Trump Killed America's Dignity and Integrity. Does The Christian Right Care?

Of course, it is all too obvious that President Donald Trump lacks dignity and integrity.

After all, he killed both.

Dignity in particular fought a brave battle it did, but it was no match for the sheer bombast and inconsiderate crudeness of a con man whose slogan - Make America Great Again - should have been Debase America Always.

Last Memorial Day, President Donald J. Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery for the President's obligatory Memorial Day tradition, laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He delivered a proper (for him) address: he extolled the bravery of our soldiers.

Then he forgot where he was and proceeded to perplex, shock and amuse everyone with a childlike rendition of dignity, half-mouthing, swaying and smiling to no one. It was a sight: the smugness and arrogance of five year-old.

Integrity, on the other hand, never even had a chance: Trump annihilated it well before the election:

- Thrice married: the second to a woman he with whom he was having an affair. He bragged about his infidelities and said that having a wife and a mistress at the same time was "beautiful."

- Had over 428 liens against his properties before becoming President (50 more to come with his newest venture of the (now) infamous hotel in D.C. He was long known as "the biggest deadbeat in real estate."

- His ties to organized crime go back over twenty years.

The list of undignified experiences and quotations as well as the list of no-integrity dealings have been put forth for years, but supporters managed to brush them all aside during the campaign.

Look for the narcissist. The most obvious target in today’s lineup is, of course, Donald Trump. When he looks at a glass, he is mesmerized by its reflection. If Donald Trump were shaped a little differently, he would compete for Miss America. But whatever the depths of self-enchantment, the demagogue has to say something. So what does Trump say? That he is a successful businessman and that that is what America needs in the Oval Office. There is some plausibility in this, though not much. The greatest deeds of American Presidents — midwifing the new republic; freeing the slaves; harnessing the energies and vision needed to win the Cold War — had little to do with a bottom line.-William F. Buckley

Whatever the attraction of Trump to voters, it did not seem to be based on reason:

After Trump's inauguration, some buyers' remorse had set in: blatant cronyism (look who he appointed today to head an agency she knows nothing about) nepotism, totally undiplomatic dealings with foreign countries, broken promises, self-dealing, all took their toll leading to one of the lowest job ratings in presidential history in a matter of months.

Even Ann Coulter denounced his actions as "living in Dr Strangelove".

Congressmen have been given to questioning Trump's mental health.

You would think that only the most unreasoning and addle-brained American would still support Trump. While not exactly true, the "35 percent" are a dangerous conglomerate of the uninformed, the misinformed, the disaffected and, of course, the Evangelical Christian Right. The main agendas for Trump's die hard supporters have encompassed xenophobia, eradication of governmental restrictions on most everything and discrimination against minorities with a nationalistic ideology that defines Trump's campaign opened doors for these mindsets - mindsets so important that anyone touting them would get their vote no how poor their morals and integrity seemed to be.

The Staunchest of the 35% - Meeting Reason With Violent Unreason ... and God

If good vetting of candidates is not a strong point of Republicans (think Sarah Palin), then any vetting is absolutely anathema to the Christian Right. After all, God vets, God chooses and that's that.

Check out the entire outlandish segment HERE on the David Pakman show.

Fringe craziness? The operative word here is "fringe", a part of the American political scene that is disproportionately influential - and dangerous, with people like Robert Jeffress, Jerry Falwell, Jr. and (prosperity preacher) Paula White bending the ear of the President:

Religious Right activist “Coach” Dave Daubenmire declared on his “Pass The Salt Live” webcast this morning that America needs “a more violent Christianity.” He cited President Trump and Greg Gianforte as examples of violent men who are properly “walking in authority.”

Daubenmire and radio show host Alex Jones like Trump's macho, good-ole-boy misogynistic style.

A "fringe" that supports climate change denial, a rollback of LGBTQ rights, and even a budget that makes the poor poorer and the rich richer is eager to take over:

Religion Dispatches

But the support for tax cuts, over assistance for those in need, is not just a gift from Trump to his rich friends, tolerated by evangelicals because they care more about other issues. These budget cuts are in keeping with the religious right’s understanding of a biblical worldview, and are at the very core of its agenda.

Of course, it is Pence who is the Christofascist's dream come true, but the Christian Right is still very satisfied with Trump, the "Chosen One."

The Chosen One

With all the twisting, spinning and denying that make up the Christian Right's support of Trump, it could lose what little respect it has from the outside world. But what care they when they have their Chosen One leading them to moral (and possibly Dominionist) victory?

A man with no veracity, no dignity, no integrity.

A Chosen One indeed.
Note: Comparisons of Trump to Hitler abound, so this piece from Judgement at Nuremberg might resonate. Pay particular attention to Marlene Dietrich's story (at the 1:30 mark) - it epitomizes in a sophisticated way what many of us would like to say to Trump.