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Did God save President Trump’s life during the assassination attempt at a Butler, PA rally on Saturday, July 13th? And if so, what does it mean?

The recent assassination attempt on President Trump has sparked a significant amount of discussion about Divine intervention. Many supporters believe that God miraculously saved Trump’s life, sparing him for a greater purpose within the political realm. As Christians, we know that God controls the life and death of all people (Deut 32:39). But that’s not really what people mean when they talk about God saving Trump. What they’re positing is that the Lord’s protection over Trump is an endorsement of Trump’s politics. Is this true? How can we know? And, either way, what does it mean in terms of the future of America?

Mounting Tensions in U.S. Politics

No one is oblivious to the tensions surrounding this election cycle. In many ways, it is even more polarizing than Trump’s previous presidential run in 2016. Voters on both sides of the aisle are fired up, giving way to conspiracies, catastrophizing the potential outcomes, and vitriolically lambasting anyone who doesn’t share their perspective. These are stressful times we are living in, and they are not easy to navigate. To this powder keg, this past weekend, was added the failed assassination attempt of President Trump. Twitter is ablaze, as are the hearts and minds of Democrats and Republicans across the nation.

An Attempted Assassination of President Trump

On Saturday, July 13th, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at former President Trump, who is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party in this year’s hotly anticipated presidential election. Although the gunman fired several rounds, hitting President Trump in the ear, killing one bystander, and injuring others, Trump was able to recover quickly, pumping his fist and shouting “Fight” into an exuberant crowd. His triumph does, indeed, seem miraculous, and has fanned the flames of his base even more. But does the Lord’s protection over the incident also mean that he is the Lord’s pick in this political race? And if he is, does that automatically mean that the Lord endorses all that Trump stands for?

What God’s Word Says

Scripture makes a few relevant things clear:

• God gives and takes life (Deut. 32:39; Job 1:21)
• God ordains our paths (Prov. 16:9; Prov. 19:21)
• God can bless both the righteous and the wicked (Matt. 5:45)
• God chooses our leaders – for good or bad (Rom. 13:1; Dan. 2:21)
• God’s plans will always triumph in the end (Is. 46:10)
• God is concerned with HIS glory and HIS kingdom above all else (Is. 42:8; Dan. 2:44)

So, what does this all mean when applied to the assassination attempt on President Trump? Firstly, we know that God absolutely spared Trump’s life, just as He allowed you to wake up alive this morning. Secondly, God absolutely cares about the politics of the United States. Thirdly, He will undeniably be the One to choose our next leader. But the actions He takes do not always represent His favor.

The Wicked and the Righteous

Life is not a sign of God’s blessing. In the Bible, we see God allow evil individuals like Pharaoh, who oppressed the Israelites (Ex. 9:16), and Jezebel, who promoted idolatry and persecution (1 Kings 21:25), to live. We know that there are people who God allows to live every day who are actively working against His purposes. God’s patience and the complexity of His plans is beyond such simple extrapolations.

Furthermore, God often permits individuals to hold leadership positions even when they lack His favor. In the Old Testament, for example, God allowed leaders like Saul and Ahab to reign despite their wicked intentions. Saul’s kingship ended in tragedy due to his disobedience (1 Sam. 15:36), and Ahab’s reign brought idolatry and conflict (1 Kings 16:30-33), illustrating that God permits leaders to govern even without His blessing.

Therefore, it is essential to consider that Divine intervention in sparing President Trump’s life does not inherently indicate Divine endorsement of his political stance or candidacy over President Biden’s. Obviously, God’s intervention in the survival of individuals does not necessarily translate into support for their political ideologies, be they presidential candidates or partisan voters. In religious contexts, God’s actions are often seen as part of a broader, incomprehensible plan that transcends human purposes (Is. 55:8). Therefore, while some might interpret President Trump’s survival as a sign of favor, it is crucial to recognize that this interpretation is subjective and not a definitive statement of Divine preference for any political person or party.

Did God Save President Trump’s Life?

Ultimately, equating political implications with Divine favor is problematic. It can oversimplify the complexities of faith and politics, suggesting a direct correlation where one might not exist. The survival of any individual, including a political figure, should be seen as part of a larger, mysterious Divine plan rather than a clear endorsement of their political path. So, yes, God saved President Trump’s life during the assassination attempt in PA. But why He chose to do so remains, at least for now, a mystery.

Featured photo by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ – Donald Trump, CC BY-SA 2.0.