How Do You Spell “Vanity”? T.R.U.M.P.

Of course, the final verdict and evaluation regarding President Trump are still out. The consequences of his policies will not be known for decades to come. The majority of U.S. citizens (including myself) do not approve of Trump’s actions (tariffs, war with Iran, denial of climate change, weaponization of the government, treatment of immigrants, reduction in health care, just to name a few).

Nevertheless, an overwhelming majority of citizens would agree that Trump is the vainest of all the presidents we have ever had. His cabinet meetings seem like a praise fest to the leader of a cult. His appointment of people to important positions (like Pulte to direct the Department of National Intelligence) is based on fealty to him, not on experience or expertise. But the vainest of all is his attempt to put his name or picture on numerous monuments and/or government documents. Let me just identify some of the worst examples.

Trump’s picture on a future $250 bill. This proposal is not just an exhibition of vanity. It is also illegal. In 1866, Congress passed a law prohibiting the depiction of a living person on currency notes, bonds or securities. Another law clarifies that currency is minted in $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 denominations. A $250 bill is not included.
Trump’s picture on U.S. passports. The new commemorative passport will begin to be issued in July. This decision is making waves as Trump makes history by being the first living president featured inside a U.S. passport. The inside cover will display Trump’s portrait alongside his signature and the Declaration of Independence.
Trump has proposed the construction of an arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, without congressional approval. This arch would be more than twice as tall as the famous arch in Paris. Vietnam veterans are suing the Trump administration to halt the construction of the arch. The veterans argued that planned height — twice that of the 99-foot-tall Lincoln Memorial — would obstruct the view between the two hallowed memorials in a “disrespectful” manner. The president had been remarkably candid about the purpose of the construction. Last year, when asked who the arch was for, Trump said, “me”.
Earlier in his second presidential administration, Trump added his own name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Last Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Center cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. The judge ruled that Trump’s name be removed from the building and its website within two weeks.

These and other acts of vanity are not helping the president. Polls show that each new proposal correlates to a drop in his approval rate. Citizens prefer that he work on the economy and affordability, not on his ego. More than scorn, Trump needs our pity. His wife, Melania, and others in his inner circle, need to lead him away from these ridiculous attempts at grandeur and towards the better path of true service of others.

It is healthy to confess one’s own sins and the mistakes of one’s elected officials. Did some Republican senators finally get a political conscience?

Last Thursday, rare events happened in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Republicans in both chambers opposed President Trump’s policies and cancelled their voting procedure rather than delivera public rebuke of the president with their congressional votes. After a year and a half of being Trump’s yes’men and yes’women in his second term in the White House, these elected officials finally found the courage to say “No!”. The Hebrew Scriptures might help us understand what happened and how it could be transformed into healing for our nation.

We frequently think of confession as the acknowledgement and repentance of one’s personal sins directly to God or to a representative of God (like a pastor or priest). This usually takes place within a religious context, and I think this can be a good way to begin dealing with our moral mistakes. Confession is much healthier than ignoring our sins or pretending we don’t make moral mistakes.

Nevertheless, it is also healthy to acknowledge and confess the sins of one’s culture and one’s national leaders when they stray from the truth. The Bible highlights examples of believers who expose the sins of their society and their national leaders and call for repentance. Let’s look at the example of Isaiah, a significant prophet in the Hebrew Scriptures. Isaiah had a vision of God, especially God’s holiness. Isaiah became convinced of his own sinfulness. He cried out, “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” (Isaiah 6:5) God forgave him and then sent him to speak the word of the Lord to Israel.

Sometimes it is not enough to critique one’s own culture. We frequently are so blind or so self-righteous we don’t want to admit our moral failures. We need someone to speak the hard truth into our lives and then lead us to repentance and confession. Nathan’s rebuke of “good” King David is an even clearer example. One evening David saw the beautiful Bathsheba bathing herself. He called for her to come to his palace and he forced her to have sex with him. As a result, she became pregnant. David tried many ways to hide his sin, but was not successful. Finally, he had her husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed by some soldiers. God sent Nathan to rebuke David. Nathan told him a parable about an evil man. When David recognized the horrible action as evil, Nathan told the King, “You are that evil man!”. (2 Samuel 12) David did repent and confessed his crime. He was forgiven by God and turned his life around.

Something similar happened on Capitol Hill last Thursday. The Senate was to vote on a sweeping immigration funding bill intended to bankroll Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol through 2029. The leadership then added two Trump-backed initiatives to the bill: up to $1 billion in Secret Service funding tied to security for his planned East Wing Ballroom, and a $1.8 billion to fund to compensate people who say they were victims of so-called political weaponization by the Biden administration. Because there were no safeguards on this weaponization bill, critics denounced it as Trump’s “slush fund”. What really riled up the Republican senators was the admission that some 1600 insurrectionists who attacked the capitol on January 6, 2021, were charged and convicted by juries of their peers, were later pardoned by Trump, but could be eligible to receive millions of dollars from the slush fund.

Senators who had been staunch allies of Trump in the past broke with him on this issue. Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell fumed, “_So the nation’s top law enforcement official (Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche) is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops?” He continued, this funding bill is “utterly stupid, morally wrong – take your pick.”

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who had drawn Trump’s ire, has become a vocal critic of the President, joining together the problem of affordability with the “slushi-ness” of the funding bill. He complained, “People are concerned about paying their mortgage or rent, affording groceries and paying for gas, not about putting together a $1.8 billion fund for the President and his allies to pay whomever they wish with no legal precedent or accountability,”

Enough Republican senators expressed their disapproval of the slush fund proposal that voting on the bill had to be withdrawn until after the Memorial Day recess. Republican opposition to the president’s priorities goes way beyond this funding bill. Criticism is mounting against his war with Iran, the East Wing ballroom, his economic mistakes regarding inflation, his cover-up of the Epstein files, etc.

When faced with moral failure, confession and repentance are always healthier than trying to avoid the truth. May Republican and Democrat leaders rise to the occasion!

It is Healthy to Confess One’s Own Sins and the Political Mistakes of One’s Elected Officials. Did some Republican Senators Finally Get a Political Conscience?

When faced with moral failure, confession and repentance are always healthier than trying to avoid the truth. May Republican and Democrat leaders rise to the occasion!

Trump’s “Yes Men” and “Yes Women” Are Not Serving the President Well

The President of the United States, as well as many other persons in authority (presidents of organizations, CEOs, etc.) frequently choose people to surround them as advisors and members of their cabinets. These advisors are often selected because they will tell the president what he WANTS to hear, not what he NEEDS to hear. The Good Book offers some valuable, albeit unexpected, advice on the quality most needed in advisors: truth telling. We are to stop telling falsehoods and to start speaking the truth to each other (Ephesians 4:25) in all areas of life, including saying tough truths to elected officials of one’s own party. The Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Scriptures tell us, “You can trust a friend who corrects you, but kisses from an enemy are nothing but lies.” (27:6) Being corrected is not fun. It hurts…our pride at least. But it can restore us to the right path. A good friend tells us what we NEED to hear, even when we don’t like it.

If President Trump has any good friends, surely they should be found within his closest advisors (Vice President Vance, Marco Rubio and the rest of his Cabinet, House Speaker Johnson, MAGA leaders, etc.). In this brief post, I ask where are Trump’s advisors regarding the war with Iran and regarding his arrogant actions of vanity. If he has any good friends, they seem to be AWOL.

The War with Iran

During his election campaign, candidate Trump made some important promises. He pledged to not take us into any new war, especially an “endless” war in the Middle East. Many voters agreed with this new kind of “peace” Republican candidate. Trump broke his promise. Three months ago, together with Israel, our junior partner, Trump launched a war against Iran. There was no imminent threat. It was a war of choice. A few MAGA celebrities (like Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene) tried to remind the president of his broken promise. World leaders, including the Pope and NATO allies, attempted to speak truth into the ears of the president, but he would not listen. It is reported that VP Vance tried to persuade Trump not to go to war with Iran, but it looks like he did not try hard enough. The voices of the “yes men” (like Hegseth) were too loud. Did any in his cabinet anticipate the Iranian closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz? If so, they didn’t speak up. Did anyone anticipate that NATO allies would pursue their own national interests? Did we consult with them before we went to war? No. Did anyone tell Trump that military superiority does not necessarily mean winning the war. No. Did anyone seek a declaration of war from Congress? No.

The war is not going well, in spite of the cheerleading Hegseth. It took years for the American people to finally disapprove of the wars in Viet Nam and Iraq. It has taken less than three months for Americans to come to the same realization about this war with Iran. Although Trump, as Commander-in-Chief, is ultimately responsible for taking us into a misguided war, he should have selected truth-tellers for his advisors, not lying sycophants.

Vanity of Vanities

A vast majority of Americans, including those who support Trump, acknowledge that the president is a very vain person. It is reported that he considers himself in the company of the greatest rulers of human history: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon. It is no wonder that some of his presidential actions have nothing to do with national security or economic affordability and everything to do with his own vanity…and these actions are not popular with the U.S. people.

The president has proposed the construction of a 250-foot-tall arch to be located at Memorial Circle, near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery, at the other end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge. The arch would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial. Trump bragged, “I’d like it to be the biggest [arch] of all,” even larger than the 164-foot-tall Arc De Triomphe in Paris. Only 21% of Americans support the construction of the arch, whereas 52% oppose it, with the remainder being unsure.

Back in July 2025, Trump announced the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom off the East Wing of the White House and promised “it won’t interfere with the current building.” By October, demolition started on the century old structure. The ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll finds that more than half of Americans, 56%, oppose tearing down the East Wing to make way for a ballroom, with 28% in support and 15% unsure.

Two months ago, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that President Trump’s infamous signature would appear on future U.S. currency. This would be a first for a sitting president, as no previous U.S. president’s name has ever appeared on money. North Americans oppose printing Trump’s signature on paper money instead of the treasury secretary’s by a wider margin than either the ballroom or the arch: 68% oppose it while just 12% support it. Another 19% say they aren’t sure.

If these initiatives are designed to contribute to the president’s lasting legacy, they are not working. They reveal the illusions of grandeur of a “little man” or worse, a person whose mental capacities are sliding off the rails.

Where are Trump’s true friends who should tell him such actions are not appropriate of a great statesman? Perhaps, he doesn’t have such friends who will speak the truth to him. At the very least, there are Republican pollsters who make their living by interpreting the polls. Where are they when Trump needs them?

Mr. President, remove the liars from your Cabinet and replace them with persons who will tell you the truth.

Should Religious Leaders Criticize the Unjust Acts of an Authoritarian Ruler? Jesus did!

This has been an interesting week as President Trump has waded into the beyond-his-depth waters of religion. On Easter Sunday he posted the following on Truth Social:

“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell — JUST WATCH!” He then added a strange conclusion, “Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

This post merits a few comments:

Although most U.S presidents have usually been fairly dignified in their public announcements, Trump’s vulgarity is quite apparent. It did not help his argument, but perhaps it reveals a certain desperation in the president’s emotional state.
The president’s message had nothing to do with traditional Easter themes: Christ’s resurrection or the forgiveness of sins.
His out of context phrase “praise be to Allah” probably insulted many Christians and Muslims alike. It surely raised more questions about his mental acuity.

This post occurred within the context of Pope Leo’s incursion into international politics, especially regarding the war in Iran. Although he subtly did not mention President Trump by name, the Pope had condemned the worship of mortals and money, the pitfalls of arrogance, and the “absurd and inhuman violence” unleashed by the U.S./Israeli war with Iran that further destabilized the Middle East.

Trump got the message in spite of the subtlety and has repeatedly posted messages in which he calls the pontiff a liberal who is “weak on crime”. Pope Leo did not back down. “Too many innocent people are being killed,” he said as he began a 10-day African tour. “Someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.” More recently, Trump posted an A.I. image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, said, “I’m just responding to Pope Leo.” Trump was quite clear about the problem as he perceived it, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” It sure seems Trump wants to be not just above the law, but also above morality.

This is not new. Previous popes had criticized presidents and their politics: immigration, war, climate change, etc., but it does raise a serious question. Should religious leaders criticize the unjust acts of an authoritarian ruler? For many of us, the words and actions of Jesus provide a clear answer.

A dispute also arose among his disciples as to which one of them was considered to be the greatest. Jesus said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over their subjects; and those who oppress them call themselves Benefactors (doers of good). But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22:24-26)

Pope Leo is following in the footsteps of Jesus in providing a moral critique of an unjust ruler. Although Leo seems quite wise and moral to me, he is a mere human and might be wrong in his evaluation of the president. But at the very least we should listen carefully to his words and not give anyone (including the president) an automatic pass. The lives of too many innocent people are at stake.

Buyer’s Remorse Regarding Trump

Buyer’s remorse usually refers to when a person makes a significant purchase (house, car, refrigerator, etc.) and the object that was purchased turns out to be defective and/or does not measure up to what was promised in the sales pitch. In politics, buyer’s remorse refers to electing candidates or a political party into office that then does not fulfill their most important campaign promises. Sometimes this remorse shows up in the following election or mid-term elections. Given our desire to have more immediate information, we tend to rely on surveys or polls, especially when the polls are conducted by reliable researchers and when then line up with other polls.

Is there buyer’s remorse regarding Donald Trump? It is important to remember the 2024 presidential election. Trump won a clear majority in the Electoral College, but the popular vote was a different story. Trump received 77,302,580 votes compared with the 75,017,613 with the votes that Harris received. That means Trump obtained 49.8% of the total votes cast and Harris 48.3%. According to the opinion polls, Trump’s approval rate among the general population started slightly above 50% as he began his second term in the White House, but has dropped significantly over the past twelve months. The Fox News poll showed that Americans have 41% approval rate for the job Trump is doing with 59% disapproval. More recent polls are even worse for Trump (CNN’s poll showed a 36% approval rate and the Economist’s poll showed an approval rate of only 35%.) These same polls show an even lower approval rate for specific issues: inflation, ICE, tariffs, the war with Iran, the Epstein files, etc.

This remorse has shown up in elections in this past year. Across the country there have been quite a few elections (governor races, special elections to replace congressional representatives who have retired early or races for state legislatures. There have been thirty such elections in which the incumbent (or the incumbent’s political party) lost. In each case it was a Republican loss and a Democrat gain.

Trump briefly addressed (19 minutes) the nation last night about the war with Iran. His talk was filled with a litany of falsehoods.

Trump has brought inflation down to 0% (False – the latest numbers before the war revealed an inflation rate of above 3% which will certainly rise with gas, diesel price increases due to the war)
He never promised “regime change” in Iran (False – on the first night of the war he announced to the Iranian people, ”When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take.”)
The rise in the price of gasoline had nothing to do with the war (False – of course this was due to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz which was Iran’s response in the war)

Given that these are clearly false, they were either deliberate lies OR they show that Trump is out of touch with reality.

Although this address was designed to calm the American public regarding the war and its possible ending, the 35% rise in gasoline prices, etc. it did not have its desired effect. Oil prices rose 10% overnight and stock market futures plummeted.

Can any good come out of this buyer’s political remorse? Sadly, it can produce more cynicism and apathy. But if it leads to a genuine change of heart, mind and behavior, it can result in renewal and growth. Here are my hopes and wishes:

That Republicans in Congress grow a backbone and a conscience and vote accordingly.
That Democrats don’t become arrogant as they see the Republicans fall out of favor.
That the president learns from his mistakes and gets the moral and psychological help he needs.

Donald Trump Urges Republican Senators to Pass His “Save” Bill “for Jesus”. The Biblical Jesus Refuses to Be a Partisan Good Luck Charm.

On Monday, President Donald Trump invoked the name of Jesus Christ in a call for Republican senators to cancel their Easter break and to stay in Washington in order to try to pass his package of new voting restrictions. Speaking at a public safety roundtable in Memphis, Tennessee, Trump said the Republican-led Senate should only concentrate on passing his Save Act and shouldn’t leave the capital until they do so.

“Don’t worry about Easter, or going home. In fact, make this one for Jesus, OK?” Trump said with a chuckle. “Make this one for Jesus, that’s what I tell them. It would be a damn good thing.”

Why did Trump invoke the name of Jesus? He was not the first politician to do so, and certainly won’t be the last, but it does raise the question: Why did he do it?

Perhaps he thought it was a “cute” religious joke: senators could worship Jesus better by passing his “Save” legislation than by attending religious services back home with their families. Perhaps…but most Americans are not laughing.
Perhaps it was a nod to Christians in his MAGA base in which he tries to remind these voters of all the “good” he has done for them.
It is more likely that Trump tried to use a cheap Christian Nationalism tactic, similar to what politicians (both Republicans and Democrats) do when they end their speeches with the words, “May God bless America.” Although the phrase is a prayer, speakers frequently use it to suggest that God is already on “our side”, that we are the “good guys”, that God approves of our fallen and failing plans.

Although the Jesus of the Bible is passionate about humanity and the small things of our lives (like daily bread), Jesus does not approve of everything we do. His list of blessed people includes the poor, the hungry, those who weep and those who are hated and rejected as evil. (Luke 6:20-22). He pronounced woe upon people like me, the rich, the well fed, those who laugh and those who are well respected… (Luke 6:24-26). This makes me uncomfortable…and so it should. Apathy towards needy neighbors is really an offense against God.

Pieces of legislation in Congress should be debated and then either be approved or rejected on their own merits, not by cheap appeals to Jesus. The Jesus that I strive to serve, the Jesus of Scripture, refuses to be a good luck charm of politicians. That is taking his name in vain.

Trump’s War with Iran and End Game Options: They are Quickly Slipping Away

Trump’s war with Iran has now passed the two-week mark. The U.S./Israeli military dominance has been quite evident, as expected, and they now virtually control the airspace over Iran. Although the United States has taken out many of Iran’s ballistic missile launching sites, the Iranian forces have proven to be resilient. Through their use of mines, they have essentially stopped the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Gasoline prices in the U.S. have risen by more than 60 cents a gallon, and the international price of Brent crude oil has soared to over $100 a barrel. This war has not been very popular in the United States with only about 40% of Americans in favor of it (this is the lowest rate for conflicts in the last eighty years). This has been due, in part, to contradictory reasons for the war that the White House has offered: regime change, the fear of imminent attacks, human right violations, the threat of developing nuclear weapons, etc.

Secretary of Defense Hegseth has claimed the end of the war will depend on President Trump, who has confirmed this by saying “it will end when I feel it in my bones”. Nevertheless, the presidential options are quickly diminishing, There are essentially three exit strategies. (1) A negotiated peace in which each side “saves face” by agreeing to commitments they probably won’t keep. Given that Trump has demanded “unconditional surrender”, his pursuing this option is quite unlikely. (2) Trump could declare “victory’ and then just walk away. This end game has taken place in previous military conflicts, but here it would have quite negative results. Oil production and the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz would still be reduced for months or even years, and could lead to a worldwide recession. Russia would be the “winner” due to increased oil revenue. In addition, Iran would also continue to control their nuclear stockpiles. Or (3) the conflict drags on, requires the presence of U.S. “boots on the ground”, and turns into an “endless war’ that Trump campaigned against. His MAGA base could possibly abandon him and he might not finish his term in office.

Trump is largely responsible for these reduced options. Blinded by his quick “success” in Venezuela, he was too proud to pay attention to the advice of his intelligence community, which warned against going to war with Iran. This was a war of choice, not of necessity. He did not seek nor did he obtain war authorization from Congress which is required by the Constitution. And he still hasn’t addressed the American people on why we needed to go to war. When oil prices skyrocketed up, he shrugged it off and said this would bring in more revenue to the U.S. Treasury, given that we are net exporters of oil. Perhaps the most damaging has been his nonchalant attitude towards the death of thirteen American soldiers, of at least 1300 civilians killed in Iran, including the 150+ little Iranian girls killed in the U.S. attack on their elementary school. At first, Trump denied it was an American attack, but then grudgingly admitted it. His comment, “people get killed in wars”, shows a lack of basic human compassion.

The Good Book says that pride goes before a fall. May the president humble himself before he causes the deaths of even more people. Although the off ramps are negative, it is time to end this war of choice.

The War with Iran: Trump 1.0 vs Trump 2.0. Which Version Should We Believe?

Donald Trump 1.0, before his second presidency which began in January, 2025, held a radically different position regarding the United States and potential wars than he (Trump 2.0) has held during the first thirteen months of his second term in the White House.

When President Trump was on the campaign trail in 2015/2016, 2020 and 2024, he repeatedly claimed:

He had always opposed the war in Iraq.
Therefore, he would never lead our country into another “endless” war, especially in the Middle East.
Wars with the goal of achieving regime change were incredibly “naïve, dumb, and reckless”.

During his first presidency, Trump largely kept his promise regarding wars. His second term has been just the opposite. He has ordered military strikes on seven countries around the globe (eight, if we count the attack yesterday on Ecuador). Those nations are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Venezuela and Nigeria. He has not asked for nor received Congressional authorization for those military operations (our Constitution gives the Congress the responsibility to declare war).

These facts raise the obvious question: which version should we believe, Trump 1.0 or 2.0? The current war with Iran is particularly difficult because a variety of conflicting goals have been offered by the White House.

Secretary Hegseth affirmed the war was not about “regime change” although he said the “regime has changed” and Trump 2.0 told the Iranian opposition to rise up and take over their government, because “we have your back”.
Trump 2.0 stated a goal was to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapon and ballistic missile capability, but Trump already “obliterated” their nuclear stockpile in June 2025, right?
Trump 2.0 affirmed another goal was to take out Iran’s current and future leadership. This is a long-term proposal and sure sounds like “regime change” to me.
Trump 2.0 said another goal was to destroy Iran’s navy, although this goal was not even mentioned in the first days of the war.
House Speaker Mike Johnson had a more difficult task. He knows that legally it is Congress that declares “war”. So, although Trump 2.0 and Secretary Hegseth have repeatedly referred to our operations in Iran as “war”, Johnson has called them merely a “military operation” which would not violate the Constitution. This war is war, regardless of Johnson’s semantic tricks. A war by any other name is still a war.

One of the biggest problems is that Trump 2.0 has not even sketched out an “end game”. There are two basic options. Either he leaves a functioning government in place (nation building and boots on the ground) or the US leaves Iran with a leadership vacuum that falls into civil war in the nation and a spiraling out of control war in the region.

A thousand deaths have already taken place in Iran, including more than 150 girls and teachers from an elementary school. Each human being is precious and killing innocent girls is criminal.

Even before he ran for the political office, Trump knew that some presidents launch wars to unite our country in support of a failing presidency. In October 2012, weeks before Obama was re-elected, Trump falsely predicted, “Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin — watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate”. Given that Trump’s current approval rate is lower than Obama’s ever was, is Trump’s war in Iran a last-ditch attempt to save the legacy of a failing, desperate president?

How do we square Trump 1.0 with the 2.0 version? It cannot be done. Staunch Trump supporters have become some of his most vocal critics. Tucker Carlson gets the last word about this war: “it is disgusting and evil!”

Trump’s State of the Union Address: Sadly, He Lied to the Nation

President Trump’s State of the Union address last night was full of self-congratulatory praise for himself. Regrettably, it was also full of lies and half-truths. It was equally regrettable to see most of the Republicans rise from their seats and applaud these lies.

Don’t take my word for it. Here are quotes from Trump’s speech last night in contrast with the facts.

Trump said tariffs are “paid for by foreign countries.”

This is a lie that Trump has repeated for over a year. U.S. businesses (think Target and Walmart) pay these tariffs (=import taxes) to the federal government. These businesses pass on a significant portion of these taxes to U.S. consumers through higher prices. No foreign country has paid a penny to the United States in tariff/taxes. In addition, most of these tariffs were struck down as illegal by the Supreme Court last Friday. As a result, most of this tariff money will probably have to be refunded to the importing companies, thus increasing our national debt by billions of dollars.

Trump said, “I took prescription drugs, a very big part of health care, from the highest price in the entire world to the lowest.”

Although some drugs like Wegovy are a bit cheaper than they were, most drug prices are relatively still quite high and by no means “the lowest price in the world” according to the American Economic Liberties Project.

Trump said, “In 12 months, I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion (of foreign investments) pouring in from all over the globe.”

The $18 trillion figure is pure fiction. The White House’s own website said the figure for “major investment announcements” during this Trump administration was $9.7 trillion,” and even that is a major exaggeration. In October it was discovered that the White House was counting trillions of dollars in vague investment pledges, pledges that were about “bilateral trade” or “economic exchange” rather than investment in the US and vague statements that didn’t even rise to the level of pledges.

Trump claimed that “gas prices are “now below $2.30 a gallon in most states, and in some places, $1.99 a gallon.”

The truth is that no state had an average gas price on Tuesday below $2.37 per gallon, according to AAA; only two states had an average below $2.50 per gallon.

“No one is so blind as those who choose to believe lies.”

In addition to his many falsehoods, Trump conveniently ignored omitted topics that have been quite negative for his administration. For example, he did not mention the Epstein files, although it was announced yesterday that testimony of his sexual assault against a minor has been deleted. He did not mention the tragic actions of ICE in Minnesota where two U.S. citizens were killed. The war in Ukraine continues and Trump is still getting “played” by Putin.

I am quite aware that not all my readers will like these facts that I have highlighted. If I have been inaccurate, please let me know. Let us continue to strive to walk in the truth.