So you are saying that Obama, Clinton, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Ayatollah Khameini, Merkel, Hitler, Pol Pot, Stalin, Erdogan, Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, François Legault, Saddam Hussein, Bill DeBlasio, Fidel Castro, and Ho Chi Minh were all put in power by God?
It seems like this belief of God ordaining the President only applies if that President is a Republican, who politically panders to conservatives. Otherwise, it's "May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership" as it was during the entire eight years of Barack Obama's administration.
Despite the adamant claim we're hearing that God chose Trump, many conservative Christians have spent the last fours years attempting to rationalize and justify their loyal support of Trump.
"No one is sinless and perfect."
"At least he's not Hillary Clinton."
"I voted for the lesser of two evils."
"I voted for a President, not a pastor."
"I didn't vote for Trump because he was a choir boy."
In the last four years, we have seen the Christian Right move from the conviction of "Character does matter. You can't run a family, let alone a country without it. How foolish to believe that a person who lacks honesty and moral integrity is qualified to lead a nation and the world" (
James Dobson).
In the last four years, we have seen this "Character does matter" conviction about the President's moral character evolve to: "I’m not under any illusions that he is an outstanding moral example. It’s a cliché but true: We are electing a commander-in-chief, not a theologian-in-chief" (
James Dobson).
We have seen this same change of heart with other conservative Christians who also support Trump, like
Franklin Graham,
Pat Robertson, and
Jerry Farwell, Jr. Pat Robertson, for instance,
once called Clinton a "debauched, debased, and defamed" politician who turned the Oval Office into a "playpen for the sexual freedom of the poster child of the 1960s." It’s difficult to understand how Robertson could tell Trump recently, “
You inspire us all.” (
Trump-Loving Christians Owe Bill Clinton an Apology).