I have otherwise intelligent members who are Trump supporters. The one thing they have in common is that they are Evangelical Christians ministered to by a White Evangelical preacher.

One would think that Rick Perry would be a bit more cautious in his praise for Trump. After all, he still could potentially revive a political future. But he went all in.

Rick Perry says Trump was ‘ordained by God’ to be president

Like a lot of evangelical Christians, Energy Secretary Rick Perry believes in a God who gets involved in every aspect of our lives — including the election of Donald Trump as President.

“I’m a big believer that the God of our universe is still very active in the details of the day-to-day lives of government,” Perry told Fox News in remarks aired on Sunday.

“You know, Barack Obama doesn’t get to be the President of the United Sates without being ordained by God. Neither did Donald Trump.”

Perry went on to say that being God’s instrument on Earth doesn’t mean that Trump is a perfect person. Echoing the argument of other white evangelical Christians, the Texas Republican went on to cite several biblical figures, including King David, whose private lives didn’t always align with biblical standards.

Perry is just the latest evangelical Christian in the Trump administration to say they believe the President is divinely ordained.

In February, former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that God “wanted Donald Trump to become president and that’s why he’s there.” A month later, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joined the chorus, saying it’s possible God raised Donald Trump to be President in order to protect Israel from Iran. [more]

Source: Rick Perry says Trump was ‘ordained by God’ to be president – CNNPolitics

Of course, there are other reasons why people choose to discount the evil that Trump represents. But the most committed, arguably, are the evangelical followers.

Americans are becoming more progressive and are attending church much less. This means the power of the church is diminishing. The only undemocratic manner to get their will is via the court system. And Trump is not dissapointing them with his cadre of Right Wing judge appointments.

To Evangelical Leaders, this president is existential. They need him to remain relevant. And like he says, he could shoot some one on Fifth Avenue and still keep his base. The truth is, he keeps them as long as he can remain their tool.