I am not a religious man, but I nevertheless am reminded by Donald Trump’s behavior as president of the line from the Book of Exodus, “And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Eventually, according to Exodus, things ended rather badly for Pharaoh.
At first, that seems like a very odd thing for the Lord to do. You’d think that hardening Pharaoh’s heart would make matters worse for the Israelites who were held as slaves in Egypt. But the wisdom of the biblical story is that Pharaoh’s hardened heart led him to overplay his hand. His campaign to humble the Israelites caused them to rebel, a rebellion culminated by the drowning of Pharaoh’s forces in the Red Sea.
And so it is with Trump. His behavior has made his followers even more ardent in their belief in him. Their enthusiasm is visible in rallies and YouTube videos.
But his treatment of immigrant children has repelled even some of his believers. His actions to restore jobs in certain industries like coal and to raise tariffs is sparking a trade war, with far more people and businesses being damaged than being helped. He has alienated our allies, and sooner or later those allies will turn away when we need their assistance.
His barely concealed support of white supremacists (those “very fine people”) is leading those with more moderate views to abandon him in droves. His attacks on Obamacare are backfiring as people in need of medical care discover that it is becoming unavailable at an affordable price. His gutting of environmental protection is leading to greater pollution of air and water, and people who breathe that air and drink that water are just beginning to notice.
And as the saying goes, “pride goeth before a fall.”
Paul Abrahams
Deerfield