Rick Wilson, The Lincoln Project: "What We Lost With Trump"
The link will take you to an article (I think you can access without being a subscriber) that is an excerpt from Rick Wilson's book, Everything Trump Touches Dies. I look at reading things from the Lincoln Project as a test of one's understanding of true American idealism. If I read and watch these things, and find them resonating with my own thoughts, beliefs and values, gathered, incorporated and practiced over a lifetime, then I evaluate myself as being a patriotic, "mainstream, grass roots," American. I'd give myself a pretty high grade when it comes to my understanding of our identity, our roots, and the manner in which America, not perfect by any means, but still working on it, relates to the world.
But our political system has taken a very dangerous and wrong turn into a darkness and down into an abyss that is really bent on destroying everything this country has ever been, or aspires to be. The institutions which supported and undergirded American idealism have failed to protect and preserve the Constitutional democracy they were intended to protect. The electorate in a democracy must be educated and informed, and able to discern facts from lies. It must be seasoned with cultural institutions that have moral and ethical values at the core of their mission, purpose and practice. It must know, and be able to learn from the past mistakes in its own history, and what it knows must have an effect on who it elects to lead a republic.
But we elected Donald Trump.
From Rick Wilson:
Who could have imagined that a man of Donald Trump's spectacular vulgarity, vanity, and gimcrack gold-leaf aesthetic would turn out to be a president without a shred of dignity? Who would have thought that a man with a grasp of history derived solely from movies and television would be unable to channel the power of this nation in times of crisis?
Who would imagine that a serial adulterer with a desperate need to have his manhood validated and who engaged in a string of risible, sleazy affairs would become an international laughingstock?
Who could have foreseen that the faux billionaire up to his ample ass in debt to God knows who, would look at the White House as a way to nickle-and-dime the taxpayers and the GOP into bumping up his revenue stream at his golf courses and hotels?
Spoiler: Everyone, ever.
Three paragraphs is not enough to describe Donald Trump's antisocial, dysfunctional, morally bankrupt absence of character. He's a pathological liar, a phony, a fraud, and completely dishonest and untrustworthy, with a lifelong set of examples to illustrate just how bad he is. We have elected some individuals to office, across the board and including the Presidency, whose ability to hide their true character and be deceitful to survive politically is a known part of history. But we have never elected an immoral, inhumane monster like Trump. We've come close, Nixon broke the mold as far as honesty and trust was concerned. But with Trump, it is hard to imagine how he could have been born, raised, and lived in this country and never have picked up and practices a single one of its virtues or values.
The Total Collapse of Conservative Evangelicalism into a Pseudo-Christian, Religious-Political Cult is a Primary Reason For The Dysfunction of Culture Leading to the Election of the Demagogue Trump
America was not founded as a Christian nation, but while that was not the intention of the founders, as far as connecting the government to a state supported church, but the establishment clause, which separated institutional government from institutional Christianity, set the church free to chart its own course, and define, by the collective consciences of its members, its theology, doctrine and practice. This resulted in the development of multiple branches and denominations and even independent churches, each following, in their own way, some form of Protestant expression.
Free from restrictions which corrupted its theology, doctrine and most notably its clergy, Protestant Christianity flourished in the United States, enjoying periods of revival and growth almost continuously from the early 1800's, including what is known as the Second Great Awakening, an early 1800's revival that pushed American Protestantism in a much less Calvinist direction, emphasizing free will, personal faith and good works. Conservative Evangelicalism can trace its beginnings to this movement, as the establishment and growth of new denominations, most notably the Baptists and Methodists, emerged.
The emphasis on personal "holiness," or the exhibition of virtues and values embedded in the Christian gospel, had an influence on American society and culture, as pervasive as the Enlightenment had. Protestants were, by far, the largest single religious influence in the United States, and at times, a majority of the adult population of most states and regions of the country were members of Protestant churches.
This had a profound impact on American democracy and the electorate. The expression of Christian values did not stop at the door to the voting booth. Americans elected their fellow Protestant Christians to office in large numbers, and this influence in the culture was a major factor in supporting the election of individuals who exhibited character and values, and though it did not prevent all of those who lacked character and moral values from getting into office, it was a stabilizing influence.
But all of that has changed. Evangelical conservativism is a very legalistic approach to Christian faith. Much of it operates under a theological and doctrinal perspective characterized as "Fundamentalism," a faith practice which requires intellectual adherence to a specific set of doctrinal beliefs, interpreted by a few prominent pastors and church leaders. Several of these leaders, who gained followers and influence as television evangelists, helped pull conservative Evangelicals into the Republican party, and the combination of both groups desiring to expand their influence using political power and the acquisition of wealth, are responsible for the corruption of much of American Evangelicalism as well as the Republican party.
Into that toxic mix of politics and religion, comes Trump. And almost immediately, there is an effort among both the televangelist politicians of the religious right, and the GOP leadership, to turn him into what they need him to be to get him elected. The way to excuse all of his immorality, which includes criminal behavior like rape, multiple adulterous affairs that Trump himself bragged about having while married, cheating and business fraud, and a whole list of things that would make an Evangelical pastor's hair stand on end, is to attibute to him a "salvation experience," which is an instant cure-all for sin, and instantaneous forgiving and forgetting the sinful character so that they can now, with a clear conscience, vote him into office.
But unfortunately, Trump's ego cannot admit to being repentant, which is a core requirement for Christian conversion, according to Evangelical doctrine. He has not only openly denied experiencing any guilt or conviction for his sinful, worldly, immoral lifestyle, he has openly denied that he thinks those things are sinful, and he claims he does not need God's forgiveness for anything he has done.
The Apostle John, in his first church epistle, addresses that kind of attitude directly, and it is a passage of scripture that Evangelicals use to define their view of Christian conversion, or the "salvation experience" as they call it.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his truth is not in us." [I John 1:8-10]
I was raised in an Evangelical church, attended a denominationally-owned university, and among my higher education, earned a degree from a Baptist seminary. I know that there is not an Evangelical pastor or church leader who has not memorized these verses, as I did when I was in Vacation Bible School around 4th or 5th grade. Trump has openly declared for the record that he has committed no sin which requires God's forgiveness, and he has done nothing wrong. He's on the record in multiple places having made this statement, including in front of prominent Evangelical supporters. And that is all that can be found on the subject.
Evangelicals who have allowed themselves to be sucked into the political merger with Trump's far right wing extremism must excuse their support of Trump, then, by separating their politics entirely from their Christian faith and practice, something they cannot do because of the manner in which politics has become religious dogma for them. I've heard all kinds of ridiculous excuses which exhibit either a complete ignorance of their own claims to being Christian, or which are bordering on heresy as far as Christian doctrine and theology are concerned.
"Well, you have to overlook what he does because he is just a "baby Christian," is one of the ridiculous defenses of support. His alleged "conversion" which included a session with known prosperity gospel prophetess and heretic Paula White, his "spiritual advisor," never took place, according to him. He isn't Christian at all, his lifestyle, the face that he puts forward publicly, lends itself to calling him "heathen" as far as any religious practice is concerned.
"I'm not electing a pastor-in-chief, I'm electing a commander-in-chief," is another ridiculous statement defending support for Trump. No Christian who has had exposure and has been taught the content of the New Testament can make that statement without understanding that it is a complete denial of everything they have been taught, and an abandonment of the Christian gospel. In Jesus' day, no one in the church had the ability or was in a position to choose their leadership, but it is clear that in making choices about who to follow, Jesus himself declares that choosing those who have character, are virtuous and who are, as he describes, "full of the Spirit of God," is the only option Knowingly voting for someone who openly denies Jesus as the Christ is support for antichrist, according to John in his first epistle [see I John 4:1-3].
Trump is no King David, for those who try to make that comparison. There's a significant difference, from a theological perspective. David responded with remorse, confessing his sin, grieved over his guilt and followed God's prophets instructions to the letter for his restoration, which was not a simple, easy instant conversion. It required sacrifice, suffering the consequences of the bad choices, and making amends. So when you see Trump down on his knees, asking forgiveness, acknowledging the rape and the other crimes he has committed, willing to provide restitution, and especially walking away from his use of the Presidency to get revenge on his political and business enemies, then you may have seen genuine repentance. But I wouldn't hold my breath.
This collapse of the entire theology, doctrine and practice of conservative Evangelicalism as turned it into a pseudo-Christian cult, incapable of preserving and protecting the Constitutional democracy. It has become the opposition, taking on all of the characteristics of fascism as the world has seen and defined it throughout human history. It is neither a Christian faith that can save, or a political system that is democratic.
The American Education System Has Collapsed, and is No Longer Capable of Sustaining the Kind of Informed Electorate Necessary to Preserve and Protect Democracy
There will be those who are critical of any attempt to point out the faults of American public education that have helped contribute to our collapsing democracy. Before getting out the claws, give some fair and reasonable consideration to the facts, which support the claim that our educational system is no longer able to sustain an informed electorate.
It was the American education reformer John Dewey, who saw in public education the potential for increasing the information level of the electorate, and the potential for education to bring about social reform. He was head of the teacher training program at the University of Chicago in the 1920's, and designed a program to train and certify teachers who would then be able to go into school classrooms and be a positive force that encouraged and helped bring about social reform, overcoming many of the prevailing biases and prejudices of what was a very segregated and unequal society. This included providing an electorate that was educated in civics, and would guarantee the preservation of the Constitutional democracy.
Dewey, of course, wasn't alone. It took a while for the teacher training objectives and standards to kick in, but it was a widespread enough movement that it had an effect on American politics. There are various differing conclusions about what Dewey's reforms achieved, but general agreement that it helped bring about the current political era, a shift from Republican predominance over Congress and the Presidency to Democratic domination, beginning with the election of Franklin Roosevelt in 1932. Seven of the next ten Presidential terms of the United States would be Democrats, and control of Congress shifted decidedly to the Democratic party.
Hand in hand with this political change, the academic quality and effectiveness of instruction in the public school system greatly improved, opening the door to larger and larger freshmen classes in colleges and universities, raising the overall education level of the United States. That's a good thing for a democracy. And while some people don't want to hear it, teachers were expected to run their classroom effectively, and manage student behavior to avoid disruptions, earning the respect of students desiring to use education as a way of improving their life
Dewey's reforms, system of teacher training and the use of education as a means to bring about social reform and political change began to erode in the post-war era. As Republicans crept back into position to influence and control government, they also began undermining the public education system. There was a lot of reaction, most of it negative, to the attempted integration of public schools for the purpose of achieving racial balance, and as a means of eradicating racism. The mantra of excessive government spending and tax reform led to budget cuts for schools, which had less political clout than the business community. The ability of the public schools to function as a means of social reform, and concurrently, as a way of providing an informed electorate to support democracy waned considerably in the late 1960's, and became subject to new reforms initiated in the late 1970's based on "keeping up with the world in science and technology.
First of all, the push toward more math, science and technology based education has shoved social studies out the door. In 1975, requirements for graduation from most public high schools in the United States included four credits, of year-long courses, in social studies education. Students in the 8th grade were mandated to take an Early American History course that included nine weeks of Constitution studies, and had to pass a Constitution exam to graduate from the 8th grade. One full year of American History was required, along with a year of economic and cultural geography, and a full year of Civics during 12th grade. The other year included a semester of Economics, and a semester of state government and constitution.
The university I attended required 12 credit hours in basic social studies courses for graduation with any major, requiring 6 credit hours, or two one-semester courses, in American History. The most popular choice there, at the time, was the Basic Constitutional Law course, because the professor who taught it did such a great job.
Now, in 2025, in most states, social studies requirements are half of what they once were, because the school day has been shortened, and the number of courses required for high school graduation reduced. From my own experience in the classroom, I've noticed that high school students are no longer able to do the kind of reading that I once assigned when I first started teaching in 1979. The thought of using a textbook in a history class now, like Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States would generate multiple parent complaints, and moans and groans from students who find the reading more complicated than the technical manuals they are now taught to read. It would be impossible to assign a book like Jill Lepore's These Truths: A History of the United States in some universities now.
And I think that kind of approach to teaching history is absolutely necessary for the provision of an informed electorate.
The last time I taught a high school government class, which has been cut to one semester in most schools, it was an AP class, and I was appalled to learn that students in what is supposed to be an advanced honors class that gets extra grade points did not have to read Washington's farewell address, the Federalist Papers, or Madison's The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection, something I think all Americans should have to read before being allowed to vote.
And for those who want to be critical of any critique of public education, I would encourage you to visit a school in one of the larger cities, which is where the vast majority of students are found and most education is taking place. You'll find that the maintenance of order, and the ability of the teaching staff to utilize its time in any effective way is severely limited, paralyzed by politicians who think they are experts on how educational institutions should be operated. Teachers work in fear, knowing that an accusation here or a criticism there could cost them their job, which doesn't pay that much already. There are no public institutions in the United States that our political system has ruined worse than public education, except maybe public transportation. And that's a close contest.
We've Lost Our Free Press
Wilson says, "Setting the Trump campaign's endless torrent of bullshit aside for a moment, the tragedy of a party and a presidency that will argu endlessly and fruitlessly about basic, incontestable facts is a truly terrible sign of the corrosive nature of this man and his machine."
Well, he has a lot of help.
Since he came down the escalator in Trump tower in 2015, announcing his run for the White House, he has been the primary subject of media coverage. And what he gets is a very carefully edited version that cleans up the language, ignores the dementia and the insanity and focuses on the sensational. Out of office after being defeated by Joe Biden, he got triple the media coverage of the sitting President and I'd bet on that amount before any research showed it.
Almost every word that comes out of the man's mouth is a lie, an assertion of false claims to support what he wants to do. Few reporters or commentators bother to fact check, and if they do, his error is never the actual point of the story, though it should be. Since he got back in office, the list of things the news media is reporting Trump is "planning" to do, including run for a third term, that is illegal or unconstitutional is a long one. But what most of these reporters don't seem to know, from their own lack of intellect, or from the poor education they received, is that he can't do any of it. But they treat it like he's somehow going to get it done. And that, of course, increases ratings and makes money.
And I have to wonder about the personal morality, convictions, educational level and intellectual ability of many of the reporters and commentators who, when discussing Trump on almost a daily basis, leave out the fact that the man is simply a despicable human being, a walking moral and ethical vacuum, incapable of demonstrating humanity. That never factors into any of the thousands of reports about Trump running constantly all the time every day.
We seem to ignore the fact that we cannot take American democratic values for granted. We've had some real creeps, like Rush Limbaugh, who, in their greed-driven quest for a money-making niche, did their dead level best to take out their hatred and contempt for American values and the American people on its government and constitution, undermining the necessary element of trust, in order for it to work the way the founders designed it. Rush made it easy for people to avoid hearing truth they don't like or that doesn't fit with their own preferences by simply turning the channel to one that will lie to them in exchange for ratings and the money that goes with them.
How Do We Fix This?
It will take decades to eliminate the factors that have led the voters of the United States to abandon their democratic republic, if they can even be eliminated at all. Trump's ability to get elected depends on multiple factors, including more than a third of the eligible electorate not even being registered to vote, and another big percentage of them remaining at home instead of voting. It also depended, to a large degree the second time, on an awful lot of illegal and underhanded voter suppression and some outright cheating to steal the election, something we have known was coming, because it is all he has ever talked about, for eight years.
The Donald Trump that his MAGA base follows doesn't exist. Everything he said or did to convince people to vote for him was a lie, but even if you show them the evidence, their will not to believe the truth overpowers reality. I see it now in the eyes of people who have been caught up in the MAGA cult as they realize nothing on which they were basing their opinion or their vote was true or real, that it was all a lie and that he would say or do anything to create the impression he wanted based on to whom he was talking. He claimed he knew nothing about Project 2025, didn't know what it was and certainly would not make any of it part of his agenda. But he appointed its authors to his cabinet and every executive order he has issued is following its agenda as closely as possible. I now see a few people who are waking up to this fact, regretting their vote and ashamed of their lack of awareness.
How does that get fixed? Ignorance is one of those problems of humanity that leads to disaster.
Nobody trusts the government. Why should they? Trump committed the crime of sedition by inciting an insurrection against the Capitol, and the justice department was stymied by its own rules, unable to bring the criminal to trial for more than four years. That's a sign of systemic corruption that will take a revolution to eliminate.
Democrats may never have the chance to fix it. At the root of the problem is a totally corrupted and bribed Supreme Court. But old school politics prevented action when Democrats last had a senate majority, and could have broken the filibuster to amend the judiciary act and pack the Supreme Court with judges who would override the corruption and do things like eliminate the Citizens United decision, shutting down PACS and limiting political contributions. Making justices abide by ethics would be another action on that list.
In fact, overturning virtually every decision this Roberts court has made would be a good start.
Unfortunately this will also require making some permanent constitutional changes. The founders felt the electorate would never allow an immoral, unethical criminal to be elected to public office so they left it up to the electorate, which has done it at least twice now. There must now be requirements added to the list of qualifications to serve in public office that include not having been adjudicated as a felon for anything, not just crimes committed while in office, in order to be eligible to run.
There is no fix for a corrupted, apostate church. It will have to fall in on itself and reorganize who and what it stands for before it can be of value to the culture. Evangelicals have lost the ability, and the right, to preach to us. The best thing we can do is leave all that alone and let it collapse in upon itself, and let it happen. In the long run, their numbers aren't enough to do any damage anyway.
And it's time for another era of school reform, mandating more time be spent by students in academic studies involving social studies concepts. In addition to increasing the social studies course requirements for graduation, including at the university level, is a necessity. There are some specific points students should have to know before they get a diploma or degree. There is also nothing wrong with using schools as a platform to teach common values to students and to advocate for social reform, things like, oh, I don't know, diversity, equity and inclusion. That produced the most effective era of politics in American history, and we survived World War 2 as a result of it.
I do not expect the damage to be repaired during my lifetime. We are not even close to being on the road to getting rid of the problem, and won't be if we follow constitutional law, and limit our efforts to get Trump out of the White House to having him declared insane, impeached or win the mid-terms, nullify him and let his term expire in defeat.