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This week, Donald Trump and the Republican Party have been rehearsing the rhetoric we’re likely to hear again in this fall’s midterms. In response to the results of the Los Angeles mayoral primary, they have declared the election invalid without offering any plausible explanation for how that could be so. When House Speaker Mike Johnson was asked directly why he does not accept the results, he said the issues were “so far upstream it’s impossible to prove.”

These claims are often framed as a belief in a conspiracy, but even conspiracies require an explanation of what has happened. When we look back at the origins of these claims of voter fraud in 2020, we can see a clear pattern that explains the present. After losing the election to President Joe Biden, Trump went out of his way to claim that votes were fraudulent in particular cities such as Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia and Phoenix. We even have audio of Trump asking Georgia’s secretary of state to “find 11,780” votes to overturn the results in Georgia.

When we place the claims of a “rigged” vote within this context, it becomes clear that what is being expressed is not a sincere belief in a particular conspiracy. Instead, the pattern that emerges is a refusal to acknowledge cities with large populations of Black and brown people as a valid part of the body politic. This assumption is expressed through the language of conspiracy, but its implications are clear. We must be clear-eyed as we approach the elections this fall in order to push back on this belief. As Christians, if we are to adhere to the principle of Imago Dei, which teaches that we are all made in the image of God, we must demand equal and fair representation for everyone, no matter where they live, how they look, who they love, or how they worship.

–Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners

P.S. We are continuing to build an intentional community of people looking to enact their faith in our Sojourners Faith and Practice Forum on Mighty Networks. Please consider joining us.

In the News

The Trump administration continued its mass deportation policies this week.
- Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law a nearly 70 billion dollar package that will keep agencies like ICE and CBP running for three years without any new restrictions or guardrails. Republicans passed the bill using budget reconciliation, which let them evade a Senate filibuster and pass the funding without any Democratic votes.
- White South Africans represent the only people being admitted under the Trump administration’s refugee program. Unfortunately for them, they are encountering state and federal laws designed to make life harder for refugees and other immigrants, including burdensome requirements for obtaining a driver’s license in Ohio and recently tightened federal limits on cash assistance.
- Children’s entertainer Ms. Rachel visited the Delaney Hall immigration detention center to meet with families separated by detention. “Why are we traumatizing kids?” she asked. Meanwhile, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill was granted a “closely controlled and limited tour” of the facility on Monday after being denied access for weeks.
Racial violence flared in the United States and around the world in several high-profile cases.
- After video of a Sudanese man stabbing a man on a Belfast street went viral, racist and xenophobic agitators like Elon Musk used the incident to inflame anti-immigrant sentiment and all but openly call for mob violence against racial minorities.
- A burning cross was discovered in Chicago’s Grant Park, prompting widespread condemnation from religious and political leaders leading one church to offer a 10,000 dollar reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. Several local politicians are pushing for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime.
- In Georgia, a Lee County family was shot by a man armed with an AR-15-style rifle who appeared to be racially targeting their gathering. The shooter, Jeffery Tyler Kinzer, who is white, allegedly drove past the gathering while shouting racial slurs, then returned wearing what witnesses described as body armor and carrying a rifle. He has been charged with aggravated assault, and more charges are expected.
International news was turbulent again this week.
- The United States and Iran exchanged fire after Iran downed a U.S. helicopter in the Gulf. The United States struck air defense systems, ground control stations and radar sites in retaliation, which in turn provoked Iran to strike at 21 targets at U.S. bases in the region. The U.S. strikes reportedly left more than 20,000 residents of southern Iran without access to water.
- Strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean are continuing, with the latest one killing two people earlier this month. To date, there have been 63 of these strikes, killing 207 people. The legality of the strikes has been questioned by a broad range of legal specialists on the use of lethal force.
- As the tide reportedly continues to turn against Russia in the Ukraine war, Ukraine has launched long-range strikes on military and energy sites inside Russia. However, peace between the two nations appears far off, even as the length of the war now exceeds the length of World War I.

Take Action

On June 18th we will host Context Unlocked with Trinity Williams, who will discuss the relationship between the United States and Cuba.
As the Iran War enters as new phase of escalation this week, we are calling on Congress to act.

What We’re Reading

“Carrying the Body of Christ, Catholics Lead Procession for Immigrants” | “In Washington, D.C., a Corpus Christi festival emphasized “communion with those families who are experiencing hardship because of immigration enforcement.” (by Ezra Craker)

“The Betting Economy Runs On Misplaced Faith” | “Idolatry and money-worship are telling us predictive markets should make moral decisions.” (by Joseph Barry)

Deep Breaths

The Violence is Not New

History might not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. This current political climate is dangerous, especially for people of color. Whether it shows up in inhumane detention centers or ropeless lynching, Black and brown people in America are living on the edge. As Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five put it years ago, don’t push me ‘cause I’m close to the edge, I’m trying not to lose my head.

This violence is not new. It reaches back further than the 250 years that will be celebrated next month. It reaches beyond U.S. borders. It has become so familiar that it rarely breaks through our news cycles. Whether physical, mental, spiritual, political, electoral, or social, the violence shifts and adapts to meet the moment.

Yet the steadfast love of God has not ceased; it has kept my ancestors, my family and me. I stand in this love with clear eyes, naming violence for what it is and challenging it in the ways I can, even as I make space for self-preservation, self-care and beauty. I breathe deeply, even when what I see feels far from the will of God. The Psalmist says when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we should not fear evil. No matter how we attempt avoid it, we will encounter it.

Now is a good time to determine how we will face what is before us. What are you willing to do to move through and not settle in the valley? What practices, rituals, readings, or music will sustain you in the days ahead, as we continue to witness so much on our screens and in our communities? We must celebrate the victories, both judicial and social. We must make room for joy and beauty. We must also prepare ourselves for what it means to endure and to move through. For some, the valley has been a long and familiar place. For others, it may feel newly shadowed. Either way, this is the time to build community, to seek God, to pray without ceasing, and to resist.

Jesus knew this kind of violence as a poor, marginalized Jew living under occupation. He was arrested on false charges and tried in a single day. His punishment was the terror of the cross. Yet that is not the end of the story. God raised him from the dead, taking away the power of death. That power God used to raise Jesus is at work in us even now, strengthening us to resist what seeks to destroy. Remember this.

–Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Program Director, Sojourners

The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff:

President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor
Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson
Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia
Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps
Political Director: Chad V. Stanton
Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris
Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks
Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams

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