In 1874, Robert B. Elliott, one of South Carolina’s first Black attorneys and congressmen, left Washington, DC, and took a trip home to Columbia to address some serious concerns. The state had become the subject of national ridicule due to the alleged corruption of its elected officials. Among other things, Gov. Franklin Moses Jr., known as the “robber governor,” had been using taxpayer funds to cover his gambling addiction.
Franklin and Elliott were in the same political party, both Republicans, but Elliott wouldn’t turn a blind eye to corruption and incompetence. One of American history’s greatest orators, he told the people of his state, “The power we have will be our condemnation, unless we arouse ourselves to our responsibilities.” Elliott knew that political victories void of honor become pyrrhic victories, and power detached from integrity destroys us in the end.
What to Do After the Election
Pro-Trump evangelicals are understandably in a celebratory mood after Tuesday’s victory. President-elect Donald Trump just pulled off what some are calling the greatest political comeback in American history. And many white evangelicals, though often anxious about their “persecuted” status, find themselves in proximity to power once again, sticking with Trump despite his long and public record of misdeeds, including refusing to comply with the peaceful transfer of power after the last election.
I believe this loyalty was grossly misplaced and this victory was achieved through unacceptable compromises. I can’t ignore Trump’s words and actions, and I’m baffled by the far-fetched rationalizations it takes for my fellow pro-life Christians to continue supporting Trump after he explicitly disavowed the pro-life position.
But now that Trump has won, that support comes with a duty of accountability—just as it would for Kamala Harris supporters if she’d won instead. (In fact, my plan for this article was exactly the same for either outcome; had Harris won, I’d be writing the same things to her Christian voters now.) Those who backed Trump’s political resurgence must arouse themselves to their responsibilities as citizens and—more importantly—as disciples of Jesus Christ.
John the Baptist lost his head for speaking truth to power, and Esther risked it all to protect a vulnerable people. Christians who have the ear of the new Trump administration, whether in formal roles in Washington or simply as part of the new president’s base, must do likewise. Cozying up to the powerful to further our self-interest isn’t part of the Christian’s job description. In truth, it’s in deep conflict with our commission.
What does holding Trump accountable entail? It means recognizing that the concerns of those who voted for other candidates were not all illegitimate. And it means admitting that Trump’s shaky pro-life stance doesn’t justify anything and everything he says and does.
Yes, the Democrats’ abortion agenda is egregious—and their extreme stances on transgenderism and parental rights should be rejected in no uncertain terms. But those wrongs don’t justify ignoring Trump’s serious issues. When Elliott went back home, he didn’t excuse his party’s and state’s failures by pointing to how Wall Street was rigging the markets and fixing railroad stocks at that time. He held his own to account and passionately implored them to do what is right.
Accountability also means Trump’s disparagement of and threats toward suffering immigrants and his embarrassing lack of a health-care plan cannot be dismissed as minor discrepancies. Again, Democrats have their problems, but they do not negate the responsibilities of Trump’s evangelical voters. Christians must take immigration and health-care policies seriously because they are directly related to our care for the orphan, the widow, the stranger, and our neighbors more generally. Christians cannot be faithful in the public square while rationalizing the rhetoric and policies that neglect or violate these groups.
And if Trump’s economic policies are more influenced by Elon Musk than Vice President–elect JD Vance—if they’re friendlier to big business than to the working class—then his Christian supporters must call that out. That would mean Trump lied to his working-class voters and will increase the economic pain he promised to alleviate. Christians who served as Trump’s sword and shield should start weighing in on these matters now.
If Christian Trump voters neglect their responsibility here, overlooking his errors, it will have a devastating impact on the American church in general and evangelicalism in particular. Without a doubt, Trump’s first term served to discredit the church’s moral authority and caused many Christians to question their faith altogether. If Trump’s Christian supporters want to avoid that kind of damage to the church’s credibility in his second and final term, they must acknowledge his wrongdoing and relentlessly use their influence to hold him to account.
Historically, the victors of political contests tend to overestimate what they’ve won. This is because electoral wins are temporary and can produce their own backlash. Furthermore, what’s seen as gain in this world is spiritual loss under God’s calculus if it’s not stewarded properly. Pro-Trump Christians’ regained power will become their condemnation if they refuse to protect others and check the president’s excesses—as any self-respecting and faithful Christian who comes into authority is required to do.
Justin Giboney is an ordained minister, an attorney, and the president of the AND Campaign, a Christian civic organization. He’s the coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement.
