5.1 Pence is god-fearing, Trump is godlike
Look at God’s personality…
1. He’s a praise junkie who demands nonstop adulation.
2. He brags about himself constantly.
3. He demands absolute loyalty.
4. He refuses to tolerate even the least little bit of criticism.
5. He’s thin–skinned, quick to anger, and wrathful.
6. He’s an authoritarian who has to have his own way every minute of every day.
7. He promises salvation.
Now look at Trump’s personality…
1. Ditto.
2. Ditto.
3. Ditto.
4. Ditto.
5. Ditto.
6. Ditto.
7. Ditto
How can Christians stick with Trump given his bad behavior? That’s easy. He’s got the same personality as God. And Christians are used to that, so…
It’s a very small step from worshipping God to worshipping Trump.
By contrast Pence is…
The obedient, good-boy follower.
Not very interesting. Not very inspiring.
Pence wants to become president so he can run the country in service of God. But Trump wants to be president again so he can play God.
Actually…
Replace God.
You can see this in Trump’s psychology and the psychology of his MAGA minions. Here are three examples…
One
Goebbels said that Hitler was the “new Christ.” Trump would not settle for that. Christ is #2. Trump has to be #1. That’s why he wants his followers to think of him as the “new God.”
Two
It’s bewildering. How can evangelicals follow Trump when he’s not a very good Christian? And knows next to nothing about the Bible. And is not a regular church–goer.
For Trump it’s an advantage that he’s not a good Christian, because his mission is to shepherd his MAGA flock out of the Tribe of Christ and into the Tribe of Trump.
Three
When you bow to Jesus, you’re worshiping a Jew. When you bow to Trump, you’re worshiping a guy with an Aryan German background.
For MAGAs this is a relief. Down through the centuries, Christians have hated that their religion is an offshoot of Judaism. They don’t want to acknowledge that they owe Jewish people anything. They don’t want to have to share a god with them.
Trump is fixing this. He’s not just creating another new testament, another new covenant. He’s declaring independence. He’s making the Tribe of Trump it’s own thing, sui generis, pure. No remnant of any Jewish past.
5.2 Why Trump has not become our Hitler
Update:
There’s a video circulating in January 2024 that says God has sent Trump to be the caretaker of the world, actually to be our savior. I’m sure Trump liked that video for a quick moment.
But then I’m just as sure that it began to rankle him, because he does not see himself as a “sendee.” That’s so second–class. No, he was not sent, he’s self–made. He wants people to see him as the vibrant new successor to the tired old dying God.