The Reign of King Trump?

After the midterms, will Donald Trump now govern like a king? Axios has published its latest partisan attack on the Trump administration, “Trump’s Imperial Last Act.” But don’t let a bad article blind you to what could be an important story. Axios writes:

[BRIEF]

President Trump, with the clock ticking and congressional investigators closing in, plans to govern even more imperially, hell-bent on stretching executive power, targeting those on his enemies list, pardoning allies, and daring the courts and Congress to slow him down.

There is a lot of Trump derangement syndrome in there. If anything, in comments since the election, the president has talked more about compromising, softening his immigration policies, and working with the Democrats—hardly the statements of a vengeful emperor. But there’s a kernel of truth to what they say.

Stephen Miller’s appointment as White House chief of staff points to a more assertive presidency, Axios says. He and budget director Russ Vought “are architects and advocates of vastly expanding presidential power, believing there are virtually no restraints on what Trump can do as president.”

• The latter is not true: They believe the president is the only elected representative in the executive branch and therefore controls that branch. This is a constitutional fact. If he doesn’t exercise that, then there is no democratic control over the executive.
• But it is true that a president who takes control of the executive branch would be acting more like a “king” than previous administrations.

Axios also writes, “The swamp can expect tougher sledding: Miller, unlike most of his predecessors, is driven more by ideology than by meetings with lobbyists or industry groups.” We can but hope!

“Midterm losses pushed Presidents Clinton and Obama to the center,” writes Axios. That’s laughably wrong, but the truth makes Axios’s case about an imperial president better than their lie does.

• Obama boasted about having a pen and phone and acting without Congress. Could Donald Trump use that same approach? Reuters reported ahead of the election that Miller and Vought were working to identify areas where Donald Trump could act without Congress through executive orders.

President Trump celebrated presidential powers the Supreme Court has recently upheld, such as Trump v. Slaughter, in an Election Day phone interview. Using these rulings to fire officials in the executive is clearly on his mind.

As you can probably tell, I’m irked by Axios for muddying an important story with inaccurate swipes at the Trump administration. But Bible prophecy shows us that the power President Trump is about to exercise is indeed an important story.

• God prophesied Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained years before his election victory. Amos 7 contains some of those prophecies, describing Trump as a king presiding over the “king’s chapel” and the “king’s court.” He has a strong religious following, and the nation’s main court favors him. He has enough king-like power to exile God’s prophet.

Thus far, if anything, Donald Trump has probably been too restrained in using the powers the Constitution gives the presidency. His talk of compromising with the Democrats indicates that will probably continue in many areas. He has failed to confront the “deep state” or drain the swamp.

• Yet prophecy shows that, at least in some areas, he will wield king-like power. To learn more, read Mr. Flurry’s article “Why God Is Saving America Through Trump.”

Iran Hacked French Supermarkets

On Monday, the French government blamed Iran for hacking refrigerators in more than 700 supermarkets last month, spoiling food en masse. French spokesmen said Iran will face heavy consequences, intensifying friction between the Islamic Republic and Europe.

• Paris’s public prosecutor, Laure Beccanu, said she has issued international arrest warrants for three Iranians affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also blamed the irgc, calling the fridge hacks “the first large-scale cyberattack aimed at sabotage on national territory,” and warned that this “major assault on the nation’s interests and the security of the French people” will “not go without repercussions.”

Iran continues active measures against Europe.

• Since the Iran war started, Iran has repeatedly threatened to attack European forces directly if they contribute any meaningful help to the American-Israeli bombing campaign.
• In March, a drone from Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah struck a British base in Cyprus, causing Cyprus to press for more security guarantees from the European Union.
• In September, men under orders from Iran tried to bomb an American base in Britain.
• Last month, Germany charged two men for receiving orders from the irgc to commit terror attacks against Jewish targets.

The Bible prophesies in Daniel 11:40 of a clash between a “king of the south” and a “king of the north” at the “time of the end.” Mr. Flurry identifies the king of the south as radical Islam led by Iran, and the king of the north as Europe, united by Catholicism. Daniel 11:40 specifies this war will start by a “push,” or provocation, by the king of the south. As Mr. Flurry’s free booklet The King of the South explains, Europe can sustain only so many hacks, terrorist attacks and other provocations before it responds “like a whirlwind.”

Coalition of the Willing Holds First Military Exercise

Eleven members of the Coalition of the Willing are participating in the coalition’s first military exercise, “Koalicja 2026,” in Poland from November 9 to November 22.

• Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom are devoting 2,800 troops, mostly from France and the UK, to simulate deployments in support of Ukraine after it reaches a peace agreement with Russia.
• The coalition, which consists of 35 nations, exists separately from nato and does not include the United States.

Germany’s contribution to “Koalicja 2026” is conspicuously small: two aircraft and 10 officers.

• This is despite the fact that Germany contributes more funds to Ukraine than almost any other nation and the fact that Chancellor Merz threatened to block the European Union’s upcoming budget yesterday should it not include financial support for Ukraine.

“Koalicja 2026” isn’t the first time Germany has sent mixed signals on its support for Ukraine in general and its plans for postwar deployment in Ukraine in particular.

• In 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested sending troops to Ukraine, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz shut down the idea, saying, “There will be no ground troops, no soldiers sent by European countries or nato states.”
• Merz stated in January that Germany had yet to decide “on the type and extent of the German contribution” to a potential postwar troop deployment to deter Russia while Britain and France essentially committed to deployments at around the same time.
• Is it possible Germany isn’t as strong a supporter of Ukraine as it claims?
• In 2023, Mr. Flurry wrote, “I believe Germany has already given Ukraine to Russia in a secret deal.”

Germany believes in uniting Europe’s militaries to defend Europe, as do other members of the Coalition of the Willing, yet it has little interest in protecting Ukraine.

IN OTHER NEWS

Japan builds up the Philippines’ military power: Japan announced yesterday that it will sell the Philippines military unmanned aircraft and an advanced radar system worth nearly $30 million through its program of military support for like-minded nations. The equipment will strengthen the Philippines’ capacity to track Chinese naval and coast guard movements across vital South China Sea shipping lanes, many of which Japan’s economy depends on. The sale is the latest step in Japan’s effort to deepen military ties with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and other regional powers as it seeks to build a counterweight to China’s growing power. To understand whether these efforts will succeed, read “Japan Attempts to Build Anti-China Alliance—Will It Work?”

Massie forces Hegseth impeachment vote: Yesterday, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the House of Representatives. He accuses Hegseth of violating the Constitution by conducting hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional approval. The effort is expected to fail while Republicans still control the House, but that ends in January. Massie, an outgoing Trump critic who lost his primary, aims to pressure the president to replace Hegseth before Democrats take control and launch their own process.