Maybe I need my head examined. I've stopped looking at news or listening to commentators or politicians trying to keep my blood pressure under control. But, as an old fashioned Particular Baptist (Calvinist), and a son of the Confederacy, I shall make a few points on why I not only voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and gave monetary support, but more eagerly voted for him in 2020 and gave even more $$.
In tuning in to watch Trump announce his run in 2015, I did so pretty much as a lark, for fun. But, in context, with me was my closest and dearest friend who is like a son to me is an immigrant from China who struggled for 12 years becoming an American citizen because he loved this Republic and wanted to experience the freedom in this great land of opportunity. So, the first thing I noticed was his intention stop the illegal invasion of our country across our southern border, and I had watched my friend jump through their many hoops to become a citizen legally, so I want illegal entry and continued residency of illegals stopped. I had other, earlier bad experiences with the illegals also.
I then saw how the American news media immediately began to tell lies and half-truths about things Trump said and I sat and watched his speeches and rallies so I know what he said and recognized the lies of the media. As a justified, born from above child of God; I certainly never viewed Trump as a regenerated Christian, but Cyrus who God called his anointed was used of God in the OT, so to me if what Trump wished to do was good for Christian believers, I supported that. For those of us who know we were founded and guaranteed by the Constitution as a "Republic" NOT a mob rule democracy, he was good for us as well. He was our man. The alternative, a female who endorses the killing of a baby at nine months was certainly NO option for a Christian and in 2020, the bumbling, senile candidate was no option either.
About the Charlottesville incident, if I had still been in Virginia I'd have been in Charlottesville to protest removing statues to our history and to the south. I am a son of the Confederacy because I had two ancestors fight for the south in the War Between the States. I boil with disgust when I hear the SBC speak of the "sin of slavery" and disown their very founding fathers. God Almighty alone defines sin by his law and nowhere from cover to cover in the Bible is slavery ever called sin; it was regulated. The religious idea of slavery as sin is another case of religious humanism, and it is well described by a Lutheran, who is not a southerner!
Slavery, Humanism, & the Bible
I will add here, I refuse to sing that humanistic piece of garbage "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and if you think it is biblical read about it:
Is 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' Biblical? | The Berean Test
I happen to be what may be called an ethnocentrist, because I believe the culture developed in America by the Puritan Work Ethic and reliance on biblical principles to have produced the finest culture the world has ever seen, and it happened to be white since it was largely of Anglo-Saxon and north European ethnicity. I write pen pals all around the world and it is amazing what ignorance they have of what is happening here in the USA, but more amazing is the number of people who actually believe the news media who live here! Many I write live in African countries, and it is clear what happened once the Europeans left it to the Africans. My pen pals admit their leaders are corrupt to the core and in history their tribes raided each other and made slaves of them. Looking about the world, it does not take long to realize that the form of government our founders gave us made us exceptional, it is undeniable; but the corruption in our country is fast destroying that exceptionalism. We are certainly under the judgment of God almighty! Isaiah 3:9-12 about Israel... just pray to be among the righteous or innocent in v10. Yes, that was ancient Israel, but history does repeat itself and it is the people of God, who are Israel today, have been a salt, a sanctifying influence in the USA, and if the salt loses its savor....
The media lies about who got the tax breaks raises my BP also. I'm on a low level Fixed Income in retirement but my Federal Income taxes dropped $500 and my friend who is an IT worker had his taxes drop $2000. I had my health insurance coverage jerked around and attempts to make me change my doctor 3 times during Obama, my health coverage has been stable under Trump even with serious health issues. Gas here was $2.18 before Biden took office, it is now $2.49 and that will not just increase our private car cost, but add to everything we buy. Oh, if I get the $1400 to go with the $600 previously received, I will add another American Gold Eagle to my investments to bring metals up to 10% of my portfolio. The USA can't continue spending what it does not have... it has to break sometime.
I'll close my response by admitting, Trump is not my type of friend I'm comfortable to be around and I did not agree with everything he did, but, I consider what he got done was better for the country than what any have done since I first began voting in 1964. I'll add, I'm not a Qanon nut, I definitely did not identify with those right-wing evangelicals and frauds hovering around him either. This is my total two cents on the thread.