Dear Mr. Trump,

It doesn’t matter to me whether you believe in God or not, but many of your supporters claim to be Christians. Those who call themselves “White evangelicals,” for example, voted 80%-14% for you in the 2016 election, according to the November 11, 2016 article in the Washington Post by Sarah Pulliam Bailey. One may well wonder how those who purportedly believe in a loving God would seek to put in office someone who breeds hatred, who despises equality, and who gives encouragement to neo-Nazis, but that is not my point today.

Rather, my purpose here is to call your attention to what the Bible says about what the head of a government should be. This is important, Sir, because your “White evangelical” voters may think twice about voting for you again if they consider these passages.
Importantly, Deuteronomy 17:16-17 emphasizes that the leader must not seek great wealth. “Silver and gold he may not accumulate for himself in great abundance.” Deuteronomy 17:17 (Metsudah Chumash 1996). It would seem, though, that you and your family are using your political office for financial gain, particularly from foreign governments. If your previous voters don’t care that such conduct contravenes the United States Constitution, they may yet realize that it contravenes the Bible.

Of equal importance, Deuteronomy 17:18-20 provides that the ruler must study the law every day, guard the law, and fulfill it. The price for not so doing is that the ruler’s reign will be short. Deuteronomy 17:20. However, you seem to want to violate the law. I refer, for example, to stopping payments that the Affordable Care Act requires, or for disregarding the First Amendment prohibition against discrimination on the basis of religious belief. It is for these reasons, Sir, among many others, that I hope the result demanded by the Bible – your reign shall be as short as possible – comes to fruition. May the “White evangelicals” who supported you the first time realize in time their error.

Very truly yours,

Bruce J. Berger