Commentary - Donald the Divine

By Jeanette Strong

On Sept. 30, 2016, two women, Sandy and Noreen, were interviewed at a Trump rally in Michigan. The women not only supported everything Trump was saying, they went a little further.  Sandy said this about Trump: “Just keep on point about what you’re gonna do because we love it. We all feel the same way. We always have — for years. So, we finally have this god that’s gonna come down and help us all.”

The reporter responded, “You just referred to Trump as a god.” 

Sandy replied, “Yeah, he is. Well, like she said [pointing to Noreen], Jesus, then Trump,” referring to a comment Noreen had made earlier. I have never heard a Trump supporter refute their belief that Trump is just below Jesus.

On April 27, 2017, televangelist Jim Bakker had a guest, author Joel Richardson, on Bakker’s television show. During the discussion, all of which supported Trump’s actions, Richardson said about ongoing protests against Trump, “It’s not against Donald Trump. On the outside, in the natural [world], it’s, ‘We hate Donald Trump,’ ‘We’re furious about this and we’re furious about that,’ but the scriptures say they gather and they plot ultimately against the Lord and against His anointed.” In other words, anyone protesting anything Trump does is actually protesting against God.

Another Trump acolyte, Wayne Allyn Root, tweeted this about Trump on August 21, 2019: “....the Jewish people in Israel love him like he’s the King of Israel. They love him like he is the second coming of God.”  Trump, of course, retweeted these comments, thanking Root and demonstrating that he agrees that he is  “the second coming of God.”

Trump reinforced this belief at a press conference later that day. On the White House lawn, Trump was discussing the trade war with China. He concluded by saying, “Someone had to do it.” He then looked up,  raised both arms to the sky and said, “I am the chosen one.”  Despite later claiming it was a joke, Trump looked very serious; I think he believed what he was saying.

On July 18, 2015, at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, Trump was asked if he had ever asked for God’s forgiveness. Trump, known for his serial adultery, gave this breath-taking reply: “I’m not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so. If I do something wrong, I think I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture.” By saying this, Trump was basically implying that he and God are on equal footing so Trump doesn’t need to ask God for forgiveness.

Because of this attitude towards Trump, his followers behave like members of a cult. Cult followers believe their leader can do no wrong, and even when he flip-flops and contradicts himself, which Trump does constantly, everything he says is right. They believe any opposition is unjust persecution. They also believe the leader is the ultimate, unquestioned authority, meaning he is above the law. Anyone watching how Trump’s supporters are behaving during the current impeachment process can see these ideas proven over and over. Republican senators are saying they won’t even read the evidence. Their minds are made up, regardless of facts. True cult behavior.

Matthew 7:15-16 - Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.

Galatians 5:22-23 -  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Are these the fruits we see being produced by Trump? Perhaps his followers should take another look at themselves and ask why they are following him so blindly. Perhaps he is not so divine after all.