It is sobering to think of the wreckage inside so many evangelical churches, institutions, and friendships in the past 8 years, and how much began with a Republican populist movement that promised Christians power and influence if they would just get on board. And now, the pretenses of that deal are nakedly visible as the movement fully pivots toward a win-at-all-costs platform, decked out with porn stars, Hinduism, and “safe/legal/rare.”

For the GOP, it’s business as usual. For a lot of evangelicals, there are relationships they can’t get back, ministries they can’t reconcile with, and memories they cannot forget. All for absolutely nothing.