7 QUESTIONS I WOULD ASK THE PRESIDENT

I’ve recently been thinking about what I’d ask President Trump if I got the chance. I don’t know how, but say you were stuck in a lift (sorry, elevator) with him and all you had was a notebook and a pencil. What would you ask? Given the opportunity, what questions would you put to the man himself, before the Secret Service pulled him out of there?

Here’s my list. Call it a thought experiment. Perhaps even more interestingly, the exercise might be to ask how he would respond? What would he actually say, unable to deploy his usual strategies?

For that reason, I’ve worded my seven questions carefully. Think of them as a mix of flattery (which he obviously responds warmly to) and openers to wider debate (which he might not respond to immediately but should give opportunity for reflection - if he is still in the elevator I suppose. He’s not given to much instantaneous reflection I think).

Well. Thought experiment or not, these are genuinely things I’d like to know - some with a Christian slant, revealing my bias of course, some that I would hope would cover history and politics in a way I think is relevant for today’s world - even if I, a Brit, might seem unqualified to ask some of them.

So, what do you think? What would you ask him? How do you think he’d answer?

7 Questions for the President

1. Jesus taught his followers to love their neighbours and even their enemies. How are you, as the leader of perhaps the greatest Christian nation in the world today, putting that into practice?
2. How would you define an ideal democracy, and what checks and balances on power would be necessary to make it work?
3. You’re clearly an extremely successful person with years of experience at ‘winning’. What’s the greatest lesson you were taught on the way, and how would you pass that on?
4. You’ve repeatedly said that Washington and Lincoln are your favourite Presidents, and even stated that you rank alongside them. What specifically about those men has inspired you, and how does that shape your presidency?
5. In your opinion, what is the central idea of the US constitution?
6. You’ve previously said that you don’t think you’ve done enough to get into heaven. What’s your understanding of what is required for an eternal life with God, and why do you believe you fall short?
7. What role do you implicitly believe should be taken by the US on the world stage? Having put a ‘great again’ America, as first priority in your policies, is there a purpose/responsibility that the country should take, with respect to the rest of the world?