The Descension of Donald John Trump
A Parable of Evil Based in Holy Scripture or Why Satan Wields Power in the World
Prologue
Some said Donald John Trump was sent by God to return America to its Christian greatness and glory. Others said he was a tool of Russia in its crusade of sowing discord across Europe and the United States. Still others said he was the greatest con artist ever, who hoodwinked his followers into believing they were patriots by allowing him to abuse the Constitution, use his office for personal gain, and create havoc once unthinkable in the halls of democracy.
But they were wrong. This is what really happened and how it all started long ago in the Garden of Eden.
Chapter 1
Recall the Garden of Eden, a paradise God created for his pleasure. It was a realm of such harmony and tranquility that lions could be seen cuddling with lambs.
But God was lonely for human companionship.
Out of dust God created a man and called him Adam. Later, as Adam slept, God created a friend for him, a woman he named Eve. “This is good,” God said.
Adam and Eve had an abundance of all they needed for sustenance and pleasure. But one thing was forbidden to them. In the middle of Eden grew a singular tree, laden with fruit unlike that of any other in the garden. The fragrance given off by the blossoms and the appeal of the lush fruit were temptations the young couple had trouble resisting.
Adam asked God why the fruit was forbidden. “It is poisonous, Adam. The tiniest bite will kill you. On pain of death, Adam, do not touch that fruit!” Adam looked at God in bewilderment. He did not understand poisonous, kill, and death.
“No, Lord,” he said. “I will not eat the fruit.”
“That is good, Adam. Because if you do there will be hell to pay.” Adam shuddered. He did not know hell either, but it sounded bad.
One day, as Eve strolled alone through Eden, she came across a snake. It was different from the other snakes she had seen because this one talked to her. He said his name was Lucifer and was one of God’s many pets in the garden. It was a lie, but how could Eve know? No one had ever lied to her before.
After chatting a while, Lucifer asked Eve if she knew anything about the tree. “Only that the fruit is bad for us,” she said.
“Well,” Lucifer said with a chuckle, “that’s not exactly the case.”
He explained that it was the Tree of Knowledge of Evil and Good. He said the fruit was a powerful psychedelic that, instead of killing her and Adam, it would expand their minds to become one with the vast and ever expanding cosmos. It would make them equal to God. “And that’s what he’s afraid of,” Lucifer said with a wink.
Eve did not understand much of what Lucifer said, but it sounded lovely.
“Think about it,” he prodded. “Would’t you like to be like God? I mean, who wouldn’t?”
And Eve did think about it. For days and days she thought of nothing else but that luscious fruit and the power it offered.
Then, along with some courage, she plucked two of the fruits and approached Adam. She started with, “Adam, I’ve been thinking,…” and she told her story of meeting Lucifer and what he’d said.
Adam scratched the back of his neck. “I don’t know, Eve. God seemed pretty serious.”
“I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about,” she said. “Lucifer said it would be a good trip. Those were his exact words. It will be a good trip.”
She handed Adam one of the fruits. “Look, I’ll go first. That way you’ll see how safe it is.” Eve took a large bite. Juice flowed down her chin. “Oh, Adam,” she said through the chewing, “the colors! Everything is…, I don’t know, so beautiful. It’s just…. Wow!”
Adam bit.
Suddenly Eve shrieked. In the meadow beyond, the lion ripped into the throat of the lamb as it gave its last bloody bleat. It devoured the innocent creature then turned its hungry eyes to Adam and Eve. Horrified, Adam suddenly realized they were naked and cold and without protection. He grabbed Eve’s hand and they ran through the stinking chaos, writhing vines, and pelting hail in search of shelter.
Lucifer, smiling, watched from a distance.
Chapter 2
And God, too, looked on, but he was not smiling.
He had underestimated Lucifer’s cunning and overestimated Adam’s commitment to him. He couldn’t really blame Eve, either. After all, he had created them.
With sadness in his heart, God understood his days of earthly creation were over.
Recriminating thoughts arose in his mind. If only I hadn’t… no, no, no! He pushed the thoughts away. It was done. He would carry on, one way or the other. He gave a heavy sigh.
Jesus, had he been born, would have wept.
Chapter 3
Some 5,000 after Adam and Eve’s history-altering bad trip a child was born into the Trump family. They lived in a modest mansion in the New York City Borough of Queens. Lucifer saw the infant Donald’s mind as one that would be eminently malleable and was eager to start molding it into his own image.
When Donald was a young man he began pondering his future. Of high priority was how he was to get the largest portion of the fortune his father would eventually leave to him and his siblings. It was time for Lucifer to introduce himself. “Hello, Donald,” he whispered into his mind.
“What? Who is this?”
“I am Lucifer.”
“Never heard of you.”
Lucifer chuckled. “It’s all for the better, my brilliant friend, it’s all for the better.”
Donald grinned, pleased with his recognized brilliance.
Lucifer continued. “I have a proposition for you.”
“What’s in it for me?”
Again the throaty chuckle. “The world, Donald, if you want it, if you can handle it.”
“I’m listening.” Donald said, certain he could handle anything.
Lucifer explained that if he, Donald, was right for the job, he, Lucifer, would ensure that Donald would oversee an empire headquartered not in working-class Queens, but in prestigious Manhattan. More than that, he would become the most powerful man in the world.
“I like it,” said Donald, doing his best act of nonchalance. “When do I start?”
“Not so fast,” said Lucifer “First I want you to do us a favor.”
“You name it.”
“I want your loyalty, Donald, without reservation. I want you, all of you, now and forever.”
Donald shrugged, palms up. “What have I got to lose?”
Lucifer outlined what kinds of guidance Donald could expect over the coming years. Then he added suggestively, “You’ll know when things are really cooking when I descend the escalator with you to the ground floor of Trump Tower. That’s when you will make a very important announcement.”
“Trump Tower! I like it. What will I announce?”
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” Lucifer said.
Chapter 4
“I’m afraid this doesn't end well,” God said to his companion.
“What will happen?” Jesus asked.
“Never mind.”
“Is it bad?”
“Of course it’s bad. Everything Lucifer is involved in is bad.”
“So tell me,” Jesus said.
“I can’t. Maybe another time,” God said, looking into the distance. “Let’s wait and see what happens.”
Had Jesus known what God did, he would have wept.
Chapter 5
Donald Trump immediately forgot Lucifer and the loyalty pledge. Instead, he believed his growing success was his own doing. But Lucifer never forgot a thing. He kept his part of young Donald’s deal with the devil. He always did. It was his art.
Meanwhile, Trump’s real-estate empire flourished. He directed his many enterprises from offices high in Trump Tower on 5th Avenue, in the heart of Manhattan. He made deals around the world.
Trump had his own television show. TRUMP the brand was visible everywhere. Trump the man was synonymous with incredible success, wealth, and glamour. Money and power came to him as if by magic. And so it was magic, and Lucifer was the magician. Even Trump’s several bankruptcies and law suits against him had no effect on his reputation, rather, his fame and fortune only increased. There were pageants, casinos, and golf courses, and so many towers bearing the name of TRUMP. And there were women—so many women—who, because of his fame, would let him do anything, anything at all. And he did.
Chapter 6
As Trump descended the escalator to the ground floor of Trump Tower he noted the cameras, reporters, and two or three dozen people with signs and T-shirts bearing his name. They were there to witness the announcement of his candidacy for president of the United States.
Lucifer, too, was there, right behind him. “Look, Donald, thousands of people have gathered just to hear you speak! Unbelievable!”
“What? Who are you?”
“Your very old and dear friend Lucifer, remember? I told you long ago I’d be with you on this day.”
“Whatever,” Trump said. “Thousands, you say?”
“I’d say five thousand, at least, maybe six. Who knows?”
“I think you’re right,” Trump said. “Just look at that crowd! They love me!” And Trump loved whoever it was speaking to him. He was a winner.
“You will be president, Donald. Believe me.” He gave Trump an anointing kiss on the back of the head and was gone.
Chapter 7
Trump had a smattering of prominent supporters, and Lucifer knew them all, both spiritually and personally. But they were not nearly enough to push him into the White House. Most people thought Trump was an egotistical conman who had no business running for president, let alone becoming the Republican Party’s nominee. Few took him seriously. Lucifer had a lot of mind-changing to do.
He went straight to leaders within the bloc known as the Religious Right. Their singular issue was abortion, and what they yearned most for was the appointment of enough judges at every level of the judiciary to ensure the ancient practice was outlawed forever. For the Religious Right, ending abortion justified any means whatsoever—including voting for a disreputable libertine and swindler like Trump.
Lucifer focussed on a select group of the most the popular, wealthy, and sanctimonious church leaders in the country. It was familiar territory, the subconscious minds of the righteous, and he entered their dreams with ease.
Eventually, the leaders warmed to the idea as though it was their own. They spread the news from their pulpits about that great patriotic Christian, Donald Trump. Enthusiasm for a Trump presidency grew and grew. People began to whisper to themselves and to each other: Can Trump be the one we’ve been praying for? In the summer of the year 2016 the unbelievable happened. Donald Trump received the Republican nomination.
“Unbelievable,” said God.
“Can’t you do anything?” Jesus asked.
“My hands are tied.”
“Unbelievable,” Jesus said.
Chapter 8
The campaign was contentious, and Trump showed what was possible. “Build the Wall!” “Punch him the face!” “Lock her up!” “Get him outa here!” “Enemy of the people!” Contention and chaos were the drugs he peddled, and his supporters wanted more, more, more. Donald Trump had tapped into the most incredible source of love and adoration the world had ever known. Day after day it filled him. Yet it was never enough. He wanted more, more, more.
One day Trump took a close look at himself in the mirror. But self-reflection was not his intent. Many people had told him that he appeared orange on television. It’s a lie, he said to himself. But there it was, the orange cast to his face. “It’s the lighting. They’re doing something with the lights to make me look bad.” Trump did not see the shade of Lucifer right behind him, smiling contentedly.
Then on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, the unbelievable happened yet again. The masses (but not a majority) handed Trump the inconceivable power that redounded to the presidency of the United States. Trump was God.
Chapter 9
Jesus was beyond weeping. He was angry that so many people—so-called followers—had invoked his name to promote, support, and elect Donald Trump. “Things can’t get any worse,” he said, directing his harsh gaze toward God.
God shook his head sadly. “Yes, they can.”
“Doesn’t it bother you that people believe you anointed him, that you want him in the White House?”
“Of course it bothers me. But people have been using both of our names in vain since, well, the beginning of time. You know that.”
“Then do something,” Jesus said.
“I can’t. How many times have I told you that?”
“More times than there are grains of sand in the Holy Land,” Jesus said irritably.
Chapter 10
Four chaotic, lawless, and incompetent years later Trump was voted out of office. Even before all the votes were counted he claimed “massive voter fraud,” and that he “won by a lot.” He refused to concede—a historical first for the United States of America. Recounts that were demanded in several states only underscored his loss. Courts threw out dozens of phony fraud cases, presented by hapless attorneys, for lack evidence. On the contrary, states reported this was fairest election in the country’s history. Yet millions of supporters believed the presidency was stolen from their leader. “Stop the steal!” they shouted in protest.
Doubt, distrust, and confusion had dissolved the Constitutional glue that held the country together. During Trump’s reign truth became lies; lies became facts; good became evil; evil became good. Hatred was the highest virtue. Dishonesty was the best policy. Accusing, denying, and dividing became acceptable strategies of governance. The lights flickered dimly across what was once called the shining city on the hill.
And then on January 6, 2021, something even more unbelievable happened. As was his Constitutional duty, the vice president was to certify the electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden. But, at Donald Trump’s urging to go to the Capitol and “fight like hell,” a mob of insurrectionists stormed the sacred building, breached the walls, and threatened the lives of several senators, representatives, and the vice president himself. “Fight for Trump!” the crusaders shouted. “Fight for Trump!”
Lucifer came. Lucifer divided. Lucifer conquered. It was his specialty.
Chapter 11
Jesus was adamant. “Tell me the truth. What’s going on?”
God pursed his lips, but Jesus persisted. “Have out with it,” he said.
“It was the bet,” God said with a touches of sorrow and scorn in his voice.
“Bet? What bet? What are you talking about?”
“It was a long time ago, way, way, way before your time. I’ve tried to forget it but…”
“I’m listening.”
After a lengthy pause God said, “Okay, but please don’t interrupt. And don’t judge me. It was one or two moons after I’d created Adam that I noticed a strange tree in the garden. Eve wasn’t yet in the picture. I thought, where did that come from? Suddenly Lucifer appeared at my side. He said he’d planted the tree, and there was nothing I could do about it. He was right, too. I couldn’t make it go away. His power was much stronger that I’d thought. I demanded that he remove it. He said he would, but only on one condition.”
“Which was?” Jesus prodded.
“For as long as Adam lived in Eden, he must never eat fruit from the tree. ‘No problem,’ I said to Lucifer. ‘I’ll tell him it’s poisonous.’ ‘You do that,’ Lucifer said, ‘but I bet you Adam will eat the fruit.’ ‘You’re on,’ I said.”
“And the stakes?” Jesus asked.
“He said if I win the he will cast himself into the pits of hell and never to bother me or the world again. How could I refuse?”
Jesus sensed God’s hesitation to go on, “And if he wins?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Specifically, what?”
“Specifically,” God went on, “specifically, I must never interfere in the workings of Earth or in human affairs, now and forever.”
Jesus blinked slowly as he considered the significance of what he had just heard. “You mean all my suffering…”
“Look, son, I tried to get you off that cross, believe me, I tried.”
“All the catastrophes and suffering?”
“They were not my doing—none of it—good or bad. I created the world, but I have no control over it. I—and you—are just bystanders.”
“All those prayers of intercession they bombard us with day in and day out?”
“Useless.”
“Unbelievable,” said Jesus as he stared blankly across all of creation.
Epilogue
After the riot, Donald John Trump wiped his hands of the whole affair and retired to his palace at Mar-a-Lago, where he awaited several rumored indictments. Meanwhile, he directed his enterprises and exercised control over those politicians who were afraid to abandon their fealty to him. He never realized his own fealty to Lucifer, who had been in control all along.
Afterword
This is a work of fiction. It is satire. Nothing within this story purports to be true. It does, however, purport to be plausible. Whatever is plausible could be true. I don’t know. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Descension of Donald John Trump
This is amazing. I wish many, many people would read this.