Michigan Senate candidate John James spoke at length about his Christian faith during President Donald Trump’s “Merry Christmas Rally” in Battle Creek, Michigan, repeatedly urging the audience not to put their hope in the federal government.
“If you get too much louder they might hear us in Washington. I tell you what, if they don’t hear us now, they’re going to hear us in November 2020. Well, first of all Merry Christmas. Happy Birthday, Jesus. I tell you what, I’m doggone proud to be in the party that can speak the name of Jesus in a big room and not be booed off stage,” James began his remarks.
James, who is challenging incumbent Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) in 2020, was one of several Republicans to warm up the crowd for President Trump.
“This is a season of joy. This is a season of hope, and hope is important, especially when we put our hope in the right things. And it’s not in Washington, D.C. It’s in heaven above. We have the right perspective and we must focus on the right things even when the world seems to be falling down around us,” said James.
The 38-year-old Iraq-War veteran and West Point grad spent most of his speech discussing the “reason” for the Christmas season.
“We have some grave concerns about what’s going on and our political parties seem to have replaced our religion. But there are some on the left who would take God out of government. Well I’ll tell you something: when you take God out of government, then the government tries to be God. There are certain things that man can’t fix. There are limitations to the government,” said James.
“This is what our country was built on and this, during this Christmas season, is what we must remember,” he continued. “The Lord sent Jesus because we are a fallen people, and none of us is perfect. And even when we are at are most—especially when we are at are most unlovable—we are called to love and be better.”
“So in this next year, I entreat you, be kind. Be courageous, be focused, and we will win. We are more than just political parties,” added James, who gained national prominence in 2018 during his competitive but unsuccessful bid against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).
James praised the Trump administration for “keeping its promises” and criticized Democratic lawmakers for their radical policy proposals.
“We need a better deal for our workers here in Michigan. We need to keep this country safe and healthy. We need solutions that are good for our environment as well as good for our economy, and the Green New Deal is not going to cut it,” he said. “We need to come up with solutions that provide quality healthcare for families at affordable prices and Medicare-for-All isn’t going to cut it. I’m telling you right now, we can barely afford Medicare for those who need it right now. We must protect Medicare and Social Security for our seniors now and our seniors in the future.”
James said he is “not going to wait to become a senator to start helping people who need help,” noting that his campaign plans to donate five percent of its proceeds to charity.
“I’m running because I feel called. I’m running because I’m blessed. The Lord has blessed me exceedingly and I believe I need to use my blessings to be a blessing to others,” he said. “There’s going to be over $10 billion—10 with a b—spent by candidates and politicians trying to convince good people like you all over the nation that we care. But guess what? Not a dime of that money is going to be making it to people who need it the most. So, that’s why, with your help, we’re going to be giving back a nickel, five cents, for every dollar we raise, we’re going to be giving it back.”
James concluded his speech by calling it “a sad day in American history,” since the rally was held on the night of the House impeachment vote.
“President Trump is talking about dreaming big again, he’s talking about doing hard things again, he’s talking about a time when Americans strived for greatness. We didn’t accept mediocrity from ourselves or from our leaders. We learned from our history, we didn’t try to erase it. It didn’t make us feel discriminated against. We didn’t resign ourselves to victimhood and we weren’t so doggone quick to get offended. We were able to do these things because we believed much more in each other than we believed in the federal government,” he said. “This is a sad day in American history. It’s a very solemn day in American history, but let this serve as a reminder: no one in the swamp is going to save us.”
His speech and the full rally can be watched below:
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photos by John James.
[…] received national attention during his Senate bid against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in 2018 and spoke at President Donald Trump’s recent campaign rally in […]
[…] received national attention during his Senate bid against Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in 2018 and spoke at President Donald Trump’s recent campaign rally in […]