Yesterday in Washington D.C. victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s heinous crimes bravely spoke their truths about how the trauma of being trafficked by Epstein and sexually assaulted has caused them tremendous traumatic harm. They were united in their demands for justice and were joined by members of Congress who generally have nothing in common politically who also are demanding justice. As this was happening, the Trance Regime literally attempted to silence these women by having military jets fly over the capital city in an effort to drown out those voices. It did not work. In the aftermath, Trump claimed once again that it was a democrat hoax to distract people from all his made up successes as President. The callousness and total lack of empathy evinced in that delusional rant shows once again that Trump is a malignant narcissist and unrepentant self-admitted sexual predator who will stop at nothing to avoid being held accountable. He intentionally re-traumatized those women with his attempt to deflect attention from his sexual crimes and well documented ties to Epstein.

Proverbs 29:2 says that, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” People in America and around the world groan because of the wickedness in the Trump administration. Epstein’s victims, with groans of unimaginable pain that have too often fallen on deaf ears, shine light on that wickedness. All of the known evidence points to a coverup at Trump’s behest, to protect himself and the other wealthy and powerful men, who are in the Epstein files. I pray that these women receive justice and healing for the trauma that continues to haunt them.

The wickedness shows up in Trump’s foreign policy as well. This is not unique to the Trance Regime of course, but much of what Trump does is to shield himself from justice with distractions and to placate two fellow evil world leaders – Putin and Netanyahu. Trump has hinted at wanting a war to start so he can stay in power. This week he ordered that a 15′ fishing boat be sunk by the U.S. military in what appears to be an extra-judicial murder of 11 people. The regime has claimed without evidence that the boat was full of Tren de Aragua members with a large amount of drugs on board that were intended to be sold in the U.S. This reeks of another Gulf of Tonkin incident to create a reason to go to war. There’s nothing like a war and its associated propaganda to suck up a lot of media and political attention. If this does escalate, the regime will likely pretend the Epstein cover up no longer exists, and will attempt to further cement their power without regard to Constitutional norms or checks and balances.

Domestically too, the people groan due to the kakistocracy cabinet the regime has assembled to implement the Project 2025 dismantling of democracy in favor of Christofascist authoritarianism. Fascist style scapegoating of immigrants and people of color continues in cities all over America with ICE kidnappings and National Guard troops deployed or threatened to be deployed in cities with large Black populations. Gun violence remains rife as politicians engage in performative prayer without addressing the issue. Illegal and economically disastrous tariffs are predictably proving costly for everyday people as prices rise. The regime continues to lie about the brazen attempt to consolidate wealth and power for the already wealthy and powerful at the expense of those who need a functional government and the support of social programs which help vulnerable people.

Evidence of this can be seen in recent comments by Christian nationalist Ralph Drollinger who bragged that it was his Bible study, which is attended by right wing members of Congress, that put the 80 hour per month work requirements in to the Big, Bogus, Boondoggle for Medicaid recipients. According to Drollinger, the bill needed a “Pauline theological principal” about work requirements. Never mind that every single Pauline letter is contextual to the church to which it was written; nevermind that 2 Thessalonians may not have been written by Paul at all, and Drollinger is taking 2 Thess. 3:9-11 out of context to justify his hatred of poor and marginalized people. Never mind that this work requirement will harm vulnerable people, many of whom are likely elderly, disabled, or otherwise unable to work. All that matters for Drollinger is that people like him are in control and his spurious theological views should dictate public policy while the teachings of Jesus and the prophets are ignored along with the Constitution.

Work requirements may be even harder to fulfill due to the Trump Slump. There are now more unemployed people than there are open jobs. Far too many of the jobs available do not pay a living wage as costs for housing, food, medical care, and other ordinary expenses continue to skyrocket. Medical insurance continues to be tied to employment and is often outlandishly expensive and inadequate if it’s even offered at all. This helps no one except for those who benefit from the unethical for-profit health care system in America. (1) MAGA politicians don’t care as Senator Joni Ernst made clear earlier this year with her cringe worthy social media posts about how “everyone dies” in response to her vote to cut Medicaid. Yes, everyone dies, but people like Ernst are responsible for a lot of deaths because they intentionally put lobbyists and corporate profits over actual people.

Jesus told his disciples that gentile leaders lord their authority over others through domination, but it should not be so with those who follow him. The MAGA movement is about domination through wealth and power. That makes the movement antichrist. No Christian, or any one else regardless of faith or lack of, should be supporting Trump and the fascist MAGA movement. Everything they are doing is antithetical to the core teachings of Christianity. Every. Single. Thing.

How long must we endure this O God? How long until justice is done which brings joy to the righteous and dismay to the evil doers (Proverbs 21:15)? How long before a critical mass of people stands up to the regime and takes it down with nonviolent protests, a lack of compliance, open resistance, labor strikes, and pressuring elected officials to abide by their constitutional oaths and duties? We cannot simply pray the regime away. We must also actively dismantle it and the systems of oppression which enabled it. That includes dismantling Christian nationalism and white supremacy.

Al hands on deck. There is much to be done.

(1) see my essay on the ethics of for-profit health care in Theological Musings Volume 1.