The Last Time I Saw John Bolton

The last time I saw John Bolton was when we were both walking on the street near Hamamatsuchō Station in Tokyo, Japan. I bumped into him on the street and asked if I could pray for him. To his credit, he paused, bowed his head and we prayed.

John Bolton epitomizes a part of the “swamp” that many miss. The “swamp” is basically a group of overeducated, self-absorbed, out of touch elites, who think they rule the country and the world.

Bolton’s main point in his upcoming illegal book is that the president is unqualified for office. He is absolutely right. Donald J. Trump is completely unqualified for the office of president. Donald J. Trump does not come near to the level of the elites who rule Washington. That, though, is precisely the point.

The “swamp creatures” think they know what is best for not only the country, but the world. They live in an elite “swamp,” surrounded by their fellow “swamp people” who all look down on the uneducated, regular people. I am writing this from the swamp itself, and it is easy to explain. The nearest supermarket is not a regular supermarket; it is an Amazon opened Whole Foods, elite supermarket full of natural-grown peanut butter and lactose-free milk and all the other weird, elite foods in between. The main form of exercise is walking their overpriced dogs with a latte in one hand and their iPhone earbuds, talking as they walk, complete with a custom-made mask. John Bolton’s 500-plus page book illustrates precisely the reason the “forgotten man and forgotten woman” chose such an unqualified man to lead them—because he is us!

John Bolton has forgotten the most important part of what America is all about. America was born of godly men and women who left nations ruled by elites who thought they knew it all. John Bolton is exactly right in all his points: The president is not a professional politician. He does not make decisions in the educated, “swamp” manner, but that is what the people want.

Most of all, John Bolton has forgotten one of the most important points of Scripture: God specializes in using imperfect people. I call it the Mr. Magoo Syndrome. God has one fixation. He wants all the credit. He demands all the glory for what happens. He just loves people like the cartoon character Mr. Magoo who bumbles around, but always just in time comes through, always, it seems, by a miracle.

When professional, overeducated, overqualified people like John Bolton execute policy, everyone nods and says, “It’s that education and experience.” When the unqualified Donald J. Trump does something amazing, like lowering the unemployment rate, moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem or passing meaningful criminal justice legislation, the chattering classes mutter. They can’t figure it out. God passes over the experts, the super-qualified, beautiful people, and uses the regular people, because when amazing things happen through them, He always gets the credit. This is one of the key secrets to the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is led not by perfect people but broken, imperfect people who, like Donald J. Trump, wake up every morning in astonishment that God found them a place in His kingdom. God hates arrogance and the elite for the simple reason that they steal his Glory and He doesn’t share.

John Bolton is absolutely right. Donald J. Trump is completely unqualified to be president, and that is precisely why he is! {eoa}

Amir George is the author of Liberating Iraq and directs The World Helpline at www.theworldhelpline.org.