• a former pastor (Mike Huckabee, also a former governor);
• the son of a pastor (Ted Cruz, a sitting US Senator);
• a Christian author (Ben Carson, famed orthopedic surgeon);
• a President's son (Jeb Bush, a former governor and also the brother of a recent President); • a Christian filmmaker (Rick Santorum, also a former US Senator);
• a Christian 4-term Governor (Rick Perry, current Secretary of Energy);
• a breast-cancer survivor (Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard);
• nine other current-and-former US Senators and state Governors.
But no.
But I was never a Never-Trumper. Even while supporting Ben Carson I wrote that Donald Trump is "a secular Ezekiel" calling Republicans to repentance for their cowardly collusion with fellow swamp-dwellers. Because I am a conservative, and the Republican party is closer to my philosophy than are the Dems, it hasn't been hard for me to warm up to Trump. His administration has gone from success to success by implementing policies I favor—especially the appointment of conservative judges at all levels of the Federal judiciary. Moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was just a cherry on top.
Some of my Christian friends (even conservatives) were Never-Trumpers, a position that becomes more tenuous for them with every passing week. Reduced war tensions, broad tax cuts, regulatory rollbacks, gov't cost savings, favorable trade deals, historically high Dow Jones (and low unemployment), and a booming economy all testify that Trump truly is Making America Great Again. Who really thinks John Kasich could've pulled any of this off? Bueller? Anyone?
But some of my Christian Never-Trump friends aren't conservative: they're liberal. Most of them would admit that Hillary Clinton was, at minimum, a flawed candidate. Some might acknowledge that Dem's pro-abortionism is hard to square with a Christian worldview. While some simply recoil at Trump's brash persona. But liberal folks are diametrically opposed to conservatism anyway, so presumably any Republican in the White House would be a problem for them.
A modest proposal: if you can't see Trump as an Ezekiel (who was, after all, on our side), maybe a guy who lived at the same time as Ezekiel will fit the bill. Try looking at our 45th President as a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar. If Trump is a pagan, perhaps you can be a Daniel.
Dare to be a Daniel was a popular Sunday School chorus when I was growing up. Daniel was ripped from his parents and home in Israel, and taken captive to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. While Nebby actually was a pagan who worshiped gods made of wood and stone, Daniel nevertheless served the king faithfully, all while maintaining his Jewish morals, ethics and faith in the Hebrew God.
Daniel's powerful boss was full of pride—boasting famously at one point about the marvels he had built in Babylon. Instantly smitten by God with insanity, he spent the better part of a year on his hands and knees like a caged animal. Daniel covered for him the whole time, kept the matter quiet, and held the throne steady during Nebby's absence.
Nebuchadnezzar had multiple wives, a harem, and legions of concubines. How ironic that the devout Hebrew, Daniel, dedicated his entire adult life to serving Babylonian, Median, and Persian kings. Here's the thing: there were large numbers of Jews living under those kings, and Daniel's influence was a direct benefit to the safety, comfort and prosperity of his fellow captives.
Like Christians today in any country, the Jews in Babylon had an overarching allegiance to not only their God, but also to their lifestyle. They had to find a way to do well in hostile territory, and Daniel was a perfect role model.
If you don't think the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jesus takes an active interest in the governance of earth's Pinnacle Nation, you need to brush up on your Bible studies. Daniel was arguably the second most powerful man on earth in his positions of trust alongside the kings he served. Whatever Trump's personal foibles, regardless of his own faith in Christ for salvation, he has been very good to God's people: whether Christian bakers and florists, a pastor in Turkey, or the Jews in Israel. There are several outspoken Christians in Trump's cabinet, and the President calls for prayer before his every meeting with them.
For the safety and prosperity of all Americans of any faith, or of no faith at all, please stop nit-picking at the President of the United States. He hasn't done anything illegal, and his policies are working well for the country. Bemoaning his style and whining about his possibly selfish motives is fruitless. He's a 72 year-old grandfather, a self-made billionaire whose net worth has dropped by 31% since he was elected (per Forbes). Donald Trump is unlikely to change his ways this late in the game. I actually think most of the Americans who voted for him did so because of his mannerisms; because his combativeness is deployed on their behalf.
So I urge you to consider how this Presidency can help the spreading of the gospel. Understand that temporal blessings for Christians in America will be used globally for the Kingdom of God.
In the same way Nebuchadnezzar wrote at the end of Daniel chapter 4, and Darius at the end of chapter 6, Donald Trump has explicitly praised God many times in public—often when commending the good deeds of outstanding Christians. Be a Daniel, and don't despise what God is doing through an imperfect vessel.