The risks of appeasing Trump

“I lift my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121:1–2

Should Volodymyr Zelensky, desperate for military support after three years of Ukraine’s heroic resistance against Russian aggression, grovel and beg for mercy from Donald Trump?

I hope he does not.

I have watched video of Trump vs. Zelensky and have studied the transcript. I find nothing in Zelensky’s words or behavior that could conceivably justify Trump and Vance’s tag-team berating. Accordingly, I believe that the attack was premeditated. Vance’s bizarre use of the word “litigated” in responding to Zelensky’s reasonable expression of concern about Vladimir Putin’s reliability suggests that he was ready to pounce if Zelensky displayed even a moment of anything other than abject submission.

There is ample evidence that Trump values money, power, and being the center of world attention and very little evidence that he values public service. Note his comment at the end of yesterday’s ugly episode: “This will make great television.”

Trump seems to have brought his transactional mindset into the White House, as if the goal of running a country is to amass money and power.

If you’re a US reader who still wants Trump to succeed, I understand. Today, I am addressing the rest of the world

I grant that in our world order of nation-states, each country’s government should represent its own interests. Moreover, mature Christian friends in the US cite their experience of corruption and inefficiency in foreign aid, along with government spending, immigration, religious freedom, and progressive ideology, as reasons why they still prefer Trump to Democratic Party leadership.

So if you’re a US reader who still wants Trump to succeed, I understand. Today, I am addressing the rest of the world.

Zelensky and others have cited British prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s 1938 attempt to appease Hitler in urging the world not to give in to Putin. But yesterday’s clash revealed a different risk: that the world will give in to Trump.

Trump has demonstrated a readiness to bully his friends in Canada and Europe. He doesn’t bully his enemies—Russia, China, North Korea—because he has no leverage over them.

The remainder of the free world must detach itself from its economic and military reliance on the United States. Otherwise, it is at the mercy of an erratic US president’s decisions

Last night, I watched the US Public Broadcasting Service’s news program. I figured I should watch it while I still can. (Amazingly, Trump has not yet cut off federal money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—which funds PBS—as conservatives have urged for years. I’m sure it’s coming soon.) Commentator David Brooks said, “What I’ve seen over the last six weeks is the United States behaving vilely to our friends. … Today was the bottom of the barrel. … Donald Trump believes in one thing. He believes that might makes right. And in that, he agrees with Vladimir Putin.”

World leaders, including Christians, must learn one lesson quickly. The US Constitution is famous for its carefully constructed set of checks and balances, grounded in Presbyterian James Madison’s understanding of sin. The Trump administration is seeking to override that system and concentrate unprecedented power in the president.

In response, the remainder of the free world must detach itself from its economic and military reliance on the United States. Otherwise, it is at the mercy of an erratic US president’s decisions.

Christian leaders and organizations must learn to live without US aid

Similarly, Christian leaders and organizations must learn to live without US aid. Even in better times, it can become a modern form of colonialism, with strings attached to the promotion of US interests. Especially if Western donors increase their private support, there is enough wealth in the world to restore Christians’ former status as the most prominent source of global generosity and thereby advance the gospel.

To facilitate this shift, Majority World Christians must be exemplary in their commitment to financial integrity and accountability, inspiring confidence that the funds they receive will be used well.

Together, we can embrace this dramatic turning point in world history and exhibit that our help comes from the Lord, not from the United States or any other unpredictable source.

Bruce Barron, author or coauthor of seven books on religion and politics and a former US congressional aide, was editor of the World Evangelical Alliance’s theology journal from 2018 to 2024. Subscribe to his blog at brucebarron.substack.com.