Trump, Netanyahu and Others: Credit where Credit is Due and Blame where Blame is Due

Sunday, in my community of faith, one of our pastors gave a sermon on King Solomon. On the one hand, Solomon is widely known for his wisdom. Nevertheless, the Scriptures also describe how he made many unwise (=stupid) mistakes. Which of the following affirmations is true: “Solomon was wise” or “Solomon made stupid mistakes”? Although they seem contradictory, both can be accurate and true…at the same time and referring to the same person. His father, King David, was “a man after God’s own heart”, yet after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he tried to cover this sin with a more deadly one, in which he authorized the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.

The pages of history are strewn with examples of these moral contradictions. One of my favorite U.S. presidents was Abraham Lincoln. He freed the slaves. He kept the Union together during a horrible civil war that cost some 620,000 lives. Nevertheless, that war involved actions that were morally horrific. Lincoln authorized Sherman’s non justified “march to the sea” (with its scorched earth policy) in which thousands upon thousands of Southern civilians had their homes and farms ravaged and destroyed. At one and the same time, Lincoln was a good moral president who also made some ethically horrible decisions.

We can see this moral contradiction in both Trump and Netanyahu. Accurate descriptions will give credit/blame where they are due.

Trump and team should receive credit for brokering the ceasefire

Most hostages on both sides have been released
Israel is removing its soldiers from Gaza
Hamas has agreed to disarm
Palestinians have the right to self-determination
Humanitarian aid will immediately increase into Gaza
Some twenty nations (Arab, European) have pledged to support the peace process with resources
An international “Board of Peace” will be created to ensure safety and stability in Gaza and a process leading to self-government

These phases require Trump to focus and follow through on his commitments. These will probably be more difficult for him than this initial step of the ceasefire.

It is appropriate and important to assign blame to Trump for his actions/policies that are immoral, dangerous and/or misguided. Some of these are:

Trump’s gutting of USAID is causing the premature death of tens of thousands innocent people around the world.
Trump’s firing of needed federal employees (FEMA, CDC, IRS) which is causing unnecessary harm to these workers and to the American public.
Trump promised to end the war against Ukraine on “Day 1”, but peace is far away because Trump has coddled Putin and has not applied economic sanctions. At least Trump acknowledges that Putin has “played him”.
Trump promised to target criminal undocumented immigrants, but over 60% of those detained by ICE have NO CRIMINAL RECORD!
Trump promised the Epstein files would be released, but he and Republican leaders (like Johnson) are doing everything possible to block their release. What is Trump hiding?
Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” is really quite ugly, because it takes away health care from millions of tax-paying citizens and food from the mouths of babes.
Trump promised to reduce prices for consumers, but he has an obsession with tariffs that add to inflation and have been a failure (see China).
Almost all of Trump’s public actions are moves toward presidential authoritarianism at the expense of the legislative and judiciary branches of our government and states’ rights.
Trump has character flaws that no ethical system can condone (bullying, womanizing, racism, lying to an extreme, blaming others for his own failures). MAGA readers: where is your prophetic voice against personal immorality?

Netanyahu likewise deserves credit and blame. Here is a short summary.

He should be credited for standing up to the conservative “war hawks” in his Cabinet who wanted to continue the war in Gaza.
He should also be credited for changing his position on Palestinian self-determination which the peace deal acknowledges.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu has rightly been found guilty of war crimes and genocide by the ICC. These are serious crimes and should not be swept under the rug.
Even today, he has made comments that cast doubt on whether he will abide by Trump’s 20-point plan. After Trump obtained an invitation for him to attend the summit in Egypt, Bibi backed out. Today’s celebration might be premature.

Today, more than ever, we the people need to express our approval or disapproval of our national leaders, not based on their party affiliation, but rather on whether their actions and policies are just or unjust.

A Ceasefire in Gaza! Kudos to Trump…IF He is Able to Implement it.

On Wednesday, President Trump announced that a ceasefire in Gaza had been brokered between Israel and Hamas (together with collaboration from several countries in the region). Although I frequently criticize the president for several political decisions that I consider immoral and vile, on this issue he should be applauded…temporarily, at least. The president issued a 20-point plan that (supposedly) both Hamas and Israel have agreed to. Nevertheless, some of these items might become “sticking points” if either side doesn’t follow through. Here are some of those points:

Israel agreed to halt its bombardment of Gaza. What happens if they continue to wage war on Gazans?
Hamas has agreed to disarm its followers/soldiers. Who will verify and certify this disarmament?
Israel has long opposed the independence of Gaza, but supposedly has now agreed that Gazans would be free. They would be governed by an international “peace council” of which Trump himself would oversee. What happens if the Israeli government backs away from this agreement?
The Trump plan allows for the discussion of nationhood of Palestine. Netanyahu says this is a “no-go”. This is a serious sticking point. Can Trump use his influence to get Israel to change its position?
Israel has agreed to pull out its soldiers from most of Gaza. What happens if they keep some/most of their soldiers there?
All Israeli and Palestinian hostages and detainees would be returned to their homeland and loved ones. What a wonderful homecoming! What happens if there are discrepancies in the number and health of these returnees? Who verifies these figures?

A just peace in Palestine has not happened for a long time. May this time be different!!!

The Shutdown Blame Game: Why the Republican Argument Does Not Persuade Me PLUS My Modest Proposal to End the Impasse

The federal government shutdown is now entering its fifth day with no end in sight. The lines are clearly drawn. The Republicans demand that Democrats pass the Continuing Resolution (CR) to re-open the government for seven weeks. If the government does not re-open, no negotiations will take place over health care legislation. The Democrats want health care discussions to take place now before any re-opening of the government. These include: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies that are due to end on December 31, 2025; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. Meanwhile, only “essential” workers are on the job. Non-essential workers are temporarily furloughed until the government is re-opened.

The Republicans blame the Democrats for the shutdown and Democrats blame the Republicans and President Trump. I freely acknowledge that neither I nor any human being can be 100% objective in our analysis regarding who is to blame, but I submit the following evidence for why the Republicans seem to be more guilty (the six national polls that have asked this question reveal that the American people blame Republicans more than Democrats for the shutdown by 15-20%).

Evidence:

The Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives, albeit by razor thin majorities). How can they blame the minority when they have all the control?
The Republicans did not include the Democrats in any discussions of the “Big Beautiful Bill” because they did not need to do so… EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT our governmental predecessors in their wisdom, required that sixty Senators must approve certain resolutions, including the one before the Senate now. This was to ensure broad, bipartisan support for our government and its spending of tax dollars. From the beginning, the Republicans were well aware of this 60 Senator rule. Even so, they made the choice not to be bipartisan and try to bully the Democrats into submission and acquiescence at the last moment. Republicans need to accept responsibility for their choice.
Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to get Medicare and Medicaid benefits for undocumented immigrants. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving these benefits and there is no Democratic proposal to change the law. Therefore, this Republican accusation is a bald face lie. If justice were on the side of the Republicans, they would not need to resort to such obvious lies.
Project 2025 sketches out how the White House should “take advantage” of shutdowns to justify the illegal massive firing of federal workers, especially in Departments Trump does not like (ex. Education). He has also halted billions of dollars in funds (already approved by Congress) for projects in states run by Democrats (Illinois, New York and California). During his 2024 campaign, Trump denied any knowledge of Project 2025, because it was perceived by many Americans as being too extreme. Nevertheless, its chief architect, Russell Vought, served in the first Trump administration and is currently the Director of the powerful Office of Management and Budget. Trump is now fulfilling Project 2025 “to a Tee”. It seems quite clear that Candidate Trump lied to the American people regarding Project 2025. He does not lament the pain that the shutdown is causing. This was his plan.
President Trump claims the shutdown provides an “unprecedented opportunity” for him to hack away at pieces of the federal bureaucracy he does not like. It has also provided him with opportunities to try to ridicule his opponents (perhaps to get revenge for losing his Free Speech fight with Jimmy Kimmel). Trump posted an AI generated video in which he tried to ridicule Hakeem Jeffries with a Mexican sombrero and moustache. Trump was widely criticized by politicians from both sides of the aisle for this failed attempt at humor. Vice President Vance was asked for his opinion. He said he thought it was “funny” and that “the president’s joking and we’re having a good time”. The importance of the shutdown merits greater seriousness by the president who should perhaps leave the comedy to Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

My Modest Proposal To End the Impasse

Let’s now turn from who is to blame to how do we achieve a just end to the shutdown. On the surface, it looks like there is no fair way to end the shutdown. Republicans won’t negotiate health care while the government is closed and Democrats won’t open the government unless health care reforms take place first. Successful mediators know that leaders on both sides must be able to “save face” with their constituents. They must be able to point to some political victory for their base. A possible solution exists because the Democrat demands are two pronged: (1) the restoration of Obamacare subsidies; and (2) the restoration of Medicaid, Medicare, and other benefits taken away by the “Big Beautiful Bill” legislation. If the Democrats separate their demands into two packets, reasonable Republicans might agree with them. I propose that Democrats and Republicans negotiate NOW the restoration of Obamacare subsidies. This is less expensive than the Big Beautiful Bill legislation and is fairly easy to reach an agreement: just extend the “sunset” of the subsidies for one year until the end of 2026. If this is passed NOW, Democrats can THEN vote for the Continuing Resolution and end the shutdown, provided that Republicans agree to negotiate the BBB benefits during the next seven weeks.

Democrats could claim a victory in that they have restored the Obamacare subsidies and a (good faith) promise by the GOP to negotiate the BBB benefits. Republicans could also claim a victory in that they have re-opened the government, and that the major chunk of negotiations (the BBB benefits) will take place only after the shutdown is over.

How will the restoration of the Obamacare subsidies be paid for? I do not recommend raising the national debt! I do propose reducing the tax benefits for the very rich. Several months ago during the BBB discussions, even President Trump recommended this reduction. Will the adults in the room identify themselves and get the government back to work!

Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Where Is Your Faith?

You claim to be a follower of Jesus. This is a serious commitment. This means that your allegiance to Jesus should be higher than any allegiance you pledge to President Trump or to any other human being. I respectfully suggest that you are failing in your allegiance to Jesus, especially in the areas of truth and grace. In your position as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), you must provide honest counsel to the president regarding our federal budget and other economic items. Fair enough. Nevertheless, in your meetings with the president this week, you recommended Trump to permanently lay off many thousands of federal workers. You know that it is illegal to use a government shutdown as an excuse to fire federal workers. In previous shutdowns, a distinction has been made between essential workers and non-essential workers. Essential workers continue laboring on the job. Non-essential workers are “furloughed”, that is, they do not report to work during the shutdown, and after it is resolved, they return to their jobs, together with back pay for the time they were “off”. This is a temporary situation during the shutdown. There is NO legal basis for the permanent firing of workers. You can try to get these firings mired down in the courts, but in your heart, you know this is wrong. The well being of hard-working people and their families is at stake. President Trump has gleefully and vindictively announced he will use these layoffs to punish Democrats. I no longer expect any truth from President Trump, but I do expect truth and grace from fellow followers of Jesus.

You did not learn the “virtue of lying” at Wheaton College where you earned your bachelor’s degree and where I was a professor for 12 years. Our institution had its flaws, but it did not teach Christians to lie or to seek revenge. I expect you to stand up for the truth even when your GOP colleagues are spreading blatant lies. Speaker of the House Johnson and Vice-President Vance have blamed Democrats for the shutdown and have accused them of wanting to give Medicare benefits to undocumented immigrants. This is a lie, because federal law prohibits these immigrants from receiving these benefits.

Spreading these lies and promoting vengeful firings will not lead to a just resolution to the shutdown. I expect better from you.

If Comey is Found “Guilty”, He Should Go to Prison; If Comey is Found “Not Guilty”, Trump, Bondi, and Patel Should Resign

“The clearest way to understand the extraordinary nature of the indictment on Thursday of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, is to offer up a simple recitation of the facts. An inexperienced prosecutor [Lindsey Halligan] loyal to President Trump, in the job for less than a week, filed criminal charges against one of her boss’s most-reviled opponents [James Comey]. She did so not only at Mr. Trump’s direct command, but also against the urging of both her own subordinates and her predecessor [Erik Siebert], who had just been fired for raising concerns that there was insufficient evidence to indict. At the same time, the Justice Department has also ordered prosecutors to investigate George Soros, a billionaire Democratic donor whom Trump has targeted for financing left-wing groups. The moves dispense with the decades-old norm that the agency should be free from political interference.” (quoted from NYT reporter Evan Gorelick’s piece)

In its vote to indict, the grand jury judged that the evidence it heard indicated that there were reasons to believe that Mr. Comey might have committed a crime. The two counts of that possible crime were (1) lying to Congress, and (2) obstruction of justice.

Shortly after the charges became public, Comey made his response. “My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. Somebody that I love dearly recently said that fear is the tool of a tyrant and she’s right. But I’m not afraid and I hope you’re not either. I hope instead you are engaged. You are paying attention. And you will vote like your beloved country depends upon it, which it does. My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial and keep the faith.”

This is serious, especially now when our nation is divided more than at any time since the Civil War. For the healing of our country, our politicians and “public servants” should back up their actions with their careers. If Comey is found “Guilty”, he should not appeal, and therefore, he should go to prison; If Comey is found “Not Guilty”, Trump, Bondi, and Patel should resign from their positions.

Even a Broken Clock is Right Two Times a Day: Trump at the U.N. and Regarding Russia

Most of us who are parents strive to instill moral values in our children through our words and by our actions. We want our kids to grow up to become people of integrity who are honest, compassionate, humble and kind. If we catch them lying, we call them out. If they bully others, we stop them. We do not allow our sons to treat women as objects. Yesterday, at the United Nations General Assembly, our president’s worst behavior was on full display: arrogance (about individually ending “unendable” wars), lying (about inflation and climate change), racism (uncontrolled migration from “undesirable” countries), hypocrisy (denouncing rape yet himself being convicted of sexual assault), and bullying (forcing other countries like El Salvador to become complicit in our sins). I was ashamed and embarrassed by our president’s words.

Then, Trump had a side conversation with Ukraine’s President Zelensky. He later made some pronouncements that were shocking, a complete about face regarding Russia’s war against Ukraine. After being “broken” during his speech to the UN, Trump’s moral clock was on time and accurate for a few fleeting moments. In a media post on Truth Social, Mr. Trump said that he now believed that Ukraine could, with financial support from NATO and the European Union, regain all of the territory it had lost to Russia, including Crimea! This comment by Trump was a radical change considering that only a month ago the president had endorsed a plan that would force Ukraine to give up parts of their territory in exchange for peace. Then Trump added that Putin’s Russia was a “paper tiger” (Putin responded last night that his Russia was not a paper tiger, but a real bear.) It seems that Trump is slowly waking up to the terrible truth that Putin has been “playing” him with his “on again, off again” agreement/refusal ta meet for peace talks with Ukraine’s Zelensky.

I wish Mr. Trump well in his role of international mediator. Although he did not bring about peace on Day One as he had campaigned, he still has time to help end this war. He needs to grow some backbone and, together with our European allies, apply economic sanctions against Russia. Mr. President, there is still a bit of time to make the right moral decision. Do it!

First they came for the late night comedians, but because I am not funny, I did not speak up.

First they came for the late-night comedians, but because I am not funny, I did not speak up.

They came for the Ivy League universities, but because I went to a “state school” in Appalachia, I did not speak up.

They came for the big corporations, but because I am not a rich CEO, I did not speak up.

They came for immigrants who arrived here recently, but because my ancestors came from Western Europe over a hundred years ago, I did not speak up.

They came for the homeless, but because I have a nice place to live, I did not speak up.

They came for those on Medicaid, but because I have “better” health care, I did not speak up.

They came for all kinds of minorities, but because I am a well off, white guy, I did not speak up.

They came for the “least of these” siblings of Jesus, but because I don’t like to be with the least or lowest, I did not speak up.

There is a time to be silent and a time to speak up. Now is the time to speak up!

(The structure for my words borrows from the piece “First They Came…” by German pastor Martin Niemoller who valiantly spoke out against the evils of Hitler)

Governor Cox’s Wise Words to Bring Healing to our Suffering Nation

The horrific shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah on Wednesday has rightfully shaken our country. We are a nation where gun violence is out of control… and getting worse. Political violence during the first eight months of 2025 is double the rate of the same period in 2024. Yesterday, at a news conference, Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox went to the podium to deliver updates about the case — and to urge Americans to find a way, together, out of this dark moment. Before the news conference began, I had not heard of Governor Cox. Nevertheless, his message was reasonable and inspiring. Referring to the capture of the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson, Cox affirmed, “There is one person responsible for what happened here, and that person is now in custody and will be charged soon and will be held accountable.” Then, the governor turned his attention to us. He urged us to look into the mirror and to seek out our better angels. Whereas some overly partisan people, from both sides of the aisle, spew vicious accusations at their political rivals, Governor Cox stepped forward as healer-in-chief. “All of us have an opportunity right now to do something different. We can always point the finger at the other side, but at some point, we have to find an off-ramp, or it’s going to get much, much worse.” Cox directed some special words to America’s youth, Kirk’s favorite audience. “Your generation has an opportunity to build a culture very different than what we are suffering through right now, not by pretending differences don’t matter, but by embracing our differences and having those hard conversations,” He suggested that this could become a watershed moment for the nation.

Cox’s words to build a more respectful culture stand in stark contrast to the comments of President Trump, who defended the radical right and then attacked the “radical left” as being responsible for the assassination. The president then added, “Radicals on the left are the problem, and they are vicious and horrible and politically savvy…. Worst thing that happened to this country.” It seems to me that Trump is not healing the nation; he is pouring gasoline on the fire. And on this issue, he seems quite mistaken. Preliminary findings reveal that Robinson had no connection with the political left. He comes from a conservative, religious, and Republican family. As Governor Cox said, this could be a watershed event for America, but it depends to a large degree on how we respond. Let us recommit ourselves to speaking and living out the truth in love, not with violence.

Florida and Vaccinations: Balancing the Common Good and Personal Freedom

Last Wednesday, Dr. Josepf Ladapo, Florida’s Surgeon General, together with Governor Ron DeSantis, promised to repeal a half-dozen vaccine mandates controlled by the Florida Department of Health and Governor Ron DeSantis and that the Florida Legislature would work to repeal other vaccinations required by state law such as polio, diphtheria, rubeola, rubella, pertussis, mumps, tetanus and other communicable diseases. I watched Dr. Ladapo give his announcement on television and at first, I was impressed. He said, “Every last one of them [the mandates] is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery. Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.”

I am a strong believer in individual freedoms, and his message resonated with my beliefs…, at first. Upon further reflection and research, I now believe Dr. Ladapo is making a serious mistake for the following reasons.

Every state in the nation requires children to receive vaccinations before they can attend public school. There needs to be a high rate of compliance in order to guarantee public safety (above 90% to provide “herd immunity” against measles). Nevertheless, states (including Florida) already provide parents the option to apply for a vaccine exemption based on a variety of reasons (religious, philosophical, etc.). These exemption applications are almost always approved. Today, 5.1% of school age children in Florida are exempted from receiving the mandated vaccinations. Far from being “slavery” as Ladapo claims, these vaccination mandates are a reasonable balance between the common good and personal freedom.
Even though he is a medical physician, Dr. Ladapo does not seem to understand his role very well. Most medical doctors do, in fact, tell their patients what they should put in their bodies. Every time a doctor writes out a prescription, the patient has the option to follow or not to follow the physician’s recommendation. (There is an important semantic difference between “should” and “must”. “Should” is usually used when appealing to a person’s conscience. “Must” usually involves laws and potential punishment.)
A helpful parallel can be seen in the issue of drinking alcoholic beverages and driving a car. I am of legal age where I have the freedom to drink alcoholic beverages, even to the point of getting drunk…in my house. I also have the freedom to drive my car on public streets because I have a valid Illinois driver’s license. But I DO NOT have the freedom to drive if I am at the same time under the influence of alcohol. There is a reasonable restriction of my individual freedoms if my abuse of those freedoms present a danger to the common good.
A reputable study from last year showed that infant mortality rates have dropped over the last 50 years and access to vaccines brought those rates 40% lower than they would have been otherwise. Surely Florida, and the rest of the nation, can find a way to balance the common good of vaccine mandates and individual freedoms of exemptions. The current vaccine policy in Florida does NOT to be repealed.

Jesus and Immigration: Would He be Welcomed into the USA?

Most of us are familiar with the Biblical narrative of the Wise Men (or Magi) who journeyed from the East to worship baby Jesus with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We are not so aware of important ethical, political truths in the narrative. I find at least three important lessons in this passage (based on the verses in bold type).

Matthew 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Here are three important truths from this passage:

Herod the Great, like many politicians today, combined lies with false piety.
The Wise Men practiced civil disobedience and did not return to Herod when they became aware of his deceit and his desire to kill Jesus.
Egypt had an immigration policy sufficiently benevolent to welcome the refugee family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus.

In this post, I would like to hone in especially on immigration policies. On the one hand, every country has the “right” to establish and implement their policies regarding immigrants and refugees. Nevertheless, I believe this is a qualified “right” with ethical dimensions. If there if is a just God, along the lines of the Judeo-Christian traditions, both individual and national actions (including immigration policies) will be evaluated according to God’s justice. Even in secular societies, immigration policies are treated as serious ethical decisions. Our nation’s history reveals both welcome and rejection of immigrants and refugees. At times, we have lived up to Lady Liberty’s call, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost, to me. I lift my lamp beside the Golden Door.” Sadly, there have been stains on our past when we have closed our doors to foreigners, or worse, oppressed and scapegoated them (the Irish, Jews, Africans, Mexicans, Chinese, etc). We are currently living in a difficult time for immigrants. Millions are leaving their home countries in search of a better life, peace, religious or political freedom. Many are fleeing persecution, war, or famine.

I urge all people of good will to raise their voices in defense of immigrants. This is especially relevant for those who claim to follow Jesus. If Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus made their way to our southern border, would they be welcomed? I would hope that, at the very least, they would be given the chance to explain to an immigration officer why they are seeking asylum.

Last week, a former student sent me the following poem penned by his father, Don Bemis. His poetry vividly portrays our current challenging situation.

Once in Donald’s royal city stood a lowly garden shed,

Where a mother laid her baby in a cardboard box to be his bed:

María was that mother mild; Heh-sus did she name the little child.

In a palace in the royal city, great king Donald thundered from his lair;

Sent his troops to seek out and eject those persons for whom he did not care:

Not for him the poor and lowly, only those who called his mission holy.

Thirteen men in balaclavas surged around the garden shed,

Took the crying mother and the baby, tased the father while he pled:

Woman and babe sleep on Fort Bliss floor, man to prison in El Salvador.

Now in Donald’s royal city everything is pure and strong,

And his followers are not confronted by suggestions that they might be wrong:

Let the foreigners all perish as we celebrate with those we cherish.

“Treat the foreigner who lives among you as you treat your native-born.”

“Love the Lord with all your being; love your neighbor as your own.”

“Lord, when did we not serve thee?” “When you did not serve the least of these.”