Long ago, when I was the family liberal and still believed in things like The Washington Post, my sister said something to me I’ll never forget. Her job at the Pentagon gave her inside information on certain global and military-related events. “I don’t trust anything in The Washington Post,” she said. “If they are dead wrong on things I personally know about, how can I trust them on anything else?”

I couldn’t help but think of Dodie last night when I was sent an email with a screenshot of a Washington Post headline. “Trump would act ‘like a little elementary schoolchild,’ former spiritual adviser says.” Sure enough, the advisor they were talking about was The Stream’s own publisher, James Robison.

Let’s stop right there. From the headline alone, what is your conclusion? That President Donald Trump acted like a little elementary schoolchild while being advised by Rev. Robison.

Would you say that’s a fair reading of the headline? Yes.

Would you say that is the impression The Washington Post wanted to give? Yes.

Is it true? Absolutely not.

Why I Found the Article Funny

“If they’re wrong on things I personally know about, how can I trust them on anything else?”  

I knew from the headline that whatever was to follow in the article had to be held with suspicion. Countless times after his conversations with President Trump, James would relate the basics of the conversation. Never was there any hint of Trump acting like a schoolchild. In fact, James would always speak of Trump’s graciousness. And willingness to listen. Even if James let loose, as evangelists are genetically wired and spiritually anointed to do. I heard James often say, “The President was always indescribably respectful and expressed sincere appreciation.”

I began reading the article with trepidation, then nearly burst out laughing.

That First Encounter

It seems that while accepting an award from the National Association of Christian Lawmakers Wednesday night, Robison veered into talking about Trump, as an example of God using imperfect people, of the need to speak truth with love to all regardless of position. Specifically, he recounted their first meeting. And with the dramatic flair of an evangelist, Rev. Robison had said:

“‘Sir, you act like a little elementary schoolchild and you shoot yourself in the foot every morning you get up and open your mouth! The more you keep your mouth closed, the more successful you’re gonna be!’”

Wait a sec! He’s not talking about when Trump was President. He’s talking about their first meeting! When Trump was candidate Trump, and had been shredding his opponents with taunts — and not coincidentally sucking up all the media oxygen and suffocating lesser candidates.

And it’s frankly hysterical someone would tell Trump that to his face … with the love of Jesus, of course.

What’s extremely pertinent to the story — and extremely funny to me — is this meeting took place when James Robison was vehemently opposed to Donald Trump’s candidacy. After all, he was well acquainted with most of the other candidates, and dear, dear friend to several. Best I can recall, James went a whole year before meeting with Trump never referring to him as anything other than “That man Trump.”

Yet, as Rev. Robison said Wednesday, he and Trump ended up speaking for an hour-and-a-half. “I gave him everything I had, as much as I’d ever given anybody,” James has said publicly of that first meeting. “And I’ve never had someone receive me as graciously. Been so open.” They soon met again … then again.

Ultimately, a warm friendship formed. And the still-solid conviction that if Trump listens to Wisdom and trusts God, he had the right stuff to do great things for this country. Ask the people freed from the tyranny of ISIS or the children to be saved by the downfall of Roe v. Wade or those who signed the Middle East Peace deals or endorsed larger paychecks if Rev. Robison was right.

Ask yourself if that would be true today of Trump — or anybody else for that matter.

Not About What James Said. It’s About Bludgeoning Trump Any Way Possible

Look. You don’t need me to tell you what James said Wednesday, or the spirit with which he said it. You can watch for yourself. In fact, we encourage you to. James comes up at nearly exactly the two-hour mark.

I want to focus on The Post … and the other outlets rushing to take Rev. Robison out of context. Because all you need to do is pay attention to the news coverage since Election Day and Trump’s announcement Tuesday to know what is really going on.

How many stories or reports have you seen blaming Trump for the GOP’s less-than-expected results? As if the mail-in balloting he warned against before 2020 did not have a factor. Or Mitch McConnell withholding millions from candidates like Blake Masters to prop up Lisa Murkowski in her race against another Republican. Or the contemptible and corrupt disaster of Maricopa County’s voting machines. Or just the simple fact that when it comes to endorsements, you win some, you lose some. And Trump has a batting average that leads the league.

No, it’s ALL TRUMP’S FAULT!

How many articles have you seen quoting this Republican or that Republican saying it’s time to move on from Trump? (Usually RINOS who never had much use for Trump, or eager beavers who want the top gig.) How many posts about billionaires saying they won’t spend any money on Trump? (I thought big money in politics was a bad thing.)

How many articles about formerly Trump-friendly media outlets casting him aside?

How many articles praising Gov. Ron DeSantis as the Next Great Thing, the One Who Finally Rids Us of Trump? (To the point even DeSantis is saying, “Chill Out.”)

How many media appearances from former VP Mike Pence on outlets that spent four years mocking his faith and attacking everything he was working to do every day?

It was inevitable that the media would eventually grab hold and twist a quote from one of Trump’s evangelical advisors to try and split Trump’s evangelical supporters. To blast across the sky “Trump Even Trashed By His Own Spiritual Advisors! He’s Being Abandoned By His Evangelical Base! God Himself Wants Nothing to Do With Trump!”

I mean, think about it. What would mainstream media reporters be doing at a meeting of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers anyway, if not looking for a hook to a storyline they already had written?

One singular, coordinated message is being pounded into our brain: “Trump is finished. Over. No chance.” If Trump had a dog, The Post would report the dog has run away.

Are We That Gullible? No.

Are we going to be that gullible to fall for this scam from the same people who told you “Trump is a Russian Agent! Trump Said Nazis are Fine People! Trump Trashed Dead Vets! Trump Plotted an Insurrection! Trump Stole Nuclear Secrets That He’s Stashing at Mar-a-Lago!” (Just this week, with the midterms out of the way, the WaPo admitted there was nothing nefarious about Trump taking some documents home with him.)

No. We’re not. We’re not going to fall for it. We’re going to laugh at their latest feeble fable.

But we are going to again wonder, “What in the world are they so afraid of? Why this feverish narrative declaring the end of the man who they insist got whipped two years ago in the cleanest, fairest election in history of the universe?” If Trump’s time has truly passed you would not need to lie by omission and take wildly out of context the words of a preacher to convince people his time has passed.

Does everybody understand how sleazy and strange that is?

Oh, and I’ll add another question, “Do they have any idea how much abusing Rev. James Robison for their dirty work is likely to backfire?”

Editor’s Note

I’ve worked with James Robison at LIFE Outreach and The Stream for over 8 years. I have watched him faithfully and fearlessly and passionately (and, yeah, sometimes colorfully) share God’s transforming truth with everyone in unconditional love. He’s not partisan or sectarian. Not in the business of magnifying anyone but Jesus. Instead, he continually presents biblical truth and principles that led to the founding of our nation.

For over five years, we saw him share truth, concern and encouragement with President Trump before and after he was elected. As he would any political figure.

He repeatedly said this man is loved by common sense and freedom loving Americans because a wealthy man and his family truly care about them and the future of freedom. And no family has been beat up more than the Trump family when trying to do the best for the American people.

No one will stop James from caring about the President and appreciating the many positive things he accomplished. No one will stop James from preaching the need for unity and standing against the principalities and powers (and their media pawns) who seek to divide us.

 

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and now at TRUTH Social.