Trump’s “Golden” Temple
“Power tends to confuse itself with virtue and is peculiarly susceptible to the idea that it’s power is a sign a God’s favor.” – J. William Fulbright, The Fatal Arrogance of Power, New York Times Magazine, May 15, 1966.
Trump’s New York City Democrat DNA is very apparent with his predilection for pardoning criminals. It has now apparently taken on biblical proportions. (see: Trump’s Pardons During His First Administration – Google).
If anyone watches her show, Lara Trump, in a shameless display of aristocratic hubris and moral bankruptcy, unabashedly provided a public platform for the most recent of hundreds of Trump-pardoned criminals. On Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 9pm, Todd and Julie Chrisley appeared on Lara Trump’s My View tv show (easily confused with The View) to thank “god” for influencing Lara Trump’s father, Donald, into pardoning them from a 12-year and seven month prison sentence each for fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In legal terminology, the “United States” is defined as the U.S. citizen / tax payer.
“Todd and Julie Chrisley – and their accountant– were unanimously convicted by an Atlanta federal jury in 2022. This was no New York City rogue district attorney lawfare prosecution. This was a southern jury of their peers. Prosecutors highlighted the jury’s unanimous verdict as evidence Todd and Julie Chrisley are “career swindlers.” Todd and Julie Chrisley were found guilty on all counts relating to running a years-long conspiracy to defraud banks and hiding their money from the IRS.” (Wikipedia)
Todd and Julie Chrisley are just the latest in a long line of faux-religious fraudsters. Evangelical preachers have a sordid history of fraud and debauchery: Jimmy Swaggert, Oral Roberts, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker to name of few.
If Trump’s pardon pattern holds true, the accountant is probably still languishing in prison – like all the other convicted sub principals in Trump’s first administration. It seems with Trump “some criminals are more equal than others”- with an emphasis on who can contribute to his campaign the most.
Absolutely none of Trump’s pardons – first or current administrations – can be legitimately labeled “lawfare” against innocent citizens. They can be seen as Trump’s self-serving empathy with fellow violators.
In biblical times, the Chrisley’s showboating escaping justice would have been proclaimed blasphemy by a protesting public. The word “blasphemy” means expressing something disrespectful or evil about God. Among the worst forms of blasphemy are those which twist sacred Truths about God into Lies.
Let’s be clear: God did not inspire Trump to pardon the Chrisleys or any other convicted criminal. Claiming Divine intervention in escaping justice is a Lie. Doing it on live TV before a gullible audience is a damned Lie. Twisting political pandering into God’s mercy is blasphemy. In the scriptures blasphemy was punished by stoning the violators to death. (see: The Stoning of Soraya M.)
Jesus said “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s” in three of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark and Luke. In answering the Pharisees’ question, Jesus acknowledges the legitimacy of earthly governments and the obligation of citizens to fulfill their civic duties such as paying taxes.
Neither Trump nor Todd and Julie Chrisley worship the true God of Israel – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God of Jews and Christians.
They worship the god Baal – the golden calf – the god of Mammon.
In a cleverly-disguised “no-cash bail” program to aid convicted criminals escape justice, Trump created the position of “Pardon Czar” in February 2025 and named Alice Marie Johnson (AMJ) as the first person to hold the office.
AMJ’s background as a unanimously convicted drug cartel ring leader by a Bush appointed District Attorney and Judge fails to qualify for both a pardon and the position of “Czar” much less a subject matter expert on “counter-lawfare.”
Continuing the sleaze factor so publicly displayed on Lara Trump’s My View, AMJ was recommended for parole by “Reality TV star” Kim Kardashian – a woman not known for her legal acumen – or intellect of any kind. Her “credentials” are, however, totally in line with Trump’s crass criteria for credibility – and appointment to high political office.
Somehow these fatuous credentials “trump” the legal expertise of popularly elected, professional district attorneys and the informed opinions of jurors who actually heard the evidence against these criminals and found them guilty.
How does the obviously politically motivated lawfare conducted by the Left against Trump translate into Trump pardoning criminals convicted of real crimes with real evidence by jurors with no political ax to grind?
And, of course, AMJ is pulling God into her crusade to help other convicted criminals evade justice.
While AMJ has received admiration (and a lot of profitable mileage) for her “hard” early life – choosing to become pregnant at an early age, choosing to become a gambling addict resulting in her being fired from FedEx– it doesn’t negate the fact she chose crime as a short-cut to prosperity. All her choices were in lieu of actually working for a living: single motherhood dependent on tax payers’ welfare, gambling, and drug dealing.
There are millions of other mothers who have had just as difficult childhoods, just as difficult motherhoods and yet those millions of other women in the same social, economic and moral climate did not make those criminal choices. Most of them chose to set an example for their children to be honest.
Giving such a woman a pity party only rewards her bad behavior – a policy ingrained in the culture of New York City and the federal government.
“Johnson was arrested in 1993 and convicted in 1996 of eight federal criminal counts relating to her involvement in a Memphis-based cocaine trafficking organization. In addition to drug conspiracy counts, she was convicted of money laundering and structuring. The indictment named 16 defendants, described her as a leader in a multi-million dollar cocaine ring, and detailed dozens of drug transactions and deliveries. Evidence presented at trial showed that her Memphis operation was connected to Columbian drug dealers based in Texas.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Julia Gibbons (appointed by President George W. Bush) said Johnson was “the quintessential entrepreneur” in an operation that trafficked in 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine, with “very significant” impact on the community.
Co-defendants Curtis McDonald and Jerlean McNeil were sentenced to life and 19 years in federal prison respectively. A number of other defendants who testified against Johnson received sentences between probation and 10 years.
Did any of these co-defendants receive parole or pardons for following Johnson’s orders? Surely their “hapless” backgrounds deserved equal consideration? In keeping with Trump’s pardon pattern, no! Only leaders of crimes get Trump’s pardon.
Trump’s behavior – appointment of a “Pardon Czar” and who he is pardoning – implies more guilt in his background than even a politically-motivated district attorney can prove.
Trump’s Pardon Czar program makes a mockery of America’s criminal justice system. It subverts it as assuredly as the Left’s “No Cash Bail” program.
Did Johnson behave in prison? Did she turn her life around? Apparently so.
Does this qualify – or justify – Johnson becoming a presidential “Pardon Czar”?
Not even close. Putting AMJ on a political pedestal only sets the example for others to dissemble and “get Jesus” to escape the consequences of their bad choices. Her fellow co-conspirators are admiring her from behind prison bars thinking “Man! Why didn’t I think of that? It’s a good gig if you can get it!”
It’s one thing to sincerely repent. It’s another to profit off a lifetime of criminal choices.
Johnson is exchanging the gift of mercy and grace of a forgiving Lord for the earthly material reward of the god Mammon. There’s a special circle in Dante’s Inferno for people like that.
What’s the difference between AMJ’s position as Pardon Czar and Angela Davis’ Critical Resistance to the nation’s criminal justice system? They both have the same ends: subverting the nation’s criminal justice system and absolving convicted criminals from responsibility for their crimes.
Johnson, a convicted cocaine trafficking ringleader, and Angela Davis, a dedicated communist are both working to abolish the “prison-industrial complex”? Davis received Russia’s Lenin Peace Prize; Johnson is appointed Trump’s Pardon Czar.
Both are hypocritical extensions of megalomaniacs who think they are above the law.
Which is worse: an addle-brained president’s auto-pen or an allegedly “Master of the Deal” president consciously enabling legitimately convicted criminals avoid the consequences of their crimes?
“No cash bail” or “Pardon Czar” = no difference.
THAT is moral equivalency. Both deserve an investigation by Comer’s committee – feckless, political theater as that may be.
Signer of the Declaration of Independence, co-author of the Federalist Papers and former President of the United States James Madison warned of the pernicious nature of granting the President of the United States such unlimited pardoning power.
As a person who has avoided his responsibilities as a citizen by lying and cheating his way through life, Trump is now using his high office to enable others to do the same.
That’s an abuse of power by any definition.
