The Devil You Know?

     “They [Jews] shall not replace us!” Charlottesville, Virginia 2017

The Devil You Know?

"If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, 'guns-a-blazing,' to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities… I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians!" 

Trump on Truth Social, November 1st.

Donald Trump has used “antisemitism” as a wedge to impose crushing demands and controls on the highest and most research-oriented universities in the land, often helmed by chief executive officers who are practicing Jews. He has used that slogan to cater to a conservative evangelical constituency, whose faith often embraces the notion of the Second Coming of Christ via a war to end all wars in the Middle East (Armageddon) where a powerful Israel is a necessary component to that final, Earth-defining moment. And for The Rapture (where the truly faithful are lifted into Heaven, leaving all “non-believers” behind to face a brutal end). His own son-in-law and eldest daughter are Jews, the latter by conversion.

Trump has fed Benjamin Netanyahu-led Israel with billions of dollars of advanced military weapons, even when the rest of the world, backed by the United Nations and many of our Western Allies – all of whom decried the brutal October 7th 2023, Hamas carnage against innocent Israeli citizens – have chastised Isreal for its willingness to slaughter tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians to root out and attempt (unsuccessfully) to expunge Hamas from Gaza.

The International Criminal Courts (not recognized by either the US or Israel) have even charged Netanyahu and several of his cabinet and military leaders, as well has Hamas leaders, with war crimes. You may be aware that notwithstanding that “permanent peace” (Phase Two of the Gaza 20-point settlement) is completely dependent on Hamas’ surrendering its arms and Israel’s allowance of an independent Palestinian state, those two basic premises have each been rejected by the relevant party.

Knowing that the force that keeps Trump in office and his GOP congresspeople in line are the fiercely MAGA/evangelical Trump worshipers, without whom most Republicans believe they could never win a primary or control of any truly red state. The underlying white Christian nationalist movement, Trump’s bulwark of political power, is openly backed by his most senior political advisors (e.g., Stephen Miller) and several of his cabinet leaders (e.g., DOD/W Secretary Pete Hegseth) as well as a litany of GOP members of Congress. For most GOP candidates for congressional office, losing those evangelical supporters is the equivalent of guaranteed political annihilation, even if embracing the required evangelical platforms is not remotely what most of the rest of the nation prioritizes or even supports.

This evangelical movement, deeply pro-Israel for the reasons noted above, has conflated Judaism and unquestioning support of the nation of Israel as inseparable, and Trump has amplified and glorified that combination to his political advantage. Although that US constituency represents about 30% of all voters, they have supported “whatever Trump says or does” without question, with one possible point of vulnerability, the Epstein papers, discussed below. If there is one thing that evangelicals hate above all else, it is pedophilia.

But as younger Gen Z Jews are proving in droves, political support for a rogue government in Israel has nothing to do with believing in the Torah and practicing Judaism. I believe that if the US survives and if this younger generation rises to run our political system as has every generation before it, future US military support for Israel is anything but certain. They are equally clear that even as vociferous as Trump may be, Trump’s allegiance to Israel is merely his clear path to ensure that MAGA evangelicals support anything he wants and will attack anyone who opposes him.

But if you have any doubt that Trump’s pro-Israeli stance is anything but his perceived only path to solidify his power, look at the words and images above today’s blog title. Look at the organized militia who have backed Trump, even in their own uniforms, and listen carefully to the words of his most passionate supporters. Trump has never been concerned much about antisemitism; to him it is a necessary alliance to hold power. Of course, antisemitism is wrong, even disgusting, but it is a faith followed by a lot of truly good people… and as many faithful Jews have stated, as Trump uses “antisemitism” as justification for wider repression, “not in our name!”

But mini-Trump follower, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R/LA), has battled to prevent a floor vote on release of the Epstein papers (via a House rules “discharge petition,” where a simple majority is enough to force the release of the Epstein files in federal possession). To Johnson, keeping the House on vacation and, by breaking precedent, refusing to swear in the “discharge petition” deciding vote, Adelita Grijalva, a Democrat who won a special election in Arizona, is mission critical.

Perhaps Ghislane Maxwell’s, Epstein’s convicted partner in sex trafficking, inappropriate transfer to a minimum-security federal prison after she reassured former Trump lawyer and Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche, that she had nothing negative to divluge about Trump… says it all. Particularly as Trump-super-loyal AG, Pam Bondi, let the world know that Trump’s name was frequently mentioned in those Epstein files. Trump’s hold on his evangelical supporter could easily unravel if those papers contain damaging disclosures and are released to the public.

I’m Peter Dekom, and I continue to be shocked that Trump’s trusting supporters have not yet learned the Trump will say and do anything at all for only two reasons: to make money and amplify/perpetuate raw political power.