Last week, President Donald Trump convened an extraordinary gathering of America’s top generals and admirals at Quantico, Virginia. It was billed as a moment to rally the officer corps behind his vision for a “War Department” — a return, he said, to discipline, ferocity, and warrior ethos. Yet by all credible accounts, the meeting did not go as planned.
When Trump entered the room, he remarked that he had “never walked into a room so silent before.” His attempt at humor — warning that officers who disliked his words could “leave the room, though there goes your rank and future” — drew only nervous laughter. Applause was sparse, and the atmosphere, instead of being charged with unity and inspiration, was marked by unease.
Trump pressed his case further, suggesting that America’s cities could be used as “training grounds” for the military to combat what he called “the enemy from within.” For many observers, this was alarming. The United States has long drawn a line between its armed forces and domestic policing — a line rooted in both law and democratic principle. To see the president urge the military toward coercive roles at home, while belittling senior officers as “fat generals” or “politically correct,” sent the opposite of an uplifting message. It showcased division rather than resolve.
Why did the meeting fail to inspire? Because leadership rooted in pride and coercion always fails. History teaches this lesson, and so does the Bible.
Proverbs 16:18 warns that, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Jesus Himself contrasted godly leadership with the authoritarian rulers of the world: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them … yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:25–26). And the apostle Peter urged overseers not to rule “with force and cruelty,” but to be examples to those entrusted to them (1 Peter 5:2–3).
Trump’s meeting is a sobering reminder: leadership built on ego, threats, and authoritarian impulses cannot unify even the most disciplined of institutions. True leadership is not about coercing applause or demanding loyalty; it is about humility, service, and inspiring trust.
The Weekly Telescope has often warned that the Bible’s wisdom speaks just as powerfully to today’s headlines as it did to ancient kings. When leaders exalt themselves and belittle others, the result is not strength but fracture. But when leaders humble themselves before God and serve with justice and mercy, then nations — and their armies — can find true unity.
