White House adviser Stephen Miller drew widespread criticism this weekend after declaring that it was “divine providence” that Donald Trump is president during America’s 250th anniversary.

 

That should make every American uncomfortable. It’s inherently dangerous.

 

History is filled with kings, emperors, and dictators who insisted they ruled by divine approval. Once people believe a leader is chosen by God, criticizing him becomes more than political disagreement. It becomes an act of defiance against heaven itself.

 

Our founders understood this danger better than most. They had lived under monarchs who claimed authority from God. That is precisely why they built a republic where power comes from the consent of the governed. The power comes from “We the People.”

 

Believe that God guides history if you wish. But then ask where he went during the Holocaust or during every genocide. Claiming that God personally selected one president is madness. No one can know that. And anyone who says they do is either a liar, a fool or deeply deceived.

 

The genius of America has never been that our leaders are chosen by God.

It’s that they are chosen by us.

 

And if we ever forget the difference, we will have abandoned one of the most revolutionary ideas our nation was founded upon.