Trump is now attacking Christianity Today — and its editor is doubling down

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/CNN)

published 20 December 2019

The prominent evangelical magazine Christianity Today published an editorial Thursday arguing that President Trump's actions in Ukraine are both "a violation of the Constitution" and "profoundly immoral." That "Trump should be removed from office," wrote editor-in-chief Mark Galli, "is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments." Trump reacted about about as you'd expect.

On Friday's New Day, CNN's John Berman read Trump's tweet to Galli and asked for his reaction. Most people consider Christianity Today "a pretty centrist magazine in the evangelical world," he said. "We're certainly not far-right, and I suppose anyone who's not far-right, he would consider far-left." Galli seemed surprised that Berman found his judgment of Trump's moral behavior more notable than his call for Trump's ouster. Trump's immoral behavior is broadly acknowledged, he said. "The question is, when does his behavior — which is described as immoral, accurately — rise to the level where he's no longer fit to serve office? And to me, we crossed that line with the impeachment hearings."

Galli addressed in his editorial Trump's argument that his evangelical-friendly policies merit turning a blind eye to his unconstitutional and immoral acts, and he found it unpersuasive. He elaborated in an interview with The Atlantic's Emma Green. Galli compared Trump to a verbally abusive husband who "starts to become violent, and dangerously violent. He's still a good provider. He still loves the kids. But nobody would say, 'You need to weigh this!'" Trump has "done some good that I am grateful for," he said. "But the moral scales no longer balance. It's time for him to get out of the house, so to speak."

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Green asked if Galli was motivated by his "belief that the association with Trump is going to do long-term damage to the ability of Christians to share the Gospel." "Oh my God," Galli said. "It's going to be horrific."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.