‘Trump Comes Up Short’—Former Trump Supporter Wayne Grudem Now Calls for Him To ‘Back Out Now’

After supporting and voting for former president Donald Trump in the past two elections, theologian Dr. Wayne Grudem is now suggesting that the candidate “drop out of the current presidential race.”

Grudem published an article in Newsweek citing his reasoning. A self-described conservative, “lifelong Republican,” Grudem is looking for the best possible candidate to represent the political party and win the general election. “A candidate will have to win a majority of Independents in order to win the election. And that is where Trump comes up short,” said Grudem.

“Yes, dropping out would require a dose of humility, a quality not common among politicians. But humility is frequently recommended in the Bible: ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (James 4:6; also 1 Peter 5:5),” explained Grudem.

Wayne Grudem Encourages Former President Donald Trump To ‘Drop Out Now’

An author of 22 books, Dr. Wayne Grudem is also Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies at Phoenix Seminary. His most recent book, “Christian Ethics,” was published in 2018 and focuses on “helping readers apply a biblical worldview to difficult ethical issues.”

Since Trump has been accused of and charged for various ethical issues, one might assume that the topic of ethics would be at the top of Grudem’s list. However, that’s not the case. In fact, Grudem recently disagreed with Pastor John Piper when the two “reached different conclusions about [the 2020] presidential election.”

At the time, Piper wrote,

I remain baffled that so many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality (porneia), unrepentant boastfulness (alazoneia), unrepentant vulgarity (aischrologia), unrepentant factiousness (dichostasiai), and the like, to be only toxic for our nation, while policies that endorse baby-killing, sex-switching, freedom-limiting, and socialistic overreach are viewed as deadly.

In response, Grudem argued that when choosing government leaders, “policies and laws are not the only consideration, but they are the most important consideration,” even more important than the leaders’ character.

One of the first among the list of evangelical leaders and scholars to influence the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Grudem advocates for the biblical and traditional views of men, women, and marriage.

Throughout his Newsweek article, Grudem expanded on his argument that Trump should “drop out of the current presidential race.” He contended, “He is a weaker candidate than in 2016.”

A Republican candidate would need not only to win the votes of Republican voters but he or she would also need to win over independent voters. Grudem just doesn’t think Trump will do so.

7 Factors That Have Reduced Trump’s Support

Within his Newsweek article, Grudem outlined seven aspects that have had a direct impact on how voters on both sides view the former president.

1. Trump didn’t admit that he lost the 2020 election. Many Trump supporters still think the election was “stolen.” “I’m concerned that endlessly repeating this claim quickly turns off many independent voters,” claimed Grudem. “What they see is a sore loser.”
2. When the Jan. 6 demonstration became violent, Trump didn’t urge participants to stop. Grudem recounted the timeline of that disastrous day and pointed out that the president of the United States at that time, Donald Trump, “did nothing for more than 1 1/2 hours.”
3. Trump endorses weak Republican Senate candidates. To retain a majority in the Senate, Grudem claimed that Trump could have backed much stronger Republican candidates.
4. Trump has a long list of legal issues. Grudem referred to the more than 90 counts of felony charges against Trump. Whether or not voters feel these are legitimate claims (and Grudem thinks they’re “a malicious misuse of the courts”), the allegations raise doubts about the candidate.
5. He’s not getting any younger. Especially compared to the younger Democratic candidates, Trump is closer to Biden’s age—which presents the risk of unexpected health issues.
6. Voters are increasingly concerned about Trump’s character. While it’s not at the top of Grudem’s list, many voters are questioning Trump’s morals and behavior.
7. Even Republicans are tired of defending Trump. Grudem admitted that he will “support any Republican candidate because the policies supported by Republicans are more consistent with the overall teachings of the Bible.” However, many Republicans agree that “having to defend Trump again and again for another year produces in me a great feeling of weariness,” said Grudem.