President Trump, during a speech at the Museum of the Bible, in an effort to boost the appearance of success in lowering crime stats after deploying National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., downplayed domestic violence as a “lesser” crime. During his remarks, he referred to marital disputes as “little fights” that skew crime statistics.
Trump said, “They said, ‘Crime’s down 87 percent.’ I said, No, no, no — it’s more than 87 percent, virtually nothing. And much lesser things, things that take place in the home, they call crime. You know, they’ll do anything they can to find something. If a man has a little fight with the wife, they say this was a crime. See? So now I can’t claim 100 percent, but we are. We are a safe city.”
His comments have drawn widespread condemnation from survivors and advocates who have cautioned that minimizing abuse undermines public safety and discourages reporting.
When those entrusted with leadership minimize the pain of the vulnerable, how do we speak up as Christ’s body—proclaiming that dignity, protection, and truth are never optional?
You may not realize it, but countless women and men are suffering quietly under constant duress because of spousal abuse. Unfortunately, our society, laws, and culture often make it nearly impossible to escape a cunning, unsafe spouse. If anything, our leaders need to bring more urgency to this issue rather than minimizing the conflicts that are playing out in our homes across our nation.
I have a friend who is stuck. She’s moved forward, but she can’t break free because her captor, who is also her husband, won’t let her go. You may wonder, how is this true? Why can’t she just walk away? Well, it’s because they have children, and if she does, he has threatened over and over that he will use their children against her, despite her being a loving and devoted mother. She has been abused, hurt, threatened, manipulated, left homeless, and so much more. She has expressed over and over to her husband that she wants a divorce, but because he won’t give it to her, she is stuck.
What kind of man would do such a thing? Why won’t he honor the wishes of this woman? Why would he use all his time and mental effort to box her in? Who would steal money, children, safety, and more from their wife? He must be a bad guy. Well, no, he is not the villain you are expecting. He is actually a pastor, and this complicates matters. Not a single person in their community, when she became desperately unsafe, believed her, helped her, or saw her. She had no money, no place to go, and was paralyzed in real fear, and was left abandoned by her community because no one would believe this ‘man of God’ could have a real problem that urgently needed to be addressed. Trapped, she remained and still is because our world protects the reputations of evil men and dismisses the voices of noble women.
How to Confront Abuse and the Whitewashing of It
I share this story because domestic abuse is happening now in places you’d least expect it. Breaking free from this unhealthy environment is monumentally difficult for so many complex reasons. Statistically, it takes 5 to 7 times for women to leave an abusive partner. One huge part of the problem is that so many are prone to whitewashing this issue, just like Trump did, rather than validating it. Abuse, no matter its form, must be confronted.
Galatians 5:19-21 states, “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
These forms of evil keep us from inheriting the kingdom of Heaven. God desires no person to live under the yoke of fear, pain, and abuse. More than that, protecting abusers only hurts them. Abuse is an unhealthy pattern that needs to be addressed so healing can abound. Those who are trapped in a world in which manipulating, trapping, and harming their partner is unavoidable are lost. Abusers also need help so their sins do not exclude them from knowing God, although abuse survivors' safety is always the primary concern.
Psalm 9:9 says, “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” Being a refuge is an integral part of God’s character; as those who seek to emulate the Lord, we must strive to be people who offer refuge to the brokenhearted and vulnerable. We must use our voices to speak against powers, people, and policies that make room for oppression.
We Are Called to Do Justice and Be Careful with Our Words
Jeremiah 22:3-5 says, “Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.”
As believers, we are justice bringers in our world. Our actions, words, and lives should be rooted in a deep commitment to seeing righteousness and justice flourish in our world. This often requires us to be thoughtful in our speech. We cannot be haphazard with our words. It’s important not to diminish one evil to highlight an alternative cause.
Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” This means our lives and words are to champion truth, holiness, right living, and goodness at all times. In this situation, it was not necessary to minimize the evil of domestic violence to promote the results of a campaign against crime. Leaders and believers need to be careful to promote safety across the board.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We must not stop speaking out. Promoting justice, safety, truth, love, and not compromising as we have a vital role as light bringers in our dark world.
Our faith calls us to protect the vulnerable. James 1:25-27, The Message Version states, “Anyone who sets himself up as 'religious' by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” Jesus calls us to reach out to those who are in vulnerable situations and correct those who minimize their experiences.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Fizkes
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