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Full disclosure: I am an evangelical Christian, and I voted for Donald Trump. Last fall, before the Iowa Caucuses, in my column “The Trump train is rolling again,” I gave my reasons for not enthusiastically supporting Trump. In my recent column “Country above party is a false dichotomy,” I shared that I was voting for the Republican ticket and that included a vote for Trump.
Leading up to the election, I spoke with evangelical friends who were committed Trump supporters. I asked them if they thought that Trump was an evangelical himself. I asked about his divorces and the vulgar behavior he described in the Access Hollywood video. I asked them how they could give such full support to a man like Trump.
There was more than a little pragmatism or realpolitik in their responses. They acknowledged Trump’s flaws but argued that his policies aligned with evangelical priorities—appointing conservative judges, defending religious liberties, and standing against abortion. For many, these practical outcomes outweighed personal moral concerns.
But as we got closer to the election, something shifted. I began to see Trump depicted on social media using more and more religious iconography. There were memes with Trump surrounded by angels or even wearing angel wings himself. Another popular trope was lions. In the Bible, lions symbolize strength and power. The Lion of Judah is a reference to Jesus in his role as conquering king. I have seen several images of Trump being protected by lions, Trump in the lions’ den, or Trump marching with lions in tow.
After Trump won the election, this viral social media quote started making the rounds:
“To think that God ordained a filthy minded, adulterous, wealthy man with evil in his heart to preside over a nation challenges my self-righteous understanding. But He did, and that sinful man by grace gave us the Psalms. #KingDavid”
The quote starts with an allusion that makes readers think it is a description of Donald Trump. This quote is being circulated by ardent Trump supporters. Maybe, it shouldn’t surprise me that even the MAGA crowd thinks that upon reading about “a filthy minded, adulterous, wealthy man with evil in his heart to preside over a nation” readers will automatically think of Trump. The next part of the quote implies that making such judgments is an act of self-righteousness. Finally, the quote cleverly reveals that the subject is King David who wrote many of the Psalms.
Yes, these things are true of King David. But according to the Bible, long before David became king, there was evidence of God working mightily in his life. David was not even a soldier when he saw the army of Israel cowering before the Philistine champion Goliath. He volunteered to do what none of the soldiers would and went to fight and defeat the giant.
When David was king, he committed adultery with Bathsheba. It was even worse than the allusion in the social media posts. Bathsheba’s husband was in the army and David conspired to get him put on the front lines where he would be killed.
So, how did David, with all of his moral failings, go on to write many of the Psalms? God sent Nathan to confront David with his sin. When he was confronted, David did not try and deny or excuse his sin. Psalm 51 is David’s plea to God for mercy and forgiveness, it starts with:
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.— Psalms 51:1-2 (NIV)
Compare King David’s example of true contrition to this famous Trump quote. When asked whether he had ever sought God’s forgiveness, Trump said:
“I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
Could God work in Trump’s life and cause him to ask for God’s mercy and guidance like David? Absolutely! As a Christian, I pray that He does. I pray that God will send a Nathan who can help him “bring God into that picture.”
To my many friends who shared this quote, let me say, “I knew King David and Donald Trump is no King David!”
David Chung is a Gazette editorial fellow. [email protected]
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