I rolled my eyes in 2017 when I came across an article judging Melania for wearing stilettos to Texas to meet citizens in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. “Wearing heels is not a moral issue,” I once preached from the stage of my church, despite the fact that I didn’t support Trump. “If we draw attention to stupid things like this, no one is going to listen when it matters.”
During the last election, we had a problem. Because of articles like this, which we could classify as “fake news,” Trump was able to convince his most dedicated supporters that all news that critiqued him was fake. Those sharing real stories and stats to draw attention to deeper issues were baffled as they were accused of participating in “fake news.”
In this election, I’ve encountered a new dimension of fake news. As people have read my recent critiques of Trump, they have either accused me of having TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) or brought up the subject of TDS. Yes, this time around the election cycle, I have been classified as “deranged” for critiquing Trump. My personhood has been demeaned, and I am considered by some to be suffering from an undiagnosed psychosis. I am the embodiment of fake news—an insane man bought into some crazy agenda because I’m spending a fair amount of time critiquing Trump.
This is a clever way to get around the freedom of speech. It doesn’t matter what stories, stats, and opinions people give if it’s all fake and deranged. It doesn’t matter what Trump does or doesn’t do if all of his critics are suffering from an unstable medical condition prohibiting them from thinking straight.
Friends: I understand you will vote your conscience in this election just as I will vote mine. Whoever you vote for, make sure your heart is clear of false worship and that your president of choice is not a god in your life. No president needs adoring fans who will support everything they do. No president (or person, for that matter) deserves the right to be above critique. May we do our best to listen to and love one another even in disagreement.
Jamin Bradley 
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