Is There Any Line in the Sand for Trump-Adjacent Christian Leaders?

When I was a reporter years ago, I conducted a sit-down interview with Pastor Bill Hybels for a two-part story I was writing on his role at Willow Creek Community Church and the impact of his church on the Chicago suburbs.

Alongside my story, my newspaper had printed a photo of Hybels praying with then-President Bill Clinton at the White House. We had run the photo with previous stories, and it was well-known to his church and to our readers that Hybels described himself as a “behind-the-scenes spiritual adviser” to Clinton. That’s why I was surprised when one of his Willow Creek associates called me to complain about the picture.

“Bill was not happy that you guys ran that picture of him with Bill Clinton,” I recall the staffer telling me. “Janet, don’t you know how many Republicans go to Willow Creek?”

I was floored. Did this staffer really think it was some groundbreaking insight that a majority of the conservative Christians at WCCC were – gasp! -- Republicans? Not only that, but it was common knowledge at the time that Hybels had taken on a spiritual-adviser role with Clinton.

A few years later, Hybels even platformed Clinton at Willow Creek — to the consternation of many of his church members — so the disgraced POTUS could lament the “spiritual struggles” he allegedly endured after his Monica Lewinsky affair. And in a development that was shocking to no one, Clinton also used his appearance to soft-sell Al Gore, just days before the Democratic National Convention delegates made him the party’s presidential nominee.

This made me wonder: Did that Hybels staffer who complained to me also complain to Hybels about the political implications of platforming a pro-abortion Democrat president in front of so many Republican Christians? Highly doubtful.

This all came back to me as I’ve been considering this bigger problem nowadays of the evangelical church and politics. 

I’ve always believed that as Christians, our call to be “salt and light” means that we should both proclaim the gospel and do as much good in this world as we possibly can. I’ve always seen those Christian obligations as a both-and, not an either-or. In the political realm, this latter part means that we should vote, that we should let our voices be heard in the public square and that we should be willing to run for office ourselves, as the Lord leads. 

But in light of the recent Trump “Jesus picture” post and his jaw-dropping justification for it (“I thought it was me as a doctor!?”), preceded by his “praise be to Allah” (twice) and profanity-laden rant in an Easter morning post, followed by a lot of Trump-adjacent Christian leaders making outrageously indefensible excuses for all of this offensive behavior, I need to pose a question to them.

I still believe that Christians can be engaged in politics and can and should witness to politicians. But in light of the president’s recent antics, exactly where do you draw the line in the sand as Christians on unacceptable presidential behavior, Trump-adjacent Christian leaders? 

Weren’t many of you the same people who complained that President Biden picked Easter Sunday, of all days, to declare as the “Transgender Day of Visibility” in 2024? 

Consider what Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan’s Purse, said about it during his Trump inauguration speech last year:

“On the most significant day of the Christian calendar, when the Church around the world celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ who died and shed His blood for the sins of mankind, the Biden administration uses this opportunity to flaunt sin, to glorify sin, and to celebrate sin.” 

Yes, excellent. I agree … and therefore…

Why didn’t he say the same thing after Trump posted this?

Or this?

And where was his condemnation of this?

Why didn’t the many other Christian leaders who have attached themselves so closely to the Trump Administration say anything about these posts, either? Go through their individual X accounts. Where’s the outrage? The disgust? The cutting of ties? 

And why did so many online Christian “influencers” post about the controversy, making what I can only call demented excuses for the president?

It’s flat-out laughable that conservative commentator Stuckey backs Trump’s excuse that he thought he was pictured as a “doctor” in the despicable photo he posted – even as Vice President Vance gave a totally different excuse later, saying that the post was just “a joke.” It’s laughable, that is, until you reckon with what’s really going on with all of these Christians.

As I’ve said previously, close proximity to political power is more important to these people than expecting – insisting, in fact – that, as a very basic floor for qualification (much less any evangelical leader’s endorsement), every American president must have good moral character, appropriate public decorum, respect for the American people, respect for the office of the presidency and the basic ability to refrain from publicly committing blasphemy. Is this too much to ask?

And the way they’re not calling out Trump for all this is especially maddening when you consider that every one of them would have been totally apoplectic if a Democrat president had done it. They’d be in total meltdown.

It’s just all so hypocritical. I remember how outraged we all were when then-Vice President Biden dropped the F-bomb after then-President Obama signed Obamacare into law – as we should have been. Biden’s behavior was totally low-class and also disrespectful to the American people. We all knew it and said so. There was no ridiculous excuse-making along the lines of: “But we can’t expect a guy who isn’t a Christian to refrain from dropping F-bombs!” None of the Trump-adjacent Christian leaders would have given Biden a pass for a minute.

Now, however, Trump can drop the F-bomb over and over and over, while his ever-loyal Christian leader pals fall all over themselves to sew their mouths and fingers shut. And for what?

I would like to say this to the Christian leaders who’ve stood by Trump at all costs.

It is not only right but morally honorable to get mad that the president disrespected the Lord, the Christian faith and every Christian who voted for him.

You’re allowed to criticize him and say that his blasphemous “Jesus” post was completely out of line and that his paltry excuse for posting it isn’t believable. You’re allowed to distance yourself from Trump’s orbit at this point, just as we know you would do if the president were a Democrat speaking like this.

You have no idea how refreshing it would be to watch each of you say, “As a matter of Christian principle, I can’t be formally tied any longer to any president who is going to act this way.” I think most staunchly Republican Christians – at least the ones talking about all of this online – would appreciate it. They appear to be more angry about what Trump has done than are you leaders who are so closely attached to him. Should the shepherds have less wisdom than their sheep?

Also, I’d recommend that all of you gain some additional foresight. If enough GOP Christians abandon Trump and his down-ticket GOP allies after all this, the midterms may be a bigger bloodbath for Republicans than anyone can imagine. What would that do to your precious political “place at the table” then? It wouldn’t all be so rosy anymore. And if that happens, you wouldn’t be able to blame Christian voters. Not for the political losses. And definitely not for the lasting tarnish on your own reputations. So really, what will your personal loyalty to Trump stand to gain you in the end?

You’d do well to recall what Billy Graham (Franklin’s father) stated in 2011, after reflecting upon his life as a close spiritual adviser to many presidents. Given a chance to live his earthly life again, Graham said:

“I … would have steered clear of politics. I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to people in high places; people in power have spiritual and personal needs like everyone else, and often they have no one to talk to. But looking back, I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn’t do that now.”

Some people today haven’t learned that important lesson. Access to power can corrupt even the most sincere Christian, making him close his mouth when the Lord would have him speak truth to the powerful. The desire for access to power, sadly, can make him stay put as a good political soldier even as he forgets that his most important and eternal calling is as a servant of the most high God.

I’m not saying that Trump’s offenses should cause every Christian to stop voting from now on or to abandon political involvement altogether.

What I am saying is that if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, then there have to be lines in the sand that you simply can’t and won’t cross for the sake of access to any politician or any political temptation that will compromise your Christian witness. 

At some point, it just doesn’t work anymore to trot out the tired lines: “We’re not voting for a person; we’re voting for policies!” or “We’re not affirming what Trump posted; we’re affirming his policies!” Last I checked, policies don’t hurl F-bombs, praise Allah or post pictures of themselves dressed as Jesus.

All I’m saying is that now is the time for you Trump-adjacent Christian leaders to draw a line in the sand. 

Pick a kingdom, men -- and may it be the one that can never be shaken.