Danny Alayon, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., shares a story about how Jewish tradition holds that only flawed individuals make great leaders. According to rabbis, it is essential that leaders have flaws.
“If someone is self-righteous and convinced of their own goodness, they won’t feel the need to redeem their past with good deeds. But if they have experienced real failure or setbacks, they are more likely to approach leadership redemptively,” Alayon explains.
This perspective may shed light on why Donald Trump is seen by some as a leader who is committed to his promises. Despite, or perhaps because of, his past mistakes and failures, he aims to do what he believes is right for America. Since his election in 2016, his actions in defending life, Christians’ rights and Israel have been notable.
I have known Alayon since his time as ambassador, and I respect his opinions. He holds Trump in high regard for his support of Israel and resonates with evangelicals who support Israel due to their religious beliefs.
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In America, particularly within the church, we often get entrenched in our views or influenced by the media, making it hard to see perspectives like Alayon’s on flawed leaders. But upon hearing his viewpoint, I realized its validity.
The Bible shows that God has always used imperfect people. This means He can use me and you! However, I had not considered that a person must have a flaw for God to use them.
Evangelicals often are criticized for supporting someone with Trump’s non-religious, hedonistic background. It’s as if they must apologize for supporting the man who aims to make America great again. Why? Because of his flaws—being brash, confrontational, having multiple marriages, bankruptcies and using coarse language.
This might be why Trump is considered a strong leader. As we approach the upcoming election, we must address this issue. It is ironic and hypocritical that the Left, who once admired Trump, now criticize his lifestyle as he runs as a Republican. They are even using legal actions to attack him, suggesting we should not vote for a convicted felon.
As Christians, we must understand that God has always used flawed leaders. We must think biblically and know how to defend Trump, even making the case to family and friends why they should vote for him in 2024.
I discussed this with David Barton of WallBuilders.
“We have created an artificial standard as Christians that God doesn’t even have for His leaders in the Bible,” Barton told me. “I have flaws, Trump has flaws and we can point them out in a self-righteous manner. Or we can look at Hebrews 11 and all these great leaders—and they had some serious flaws.”
Barton suggests that conservative Christians should judge Trump by his actions. Author Lance Wallnau echoes this sentiment, noting that figures like Churchill, Lincoln and Patton were not conventional Christians but played pivotal roles in history. Despite their flaws and criticism from the clergy, they stood strong against enemies of freedom and safeguarded our way of life and Christian heritage. History shows that Winston Churchill, despite his unpopularity and personal flaws, was the right leader during a crisis. Similarly, Trump might be the leader needed to protect our nation from present and future threats.
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Stephen Strang has seen major changes in the church, the culture and technology since he founded Charisma magazine in 1975. In addition to being CEO of Charisma Media, he hosts a Strang Report podcast live on YouTube and Rumble at 4 p.m. EST every Tuesday and Thursday. His important recent book Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-World is available wherever fine Christian books are sold. You can get a copy signed by the author online at mycharismashop.com.
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