January 7, 2021
A special mid-week edition of The Prospectus.
In light of yesterday’s events, I figured that I might sit down and write out some thoughts in the form of a Prospectus edition.
Quick Hit Quartet
The Battle on Capitol Hill
There are very few days so significant that they become instantly stamped onto the collective conscience of the nation. Yesterday was such a day. As the constitutionally-mandated joint session of the House and the Senate unfolded, in which the two houses officially count the electoral votes for the President of the United States, a group of insurrectionists and domestic terrorists forced their way into the Capitol building. Security was breached. Duly elected officials and their staff were evacuated. Unelected mobsters took up temporary residence in offices and behind desks reserved for Senators and Congressmen.
All of this took place in the name of making America great again. Make no mistake: this mob was incited by the vitriolic rhetoric of our nation’s current president, Donald J. Trump, who took time during the panic to tweet potshots at his own Vice President Mike Pence for doing his constitutionally-mandated job. President Trump’s earlier ‘Save America Rally’ featured fiery rhetoric from both the President and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. At one point, Giuliani even declared, “So let’s have trial by combat!”
In effect, President Trump was dumping gasoline onto a fire. The result was for a few (thankfully) short hours, our republic looked more like revolutionary France, Venezuela, or Cuba.
Bear in mind: these riots were neither safe nor peaceful. It’s now been confirmed that four people died as the events unfolded on Capitol Hill. This was not the product of reasoned conservatism or healthy dialogue. This was an attack on our nation’s storied peaceful transition of power. This was an attack on our nation’s Constitution. Lastly, this was an attack on publicly elected officials who simply doing their job.
I want to be clear: I am a conservative writing from a conservative, Christian perspective. I think that has been clear from my writing in the past. But the farcical display of public idiocy that happened yesterday does not represent conservatism or Christianity. True conservatism is a legitimate, political philosophy that seeks to uphold the Constitution and the institutions created therein. True conservatism sees our country as an ordered democratic republic, in which some sides will lose. What happened yesterday in the Capitol was the opposite of an ordered democratic republic. Those who raided the Capitol reeked of a desire for autocracy. They were attempting to stop a constitutional process. This riot—and the one who incited it—does not speak for true conservatism.
Via Getty
The looters at the Capitol were also found holding flags with the name of Jesus as they charged through the Statuary Room. It was as if the makeshift militia was employing a divine right to occupy the Capitol, a crusade of sorts. The behavior of these people was biblically abhorrent and morally reprehensible. There is no divine right or biblical precedent for mob rule and vitriolic rhetoric. This was not the way of Jesus, and it ought not to be the way of the church.
As Christians, we should stand together and condemn the violence that occurred on Capitol Hill yesterday. It’s not the way forward. As conservatives, we ought to stand together and condemn the violence that occurred yesterday. The way to make America great—and keep it great—is by adhering to our great Constitution, preserving its institutions and processes, stepping down when defeated, and electing officials that feel the same. The American way is not mob rule. We’re better than this. Order will prevail. What transpired yesterday was the result of thousands of people putting their hope not in Christ, but in a man.
Georgia Senate Race
As the violence unfolded on Capitol Hill, two significant Senate races were effectively called: Raphael Warnock (D) has apparently defeated the incumbent Senator Kelly Loeffler (R) and Jon Ossoff (D) has apparently defeated David Perdue (R). Both of these races were run-off elections which, up until the tragic events yesterday, had the entire nation’s attention. Warnock, 51, a progressive pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, is a two-time graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Warnock has advocated for extremely progressive policy measures, and will no doubt be a member of the more progressive caucus of Senate Democrats. Ossoff, 33, will be one of the youngest members of the Senate. Ossoff, like Warnock, has advocated for progressive causes, including strengthening and growing the Affordable Care Act, American re-entry into the Paris Accords, and promising to only confirm judges that will uphold Roe vs. Wade.
These two elections were significant in bringing the Senate to a 50-50 tie. There are now 50 Senators who vote on the right and 50 Senators who will vote on the left. A tie in the Senate means that the Vice-President will act as the tie-breaking vote. Effectively, because Kamala Harris will be the Vice President, the Democrats will have a 51-50 advantage over the Republicans for at least 2 years. This means that the Democrats will be able to pass their policies with relative ease, with control of both houses and the Executive Branch.
Biden Confirmed by Congress
Despite a recess for around 6 hours due to the mob violence in the Capitol building, Congress resumed the process of counting the electoral votes to confirm Joseph Biden as the 46th President of the United States. Before the riot, many Republican Senators and Representatives were planning on objecting to the certification of the electoral votes. Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and Jim Lankford (R-OK) reversed their decision to object to the certification of electoral votes in light of the day’s events.
After hours of deliberation and processes, Vice President Mike Pence officially certified that Joseph Biden would be the next president of the United States. Leading up to the certification, Pence had faced pressure from the far right, including President Trump, to decertify the election results. Pence, however, released a statement on Wednesday explaining that he would certify the results, breaking with Trump. Like I said earlier, conservatism means owning up when you lose and—despite losing—working hard in the work to preserve our nation’s Constitution and institutions. Pence did just that, while the President continued to pressure him otherwise.
Resignations in the White House
Four top White House staffers have resigned in light of yesterday’s events. Matt Pottinger, the deputy national security advisor, Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s chief of staff, Anna Christina Niceta, the White House social secretary, and Sarah Matthews, the deputy press secretary, all offered their resignations from the White House on Wednesday.
I am sure that more staffers and Cabinet members are considering resignation after the events yesterday. One thing to watch for on this front is that there is mounting pressure for Vice President Pence and the other members of President Trump’s Executive Cabinet to use the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump. If the Cabinet were considering this action, they would stay in office rather than resign at this point.
That’s all for today. Let’s remember to pray for our country. More importantly, let us pray that we will maintain a faithful Christian witness in the public square. We are not represented by what went on in the halls of the Capitol yesterday. There is a better way.