“If given the choice between Righteousness and Peace, I choose Righteousness.” — Teddy Roosevelt

The moment that shocked me the most about the future of America was the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in 2018. When Democrats realized they couldn’t block his nomination to the Supreme Court, they sunk to political violence, with high-profile intimidation tactics used against then-Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and others.

(When they tried the same thing on my old boss Sen. Orrin Hatch — I blush with pride — he told them to “grow up.”)

This street-level thuggery was a far cry from the perfectly civil behavior we were all used to, but the violence worked. Although Flake still voted for Kavanaugh, the protesters – including some who needed to be arrested – scared Flake out of the Senate, handing his seat to the Democrats.

Apparently, six years later, Flake is still so cowed by them that he has endorsed Kamala Harris. This — along with retiring Sen. Mitt Romney’s sort of endorsement this month — is yet another win for so-called progressive members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who believe that Donald Trump has taken the Republican Party too far.

In response to this, the Trump campaign announced official LDS outreach, something they shouldn’t have to waste their precious resources with.

Why many LDS members have been cool to Trump is part of a pathological need to be seen as nice — even by people who absolutely despise us. The church teaches us we should be kind-hearted and nice, and Donald Trump is not nice. President Russell M. Nelson himself said:

“Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements. Vulgarity, faultfinding and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers and other influencers throw insults constantly.”

However, for some reason “progressive” Mormons believe that the current uncivil discourse is only the fault of populist Republicans. They seem to ignore the cottage industry of paid protesters, “mostly peaceful protests” that have done billions in damages, routine calls for violence, actual violence used against Flake and others, and the recent assassination attempts on Trump’s life.

Regardless, Flake and other “progressives” seem to believe there is a place for left-wing Mormons in the Democrats’ “Big Tent,” a tent so big that it now includes:

• The porn industry and those who want porn in our elementary schools.
• Radicals who mutilate children for profit.
• Abortionists who sell dead babies for Lamborghinis.
• Chinese spies.
• The literal Satanic Temple.
• Jihadist terrorist sympathizers.

On that last one, Republicans overwhelmingly support Israel whereas only a minority of Democrats do. If you believe in the literal gathering of Israel, you probably shouldn’t vote for people who support its genocide.

Indeed, it is “progressive” members of the faith who must justify their political choices, not the other way around. Wokeness is now the prevailing philosophy in America for every corrupt university, hypocritical multinational and the disgusting entertainment complex church leaders have warned against for decades.

When Teddy Roosevelt called himself progressive, it was to protect everyday Americans from the elite. Modern-day progressivism is the opposite of that, which is why the “woke billionaire” exists. Wokeness is as great and spacious as it gets.

These elite are so greedy for power they want to strip normal Americans of their constitutional protections, which President Dallin H. Oaks warned about in April 2021. Although he insisted this warning was nonpartisan, just a few days later, President Joe Biden threatened that “no amendment is absolute.” More recently, John Kerry has said that the First Amendment is “a major block” to quashing speech progressives don’t like.

Now, the final issue where blue Mormons believe they have leverage is illegal immigration, which is why Utah has become a shadow-sanctuary state of sorts. This is a stance on niceness that must be rebuked.

Disobeying and dishonoring the law is not nice. Letting child sex traffickers, foreign spies, ISIS terrorists and violent gangs into our communities is not nice. Overwhelming public schools and already-taxed social services is not nice. Destroying the blue-collar workforce is not nice. Depriving developing countries of their labor force is not nice. (That was the whole point of the church’s long-forgotten Perpetual Education Fund.)

There is nothing progressive about 21st century progressivism. Teddy Roosevelt isn’t here to protect us, but no president since him as used the bully pulpit like Trump. So-called progressive members of the church like Jeff Flake need to grow up.

Jared Whitley is a longtime D.C. politico, having worked in the U.S. Senate and White House. He has an MBA from Hult Business School in Dubai. This year, the Top of the Rockies competition named him the best columnist in the Intermountain West.