The 1st and 47th President On Being Saved From A Bullet By Providence

George Washington, letter to John A. Washington (July 18, 1755)

By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho' death was levelling my companions on every side.

President George Washington's First Inaugural Address (April 30, 1789)

No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.

President George Washington, letter to Samuel Langdon (September 28, 1789)

The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf—And it is my earnest prayer that we may so conduct ourselves as to merit a continuance of those blessings with which we have hitherto been favoured. I am Sir, with great esteem Your most obedt Servt.

President Donald Trump's Second Inaugural Address (January 20, 2025)

Just a few months ago, in that beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear. But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.

Comments

[Frank Drackman]

No watch without a watchmaker

[Noscitur a sociis]

This fucking guy.

[tylertusta]

Rubbing it in our faces, isn't he?

[Noscitur a sociis]

Well, yeah.

Look, maybe there’s a case to be made that Donald Trump is like George Washington. And maybe there’s a case to be made that God chose him to be the president. But everyone understands that the people who don’t already think that are going to be more than a little resistant to that conclusion. So throwing up a couple of quotes that don’t even support the proposition is nothing more than trolling. And Prof. Blackman knows it.

So yeah. This fucking guy.

[New signup]

Look on the bright side, though. The new president is far better than Biden.

[Noscitur a sociis]

I agree with you!

Doesn’t mean that the correct response is low effort shitposting.

[LawTalkingGuy]

The entire maga movement is based on low level shit posting, what else would you expect?

[Martinned2]

Far better at what? Grifting?

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Perhaps Prof. Blackman is trying to parody himself?

[Kazinski]

There's the rather famous story that Winston Churchill's more accomplished ancestor had a cannonball go between his legs while mounting a horse, and decapitated his aide who was holding the reins.

From Wikipedia:
"After a brief pause, Marlborough's equerry, Colonel Bringfield (or Bingfield), led up another of the Duke's spare horses; but while assisting him onto his mount, the unfortunate Bringfield was hit by an errant cannonball that sheared off his head. One account has it that the cannonball flew between the Captain-General's legs before hitting the unfortunate colonel, whose torso fell at Marlborough's feet – a moment subsequently depicted in a lurid set of contemporary playing cards.[62]"

[Frank Drackman]

Speaking of “Saved from Bullets” can anyone of this August Company tell me who of his family “47” (or maybe “48”? Constitutional Amendments can be ratified pretty quickly when they’re reasonable, so JESUS would be limited to 2 terms?)
Pardoned?

Frank

[Dan Schiavetta]

Excuse me while I vomit.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

The invisible hand of providence is guiding your puke.

[Frank Drackman]

Probably a Stock Market Crash tomorrow from all the legal fees that won’t be paid for defending Fat Fuck Milley, Faux-chi, Uncle Remus, Liz Chaney, Pencil Neck, Oh my, looks like Vindermans pardon got lost in one of Sleepy Joes Neurofibrillary tangles, who gives a fuck? Like they’d go to a real prison like Steve Banyon or the January 6th ers

[Drewski]

Huh. So I suppose Blackman believes that Hitler was chosen by God to lead Germany into WWII, as shown by his surviving multiple assassination attempts unscathed. God must've really wanted Fidel Castro running Cuba, too, and was pretty big on Mao. Salman Rushdie also appears to be on the VIP list. I could go on.

Alternatively, it's just a thing that happened, rather than divine providence. Which is it: God loved Hitler above all, or just a coincidence?

[New signup]

Aw, are you going to be okay?

[Drewski]

I'm fine. I have great people in my life, a good job that's recession-proof, and a waist the same size it was thirty years ago. I'm dating a cute girl just over half my age. I have a very lovable but 80-pound dog in my lap vying for attention at this very moment. My biggest complaint is that I'm starting to get a little arthritic and sometimes it's hard to keep up with either of them. I do my best.

That said, I assume you're a bot that replies to mentions of Hitler without looking at context. That or someone who struggles a little with the written word. I don't mind replying this once because I was just thinking about how good I have it. I'm afraid it's Josh up there who's having a manic breakdown and seeing visions of God.

[Commenter_XY]

What kind of dog? 80lbs is pretty large.

[Brett Bellmore]

Try out SAMe, it held my arthritis at bay for a good thirty years, after I developed traumatic arthritis in a broken ankle. Orthopedic surgeon thought I'd need it fixated in a few years, but here I am still walking around on it. (Though not as painlessly as a few years ago, I think I just bought a delay with it.)

Give it some time, the effect builds over time.

[Frank Drackman]

OK, so nobody told you "God" was make believe like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? Love all these commercials shilling for
Kids Cancer for St Jude, why doesn't he just cure them all? he's a fucking Saint for Christ's sake!'

Frank

[HankViam]

The Author of the Universe whose divine interposition manifested itself on Washington's behalf and who spared Trump seems to have dropped the ball with regard to Corey Comperatore, no? I wonder what the poor fellow did to deserve that punishment. Perhaps he did nothing, and God's attention just wandered. It *can* happen; look at the Holocaust, for instance.

[Frank Drackman]

Psst, OK, we know, "God" is a make believe character, like Santa Claus, The Great Pumpkin, or Dexter, keep it quiet.

[NM-Steve]

"After an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hitler in Munich on November 8, 1939...the Catholic press all over Germany, in response to instructions of the Reichespresskammer , spoke of the miraculous working of providence that had protected the Fuhrer. And on November 12 in the Cathedral of Munich a te deum was sung 'in order to thank the Divine Providence in the name of the archdiocese for the Fuhrer's fortunate escape from the criminal attempt made upon his life."

source: Guenter Lewy, "The Catholic Church and Nazi Germany," pg 310-11

So I guess Trump is like Hitler, as well as Washington.

[Frank Drackman]

An Intelligent Overachiever? I'll give you that one. Let me know when Trump wants to invade Roosh-a

[LawTalkingGuy]

Basically asking for Lincoln and Garfield to haunt you bro.

[Commenter_XY]

But I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason. I was saved by God to make America great again.

If POTUS Trump believes he was saved by God, and subsequently has a mission to Make America Great Again, who are we to question. If he sincerely believes this, then it is true.

Whether he delivers on that...separate question.