No, Trump’s voters don’t need to wait until 2020 to effectively “undo” their misguided votes. All they need to do is look more closely at what is happening and make it clear they are no longer in support of him.

I’m actually calling on them to do this, and in visible ways.  Mr. Trump has had more than the chance many of his supporters wanted to give him to prove he has the qualities, especially the temperament, to be President.  He’s proven over and over that he cannot or will not modify his most immature and immoral behaviors — behaviors that Evangelicals, along with most Americans, clearly find unacceptable.  They are often repulsive under any kind of religious or moral standard.

I realize that powerful opposition to Hillary Clinton (often driven my misinformation) was a key factor in much of Evangelicals’ support for Trump.  Now that’s out of the way.  If Trump should leave by either resignation or being legally forced from office, they’d get Mike Pence as President.  I can’t see a downside for Evangelicals in this.  Pence actually is and lives as an Evangelical, while Trump clearly does not.  Pence’s support for Evangelical’s freedoms and causes would be no less than Trump’s, and probably greater.

Maybe Evangelical delusions are about effectiveness.  Perhaps they still, after 5+ months of evidence to the contrary, think Trump is able to “get things done” that they want or they think will improve their lives.  I suppose he might continue issuing executive orders toward that end, but often on things that go against Evangelical’s stated principles: respect, compassion, care for the needy (and not necessarily via government programs), etc.

Natural human reactions play in to people’s resistance to facing reality, no doubt.   For example, reluctance to admit having been wrong.  But so much is in peril that is important to Evangelicals as well as the majority of Americans, that people need to look beyond their own egos and rise above this!    

My purpose here is not to build the case about the dangers of a continued Trump presidency.  That is easy to find in great depth elsewhere.  If Evangelicals would “buck up”, as many of us who have been one of them in prior years are urging, they can find plenty of solid arguments and data to support their switch.  And reversing themselves may help clear their consciences!  I think there is little doubt it would bring them into greater consistency with their beliefs and practices.

Now, a brief explanation of why I’m spending time even writing what might seem a futile message, hoping it will get to at least a few Evangelical (or other conservative) voters. (Will you help by sending a link and recommending this article?)

First, I do believe that Trump continuing as President is seriously damaging in a number of ways, even if no new crises emerge to threaten even worse things.  So, although I’d not like the policy direction of a President Pence, he would almost certainly be some improvement.

Second, I believe it would be much better for Trump to be pressured into resignation by serious erosion of support from Republicans, particularly in Congress, than to be legally removed by impeachment or use of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

Going one step further back… what will prompt key Republicans to end their troubled support for Trump? Loss of support for Trump among Trump’s base back home in their districts and states! Most of that support overlaps with their own support.  Also, if they do take representing their regions seriously and those are well over half opposed to Trump’s continuation as President, they may do their job of representation.  Let’s assume they would, though it is indeed an assumption.

Now, numbers, including in levels of support or opposition are highly symbolic.  Trump support is, amazingly to me, still in the mid-to-upper 30s range.  We make a big deal out of round numbers, especially by the 10s.  So Trump’s “approval” ratings are just a few points from the big three-o.  That could be the tipping point level of support.  Or maybe it would have to get down to 25.  But somewhere around there, things would get moving more toward Trump being pressured out or removed.  We’re not that far away!

Let me make clear that I do not think that the inevitable tensions over his leaving office, one way or another, would be easily dealt with and overcome.  And again, I’m definitely not eager to see Mr. Pence become President (or Speaker Ryan if they happened to both leave together for some reason).   But I think we now have plenty of evidence that Trump continuing indefinitely in office for even just 4 years is worse.  And it is people of good will and moral/ethical concerns (or also Christian ones) who supported Trump in the past who can tip the scales toward righting our seriously listing “ship of state”.