The Gospel of Donald Trump Jr.

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Donald Trump Jr. is both unattractive and uninteresting. He combines with his person corruption, incompetence, and holiness. He was always aggrieved; obsessed with trolling on the left; a cheeky, one-dimensional figure who has done a wonderfully good job of avoiding public view of any redeeming qualities he may have.

There’s one case he should ignore, other than this: Don Jr. became his father’s chief messenger in the world of MAGA; he was one of the most popular people in the Republican Party; and he had influence over Republicans in positions of power. He also agrees with what appeals to the GOP base. So, sometimes, it’s worth paying attention to what she has to say.

Trump spoke at a Turning Point USA gathering on Dec. 19. He showed furious, almost pathological resentment; insults on the playground (he led people to the songs “Let’s Go, Brandon”); tough guy/average Joe shtick; and a throbbing sense of aggrieved victim and persecution, all coming from the elitist, very wealthy son of a former president.

But there’s a short section of Trump’s speech that I think is particularly revealing. Somewhat early in the speech, he said, “If we were together, they wouldn’t cancel us all. All right? They wouldn’t. And it’s against many of our beliefs because — I want to not have to participate in a culture of cancellation. I wish it wasn’t. But as long as it happens, folks, we’d better play the same game. All right? We’ve been playing T-ball for half a century while they play hardball and cheat. Right? we have the other cheek, and I understand, kind of, the biblical reference — I understand the mentality — but it got nothing from us. All right? It got nothing from us as we surrendered to every major institution in our country. “

Throughout his speech, Don Jr. painted. of a scenario in which Trump supporters — Americans living in red America — are under relentless attack from an evil and brutal enemy. He described it as an existing battle between good and evil. One side must prevail; one must be crushed. This in turn justifies any necessary means to win. And the former president’s son has a message for the tens of millions of evangelists who make up the GOP’s vibrant base: the scriptures are essential manuals for suckers. Jesus’ teachings “take nothing from us.” It’s worse than that, actually; Jesus ’ethics became an obstacle to the successful persecution of cultural wars against the left. If Jesus ’ethics encourages sensibilities that can cause people in politics to act less brutally, somewhat more civilly, with more grace? Then it has to go away.

Politeness is for suckers.

Translating the teachings of Jesus into public life, and thinking about how they should influence the duties of the state, is a complex matter. A decade ago, I wrote a book with Michael Gerson, City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, in which we discussed that issue, among others. But what we heard from Donald Trump Jr. was very different. He believed, as his father did, that politics should be done mercilessly, without mercy, and with revenge. The ends justify the ways. Standards and guardrails need to be broken. Morality and righteousness must always be subject to the pursuit of power and self -interest. That’s the Trumpian ethic.

The problem is that Trumpian ethics is not confined to the Trump family. We saw that not only in the enthusiastic and sometimes enthusiastic response of the Turning Point USA crowd to Don Jr.’s speech. but almost daily in the words and actions of Republicans in positions of power. Donald Trump and his eldest son became evangelists of a different kind.

Their approach was not accepted by Republicans, of course. There are GOP governors and others in the Republican Party who contain a different ethic, and for the sake of their party and their country, I hope they have influence. But it would be naive and irresponsible to pretend that what we have seen since Donald Trump left office is the revival of ethical standards and demands for moral excellence within the Republican Party.

Liz Cheney voted with President Trump by more than 90 percent but is now persona non grata in the GOP because she is willing to defend the Constitution and the rule of law and stand up against a violent attack on the Capitol and an effort to overthrow a free and fair election. When Liz Cheney is more despised in the party than the mad Marjorie Taylor Greene, Paul Gosar, Lauren Boebert, Jim Jordan, Madison Cawthorn, or Donald Trump Jr., you know the GOP has lost morality.

I understand that many Americans, including a number of Republicans I know, would prefer that we move away from the Trump family. But the Trump family and MAGA world will not allow us. And they play for keeps.

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