Reader note
Reader note: This article contains presumptive interpretations of the books of Daniel and Revelation and should not be considered a definitive or literal interpretation of the visions that God provided us. It is important to recognize that our goal is not to dissect every detail of these visions, but to understand the underlying message well enough to connect the pieces when the events become clear.
Could Donald Trump be the Antichrist?
Throughout history, many have believed that a powerful world leader might be the Antichrist, including figures such as Napoleon, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, and nearly every U.S. president since Franklin D. Roosevelt, Donald Trump included. Given Trump’s overt displays of hatred, contempt, arrogance, and dishonesty, it raises a legitimate question. Regardless of one's support for Trump, his presidency has demonstrated how Christians may unwittingly align with the Antichrist without even knowing it.
Have you ever wondered if Donald Trump could be the Antichrist? It’s not surprising that this question is on many people’s minds. After all, we elected a man who, despite living the antithesis of our beliefs, rose through a series of strange events to attain the most powerful position on the planet. Within days of his first term, protests erupted across the country, and foreign partners, like China, openly declared that they were positioning themselves for a trade war, a common precursor to real war. It felt as if the world was unraveling. All of this happened because Christians, through their widespread support of Donald Trump, put him into office despite being aware of his propensity for racism, misogyny, and elitism.
In the aftermath, we can’t help but marvel at how a “flawed” man like Trump garnered universal support from Christians and religious leaders, with exit polls from both of his terms showing that approximately 80% of Evangelicals voted for him. Nonetheless, it would be foolish to conclude that Trump is the Antichrist—many prophecies must be fulfilled first.
This is how the Antichrist might unexpectedly rise to power.
It’s uncommon for a presidential candidate to lose the popular vote yet still win the election, but it is precisely this sort of turmoil that could allow the Antichrist to rise to power. And yes, leading up to Trump’s presidency, certain elements of his ascent aligned with the prophetic visions in Daniel and Revelation. But while Donald Trump may not be the Antichrist, we can at least analyze a potentially divisive situation by comparing biblical predictions to Trump’s rise and using the insights to explore how the Antichrist might slip past us and take control of our country—and ultimately, the world.
The beast ascends from the sea (Revelation 13:1).
“The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea.”
Scholars have long interpreted Revelation 13:1 to mean the Antichrist would likely rise from a location near a large body of water. New York City has always been a popular choice.
The beast allies with three global leaders (Daniel 7:4-7).
“Four great beasts… The first was like a lion… a second beast, which looked like a bear, another beast which looked like a leopard… it had four wings like those of a bird… it was given authority to rule… a fourth beast – terrifying and frightening and very powerful…”
Daniel 7:4 is commonly thought to describe the Beast’s rise with the assistance, cooperation, or support of three significant nations or leaders. Since the nations were depicted as animals, many have speculated that the three nations are China (lion), Russia (bear), and the United States (winged leopard).
When the world found that in a surprise turnaround, Donald Trump won the presidency, the most notable countries supporting this outcome (outside the United States) were China and, oddly enough, America’s greatest rival, Russia.
The beast is proud and arrogant (Daniel 7:8, Revelation 13:5).
“This horn [the Antichrist or False Prophet) had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”
“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words…”
The Bible tells us in several verses (e.g., Daniel 7:8, Revelation 13:5) that the beast will be extremely arrogant. It is one of the most frequently mentioned characteristics and likely the one that will stand at the forefront of the beast’s personality traits.
Few can deny that Trump is arrogant and boastful. He has demonstrated many times his propensity for bragging in his tweets and public speeches.
The Antichrist will achieve remarkable success (Daniel 8:24).
“He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does.”
To some, it may be surprising that most portrayals depict the Antichrist as successful. Indeed, the Bible tells us in Daniel 8:24 that the Beast will “succeed in whatever he does” while causing astounding devastation around the world. It’s difficult to imagine. How can a leader be seen as successful while also wreaking havoc?
Trump was successful in his bid for the presidency but still sparked widespread protests, anxiety, and chaos throughout the world while alienating many of our allies and sparking fear in Americans with his aggressive rhetoric.
The Antichrist dominates others (Daniel 7:7).
“It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left.”
Most people interpret Daniel 7:7 to mean that the Antichrist will be a strong, dominating figure who crushes opponents while maintaining popularity with the public. We witnessed this during the Trump-Clinton election, which was steeped in poisonous hatred and inflammatory campaign rhetoric. When asked by the Wall Street Journal if he had gone too far, Trump replied, “No. I won.”
The Antichrist will be a liar (2 Thessalonians 2:10, Revelation 16:13).
“He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing.”
“Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”
It goes without saying that the Antichrist will offer deceit and lies. At least two verses strongly suggest this (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 2:10, Revelation 16:13). No candidate in history has disseminated more blatant lies, saturating his speeches with half-truths and flagrant falsehoods than Trump did during his presidential campaigns. When confronted, Trump claimed his lies were intended as sarcasm. In his book, Trump: The Art of the Deal, he explained the reasoning behind his actions:
"I play to people's fantasies. People may not always think big themselves, but they can still get very excited by those who do. That's why a little hyperbole never hurts... I call it truthful hyperbole. It's an innocent form of exaggeration — and a very effective form of promotion."
Christians and religious leaders provide unintended support for the Antichrist (Daniel 7:25).
“The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times, and half a time.”
Today, religious leaders are attempting to justify their support for Trump rather than acknowledging that for many, the choice between Clinton and Trump felt like choosing between cholera and the plague. However, we should not be surprised. Daniel 7:25 suggests that the Antichrist will somehow be able to win over our religious leaders. The election of Trump demonstrated how this unimaginable turn of events could occur. Polls indicate that a vast majority of Christians supported Donald Trump in both of his elections despite his clear anti-Christian behavior.
Ironically, in the verse above, “time” refers to one year, “times” signifies two years, and “half a time” denotes six months. Daniel tells us that the Antichrist will lead for three and a half years – just six months short of a full United States Presidential term.
The Antichrist will have a partner - the False Prophet (Revelation 13:11-18).
"Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed."
"And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed."
"It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666."
Revelation 13:11 provides the most recognized description of the Antichrist's partner, known as the False Prophet (or, alternatively, the "second beast"). These verses indicate that the False Prophet will serve as an underling to the Antichrist, acting as an agent of the Beast and working on his behalf. The verses suggest that the False Prophet, rather than the Antichrist, will be the one to introduce the Mark of the Beast (the enigmatic "666") to the public. Together with Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet form an unholy trinity that will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire.
Shortly after Trump was elected President, it became clear that Jared Kushner was destined to be his right-hand man; he was officially named "special adviser to the President" on January 9, 2016. Kushner is the son of convicted felon Charles Kushner, who was convicted and disbarred in 2004 for various crimes, including illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. As per prophetic scripture, Jared Kushner is Jewish (many believe the description of the False Prophet rising from the Earth suggests he will have Jewish heritage) and, astonishingly, he owns the iconic office complex at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City, for which he paid a record price (see Mark of the Beast discussion) below).
After Trump’s second election, his right-hand man disappeared and was replaced by tech mogul Elon Musk. Like Kushner, there were eerie coincidences that hinted at Musk as the False Prophet, not the least of which is his ownership of an electronic payment processing service, his fondness for digital currency, and his brains and innovativeness in proposing radical forms of payment methods, such as a system that would eliminate all forms of physical currency and replace them with convenient, secure, and stable digital cryptocurrency as a requirement to buy and sell goods.
He will be healed from a “fatal” wound (Revelation 13:3).
“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed.”
For many, Revelation 13:3 is seen as the telltale sign of the Antichrist. Either the Antichrist or someone associated with his leadership council will suffer a “fatal” wound but survive. However, it remains unclear whether John’s description of a “fatal wound” refers to a new physical injury, recovery from an illness, an old scar, or some other anomalous feature (in the 1980s, many speculated that Gorbachev could be the Antichrist due to the notable birthmark on his head).
Interestingly, Trump is rumored to have a significant scar hidden beneath his distinctive hairdo. According to Harry Hurt III in his 1993 book Lost Tycoon, Trump was furious about a botched scalp flap surgery performed by a plastic surgeon recommended by his then-wife, Ivana. Flap surgery involves cutting away the balding area of the scalp and stretching and stitching together skin that still produces hair. According to Hurt, Trump confronted Ivana, screaming, "Your #&ing doctor has ruined me!"
A notable hair loss expert agrees with Hurt's claim. According to Dr. Paul McAndrews, as reported in Men's Health magazine, the normal male apex to hairline is absent on Trump's scalp.
"I do not question Trump’s assertion that is 100% his hair, I believe it is his hair, I just do not believe that God was the architect of his hairline."
Things grew even dicier when on July 13, 2024, Donald Trump was nicked by a bullet in an assassination attempt by Thomas Matthew Crooks during an open-air campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The bullet (or a fragment of a bullet), shot from more than 400 feet away from the stage, grazed Trump’s right ear, causing visible bleeding from the head wound. As he was rushed away by Secret Service agents, he paused, raised his fist, and mouthed the words, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” to which the crowd responded with cheers and chants of “U-S-A!” After the incident, Trump said,
“When I rose surrounded by Secret Service, the crowd was confused because they thought I was dead. And there was great, great sorrow. I could see that on their faces as I looked out.”
Much prophecy remains to be fulfilled.
Although there are similarities, the Bible reveals many more signs of the Antichrist’s identity – and this is where caution is necessary. Prophecy in the Bible should not be interpreted before the events occur. The symbolisms used will only gain clarity when they all align with the circumstances. Ultimately, Christians who are intimately familiar with biblical prophecy will recognize the signs, while others will remain lost. Here are a few significant prophetic events that appear to remain unfulfilled.
He will have a slightly shortened time to rule (Revelation 13:5).
“The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months.”
Forty-two months is only 6 months short of a full presidential term in the United States. Some believe the time period specified in Revelation 13:5 might relate to the “fatal” head wound mentioned in a prior verse, while others argue it could be referring solely to the active duration of a normal presidential term (i.e., excluding the “lame duck” periods).
He will invade many countries with help from other nations (Daniel He will invade many countries with assistance from other nations (Daniel 11:40).
“He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood.”
The Bible tells us (e.g., Daniel 11:40) that the Antichrist will be a warmonger, invading countries while maintaining the support and even admiration of his followers.
He will attempt to change religious laws (Daniel 7:25).
“He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws.”
Most believe that Daniel 7:25 indicates the Antichrist will try to change religious laws or possibly alter the perception of those laws (e.g., left-leaning doctrines such as the legalization of drugs or abortion). Others think this verse specifically relates to Jewish people and their Old Testament laws.
He will control the world’s economy and force a “mark” necessary for purchasing and selling goods (Revelation 13:16).
“It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark.”
Revelation 13:16 is a well-known verse and often the first that comes to mind when considering end-time prophecy. Many believe that the “mark,” which may be necessary for buying and selling goods, might not be a physical mark but rather a small computerized device embedded under the skin. The related number “666” could serve as an identifier, represent a numerological phrase, or even indicate a postal address—such as a remittance payment location (e.g., 666 Fifth Avenue in New York City).
How did we end up here? We painted ourselves into a corner.
Trump’s rise to the presidency was unexpected but not without reason. Americans struck out against the establishment during the primaries by voting against anyone who was a part of the system. In the general election, this strategy came back to haunt us. We found ourselves again forced to vote for anyone but the establishment, largely because we knew the damage a Clinton-appointed Supreme Court could do to our religious freedoms.
Once we painted ourselves into a corner, we tried to rationalize that Trump’s ideals mirrored our own, but we overlooked the fact that he was admittedly non-religious. We justified his pro-life stance but ignored that he had shifted from pro-choice shortly before the election. We applauded his support for our military, then cringed when he denigrated our military leaders. We cheered as he railed against the elite and promised to rid the country of corruption, only to squirm when we found he used the law to avoid paying federal taxes. We looked the other way when he ran his campaign as a demagogue, fabricating “truths” and lashing out at a myriad of religions, races, countries, and cultures. We disregarded the division he fostered when he spoke not of anything but unity but of building a wall. He was our kind of candidate, espousing family values despite being married three times and admittedly spending very little time with his family.
As a result, a man who represents the antithesis of our ideals rose to the office of presidency – and we helped put him there.
The Christian solution to a divisive situation.
Today, Christians and Christian leaders find themselves in a deeply divisive situation, facing the risk of being seen as supporters of misogyny, racism, sexism, and hate. The best we can do now is pray and hope that Donald Trump grows while in office.