Elon Musk’s Freeze on USAID Funding: Either He is Stupid or He is Evil (Part 2)

A week ago, I wrote a post for my blog titled, “Elon Musk’s Freeze on USAID Funding: Either He is Stupid or He is Evil”. I was glad to see that the article raised a lot of discussion. I thought it would be worthwhile to update and develop my thoughts in this Part 2.

Update

In that first article, I listed several groups of people who would suffer great harm due to Elon Musk’s almost total freeze of USAID funding: disease, homelessness, hunger, and death. (None of my readers have challenged the accuracy of my statistics.) A federal judge ordered a pause on the freeze and that the funding be restored. The Trump administration then rescinded the Musk freeze, but the funding has not yet been substantially restored. In fact, a judge has ruled that the administration has “defied” the court order. Meanwhile, vulnerable people in our own country and around the world are continuing to suffer (through the lack of funds for Meals on Wheels, World Relief, etc.).

I argued that this suffering was unnecessary. The Musk staff (DOGE) could have audited the books of USAID and rooted out any waste or corruption BEFORE freezing the funding. This is what Musk should have done. He should have calculated the potential damage before he made his decision. If he didn’t do the proper calculation, he would have been careless or stupid. If he knowingly understood the probable consequences of his decision, and intentionally pursued it, his action would be evil. I use the word “evil” carefully. The Bible teaches that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”. (I Timothy 6:10) I am defining evil deeds as those intentional actions that unnecessarily cause damage/harm to other people. Recent actions by Musk and his staff provide even more evidence that there is a “root of all kinds of evil” where the love of money trumps the love for people.

Haste Makes Waste

During the past two weeks, Musk has led a crusade to fire thousands of civil servants in various federal agencies (IRS, USDA, FAA, National Park Service, FTC, etc.). The alleged purpose was to rid the national government of wasteful spending and corruption, but specific accusations are lacking. Not only are the lives of these civil servants turned upside down, real damage is also being done to our country.

For example, last week Musk/DOGE fired 325 highly skilled workers of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) which is under the control of the Department of Energy. Musk and his staff apparently did not realize that these employees were the guardians of our country’s nuclear weapons. On Friday, Rob Plonski, a deputy division director of NNSA alerted our country to the gravity of the situation: “We cannot expect to project strength, deterrence, and world dominance while simultaneously stripping away the federal workforce that provides strategic oversight to ensure our nuclear enterprise remains safe, secure, and effective”. The damage has been done, but the negative impact will continue: “The consequences will be felt now and for years to come since these are highly qualified, largely STEM-trained personnel with a commitment to national security,” When Trump became aware of this awful mistake, he immediately rescinded Musk’s firing order. I used to believe Musk was quite savvy in business issues, but no more. His astute business reputation is being eroded day by day by his careless decisions to gut federal agencies.

The Strains of the Musk/Trump Relationship

Elon Musk’s approval rating (38%) is much lower than Donald Trump’s (46.6%), but Musk is getting more media attention than the president. Trump does not like this. Many of my readers have seen the clip in the White House where Musk is standing and speaking with his son perched on his shoulders. Meanwhile, Trump is sitting behind his desk and seems quite bored. Which one is the real president?

The White House is issuing enigmatic, mixed messages which attempt to bring Musk down a rung. “Musk is a senior advisor to the president,” Joshua Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, said in a declaration filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. “In his role as Senior Advisor to the President, Mr. Musk has no greater authority than other senior White House advisors. Like other senior White House advisors, Mr. Musk has no actual or formal authority to make government decisions himself. Mr. Musk can only advise the President and communicate the President’s directives.” So, is Musk the head of DOGE or is he not?

In addition, it is very evident that given his vast holdings of $400 billion, any major decision he makes is potentially a conflict of interests (TESLA, Starlink, and others). Nevertheless, he has not disinvested from these holdings nor has he stepped down from his companies, even though he is a “special governmental employee” of the current administration. The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, ““If Elon Musk comes across a conflict of interest with the contracts and the funding that DOGE is overseeing…Elon will excuse himself from those contracts.” This essentially affirms Musk would police himself. Polls show that the majority of Americans don’t believe in Musk’s honesty nor that he would recuse himself.

As Musk’s decisions continue to negatively impact people, his approval rating will continue to drop. I predict Trump will distant himself from Elon. It is doubtful that Musk will last the four years.

Elon Musk’s Freeze on USAID Funding: Either He is Stupid or He is Evil

Elon Musk is the wealthiest person the world has ever known. He is also the czar of the newly invented Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He was appointed by President Trump, but he was not elected. He was not ratified by the U.S. Senate. Musk has “Special Government Employee” status. With the goal of improving governmental efficiency, Musk has made many controversial decisions (like firing thousands of government employees). In this post, I will limit myself to comments on Musk and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID was created in 1961 and “works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential”. With its annual budget of $40 billion, it provides humanitarian aid in over 100 countries, primarily through its support of well-respected, smaller NGOs like World Relief, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Charities, etc. During his first presidency, Trump praised USAID, and his daughter Ivanka was one of its most vocal advocates. Now, allleging that there is massive fraud and waste (without providing a shred of evidence), Musk ordered a freeze on most of USAID spending by directing all U.S. diplomatic and consular posts to immediately issue “stop-work” orders for existing foreign assistance awards. There is an exemption for “life-saving humanitarian assistance”, but hardly any NGO has been given this exemption.* Although Musk claims the stop-work order is merely temporary, pending future review, the damage inflicted upon people victimized by war, starvation and illness is immediate and long-lasting.

There are two main ways to evaluate Musk’s order to dismantle USAID. Either he did not calculate the immense human costs inflicted by his funding freeze, and he is stupid, or he knowingly knew the cruel impacts of his order and he is evil. I don’t believe Musk is stupid. To make as much money as he has acquired, he has had to be quite astute. He has predicted quite well the consequences of his economic decisions over the years. He knew that his freeze on USAID funding would lead to serious harm for millions of people.

Musk knew that 4.6 million displaced people in eastern Congo would see a sharp reduction in food, potable water, emergency housing, and health care.
Musk knew that 12 hospitals in Syria would close and daily medical consultations would plunge from 5000 to 500.
Musk knew that $400,000,000 would be slashed from shelters in Ukraine for those who have become victims fleeing Russia’s bombing of civilian neighborhoods of major cities…
Musk knew that 600,000 people in civil war-torn Sudan would become at risk of becoming infected with cholera.
Musk knew that thousands of thoroughly vetted refugees in the United States would no longer have the needed housing and food due them during their ninety-day transition period.
Musk knew that efficient humanitarian agencies like World Relief, Catholic Charities, Meals on Wheels, etc., would see their services reduced or eliminated due to the freeze on funding.
Musk knew that at least 10,000 – 50,000 people would die this year due to starvation, untreated illnesses, or exposure caused by his funding freeze.
Musk knew that billions of dollars would not be paid to U.S. farmers for crops and meat destined for hungry people around the globe through humanitarian agencies associated with USAID. This food has already been ordered and much of it is now sitting in ports around the world and beginning to rot.

If Musk is not stupid, the only other alternative is that he is evil. I don’t use the word “evil” lightly. I use it because the Bible uses it when it refers to greed. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith” (I Timothy 6:10). James affirmed that it is the rich who oppress others, especially the poor (James 2:6). Jesus Himself was just as explicit: “Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full” (Luke 6:24),

I admit that these passages are generalizations. There are exceptions to the general rule, like Job in the Hebrew Scriptures. Musk might be an exception to this description of evil, but he needs to prove it by his actions.

Footnote

Samaritan’s Purse is an evangelical humanitarian aid agency which receives USAID. It is led by Franklin Graham, son of the late evangelist Billy Graham. I have not heard of even a rumor of fraud or corruption in Samaritan’s Purse and its use of funds. It is one of the very few NGOs that has already acquired the exemption waiver. It is well known that Franklin Graham publicly supported Trump. He urged Christians to “hold their nose” and vote for Trump in spite of his sub-Christian policies and personal failures. If this exemption if a quid pro quo agreement between Graham and Trump, shame on both of them.

God Help Us When Trump Talks Religion

Yesterday, at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump ventured into the area of religion. This is not his strong suit. In fact, although he received many votes from evangelicals, he knows very little about the Christian message. The basic gospel message is that God so loved the world that he sent his only Son Jesus Christ to offer new life to people through the forgiveness of their sins. People need to repent (=turn from their sins) and confess their mistakes, and believe in Jesus. They are called to love God with their whole heart and to love their neighbors as themselves.

Trump himself has repeatedly admitted that he can’t remember ever asking God for forgiveness. Trump does not regret this partially because he says he doesn’t “have much to apologize for”. By his own words, he doesn’t know God’s forgiveness.

At the prayer breakfast the president quoted a verse from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). This is one of my favorite verses. In fact, I taught on this passage in an adult education class at my church this past Sunday. It is no secret that Trump wants to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But quoting Scripture does not necessarily equate to following Scripture. Some of his harshest critics quoted the Hebrew Scriptures to Jesus. It is quite clear that it is more important to do God’s will than to merely quote a Biblical verse. Those who are true peacemakers are those who work to reduce hunger, poverty, and homelessness.

^“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (I John 3:16-18)

It is painful to acknowledge that according to this passage, our president does not have the love of God in him. Not only does Trump show no pity (love) for those in need, he has increased their pain. Yesterday, it was announced that Trump (together with Elon Musk) is gutting USAID (reducing its employees from 5,000 to 290!). USAID has funded respected humanitarian organizations such as Meals on Wheels, World Relief, and Catholic Charities. Although it is appropriate for the administration to evaluate these organizations, IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE TO PAUSE FUNDING WHILE THE EVALUATION IS OCCURRING BECAUSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WILL DIE. Homelessness, acute malnutrition, and malaria do not pause just because funds are on pause.

Let’s briefly turn our attention to the war in Gaza. The president’s comments on Gaza are not peacemaking. He has affirmed that we, the United States, will take over Gaza and occupy it, even if this means with U.S. soldiers. This will require expelling two million Palestinians from their homes in Gaza. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Mr. President, would you want to be expelled from your home?

President Trump, your recent executive orders are not peacemaking. You are waging war against vulnerable people of the human race. The good news is that God still offers you forgiveness. I urge you to repent, change your evil ways, and ask to be forgiven.

Trump Voters and Law-Abiding Refugees: A Question of Conscience

Voters who cast their ballots for Trump had two main goals they wanted him to implement:

Fix the economy by reducing the prices of food, housing and gasoline; and
Close the border to undocumented immigrants.

They did not want cruel punishment applied to law-abiding people. In this post, I raise my voice on behalf of refugees who are suffering that cruelty. I ask you to do the same.

The facts

Last week, the Trump administration issued a memo ordering a freeze on federal grants and loans to organizations like USAID. This stopped funding that involves trillions of dollars and thousands of organizations. Within a day, a federal judge put a pause on the freeze. Then, Trump rescinded the freeze (giving the impression that the freeze was illegal, or at least not thought out very carefully). Supposedly, funding would resume immediately. This has not happened, and the consequences are truly tragic both locally and around the world.

I would like to concentrate here on refugees in the area of Chicago. All people, including refugees and other immigrants, are made in God’s image and deserve to be treated with respect. Nevertheless, refugees have a special legal status. They usually face persecution in their home countries or their lives are in serious danger. They apply for legal status to emigrate to another country. They are thoroughly vetted at many different levels before they are admitted to our nation or other countries. Upon entering our country, we want them to adapt well, put down roots, get a job and contribute to the well-being of our society. Private organizations and our government join together in accompanying them in this process of adaptation. Our federal government has committed to provide registered refugees essential food, housing, and medical services for the first ninety days of their time in the United States. World Relief is a highly respected Christian humanitarian organization that has served refugees for many decades.

World Relief Chicagoland has ministered to legal refugees since 1979. Churches that I have participated in have partnered with World Relief on several occasions. I vouch for their integrity and effective service. Currently, they are serving 387 refugees who are in their ninety-day adaptation period. Government funding has been frozen and the impact is devastating. These refugees are in real danger of not having enough food. They don’t have rent money and might become homeless during Chicago’s cold winter. Needed medical attention will not be provided. Promises were made to these refugees, and our promises to them are not being kept.

Our Response

There is an immediate financial need. Individuals, churches and other groups should provide financial assistance to World Relief or similar humanitarian organizations.

But there is an even more important response to this cruelty. I invite my readers, especially those who voted for Trump, to repudiate this funding freeze. Write to your senators and congressional representatives and urge them to restore funding immediately. At times, Trump can be smart. He is not smart on this issue. His freeze order on federal funds and grants is cruel.

Buyer’s Remorse and Trump, Part 3: Ethics

In my recent posts, I have explored “Consumer’s Remorse” applied to our recent presidential election in light of Trump’s first days in office. Some who voted for him are having “second thought” about that choice.

About 35% of U.S. voters consider themselves to be part of the MAGA base. They enthusiastically voted for Trump. They generally do not acknowledge any significant defect in his policies or personal character. They would go to the ends of the earth for Trump. There is a second group, consisting of “swing“ voters who voted from Trump (about 15% of the total population), but who are willing to admit some faults in his policies and character. They are willing to listen to reason and evidence, and to follow the truth wherever it leads. I am writing this blog post primarily for them. This post is about Trump and ethics.

I am appealing to the conscience of my readers. I recognize that individuals vary somewhat in how they reach their understanding of what is right and wrong. I unashamedly acknowledge that my code of ethics is largely due to my understanding of Jesus Christ. I also believe that there is broad agreement on general ethical principles among all people in our country. Most of us believe that murder is wrong. Lying is generally recognized as wrong, as well. I suggest the following areas where people who follow basic morality might find common ground regarding contemporary political events.

Respect for the Law

Most of those who voted for Trump that I personally know are generally law-abiding citizens. Although they drive a few miles per hour above the stipulated Interstate Highway speed limits, they generally obey the important laws of the land and want their president to obey those laws. They are proud Americans who cherish our Constitution. They should be outraged when our president issues an executive order that clearly violates that Constitution. With the alleged goal of reducing the incentives of undocumented immigration, Trump issued an executive order to end birthright citizenship. The problem is that this order is a clear violation of the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution. Trump supporters might approve of his goals, but they should publicly reject his actions if they violate the Constitution. (There exists a legal way to amend our Constitution, but the president has not chosen that route.)

A President has the right to disagree with the appropriation decisions made by Congress but does not have the right to freeze the disbursement of those funds that have already been appropriated. In our country we have a balance of power: three co-equal branches, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. Congress has the power of the purse. The President has the responsibility to carry out those decisions. The courts have the responsibility to interpret the laws where there is disagreement. On Sunday, Trump ordered a funding freeze on federal program grants that negatively impacts millions of citizens. Although Social Security and Medicare were exempt, thousands of programs were frozen. This freeze includes food programs like SNAP, aid to Ukraine, housing, etc., although there was much confusion regarding which agencies were affected. In fact, Karoline Leavitt, the White House Press Secretary, was not able to answer the question whether Medicaid (which serves 72 million Americans) was included or excluded. A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze. The good news is that Trump has changed his mind (acknowledged his mistake?) and has rescinded the freeze. The bad news is that the president will probably issue another freeze which would be more limited, but would still be illegal.

Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. He has also affirmed that his priority is to deport those people who are felons or who have committed violent crimes. (Technical language is important here. Entering the U.S. without legal documents or overstaying one’s visa is considered a “civil offense”, not a “crime.” The White House Press Secretary deliberately mixed these categories.) On the first day of the deportation raids, 1179 immigrants were arrested. 52% of these were considered “criminal arrests”; 48% were “non-criminal arrests”. I hope those who voted for Trump hold him accountable.

Bullying

Bullying can be defined as “the behavior of a person or group that hurts or frightens others who are smaller or less powerful, often forcing them to do something they do not want to do”. Most decent people denounce personal bullying as hurtful and destructive. It is not acceptable on an individual level. Neither is it appropriate behavior for relationships between nations. A week ago, the U.S. sent undocumented immigrants to their home country of Colombia in military airplanes. The use of U.S. military aircraft, instead of commercial planes, shows a complete ignorance of U.S./Latin American relations. The U.S. has immorally invaded Latin America dozens of times (Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, etc.). This invading mentality is even enshrined in our Marine Hymn where we declare that we will invade and make war “from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli”.

Colombian president Gustavo Preto refused to receive these planes. Trump immediately threatened Colombia with severe tariffs and penalties. Preto countered with tariffs to be applied to U.S. products sold in Colombia. Colombia and the USA are not of the same size nor economic GDP. Colombia is economically dependent upon its coffee exports to the U.S. Those exports make Colombia extremely vulnerable. Preto backed down and received the aircraft. Trump claimed victory and boasted “the United States is respected again”. This is not respect; it is fear. According to the definition above, it is bullying because a more powerful country is forcing a smaller nation to do something it does not want to do.

My friends and readers of this blog post. I know that most of you don’t agree with bullying at an interpersonal level. Denounce it when it takes place at an international level.

Respect for the Family

Those who voted for Trump usually have a high respect for the family. They believe in the family and vote in favor of our country’s families. I don’t think they are aware of how Trump’s immigration policy is tearing families apart. As I wrote above, 48% of those arrested on the first day of raids were “non-criminal” arrests. Most of these people live in families where their spouse and children are legal U.S. residents or citizens. These raids are ripping parents from their kids and children from their parents. Readers, if you are truly pro-family, urge the president to make his immigration policy more humane.

The Truth

Regrettably, the president has a troubled relationship with the truth. He lies even when there is no justification to do so. For example, he has made repeated claims that he won the November 2024 election in a “landslide”. The truth is that he won a plurality of the votes, but he did not obtain a majority (49.8% compared to Harris’ 48.3%). His margin of victory was the smallest since the election of 2000.

His reputation for lying and hyperbole is so bad that we need to take his statements with a bucket of salt. Carefully examine statements from all politicians (and from me, as well), holding on to what is good and rejecting what is not.

My Plea

Friends, regardless of whether we agree on Trump’s goals or not, we can agree and find common ground on the following:

Presidential actions and executive orders must be legal and not violate our Constitution nor our laws.
Presidential actions and criticisms from his opponents must have a high regard for the truth.
We commit ourselves to examine the positions of the “other side” with honesty and integrity.

Buyer’s Remorse Regarding Trump, Part 2: It is Harder to Govern than to Make Campaign Promises

Donald Trump 2.0 has finished one week into his second presidency. He signed a flurry of executive orders and made several presidential decisions. Many of these were popular with his base, but some were not. In my post last week, I suggested that his blanket pardon of the January 6 rioters (including those convicted of assault against police officers) was not popular with the U.S. public. Only 21% of North Americans approved of that decision. In fact, some of his supporters are showing signs of buyer’s remorse. What about his other decisions? Will they increase his support or lead to greater dissatisfaction. Let’s explore some of them.

The War in Gaza

I begin with giving credit where credit is due. Even before his second inauguration had occurred, Trump’s team worked together with Biden’s people to pressure Netanyahu to agree to the tenuous ceasefire and prisoner/hostage release with Hamas. The ceasefire has held so far. Why did Trump support the Biden plan? Trump had bragged that he was Negotiator-in-Chief and could end any war. Kudos to Trump, but the road ahead will not be easy. Will he be able to help negotiate a long-lasting peace that is fair for both the Israelis and the Palestinian people? Or will his administration get bogged down by a never-ending conflict in the Middle East? His suggestion that two million Palestinians leave Gaza does not sound fair nor just.

Russia’s War Against Ukraine

Candidate Trump had promised that he would end the war in Ukraine by his first day in office. Of course, this did not happen. Those that voted for him should either feel some buyer’s remorse or that they were utterly naïve to believe his false promises.

FEMA, North Carolina and California

To his credit, Trump visited the hard-hit areas of North Carolina (hurricanes last fall) and Los Angeles (wildfires during January). Nevertheless, he made comments that raised significant concerns. He suggested that in the future, emergency aid would become a responsibility of the states and not of the national government through its Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).. The possible elimination of FEMA did not sit well with most Americans who have come to believe that emergency relief is primarily a duty of the federal government. For each state to maintain a large, stand-by emergency workforce would be inefficient and extremely costly.

Immigration/Birthright Citizenship

Trump made many decisions regarding immigration. He ordered that babies born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants would not have an automatic right to citizenship. This is a clear violation of the 14^th Amendment to our Constitution which does grant that right to everyone born in our country. The president’s order was immediately blocked by Federal Judge John Coughenour (who had been appointed by former president Reagan) who declared Trump’s action to be “blatantly unconstitutional”. Trump also affirmed that “we are the only country in the world that grants birthright citizenship”. This is a LIE! Dozens of countries permit birthright citizenship. I know because our three children were born in Mexico and have Mexican citizenship (even though neither my wife nor I are Mexicans).

Immigration/Scapegoating

We have a long sad history of scapegoating foreign immigrants, falsely blaming them for many evils they did not commit and not acknowledging how they toiled under difficult conditions to build our country. We did this to the Irish, the Italians, the Jews, the Chinese, the Mexicans, and many more. We continue to do this today with undocumented immigrants. They work night and day on our farms, in our hotels and factories, or in construction. They pay sales tax, income tax, Social Security tax, real estate tax, and other taxes, yet we accuse them for the failures of our economy. They are blamed for the crime in our streets, even though police records consistently show their crime rate is much lower than those born in the United States. President Trump has said he will deport nine million undocumented immigrants. This would lead to skyrocketing inflation, especially for groceries. As more and more citizens realize that scapegoating is ethically cruel and economically inaccurate, buyer’s remorse will rise.

Tariffs

Nations place tariffs upon certain products from other countries, usually to punish another country or to protect a national industry. The use of tariffs almost never works and almost always raises prices for consumers. It is the opposite of free market capitalism. Trump has promised to levy 25% tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada and 50% on some from China. The overwhelming majority of economists disagree with the president. They affirm this would greatly increase inflation. On Sunday, Trump and Colombia’s President Gustavo Preto had a conflict on Sunday as Petro refused to receive Colombian immigrants who were being deported. Both presidents slapped a 25% tariff on the other country. It appears that last night the disagreement had been resolved. If the tariffs were to take effect, coffee prices in the U.S. would skyrocket.

Trump campaigned on lowering prices on groceries, rent, and gasoline. He has more recently tried to walk this back and has acknowledged, “It is really hard to lower prices”. He is now making a more modest promise of “lowering the rate of inflation”. The following political affirmation is quite true regarding the criteria used to evaluate a president: “It’s the economy, stupid”. If Trump lowers inflation, most citizens will give him a good grade, but if inflation rises, so will buyer’s remorse.

In my next post, I will analyze the morality/immorality of Trump’s executive orders.

Buyer’s Remorse regarding Trump: Even the Fraternal Order of Police Criticizes his Pardon of Insurrectionists

Buyer’s Remorse! This occurs when a person buys something (a car, a home, etc.) and then finds out that what was bought was defective and that the seller misrepresented the product. The person then regrets the purchase and feels anger with the seller for having lied. Last November, U.S. citizens bought a product when a plurality (not a majority) of voters (49.5%) elected Trump as president. In this first week of his presidency, he has issued a flurry of controversial executive orders and has made other decisions regarding immigrants, refugees, tariffs, the Paris Accords on Climate Change, the World Health Organization, and on and on. The action that has produced the most criticism, even by those who had supported Trump, was his pardon of the January 6, 2021 insurrectionists. The reaction has been swift and is the beginning of buyer’s remorse regarding Trump.

On Tuesday, President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentence of all 1500 people who had been convicted of crimes in the insurrection that took place at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Some pardons had been expected. Presidents have the right to selectively pardon people on an individual basis, but pardoning all the criminals went too far. This blanket pardon was an attack on the rule of law. For example, earlier this month in an interview with Fox News, Vice President Vance had stated, “If you committed violence on that day, obviously, you shouldn’t be pardoned”. Vance was right. Nevertheless, six hundred of those who were pardoned had been found guilty of assaulting police officers. Over 140 police had suffered injuries during the riot. These were not “minor incidents” as the president now claims.

Police organizations across the country have rallied to support their colleagues. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest police union in the United States. They endorsed Trump in the presidential elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024. In a joint declaration together with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, they strongly criticized this blanket pardon. “Crimes against law enforcement are not just attacks on individuals or public safety. They are attacks on society and undermine the rule of law. Allowing those convicted of these crimes to be released early diminishes accountability and devalues the sacrifices made by courageous law enforcement officers and their families. When perpetrators of crimes, especially serious crimes, are not held fully accountable, it sends a dangerous message that the consequences for attacking law enforcement are not severe, potentially emboldening others to commit similar acts of violence.”

Elected Republican senators and congressional representatives have been asked for their opinions regarding the blanket pardon. Senator Lisa Murkowski had the courage to denounce the pardon, but most Republican officials claim that haven’t seen the videos of the insurrection. This is a lame alibi, because most of these officials were in the Capitol on that tragic day, and videos of the riot have been widely available for four years. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said it wasn’t his “place” to comment on the pardon. What a coward! The House of Representatives was precisely the “place” where the insurrection happened.

This pardon cannot now be undone, but Trump could at least issue an apology. If he doesn’t demonstrate remorse, others will.

An Exhortation from the Word of God for Donald Trump…, and for Us

“Do not think more highly of yourselves than you should.” So wrote the Apostle Paul (Romans 12:3) around 55 AD to the followers of Jesus in the city of Rome. Although most Christians in the first century were poor and without much social power, this was not universally true. Rome was the capital of the Empire, and the Roman Empire was the most powerful empire of its day. It ruled the world with violence, arrogance and pride. Their citizens generally looked down upon their neighbors and considered others to be inferior human beings. It is tragically true that arrogance is contagious and that some of the Christians in Rome had also been infected with this pride. Therefore, the apostle exhorted them to re-evaluate themselves more carefully, more soberly, and more humbly. It shouldn’t be so difficult to acknowledge this pride, personally or nationally, but it is.

The United States is the richest, most powerful nation the world has ever known. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to equate might with right, or wealth with justice. The Bible frequently points out that wealth and power have been accumulated through violence and oppression (James 2:6). Politicians, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, proclaim that the United States is the best country in the world. This might make us feel good…, but it is not true. Our European ancestors acquired this land stewarded by indigenous nations through warfare and broken treaties. They wickedly enslaved Africans and became rich off of the labor of the slaves. Waves of immigrants came to out country seeking the “American Dream” and a better life for their children. Some saw their dreams come true, but others were grossly mistreated. In the Mexican American war, we acquired half of Mexico’s territory. Abraham Lincoln denounced this war as most unjust. I could go on and on, but this is enough to reveal some of our national faults.

Donald Trump, soon you will be sworn in as our 47^th president. Many will say that you are the most powerful man in the world…and maybe they are right. But do not think more highly of yourself that you should. You also will have to give account to God for your actions. Even presidents must bend the knee before the King of Kings. God does not ask you to enable the rich to become richer. He has other criteria. He told a Jewish king the message “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Mr. Trump, I suggest that God will use similar criteria for you.

Serious Questions Regarding Trump’s Nominee Pete Hegseth

Donald Trump won the presidential election in November. His victory was decisive even though it was not the landslide that he has claimed. (In fact, his margin of victory was lower than every presidential election since 2000.) As President-elect, he has the legal right to nominate qualified candidates for his Cabinet and other top posts in his administration. The Senate has the responsibility to meet with the candidates and then to “advise and consent”, in effect, to approve or reject each one. The process involves a hearing with the appropriate Senate committee which explores whether the person is qualified (in terms of experience, integrity, judgment) for the position. This is followed by a vote of that committee. If favorable, the nomination is forwarded for a vote by the entire Senate. Many of his nominees are having their committee hearings this week.

Some of Trump’s nominees will sail through this process. For example, Senator Marco Rubio has been nominated to become the next Secretary of State. Although I disagree with some of Rubio’s policies, he is very qualified for the position and will receive bipartisan support. He will probably have more problems with Trump himself (regarding Russia’s war with Ukraine and personality issues) than with Democrats.

A more controversial nominee is Pete Hegseth. Trump named him to become the next Defense Secretary and to supervise the extensive Department of Defense (DOD). This is the largest department of the federal government with some three million employees and an $849 billion budget. His hearing before the Senate’s Armed Services Committee took place on January 14 and was seen live by millions of citizens.

I have some serious questions regarding Hegseth. There are at least three procedural anomalies:

Previous presidents have fully vetted their nominees with the FBI. This has been done to reveal any “skeletons in the closet”. Trump chose to bypass this procedure regarding Hegseth and most of his other nominees. Why?
Most hearings permit two or three rounds of questions by its members. During the Hegseth hearing, only one round was permitted. Why?
In the past, before they have their hearing, nominees have met individually with senators of the appropriate committee, both Republicans and Democrats, to answer specific questions the senators might have. Hegseth chose not to meet with Democrat senators. Why?

In addition, the following are areas that warrant honest, thorough evaluation of Hegseth’s qualifications.

Lack of experience in administering organizations

The DOD has three million employees. Hegseth has never administered an organization with more than a few dozen paid employees. Does he have the management experience to lead the largest department in our federal government? This is not an ideological debate between conservatives and liberals. This is a technical question regarding administrative experience and preparedness.

Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

In 2017, Hegseth was accused of sexual assault. Although he denied it and affirmed that their sexual encounter was consensual, he paid the woman a confidential settlement. She is willing to meet with the Senate committee to confirm her allegation. She should be released from the confidentiality aspect of this settlement so that the truth sees the light of day.

Even his own mother, Penelope Hegseth, accused him of mistreatment of women. She wrote him in an email, “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years) and as your mother, it pains me and embarrasses me to say that, but it is the sad, sad truth.”

In the hearing, he was repeatedly asked whether specific allegations of sexual assault (and drunkenness on the job) were true or false. He repeatedly refused to answer these questions with a simple “yes” or “no”. He claimed that these were “anonymous allegations that were part of a smear campaign”. Many of these allegations were not anonymous. Hegseth should have answered. His refusal to respond suggests that he was guilty.

Inconsistencies Regarding Women in the Military

In the recent past, Hegseth has frequently affirmed that women should “straight up” not serve in combat. In his hearing, he tried to modify these affirmations without disavowing them completely. He hid behind new affirmations of the military’s lowering of standards in order to meet quotas for women in the military. Women on the committee who have served in the military (including Senator Tammy Duckworth who defeated me in a congressional race back in 2006) refuted his affirmations about the lowering of standards.

There are many additional areas that need honest evaluation. May the nominee provide us with honest responses.

Robert F. Kennedy: Criticisms from at least Three Constituencies

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated the people he wants to fill out his Cabinet. This is appropriate because he won the presidential election in November. (His claim of a landslide victory is false. He won 49.81% of the popular vote compared with 48.33% for Kamala Harris, the smallest margin of victory since 2000.) According to our Constitution, the President nominates candidates, and the Senate examines them and then approves or rejects each one, based upon their background, expertise, policies they would pursue, and their moral character. Some of his nominees are well qualified and should sail through the Senate. Nevertheless, other nominees are quite controversial and will probably not get confirmed. Most have not been properly vetted. Some, like Matt Gaetz, will withdraw their nomination or suffer the embarrassment of being rejected by the Republican controlled Senate. One of the most troubling is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who himself was a candidate for president, then threw his support to Trump. As compensation for his “loyalty”, Trump named him to become the Secretary of the powerful, sprawling Health and Human Services Department (HHS). He told RFK to “go wild” on health. Perhaps he is too “wild”. He has received sharp criticisms from at least these three constituencies.

The Medical Community – If he is confirmed, Kennedy would oversee 13 federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. RFK is so controversial because he has made many affirmations that are contrary to scientific evidence. For example, he is known as an “anti-vaxxer”, who urges people not to get vaccinated. He has claimed (without proof) that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine causes autism. He has just petitioned the FDA, through his lawyer, to revoke approval of the polio vaccine. The Salk polio vaccine has protected an estimated twenty million people from getting this dreaded disease. This past Monday, 77 Nobel laureates, from the fields of medicine, chemistry, physics, and economics wrote an open letter to the Senate, urging its members to reject the RFK nomination. The letter states that “placing Mr. Kennedy in charge of HHS would put the public’s health in jeopardy and undermine America’s global leadership in health science”.

The Pro-Lifers – Some pro-lifers are realizing that Trump’s support of pro-life issues was largely transactional. He manipulated them and he is not a true believer in their cause. An early indication was the platform of the Republican party. Trump promoted a change in the abortion plank which watered down its wording which had endured for decades. Now, the President-elect has nominated Kennedy to head up HHS. RFK has been pro-choice on abortion, yet he tried to walk that back when he was courting Republican voters. Significant pro-lifers are raising their voice against RFK. For example, former Vice-President Mike Pence wrote, “I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as Secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of pro-life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades.” He added, “On behalf of tens of millions of pro-life Americans, I respectfully urge Senate Republicans to reject this nomination and give the American people a leader who will respect the sanctity of life as Secretary of Health and Human Services”. (Here I am not weighing in on the morality of abortion; I am just reporting that Pence sees the RFK nomination as a betrayal of the pro-life movement.)

Corn Farmers – RFK has been quite outspoken regarding the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup. He denounces that our high consumption of this corn syrup in many food products has been the major factor in childhood obesity and other illnesses. (The medical community largely agrees with RFK on this issue.) In one of his promo videos, he affirmed that high-fructose corn syrup “is just a formula for making you obese and diabetic”. The political controversy swirls around what he might do about corn syrup and how this might negatively affect the jobs of farmers. As Secretary of HHS, he could urge the elimination of farm subsidies for corn production. This would be devastating for rural farmers (rural folk are some of Trump’s most solid supporters). Senators from corn producing states have raised the alarm. Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican from Iowa, said, “I may have to spend a lot of time educating Kennedy about agriculture”.

U.S. Senators, you are responsible for seriously evaluating the experiential and moral fitness of each nominee and their mental judgment. Next week, Kennedy will be meeting with many of you. Please, do your job of serving the citizens by being rigorous in your evaluation of RFK.