A Letter to President Donald J. Trump

Dear President Trump:

I trust this letter finds you well. I have heard tell from some reliable sources that you have some committed Christians who serve in your administration. I am thankful for this but understand that it may not always be easy or convenient for them to give you feedback on key domestic and foreign policy issues. Considering that, and as an Evangelical Christian and political conservative, I thought I would take the opportunity to share some of my thoughts with you in this letter. I know you will likely be too busy to reach out to me yourself, but please feel free to have any of your staff do so. I would like to hear from them. In the meantime, let me share a few of my thoughts on some key issues of the day.

1.        DEI. Just to be clear, I am at heart a committed capitalist and believe strongly in free markets. I believe that government involvement in private business should be kept to the minimum necessary to protect the health and safety of customers and employees, with businesses otherwise largely free to conduct business and manage their employees with minimal government involvement. Sadly, and much to my disappointment, I have concluded that much of Corporate America’s adoption of the Progressive agenda and DEI requires an exception. Your Executive Orders for companies doing business with the federal government and public statements in opposing DEI has given a voice to countless loyal, respectful, and hard-working employees who diligently serve Corporate America faithfully each day and who would have otherwise had no meaningful voice to oppose the DEI policies thrust upon them. These employees come to work each day and serve diligently. These employees are the unsung heroes of American business.

It is disappointing and even heartbreaking for Corporate America to “reward” these employees with over-reaching DEI policies designed to win favor with the Progressive agenda and national diversity groups. These committed employees did nothing to deserve this treatment and had virtually no ability to push back without risking their jobs and livelihood.

But the work is not over Mr. President. You should understand that DEI is deeply embedded in Corporate America and American Higher Education. Just as President Dwight Eisenhower warned of a Military Industrial Complex made up of defense contractors, retired military officers, and the United States Defense Department  in his Farewell Address to the nation in January 1961, you should understand that there is a DEI Industrial Complex in our country with Corporate HR, Higher Education elites, and high-powered HR Consultants whose livelihood depends on the promotion and continuation of DEI. I am here to tell you that it will take a focused long-term effort to ensure that Corporate America implements and maintains a fair, objective, color blind, and merit-based system for hiring, training, and promotion for its employees. Let a word to the wise be sufficient Mr. President.

2.        Immigration. Make no mistake Mr. President, your commitment in securing our border and stopping the entrance of illegal migrants into our country was necessary and long overdue. Expeditious completion of the border wall should be a high priority for your administration. It is equally necessary and long overdue that illegal migrants who have committed crimes in this country or their country of origin be removed from our country.

But a word of caution Mr. President. There are many migrants who entered this country illegally many years ago who are now part of local communities and valued and essential key employees for farmers, ranchers, landscape companies, and factories. Many are actively involved in serving their communities in important ways and key members and contributors in their local churches. They are law abiding and no threat to the community. To be sure, I am by this statement not condoning previous illegal immigration under prior Presidential administrations, but I am strongly suggesting that there can and should be discretion exercised in immigration enforcement. I see nothing to be gained and much to be lost for the public welfare by disrupting spectators at a little league game or a dance recital to arrest grandparents who came to this country 30 years ago and have maintained an exemplary record of conduct during this time. I trust you will consider this concern Mr. President.

3.        Higher Education. Just as I believe government involvement in private business should be kept to the minimum, I believe federal government involvement in higher education should be as limited as possible. But just as in the case of your Executive Orders in private business to address DEI over-reach was required, I believe your Executive Orders in Higher Education were also required to address unchecked antisemitic behavior on elite college campuses as well as DEI over-reach by college administrations.

Mr. President, when colleges which receive collectively billions of taxpayer dollars permit verbal and physical harassment of Jewish students; require “loyalty oaths” and “diversity statements” from employees; and totally fail to protect the first amendment freedom of speech rights of students and guest speakers to share conservative viewpoints, it is incumbent that your administration take steps to ensure that these institutions adopt appropriate reforms to address these egregious mistakes.

4.        Ukraine and Russia. Mr. President you deserve enormous credit for using your good office of the Presidency to seek to bring an end to the bloody, costly, unprovoked, and unnecessary war which Russia initiated over 3 years ago against Ukraine. Your feckless predecessor provided Ukraine with only the minimum military armaments necessary to avoid defeat while doing virtually nothing to bring about an honorable end to the war.  Thankfully, you have diligently engaged with both sides to bring an end to the war. Unfortunately, little progress seems to have been made through your efforts because of the intransigence of Russian President Putin.

In this case Mr. President, I would call upon you to consider a change in your approach. If President Putin had any serious interest in pursuing a settlement of this war, he would have done so long ago. In fact, he has no intention to pursue a settlement until facts and events on the ground require him to do so. I know President Putin enjoys appealing to your ego and considerable accomplishments as President. I urge you to resist his brazen attempts at flattery.

Make no mistake Mr. President, President Putin is an evil man. No decent man causes children to be kidnapped from their homes in the Ukraine and taken to Russia for “reeducation”. No decent man causes the bombing and destruction of hospitals, schools, and residential dwellings in the Ukraine. Mr. President, as I am sure you must know in your heart of hearts, evil men respond only to clear and unambiguous steps taken from a position of strength. If nothing else, the weakness and indecisiveness of your predecessor should make clear what does not work with President Putin. Instead, give Ukraine the heavy weaponry it needs and allow it to use it to the maximum military value possible in hitting military targets inside Russia. Impose painful economic sanctions on Russia and countries doing business with Russia. There is no guarantee that these steps will end the war, but you have much to gain and very little to lose by trying these steps Mr. President.

5.        Israel and Gaza. Just as in the case of the war between Ukraine and Russia, you have used the office of the Presidency to pursue peace in war torn Gaza when it would have been far easier to stand down and do the very minimum which your predecessor did. Instead, you have provided Israel with the armaments and support it needed to deal with Hamas and other terrorist groups. You have also taken bold and effective military action to greatly degrade and delay the Iranian nuclear threat.

Now comes the hard part of the peace process in Gaza. While the Israeli hostages have been released and the dead hostages are gradually being returned, the heavy lift to disarm Hamas and establish a working provisional government in Gaza remains. It will take considerable time, effort, and patience from you and your team to work with friendly Gulf nations to accomplish these goals and accomplish the expensive task of rebuilding Gaza. Your time, effort, and expenditure of political capital will be well worth it. In fact, any hope for long lasting peace in the Middle East requires it.

6.        Retribution. Your anger and frustration at former FBI Director James Comey for his role in the false Russian collusion matter is understandable as well as your anger and frustration at New York Attorney General Leticia James for promising to pursue litigation against you if she was elected Attorney General of New York. Following her election as Attorney General of New York, she did pursue litigation against you and your family-owned company for doing business in a way consistent with countless other New York based companies. The same could be said regarding Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith who sued you regarding statements you made in conjunction with January 6. I would argue that on November 4, 2024, the American people spoke loud and clear in granting you a decisive popular vote and electoral vote victory for the Office of the Presidency. I believe the American people understood the lawfare that was undertaken against you. This election victory is your true retribution against those who pursued lawfare against you and your family. It speaks far more loudly than any litigation your administration could bring against any political foe who has wronged you and your family.

To be sure, no one is above the law and anyone who violates the law should not be surprised if he or she is prosecuted. But bringing weak litigation against a political foe detracts from the rule of law and creates cynicism and loss of credibility. Your administration is not well served by that. Moreover, Scripture makes clear in Deuteronomy 32:35 and Romans 12:19 that vengeance against one’s enemies should be undertaken by God. Mr. President, you have accomplished much in the short time of your second term but much more is left to be done. Do not allow the desire to settle political and litigation scores distract you from the important work at hand.

7.        Heaven. Mr. President, I am delighted to hear you speak of your desire to spend eternity in Heaven when you die. Some have suggested that your work as a global peacemaker and your important domestic policies will entitle you to receive the reward of Heaven when you die. But I feel compelled to share with you that, even as remarkable and positive as these achievements are, they are not the ticket to Heaven that some may declare to you.

But I am here to tell you that there is a sure pathway to Heaven, and it is not based on good works no matter how good or how honorable the good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 makes clear that saving faith and the promise of Heaven is not achieved through good works but is a matter of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Let me take you to another Scripture that I know you have heard and read about previously. John 3:16 states clearly that “for God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Your dear friend Charlie Kirk believed in and lived out this Scripture, and his widow Erika Kirk discussed it and the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the Memorial Service for Charlie Kirk which you attended and spoke. She made it a particular point to make clear that she had forgiven the man who assassinated her husband just as Jesus forgave those who caused his own crucifixion. I would encourage you to not only embrace and believe the John 3:16 Scripture but reach out and engage with Christians in your inner circle to better understand it and the entire Gospel of Jesus Christ. God bless you for doing so.

God bless all my readers and thank you for the privilege of your time in reading my blog.