Another response, as Christians continue to defend Trump

Still have people trying to argue that Trump didn’t incite the recent violence. Here’s a response I gave to someone this morning:

It’s odd to say that he didn’t invite this. The Capitol mob actually started their day in front of the White House, being riled up by the President’s speech. From there, they marched directly to the Capitol, where they quickly shoved police away from barriers and soon took over the building. Someone got on a bullhorn to say that the President had asked them to go home, but everyone dismissed this as “fake news,” just as the President has taught them to do for 4 years when they hear something they don’t like. They then took over the Capitol with flags bearing his name

(Here’s a timeline of some tweets where the President has encouraged this type of behavior. Another list here.)

Imagine the insanity of saying you didn’t incite a mob, when the mob started their day by cheering for you in front of your home, and then used couldn’t believe it when people reported you wanted them to stop violent activity.

In a response to another thread on this post, you were quick to blame “Antifa” for violence this summer, when neither the FBI nor any law enforcement agency actually found any concrete connections to it. (I find it frustrating, by the way, that I had to correct your demonstrably false claim earlier, but I wasn’t surprised by it, given that it’s the same lie the President has been repeating.) But you’re so quick to absolve the President of responsibility, when the mob started at his house.

I understand that this may be uncomfortable for you as someone who has so vocally supported Trump. But it may be helpful to look at the cue of the Republicans who have now changed course and distanced from him, his cabinet and staff members who have quit, and his former high-ranking officials who have denounced him and his behavior. Never before has a US President has so many of his high-ranking officials quit and then publicly say he is dangerous.

Its time to recognize that the President and his rhetoric are dangerous. He’s made false claim after false claim and encouraged his followers to do the same. David McAfee put it well:

“Conspiracy theories KILL. Ashli Babbitt was a veteran without serious problems on her record until she embraced QAnon conspiracy theories that aren’t backed by evidence. Because of her beliefs, she breached the capitol building and was killed by police. Misinformation is deadly.”

When it comes to the mob itself, they saw nothing inconsistent between the President’s rhetoric/positions and their belief that “6 million Jews were not enough.” (This is what the “6MWE” on their shirts meant). Nor did they find the President’s rhetoric/positions inconsistent with flying a Confederate flag in front of the portrait of Charles Summer, a senator who was attacked by a white supremacist in the chamber. My Jewish and black friends are horrified by Christians who still try to defend a president so beloved by (he said “we love you” in one address to them in the midst of the violence) and inspiring for these actors.

More resources:

USA Today’s tracking of Republicans who have denounced Trump

White House officials who have resigned from the Trump administration over the Capitol violence

Longer list of former White House Trump employees who have denounced him