Post 2016 U.S. Election Thoughts

In this article, I will share some of my thoughts about where I believe America may be heading in the short-term and long-term following the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Did Trump’s Win Surprise Me?

I was not surprised that Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency. In fact, people who follow my Facebook page saw a post I wrote on October 27, 2016, where I stated that I believed that Trump had a much greater chance of winning than what many American news outlets were portraying to people.

Someone recently asked me where I think we are in the relation to the end times. I think the outcome of the upcoming U.S. presidential election will make that clearer. With that said, I don’t believe the election is “over” as many American news outlets portray. Objectively speaking, I believe #Trump’s chances of winning are much higher than what many American news outlets are currently portraying.

I thought the political polls at the time were oversampling Democrat voters and were underestimating the support Trump had from independent voters and Democrat crossover voters, groups that Trump did well with during the primary election season.

Is Donald Trump the Antichrist?

I wrote an article back in June 2016 addressing whether Donald Trump was the Antichrist. I concluded in my article that Trump was not the Antichrist, but people have asked me whether my view has changed after he won the election. My answer on the issue of whether or not Trump is the Antichrist has not changed. I do not believe Trump is the Antichrist for the same reasons I mentioned in my prior article.

Near-Term Post-Election Uncertainties

Many American voters viewed Trump as the candidate who would be likeliest of the two major candidates to bring change to America if he was able to fully implement his agenda (whether that change is good or bad depends on your perspective). With Trump’s victory, many uncertainties in the near-term future exist because it is unclear how much of his agenda he will be able to implement and what the repercussions will be. Here are a few things to consider:

• Trade: Will Trump be able to renegotiate the U.S.’s trade deals as he promised, and what will the repercussions be? Do Trump’s trade policies lead to trade wars between the U.S. and other countries, and what damage would trade wars have on the U.S. economy and global economy if they arise? Some believe that free trade reduces the likelihood of conflict between countries as their economies become interdependent. Does potential trade hostilities between the U.S. and China increase the risk of military conflict between the two economic powers?
• Defense Spending: Will Trump be able to successfully get countries to pay for the U.S. military’s protection? If not and the U.S. removes its military protection, will countries like Japan begin to arm themselves? Will arms races ensue in a region like East Asia? If the U.S. withdraws from N.A.T.O., will individual European countries like Germany begin to arm themselves to compensate for the loss of the U.S.’s military backing? Or will E.U. members work together to create a stronger collective defense force, a real European Army?
• Foreign Policy: Will Trump be able to destroy ISIS as he promised or will his efforts to destroy ISIS destabilize the Middle East further? Sometimes good intentions have unintended consequences… Will Trump actually move the U.S.’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem? If so, will this gesture of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital lead to a Third Intifada?

I am not saying whether or not I think Trump can succeed nor am I providing you with my opinion about whether I think Trump’s policy proposals are good or bad. I am only trying to give you a sense of the amount of uncertainty that exists in the near-term future. With change comes the possibility for more things to happen.

The U.S.’s Long-Term Prognosis

The U.S. has been the dominant superpower in the world since the end of the Cold War. Therefore, much of the political and economic power in the world has been concentrated in one country (the U.S.). This power distribution is much different than the power distribution of the end times. Revelation 17 and Daniel 7 indicate that the Antichrist’s empire, which will have global influence, will comprise of ten kingdoms that surrender their power to the Antichrist.

“(13) And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (14) These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:13-14)

“The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” (Daniel 7:23)

These verses indicate that much of the political and economic power in the world in the end times will be concentrated in ten kingdoms rather than just one like it is now. This suggests that the U.S.’s economic and political standing in the world will decline over the long run. Therefore, I expect the U.S.’s power to diminish over time. I currently do not believe there are any clear references to the U.S. in Bible prophecy, so a decline in the U.S.’s power could be quite significant in the long-term.

I do not know for sure if the U.S. will increase in strength or decrease in strength during Trump’s presidency. However, the long-term prognosis for the U.S. is not positive, so any increase in the U.S.’s strength under Trump is unlikely to last in the long-term.