American meant being white. He understood that the fears in the Republican Party and Tea Party would encourage them to accept lies, treachery, bias and division. And he was right.
