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Charlie Kirk is the Founder and President of Turning Point USA, the largest and fastest growing conservative youth activist organization in the country with over 250,000 student members, over 150 full-time staff, and a presence on over 2,000 high school and college campuses nationwide. Charlie is also the Chairman of Students for Trump, which aims to activate one million new college voters on campuses in battleground states in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election. His social media reaches over 100 million people per month and according to Axios, he is one of the "top 10 most engaged" Twitter handles in the world. He is also the host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” which regularly ranks among the top news shows on Apple podcast charts.
Subscribe on YouTubeCharlie Kirk Defends Christian Support for Trump Against John Piper's Biblical Objections
Charlie Kirk addresses a challenging question about his stance that Christians cannot vote Democrat, engaging with criticisms from prominent evangelical theologian John Piper. The questioner, who drove 90 minutes to attend, references Piper's 2020 article arguing against supporting Trump due to unrepentant sin. Kirk responds by defending Trump as a flawed but effective vessel, comparing him to biblical figures like Samson and King Cyrus, while challenging Piper and other evangelical leaders like Russell Moore, David French, and Timothy Keller to explain how they can remain neutral when abortion and the protection of children hang in the balance.
The Setup: A Respectful Challenge
A questioner who identifies as largely agreeing with Charlie Kirk on conservative values poses a thoughtful challenge. Having traveled an hour and a half with his wife, leaving two kids behind, he wanted to press Kirk on a bold statement: that you cannot be a true born-again Christian and vote Democrat. Kirk reaffirms his position immediately.
The questioner then brings up John Piper, the well-known evangelical theologian behind Desiring God, and his November 2020 article that argued Christians should vote for neither Trump nor Biden. Piper's argument centered on the idea that a leader's character and unrepentant sin matter just as much as their policies.
John Piper's Position Explained
According to the questioner, Piper acknowledged that policies endorsing abortion, gender transition procedures, and socialist overreach are deadly and evil. However, Piper remained baffled that many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality, boastfulness, vulgarity, and the like to be less toxic to the nation. Piper wrote that it is a drastic mistake to think that the deadly influences of a leader come only through his policies and not also through his person.
The questioner asks Kirk how he can delegitimize the faith of a sincere, Bible-believing, prayerful Christian who determines that a man engaging in blatant and unrepentant sin should not lead the country.
Kirk's Biblical Defense: Samson and Cyrus
Kirk immediately clarifies that his statement applies to those who actually vote for the Democrat Party platform, not to Piper specifically, since Piper never explicitly said he voted for Biden. Kirk's position is simple: if you are a born-again Christian, by the fruit you will know them. If the fruit is casting a ballot for a party whose leaders spent more time on Easter Sunday talking about trans rights than the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you cannot claim to follow biblical principles.
Kirk then turns to scripture to counter Piper's argument. He invokes Samson from the Book of Judges, who is listed in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews despite being deeply flawed. Samson visited prostitutes, killed 400 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, and was far from a model of righteousness. Yet God used him for His purposes. Kirk also mentions King Cyrus, whom God used to bring the Israelites back from exile and rebuild the second temple, despite not being a believer himself.
The point, Kirk argues, is that God uses broken, sinful vessels for His purposes. Christians supporting Trump are not blind to his faults—they can recite them just as they can recite their own. But they also recognize his virtues.
Trump's Virtues Often Ignored
Kirk points out that critics like Piper never acknowledge Trump's virtues. He highlights Trump's courage, asking whether anyone else would continue fighting while facing 700 years in federal prison and having their family business empire threatened. He also praises Trump's love of country as unparalleled and unprecedented.
Kirk accuses Piper of conflating policy with personality. While Piper argues that a president's influence comes from both, Kirk insists that policy is far more important. He illustrates this by suggesting that if you turn off the TV and tune out media, you will still be impacted by the president—through his policies.
The Fruit of the First Trump Administration
Kirk challenges Piper to acknowledge what Trump actually delivered: three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, the U.S. embassy moved to Jerusalem, and peace agreements in the Middle East. If Christians had followed Piper's advice in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have been president, and none of those things would have happened. Kirk argues that Trump's presidency proved that a flawed man can deliver excellent policy and fulfill his promises.
The Challenge to John Piper and Other Evangelical Leaders
Kirk turns the tables, expressing his own bafflement at Piper and other evangelical leaders like Andy Stanley, Russell Moore, David French, Rick Warren, Timothy Keller, and David Platt. How can they remain indifferent to a million abortions per year, 100,000 kids on hormone blockers, a wide-open border, the destruction of Western society, race hatred, defunding the police, rising crime, and the downfall of Minneapolis—Piper's own hometown—while preaching about Donald Trump's personality?
Kirk declares that it is on John Piper to explain himself, not on Christians who voted to end abortion. He states flatly: if you will not vote to end abortion, stop telling me you're a Christian all the time and start acting and voting like you are a Christian.
The Questioner Pushes Back
The questioner responds that leaders like Piper are not saying Christians should have unconditional support for an individual simply because of his party. They are arguing that character matters and that unrepentant sin should not be ignored.
Kirk counters that Christians are not giving unconditional support to an individual—they are giving unconditional support to biblical principles that a flawed vessel fought for and achieved. He challenges Russell Moore, David French, and others to reconcile their positions when they stand before Jesus Christ. How will they explain that they spent their time writing lengthy op-eds in The New York Times criticizing Donald Trump's tone when they were given a binary choice between babies saved and babies murdered?
The Binary Choice
The questioner continues to press, arguing that Piper did not mention tone but unrepentant sin in five categories explicitly mentioned in the New Testament. Kirk responds by invoking Samson again, saying he would not have advocated for Samson as a leader if he were an Israelite in the Old Testament. But God thought Samson was worthy to be in the Hall of Faith—and that's what matters.
The questioner agrees that Christians should vote for Trump but insists the conversation should not end there. He argues it is a biblical principle that a leader's character impacts the nation, not just their policies. Kirk asks if the questioner has ever met Donald Trump, to which he says no. Kirk suggests that without meeting someone, you do not truly know who they are.
Jesus and the Stone
The questioner closes by asking whether Jesus of Nazareth would agree with Kirk's statement that no born-again Christian can vote Democrat. Kirk responds that Jesus would have handled Trump like He did the woman caught in adultery in John 8. He would have said, do not cast a stone against Donald Trump—Trump, sin no more. But He also would have said the same to Charlie Kirk: do not throw a stone at Charlie Kirk—Charlie, sin no more.
We all fall short of the glory of God, Kirk concludes, and God uses all of us as broken vessels for His purposes.
Video Transcript
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I don't know why I got moved from the
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very end of the line like the last
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person or the second last trying to get
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some disagreements in the spirit I guess
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I guess I'm a disagreement guy but I
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would but I would I I just want to make
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sure at the onset that I let you know
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that probably like 90% of what you say
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i' agree with so I I would align on
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conservative values everyone that might
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have a difference of opinion is a low of
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platform fair enough sounds good well
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thanks uh we came my wife and I I've got
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two kids uh it's a blessing indeed came
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an hour and a half and I also appreciate
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the fact that you are outspoken about
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your Christian faith I mean you made
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very clear here that your Lord and
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Savior Jesus Christ is who you live your
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life for so I have a question along
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those lines um I've heard you say a few
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times and I just caught this in a few
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videos and I don't know I don't date all
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your videos so um you'd mentioned this
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statement you cannot be a true born
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again Christian and vote Democrat do you
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still stand by that statement yes okay
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are you familiar with the notable
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conservative Evangelical Christian John
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Piper oh yeah okay are you
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familiar are you familiar with his
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article he came out with November 2020
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right before the election on policies
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persons in P effectively can't vote for
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Trump can't vote for Biden it was like a
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middle ground if I'm not mistaken right
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yeah yeah in in a sense his deal is
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irresistible Grace that's his blog or
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something right um Desiring God is his
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well-known blogging Channel yeah yeah
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you're good no problem he's a very well
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respected Theologian yes yeah yeah for
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sure so I was just going to maybe
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mention a quick little blurb of what he
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said and then maybe ask how you would
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kind of respond to that if that's okay
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and so in the article um he
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said okay so we think that um policies
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that endorse baby killing sex switching
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and freedom limiting and socialistic
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overreach are viewed as deadly and they
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are indeed I completely agree 100% all
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those things are completely evil he said
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however
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um I remain baffled that so many
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Christians of which of course many in
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the three more consider the sins of
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unrepentant sexual immorality of course
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we're talking about a specific someone
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here unrepentant boastfulness
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unrepentant vulgarity unrep inous and
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the like to not only be toxic to our
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nation and so he ends by saying this in
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fact I think it is a drastic mistake to
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think that the deadly influences of
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leader come not only through his
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policies but
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also through his and not only excuse me
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the deadly influences of a leader come
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only through his policies and not also
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through his person and so so all of us
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are going to be faced with a decision
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here in seven months or so when we go to
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the polls in November and so my question
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for you is you know as as as I'm talking
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specifically for those who claim to be
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born again sincere authentic Christians
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and I'm asking you how can you
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illegitimize the faith of a sincere
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Bible believing prayerful submitted to
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the word of God
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Christian who simply determines that a
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man who engages in blatant and
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unrepentant sin should not Le our
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country how can you legitimize did John
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Piper say he was voting for Joe Biden
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though he said that this article is the
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closest thing that you can get to to
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determine what I'm voting he didn't say
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specifically who okay so that's
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different so my statement was the
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following you cannot say you believe in
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biblical principles and vote for the
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principles of the Democrat Party they're
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in congruent they do not fit and that's
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not what I I'll address John Piper agree
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with no I know you agree so I I'm going
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to address the John Piper thing because
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I disagree with what he said but my
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position is this if you're a born again
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Christian by the fruit you will know
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them and if the fruit is that I will
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cast my ballot for party that had
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Gretchen Whitmer and Gavin Nome and Eric
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Adams and Joe Biden spend more wording
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and video time on Easter Sunday talking
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about trans rights than the resurrection
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of our Lord and savior that supports the
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massacring of children via trans and
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also abortion that you cannot be a
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Christian and vote for that now John B
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Piper did not say he was Voting Democrat
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so I he doesn't even fall into what I'm
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I'm talking about so let's talk about
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John Piper
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what John Piper is saying is that I
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believe abortion is wrong okay I believe
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that the transing of kids is wrong I
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believe all this sort of stuff but I
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think Donald Trump is this unrepentant
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sinner and I would say John Mr Piper
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what do you have to do with the story of
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Samson should he be in the Hall of faith
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in
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Hebrews according to our own Scriptures
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it says that Samson is in the righteous
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Hall of faith if you know the story
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about Samson he's sort of similar to
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Trump the hair
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God came to Samson while he was in the
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bed with a prostitute Samson took the
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jaw of a donkey and killed 400
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Philistines he wasn't exactly your
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perfect mold but God used him for a
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purpose and I would ask John Piper can
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God use broken sinful vessels for his
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purpose he used King Cyrus to bring
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God's chosen people after the first
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exile for the Reconstruction of the
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second temple and the question for John
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Piper he says I remain baffled well you
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shouldn't remain baffled Mr Piper
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because the people that are Trump
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supporters that are Christians they know
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Donald Trump's faults they could recite
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them back to you just like they know
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their own faults but he also has virtues
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and I never hear the virtues ever
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articulated from people like John Piper
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what are the virtues he's awfully
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courageous would you keep on fighting if
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you're facing 700 years in federal
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prison time and your family's business
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Empire is at risk of being taken from
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you would you keep on running for office
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and keep on fighting if everything
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you've done is in front of you I don't
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know if I would
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secondly his love of country I think is
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unparalleled unprecedented finally he
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was conflating a policy agenda with
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personality he says a president is not
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only personality or policy but it's also
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personality but policy is far more
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important than personality I'll prove it
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to you if you turn off your TV and you
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tune out of all the media will you still
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be impacted by the president yes by his
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policy and so the question for John
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Piper is you're watching way too much
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mainstream media you're being fected way
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too much about a man that I don't think
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you even know but can you acknowledge
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that Donald Trump delivered three
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Supreme Court Justices and gave us the
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overturn of Row versus weight if we
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voted the way that John Piper wanted us
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or let's just say Embrace that belief
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system in 2016 we would have had jeze I
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mean uh Hillary Clinton um as president
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and we never would have repealed Row
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versus Wade the embassy would not have
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been moved to Jerusalem we wouldn't have
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had peace in the Middle East I could go
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on I think we proved that the first
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Trump presidency flawed man excellent
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policy fulfilling his promises I don't
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think any Trump supporter you know is is
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necessarily in disagreement with what I
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would have said I'm baffled by John
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Piper an alleged humble fervent
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dedicated Bible teacher that can be
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indifferent to a million abortions a
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year a 100,000 kids on hormone blockers
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a wide open border the destruction of
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Western Society race hatred defund the
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police Rising crime the downfall of
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minneapolis's Hometown and him preaching
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about Donald Trump's
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personality it's on you John Piper to
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explain yourself not
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us go ahead really quick yeah you're
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good again John Piper would obviously
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stand against those things categorically
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categorically and unequally if you don't
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vote joh and John Piper wouldn't be the
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only one who would take this sort of
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stance I mean if you're going to oppose
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John Piper as a notable well I can
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listen Andy Stanley Russell Moore John
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Piper Rick Warren Timothy Keller has now
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passed away if David plat we could
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continue why won't they vote to end
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abortion period end of story if you will
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not vote to end abortion stop telling me
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you're a Christian all the time start
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acting and voting like you are a
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Christian I think they're just saying
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that we we can't have unconditional
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support of an individual simply because
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of his party we unconditional support of
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biblical principles that a flawed vessel
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fought for and achieved so Russell Moore
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David French all these guys that go
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around and talk about how terrible the
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Christian right is how can they
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reconcile cuz they're going to have to
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go in front of a supreme ruler of the
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world Jesus Christ and says why were you
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preaching in the New York Times and
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writing these long Meandering op EDS
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about how you didn't like Donald Trump's
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tone when you were given a binary Choice
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babies saved babies murdered and they're
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like well uh I don't like his tone what
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kind of a Christian is that he didn't he
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didn't mention tone he mentioned
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unrepentant sin of five categories all
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of which are mentioned explicitly in the
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New Testament if I was an Israelite in
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the time of the Old Testament I would
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not have advocated for Samson his leader
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he was not a commendable leader I would
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not sit here why he in the Hall of faith
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God thought he was a great leader thank
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goodness you're not the judge of sit
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here and campaign for Samson to be
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judged Samson in Hebrews did mean so did
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he put jeffa too and jeffa was a child
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sacrifice yes so maybe we can learn from
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the flawed vessels of the Old Testament
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not try to apply the perfect
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interpretation of the law you're making
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my point so it's not even a choice is
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what I'm getting at if you believe in
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the biblical principles if you believe
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in what the Bible says to love life to
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Love The Unborn to care about those that
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can't defend themselves it's a binary
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choice and it's not it's not about the
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defending the unrepentant alleged
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behavior of an individual it's did that
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individual Advance the priorities that
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we care about and the answer
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resoundingly was yes and I would agree
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with should vote Trump that's not the
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end do we really think that's the end
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though I mean to to think I think it's a
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Biblical principle Charlie and hopefully
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you would agree it's not only policies
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that a leader advocates for that impact
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the nation you're right it's also
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Supreme Court Justices yes and it's the
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character of an individual I could go
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through scripture have you ever met
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Donald Trump to Advocate this no I have
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not okay so but hold on I think this is
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super important because absent meeting
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an individual you don't know who he
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truly is but let's say he's all those
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terrible things I'm a center Trump's CER
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Trump has done more to fight for the
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priorities that I care about and I
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believe that every Christian should pray
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deeply and act to defend The Unborn this
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November thank you so much we get the
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next question thank simple question with
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it do you think Jesus of Nazareth first
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century who you and I both follow do you
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think he would agree with your statement
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that no born again Christian I Think
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Jesus of Nazareth would have handled
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Trump like he did in John 8 he would
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have said do not cast a stone stone
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against Donald Trump he would have said
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Trump sin no more you know what he would
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have said to Charlie Kirk he would have
10:25
said don't throw a stone at Charlie Kirk
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Charlie sin no more because we all fall
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short of the glory of God and God uses
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all of us as Broken Vessels for his
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purposes all of us well thank you
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