by Alan Langstaff

In the last Langstaff Letter, I wrote about President-Elect Donald J. Trump, his life, and his business and TV enterprises. Today, I want to look at his political endeavors. In doing so I will include my own comments along the way.

ESCALATOR RIDE

“The escalator ride in 2015 that changed America” was how it was described in regard to the day Trump entered the contest for President of the United States of America. Politico Magazine wrote, “it seemed like a stunt when Donald Trump rode down to make his presidential announcement and maybe it was.” Gwenda Blair, a Trump biographer, described it “with Melania almost like the royal couple” it seemed like royalty indeed. So began the campaign to become the President of America in 2016.

2016 – REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE

There were a number of people seeking the Republican endorsement including Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush. Cruz won the first caucus in Iowa, but eventually Trump prevailed. Hilary Clinton was the Democrat candidate. The contest was considered “extremely unconventional, often ugly and increasingly divisive” (history.com). Clinton was ahead in the polls. In the election, she received almost 3 million more than Trump, but he won the Electoral College.

A PROPHETIC WORD

Like many people, I was following the election and I was aware that many prophets had voiced their opinion that Trump was God’s man. On September 29th, 2016 I had gone to bed and was fast asleep. The phone rang and Dorothy came to tell me one of our congregation, a canine cop, was in an accident and had been taken to hospital. It was arranged with his wife, that if it was serious I would get dressed and go to the hospital. So we waited for her to call back.

I sat on the bed, half asleep when suddenly the Spirit of God came all over me and I felt God was giving me a prophetic word. I wrote down what I felt God was saying to me. It was –

  1. Hillary won the first debate but Trump will win the election.
  2. It may not turn out the way people think it will.
  3. It will be a mixed blessing as there will be good things but there will also be chaos and confusion.

As it turned out Trump won the Election and the rest also took place.

THE PRESIDENTIAL YEARS

Looking back from 2025, it is obvious that Trump, in 2016, did not really know how Washington worked and did not initially make good appointments to cabinet positions. Yet, in the midst of it all, he did many good things. For example, he began to build the border wall, and his economic policies brought prosperity to people.

COVID

Then came COVID-19, which impacted everyone. Schools were often closed, and children studied on the internet and at home. Trump called out China for its part in the origins and spread of COVID-19 worldwide. “Trump responded to the devastating toll the virus took on our businesses and our workers.” He also launched a historic effort to develop a vaccine and therapeutics in record time. Undoubtedly the COVID-19 virus had a determinal effect on his presidency.

2020 ELECTIONS

Joe Biden, the Vice President under Obama became the Democratic nomination for President. I have to confess I thought Trump would win and said so. I was wrong although many people still believe it was stolen. For them, it is like a team in a football match when it is about to win, losses because the referee missed a call. The reality of it all was that Biden won. There is no doubt that COVID-19 played a major part in it all. So the central issue in the Election related to COVID and the civil unrest in relation to the police murder of George Floyd. There was also a record number of ballots that were cast by mail.

THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED

Consequently, Trump was considered to be out of the race for 2024, especially as there was an ongoing attempt to overturn the election results which resulted in many lawsuits. Trump vowed he would never concede the election and on January 6th, 2021 a mob of Trump supporters were involved in the events that occurred in the United States capital during the joint session of Congress which met to certify the Electoral College count. Nevertheless, Biden was inaugurated. Trump did not attend the inauguration and during the subsequent years, he was prosecuted by various prosecutors.

The Biden presidency in itself is a subject all on its own and Biden in turn was considered by most as unpopular.

2024 ELECTIONS

Coming now to the 2024 Elections, Trump decided to run again. In the primaries, he defeated the other candidates. The last one standing was Nicki Hayley. So it became a contest between Trump and Biden. At the same time, Trump was defending himself against a number of lawsuits.

There were several turning points on the road to the Election.

There was the debate between Trump and Biden. Biden was in many ways pathetic and Trump had the best of the debate. It was also the point when many Democrats saw the mental decline of Biden and began to look for another candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris eventually became that candidate.

Also, there were the two assassination attempts on Trump’s life. Many people, myself included, considered it was an Act of God that protected him and Trump himself declared “I am not supposed to be alive. I’m supposed to be dead.” The doctor at the hospital declared it a miracle as the bullet was less than an inch from killing him.

I had felt for some time that an attempted assassination would take place and as was considered by many that if God saved Trump’s life He must have something more for Trump to do.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TRUMP

Back in June 2024, I wrote an article liking Trump to Samson. Bearing in mind that people usually follow strong leaders I was reading Judges and came upon a verse that impacted me. Samson had a desire for a Philistine woman but his parents did not want him to marry her as she was a Philistine. But Samson was adamant. Then we have a very revealing scripture (Judges 14:4 NKJV) “But his father and mother did not know that it was of the Lord—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.”

Now as I meditated on this verse of Scripture I felt that Trump was like Samson and I particularly saw three points about Samson and Trump.

1) SAMSON WAS STRONG AND SO IS TRUMP

There is no doubt that Samson had amazing physical strength. He was a strong man and so is Trump. Very few could endure all that Trump had to face and still persevere despite all the attacks on him.

2) SAMSON LIVED AN IMMORAL LIFE AND LIKEWISE TRUMP

The great weakness Samson continually faced was regarding women eventually involving a woman called Delilah.

Trump has also been immoral all but in different ways to Samson. People approve of his actions but not his character.

3) GOD HAD A PURPOSE FOR SAMSON AND LIKEWISE FOR TRUMP

Samson was born when Israel was doing evil in the sight of the Lord. So God used a less-than-perfect man to achieve His plan. His parents did not realize this (see that passage of Scripture). In other words, they did not have the revelation that Samson was fulfilling God’s plans. They did not see God in it.

Trump is like that too, he is like Samson, and many people do not realize that God could be working in his life to fulfill God’s purpose for this nation. God, I believe, will use Trump to achieve his purposes. We may have reservations about his character, but God needs a strong man, a strong leader at this time to rectify many things.

A CLOSING WORD

On January 20th Trump is to be inaugurated as President of the United States. So…

  1. He deserves our support, so give it.
  2. Pray that Trump and his team will have great wisdom in what they do.
  3. Pray for Trump and his family that they will be protected and kept in good health.
  4. Above all remember that Trump is not our Messiah, Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings and one day soon He will return again to establish His Kingdom for all eternity. Our trust is in Him above all else.