Trump’s presidential prosperity gospel

(RNS) Ethics problems? It's time to crank up a prosperity gospel justification of the President-Elect.

Trump International Hotel and Tower
Trump International Hotel and Tower

Trump International Hotel and Tower

(RNS) So the losers are whining about ethical “issues” arising from Donald Trump’s decision to let his kids run the business while he’s otherwise occupied for the next four or eight years.

Like little Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne charging ”double standard” against congressional Republicans who scourged Secretary Clinton for letting foreign governments donate to her foundation.


And bozo House Oversight Committee Democrats calling on committee chair Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to ”hold Mr. Trump to the same standards as President Obama and Secretary Clinton.”

And those stripey-pants ethics advisors to Obama and George W. Bush saying the Electoral College shouldn’t make Trump president unless he sells his businesses and puts the proceeds in a blind trust — because of the Constitution’s lame Emoluments Clause:

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

So sad.

But just as Jerry Falwell, Jr. and the moral values crowd had Trump’s back during the campaign, now it’s time for Paula White and her fellow prosperity gospel-ers to step up to the plate. Here’s how.

  • “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,” said the Prophet Malachi, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” The President-elect is giving his entire salary — ten times a tithe — to make America great again. The floodgates must open for him.
  • Jesus said, ”He shall receive an hundredfold now in this time.” Why shouldn’t this great man receive an hundredfold, or a millionfold, from foreign officials staying at his hotels and renting his apartments and belonging to his golf courses, not to mention providing Trump Enterprises with sweetheart deals?
  • “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel,” said Jesus. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.” Trump’s candle is his business. In a blind trust, it disappears. No more Trump brand? No way!
  • St. Paul writes in Second — no, make that Two — Corinthians, “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.” God became a poor carpenter so the Donald could get rich off his labor. Let’s keep it that way.
  • Old Job suffered a lot, and frankly complained a lot. But here’s the upshot:

The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters … Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

So much for ethics advisors BildadEliphaz, and Zophar.

Come January, Messrs. Ryan and McConnell will take care of the Emoluments Clause with H.R. 1, the Let Foreign States Enrich President Trump and his Family Act of 2017.

And with the Prayer of Jabez on our lips, we will give thanks unto the Lord.

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!