Donald Trump Is Making America “Last,” Not “First”

Trump’s “America First”

Donald Trump is six months into his second four-year term as the U.S. president. His campaign motto for this go-round as president has been “America First.” He never really defined what that meant. His argument has been that other nations have “mistreated” the U.S., such as in trade. That’s why on April 2nd he announced his trade tariffs that he would impose against all nations as part of his foreign policy. Calling it “Independence Day,” the tariff percentages that he announced were much more severe than any of his MAGA crowd, who voted him back into the White House, had expected.

Jesus: “The First Will Be Last”

Donald Trump does not govern according to the teachings of Jesus. I would say that he often governs the opposite of it. Take his MAGA motto—”Make America Great Again.” It is similar to his “America First” policy. In all of the teachings of Jesus recorded in the four gospels of the Bible’s New Testament, he taught more about this “first idea” than anything else. For example, he said in “the regeneration”—referring to the future utopian age when he will rule as king in his worldwide kingdom—”many who are first will be last, and the last will be first” (Matthew 19.30 NRSV). And he soon added likewise, “So the last will be first , and the first will be last” (20.16).

What did Jesus mean? He meant that those who promote themselves as first compared to other people in this life will be last in the future. And I believe that applies to all that we humans do and that it can happen in this life, such as Trump’s way of governing.

Just look at what President Trump is doing with his tariff policy that he thinks will make “America First.” On the contrary, he is alienating many nations with these imposed tariffs, including our nation’s allies. This is making the U.S. seem to those nations, such as our best friend Canada, as last in friendship to them.

Trump’s Severe Immigration Policy

Or take Trump’s severe immigration policy. He is trying to deport the approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants who live in the U.S. He is trying to scare foreigners from trying to immigrate here, whether illegally or even legally, by rough handling them and deporting illegals even to third countries where they may be mistreated because they are unwanted. Yet due to this Trump immigration policy, the U.S. is now experiencing a severe lack of labor that will increase prices for the production goods and services that those illegal immigrants often can do. Thus, many economists are saying that Trump’s immigration policy will hurt the U.S. economy rather than help it.

Scribe: “What Is the First Commandment of All?”

Jesus spoke to this when he gave his foremost teaching. A scribe, an expert on the Torah, referring to the Law of Moses, asked Jesus, “Which commandment is the first of all?” (Mark 12.28). That is the “first idea” that all people, including Trump, should be thinking about instead of making ourselves first. Then we read, “Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these'” (vv. 29-31).

Jesus: “Love God” & “Your Neighbor as Yourself”

Jesus was not saying anything original, but only quoting from scripture. His so-called second commandment echoed what Moses said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19.18). When you do this commandment, you don’t make yourself first above others. I believe that even nations doing this represents a breaking of this commandment that was issued by God through Moses and quoted by Jesus.