Singularly, the biggest weakness and character flaw for President Donald J. Trump is his untamed tongue. We’ve known this since his earliest days on the campaign trail more than 10 years ago. Last night, he opened his mouth, and instead of remaining silent and being thought a fool, he spoke and removed all doubt.
The president would benefit from daily reading of the book of Proverbs.
“Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, ‘I was only joking!’”(26:18-19).
Last night (October 5, 2026), the president spoke at a political rally in Nebraska. In the speech he addressed the impact the war in Iran has had on American wallets, and here is where he stepped in it.
At a political rally in Grand Island, Nebraska, on October 5, 2026, President Trump said:
“And again, remember, with the war, it’s just artificial. It’s a little bit high. It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe. They could take out a city. Let ’em take out Los Angeles, let ’em take out San Diego. This is a very small price to pay, and it’s going to be over with very soon.”
He thinks he’s funny, and often he is. This wasn’t one of those times. He is the president of Mobile, Cheyenne, and Lincoln, cities in states where he carries the day, but he’s also the president of Chicago, St. Paul, and Sacramento, cities in states he has never won.
No one doubts Mr. Trump is protecting Los Angeles with the same vigor he is protecting Oklahoma City. Any city under attack by a foreign or domestic enemy would meet with the full power of his office. His shot at the state of California by invoking two of its largest cities in his joke was a volley at California’s governor and its statewide political machine.
When Mr. Trump says or acts in ways that are good for the country, Christians (including me) have praised him. When he does and says things that are bad for the country, Christians (including me) should check him. This is one of those times.
I have close family and lifelong friends who live in San Diego. Grace Community Church, where John MacArthur labored for many decades, is in a Los Angeles suburb. Both cities are home to hundreds of thousands of fellow Christians and to millions of fellow Americans. Taking out one of them is not funny.
Proverbs 31, the climatic close of the book, ends famously with the description of a virtuous wife. The lofty words are counsel from King Lemuel’s mom about the kind of woman he should seek. But those are not her only words for the nation’s leader. Twice she tells him, “It is not for kings…” Some behaviors and some words cross the line, and leaders of nations do not take that step. President Trump would do well to read the myriad of cautions about the tongue contained in Proverbs and submit to the God who ordains his office (Romans 13:1-7).
What is true of a king and the president is equally true of us. We are responsible before God for every word that originates in our hearts and continues out of our mouths (Matthew 12:36; Psalm 19:14). If the words of Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Tim Walz, Kamala Harris, or Gavin Newson bother you, how much more the words that come from your mouth, the words that fall into the category, “I was only joking”?
As always, thanks for reading, and I welcome your feedback and any suggestions you might have for an upcoming Lunchtime Musing.