Tucker Carlson gave a speech recently at a rally for Donald Trump by Turning Point USA PAC. The PAC is a right-wing student organization founded by Charlie Kirk. It has raised millions of dollars from conservative donors. Kirk promotes Christian nationalism, and the PAC is overtly “Christian.”
Carlson’s speech was a hate-filled tirade against just about anyone that doesn’t identify as a white evangelical Christian American. It had the fervor and feel of, at the same time, an old-time evangelical tent revival and a Hitler speech from the 1930’s, complete with the deafening cheers of the thousands of “Christians” attending the rally.
The alliance between evangelical Christianity and Trumpism is like a badly mismatched marriage, one that's held together by nothing more than convenience and necessity. It’s as if the very tenets of evangelical faith, including kindness, humility, honesty, are being squeezed into the shapeless, unruly mold of political expediency. I think it’s time we unpacked why this marriage of faith and politics is such a dangerous mismatch, not just for believers, but for the country.
The core principles of evangelical Christianity are rooted in the teachings of Jesus. These include love for one’s neighbor, humility, honesty, and compassion for the marginalized. At their best, evangelicals have a long history of caring for the vulnerable, defending moral values, and living out the "Golden Rule." The paradox, though, is that many who profess to hold these values have chosen to align themselves with an ideology,Trumpism, that often seems to be in direct conflict with these core Christian tenets.
Trumpism's rhetoric is built on creating division and fostering a sense of "us versus them." It’s about identifying enemies, pointing fingers, and fanning the flames of cultural wars. The former president rose to power on a wave of divisive language by vilifying immigrants, disrespecting political opponents, and calling on people to rally against those who disagreed with him. This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the message of Jesus, who consistently taught his followers to love their enemies, to forgive, and to turn the other cheek.
The teachings of Christ do not involve demonizing one's neighbor for political gain. Yet many evangelical leaders have thrown their weight behind political narratives that vilify certain groups including immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, even fellow Americans who happen to lean to the left. How does this reflect "loving thy neighbor as thyself"? How does such rhetoric reconcile with Jesus' message of reaching out to the marginalized and those in need?
Trump’s rise was not marked by appeals to humility or service; it was about power, winning, and dominance. His campaign and presidency thrived on brash statements, name-calling, and often outright falsehoods. Let’s be clear. Trump has shown us that his interest is not in serving others but in serving himself. This clashes directly with the evangelical call to servant leadership, embodied by Christ washing the feet of his disciples, a symbol of humility and care for others.
Evangelical leaders and voters who have supported Trump have made a dangerous moral compromise. By choosing political power and influence over character and integrity, they have, in a way, sold out their values. They’ve aligned with a leader whose personal conduct would normally be at odds with the morality they preach from their pulpits. This compromise has not gone unnoticed by younger generations, who increasingly see the hypocrisy in a movement that claims to be about values, but only when those values are politically convenient.
Jesus never sought power in the conventional sense. He didn’t surround himself with the elite or seek to dominate his adversaries. Instead, he aligned himself with the powerless poor, the sick, the downtrodden. Trumpism, by contrast, has often sought to elevate those in power while pushing down those who are already marginalized. Policies that separate families at the border, reduce access to social welfare, or show blatant disregard for those struggling economically run counter to the mission of caring for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40).
The obsession with "America First" has led many to a kind of Christian nationalism that forgets the universal message of Christianity. Evangelicals are called to love beyond borders, beyond national identity, beyond race and class. Jesus did not say "love your neighbor, as long as he looks like you and speaks your language." The nationalism and isolationism of Trumpism are the antithesis of the message of global unity that is supposed to lie at the heart of the Christian faith.
Christian nationalism as promoted by Tucker Carlson, the belief that the United States is a “Christian nation” that should prioritize Christian values, has also become a defining feature of the Trump-evangelical alliance. The lines between religious and political identities that, frankly, should be alarming to anyone who understands the importance of keeping church and state separate, have been blurred. This merging of evangelical identity with nationalist ideology isn’t just inconsistent with Christianity; it’s dangerous.
The Christian faith should not be used as a tool for wielding political power. Yet, under Trumpism, many evangelicals have turned their faith into a political weapon. They’ve leveraged it to justify policy decisions that directly harm vulnerable populations. This weaponization of faith has made Christianity appear hypocritical and exclusionary to many who are outside the church, driving people away rather than drawing them in.
Another glaring inconsistency between evangelical Christianity and Trumpism is the matter of truth. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the importance of honesty. The ninth commandment which says, “You shall not bear false witness”, is clear about the value God places on truthfulness. Yet Trump’s presidency was marked by a barrage of misinformation, from the size of his inauguration crowd to the legitimacy of election results. That many evangelicals have supported or even repeated these falsehoods reveals a willingness to set aside their own core values for the sake of political gain.
Trump himself has been elevated to a kind of cult-like status within some evangelical circles. This borders dangerously on idolatry. Many Christians have poured their hope into Trump as a kind of savior, someone who will restore America to a supposed golden age of morality and greatness. But Christianity teaches that salvation cannot be found in any human leader, and certainly not in one who embodies so many of the sins that scripture warns against including pride, deceit, greed.
The dangerous disconnect between evangelical Christianity and Trumpism has real consequences. It’s pushing young people away from the church in record numbers, driving a wedge between believers and non-believers, and creating a faith community that seems more concerned with power and influence than with living out the love and compassion of Christ. If evangelical Christianity is to regain its moral authority, it must disentangle itself from Trumpism and return to the teachings that lie at its foundation—truth, humility, love, and service.
The church must ask itself: What kind of witness is it offering to the world? Does it represent the open arms of Jesus, welcoming all with love, or does it represent a clenched fist, defending political interests at any cost? Evangelicals need to remember that the power they seek in political alliances is fleeting, but the moral cost of compromising their values could have lasting implications for generations.
It’s time to return to the message of Jesus, to the kind of faith that cares for the poor, embraces the outcast, speaks truth even when it’s inconvenient, and leads with humility rather than pride. Evangelical Christianity must be willing to walk away from Trumpism, to let go of its grip on political power, and to remember that its true power lies in the transformative message of love and grace. That’s the faith that can change hearts and change the world, not by force or by law, but by example.
The views expressed in this editorial are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of Polk County Publishing or its affiliates. In the interest of transparency, I am politically Left Libertarian.
