The company you keep
Anyone who associates with Donald Trump or his minions can't avoid being tainted
The recent actions of former President Trump and his staff at Arlington National Cemetery while honoring the 13 American soldiers killed in 2021 during the withdrawal from Afghanistan have garnered significant attention in the political news cycle. However, what might have gone unnoticed except for a few news reports was the presence and response of another politician who accompanied Trump during his visit, Gov. Spencer Cox of Utah.
Cox, who is running for reelection, was present at the request of one of the grieving families whose loved one hailed from Utah. Cox posed for a photo at the grave site of the fallen soldier with Trump and the family members; fortunately, he didn’t flash a “thumbs up” sign like Trump, who seemed oblivious to the inappropriateness of such a gesture at a cemetery. Both politicians used images from the visit to promote their respective campaigns despite explicit instructions not to do so because it violated federal law. What happened after that was illuminating.
After Army officials reiterated the federal law prohibiting photos or videos taken at Section 60 of the cemetery to be used for partisan campaign purposes, Gov. Cox admitted the error in using the image in a campaign email, stating in response to a social media post from a third-party candidate for a Utah County commission seat:
“This was not a campaign event and was never intended to be used by the campaign. It did not go through the proper channels and should not have been sent. My campaign will be sending out an apology.”
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign attacked Army officials, the cemetery staffer who was “verbally and physically assaulted by Trump campaign staff” while attempting to enforce the prohibition on campaign photos or videos at the site, and the news media covering the episode. Trump claimed the grieving families gave them permission to film and photograph the event, even though they lacked the authority to do so. He later used their statements to defend him against critics of his actions, including Vice President Harris, who said Trump “disrespected sacred ground, all for the sake of a political stunt.”
Campaign spokespersons accused the cemetery staffer of suffering from “a mental health episode” and called her “a despicable individual,” eliciting a rare rebuke from the Secretary of the Army, defending her and praising her for her professionalism. In response, the Trump campaign reposted videos from the event “to trigger the hacks at @SecArmy.” The fact they violated federal law was secondary to insulting and provoking the ire of their opponents.
Chris Cameron, a New York Times reporter who was with Trump and his entourage at Arlington National Cemetery, wrote later that many other politicians in the past had used video clips or photos of their visits to the cemetery for political purposes, but when called on it quickly apologized for their actions and removed the offending imagery. Peter D. Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University, said he couldn’t recall an episode where a campaign was informed they were violating the law and continued to do it anyway, then went on the attack after their misdeeds became public:
“It is not uncommon that a politician drags the military into a partisan moment — that happens all too often, and both parties do it. What is unusual in this instance is how the Trump team reacted when they were called out for it. Instead of apologizing or claiming it was all a misunderstanding, they doubled down, {which} is what provoked the other unusual aspect of this case: a formal follow-up from the Army defending the public official.”
However, we shouldn’t be surprised by Trump's behavior or that of his people. To my recollection, he has never admitted wrongdoing or apologized for his words or actions, and his response to criticism has always been to insult and demean those who disagree with him. He hires people who echo his disdain for civility and decorum and find him incapable of error.
Regrettably, his influence in the public square has allowed us to be our worst selves. Just a few days ago, at one of his rallies, he was denouncing the press as “the enemy of the people” as he often does, and one of the rallygoers was motivated to storm the press section, presumably with ill intent. He was tased by law enforcement and taken away, but Trump’s response wasn’t to calm the crowd or discourage such behavior. Instead, he remarked, “Is there anywhere that’s more fun to be than a Trump rally?” Trump often uses his rallies to criticize his adversaries, whom he considers enemies of the American people, and observers have noted that “violent, fearmongering, and dehumanizing rhetoric has been Trump’s stock in trade over the past decade.”
Given what we know about Trump and his insistence that he’s not going to change, I am mystified by Gov. Cox’s recent endorsement of Trump after years of rejecting his behavior and refusing to vote for him as he preached a return to civility and respect in American politics. Cox had a well-earned reputation as a Republican in the mold of fellow Utahn and U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, and his political star rose despite his distance from Trump:
A few months ago, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was one of the few prominent Republicans consistently keeping his distance from Donald Trump, whose brash style seemed to be the antithesis of a brand of politics Cox had carefully cultivated that centered on unity and respect.
Cox did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020, and told CNN in July that he would not vote for him this year. The governor said the then-president’s role in inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol went too far.
Days later, after an assassination attempt on Trump at a Pennsylvania rally, Cox changed his mind.
Cox sent a letter to Trump explaining that his defiant response at the moment of the shooting had spurred a sudden reassessment and switch for Cox.
Cox said that he saw an opportunity to encourage Trump in the wake of the assassination attempt to use the experience positively “by emphasizing unity rather than hate.” However, not only did this puzzling turnaround confuse and confound his supporters, who had previously embraced him for his independence from the toxicity and polarization brought on by Trump, but it is unlikely to have the desired effect. One writer made that observation in the wake of the Arlington National Cemetery debacle and the contrast between Cox’s apology and Trump’s rhetorical escalation:
The opposing responses highlight the disconnect between their political styles and reignite questions as to why Cox has chosen to stand by Trump, who said after the assassination attempt that he had no plans to change his ways.
I wrote previously that Gov. Cox was too dismissive of Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, former GOP members of Congress who emerged as prominent adversaries of Trump and paid dearly for their stance. He didn’t believe their opposition was constructive and said they needed to “disagree better,” to borrow the title of his National Governors Association initiative. I countered that he underestimated the hostility and abuse to which Trump and his most fervent supporters subjected those who oppose him publicly. I suggested that he was fortunate to work in a political environment where that behavior is mostly not encouraged, as a recent news report described.
The state is a rare Republican stronghold that has half-heartedly embraced Trump, whose divisive rhetoric and comments about refugees and immigrants do not sit well with many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. About half of Utah’s 3.4 million residents belong to the faith known widely as the Mormon church.
My exposure to the Mormon faith is dated since I last examined it in college when some classmates were courting me to join their church. However, surveys consistently show that Mormons are among the most devout and spiritual people in the United States, “with the highest percentage of worshippers who pray daily and attend church weekly.” I do not doubt that their deep investment in the principles and practices of their faith is probably why they have largely resisted the siren call of Trumpism to which too many professed Christians have succumbed.
I understand that it’s a matter of faith to be receptive to everyone; in the Bible, which is one of the four texts considered canon by the Latter-day Saints, the apostle Paul said, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:17-18), and “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). It appears that this is what motivates Cox to try and engage Trump, as his conversation with a reporter from The Atlantic who’d followed his career suggests:
“That ‘Love your enemies’ stuff—it sucks. I hate it. I wish Jesus had never said that,” Cox told me. But if he was serious about injecting decency and compassion back into politics, he explained, he needed to find a way to work with his political enemies. And within his own party, at least, he could think of few figures who qualified as enemies more than Trump. “To me, this is kind of the ultimate test.”
Surely, I told him, there was a way to show Christian love to Trump and his supporters without endorsing the man for president. I pointed to the long list of things Trump has done and said that Cox has found abhorrent, and Cox insisted he still found all the same things abhorrent. He also made clear that he’s not among those claiming that Trump found God after his near-death experience: “I’m not an idiot. The guy’s 78. He’s probably not changing.”
That last point is a striking moment of clarity that makes Gov. Cox’s outreach all the more confusing. While we are called to “love our enemies,” Paul warned his protege Timothy about the perils of associating with people like Trump. I’m using The Message’s translation of this passage of Scripture to attune Paul’s description to 21st-century eyes and ears:
Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they’re animals. Stay clear of these people. (1 Timothy 3:1-5)
Moreover, Paul warns the faithful about people who cause division rather than bringing people together:
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. (Romans 16:17-18)
But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned. (Titus 3:9-11)
Ultimately, we must exercise good judgment regarding the character of those with whom we align ourselves. King Solomon tells us in the Book of Proverbs, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20). Paul warned the church in Corinth, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Corinthians 5:33). Jesus gave the best advice of all for Christians going out into the world:
“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.” (Matthew 10:14)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16)
Gov. Cox believes outreach and engagement with Trump and his supporters will reap positive benefits for the nation. While I commend him for his optimism, I think now, as I did when I wrote about him, that he’s incredibly naive for an experienced politician. After decades of observing the behavior of the man, Trump is what he’s always been: ambitious, self-serving, lascivious, profane, and prone to think of himself more highly than he ought, to use the words of the apostle Paul from Romans 12:3. As Cox himself said, “He’s probably not changing.”
Moreover, after years of witnessing the corruption of the body politic in America because of him, I’m persuaded that the most likely outcome of contact with Trump is to be permanently tainted by the association. Gov. Cox is already experiencing this; Chris Karpowitz, a political science professor at Brigham Young University, said this of Cox’s presence with Trump at Arlington National Cemetery:
“I’m confident that he was there to support a Utah family, and that’s a laudable goal, but in being there with Donald Trump, he got pulled into something that creates some ethical challenges. He allowed himself to compromise his values, and he’s not the first politician aligning with Donald Trump to have found himself in that position.”
Karpowitz said that Cox has nothing to gain politically from associating with Trump. He is assured of reelection after winning the GOP primary, and he had managed, up to this point, to achieve sustained success in a Republican Party that has essentially excommunicated anyone who isn’t unquestionably loyal to Trump. Karpowitz described Cox’s hope that Trump could unify the nation as “somewhat naive” - there’s that word again.
Many who admired him for his principled stance against Trump and Trumpism are dismayed by his turn:
Kyle Douglas of Orem said he lost his trust in Cox when the governor chose to back a presidential candidate who does not share his values.
“I used to be proud that my governor was still one of the good guys,” Douglas said. “It’s so disappointing to see him sell out.”
Lucy Wright of Provo put her disgust more bluntly.
“Trump is a big orange stain on his legacy,” she said.
The reporter from The Atlantic who interviewed him branded him “The Last Man in America To Change His Mind About Trump” and also captured the backlash from his decision:
“Republican Politician Buckles to Party Pressure, Endorses Trump” is not a new story. It has played out hundreds of times in the past eight years. But Cox is an unusual case. He did not endorse Trump during his own recent Republican primary, when he was fending off challenges from multiple MAGA rivals and had much more to gain politically. And his abrupt reversal has shredded his reputation as a principled Republican. Brian King, Cox’s Democratic rival this fall, condemned him for “going where the wind blows him.” Stuart Reid, an anti-Trump Republican and former state senator, wrote in an open letter, “You have lost your credibility and relinquished your honor.”
Among those who know Cox, the news was treated almost as a mystery to be solved. “I’m shocked at how many ‘WTF’ texts I’ve received on this one,” a longtime Republican strategist in Utah told me shortly after the announcement.
Gov. Cox insists that his efforts are worthwhile because Trump needs someone in his ear who’s not seeking favors from him but is attempting to encourage his better angels - “Even if it’s the smallest, tiniest possible influence over the next four years to move things in a better direction, it’s worth taking, even at great personal risk or harm.” Of course, I hope that Trump won’t be in a position to require “the smallest, tiniest possible influence over the next four years.” The damage he’s already done to the country and, more importantly to me, the church's mission to make disciples will take years to overcome, even if his presence is diminished. Nevertheless, the healing process can’t start while he remains prominent nationally.
Still, one part of Cox’s statement that has already come to pass is that he’s suffered “great personal risk or harm.” People who supported him are very angry with him, and “many of his allies in the fight against polarization felt betrayed by his decision.” Meanwhile, Trump supporters who mistrusted him still do, even though he seems determined to reach out to them:
…[H]e hoped he might now be able to reach a new audience with his message: his own party’s base. Cox told me about the people he grew up with in Fairview, and how much they distrusted politicians like him. In speeches, he frequently invokes his rural hometown as an example of how partisan politics can poison a community. “I really do care about them, but they don’t think I care about them,” he told me. “If you’re a Never Trumper, you’re the enemy.” With his endorsement, Cox wasn’t their enemy anymore—would they listen to him now?
Despite his earnest efforts to build bridges, I predict Trump and his allies will do what they do best. If Gov. Cox, in retrospect, finds himself somewhat uncomfortable with his endorsement, it’s probably from the heat of the bridges he built being set aflame.