From faith to politics – and where they meet. In my previous post, I spoke with the enduring Christian entertainment legend and philanthropist Pat Boone about how his new song ONE – Voices for Tanzania has become a We Are the World-like star-studded humanitarian anthem for the purpose of raising awareness and funding for bringing clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities to the poorest of the poor in Africa. As our conversation continues, the patriotic singer/actor who knew Ronald Reagan and played a role in the recent biopic about him, compares the Gipper to the Donald as the latter begins his long-delayed second term in office.

JWK: I don’t know if you want to get into politics or not but last time we spoke we talked about your other recent music video Where Did America Go? I’m wondering if you have any thoughts about where America is going since Donald Trump has become president again.

Pat Boone: Well, I do. I have a lot of thoughts. First, I’ve known him since before he was thinking about running for president. I met him at Mar-a-Lago at a fundraising thing at his place. I was invited. He was doing The Apprentice then. I was very impressed with him, of course. He was a very accomplished younger man at that point. Then he began to insist that Obama show a birth certificate which he was not doing. At that time people began to approach Trump about running for president. I think it was at that time that he first really thought seriously about it. He came to feel that he could do something. He was a man of action. He was a man of conservative principles and he was, I’d say, a sort of Christian at that point. He was raised Christian by his mother and grandmother but he was not totally devoted to his Christianity then. He was a different, more worldly, man.

Since that time – when he got the calling to a priesthood, the same as Moses and his priests who were commanded to take blood (on) their right ear as part of their (call) into the priesthood – that happened to Trump on that day in Pennsylvania. That bullet should have hit him in the brain but instead it cut his ear, his right ear. He didn’t know it at the time but it was making him a called priest of God.

Now, those priests were human beings. They all had their own failings as does Trump, of course, but he came to a realization. He’ll say now that “I believe God spared me.” Like Reagan, after he was shot, he said “I think God spared me for His purpose and I’m gonna devote the rest of my life to doing what I can tell is His purpose for me and for the country.” Trump is now a man on a mission. He’s not a perfect man, Neither was Moses and neither were any of the Apostles. Peter denied Jesus three times as Jesus told him he would but, after some of their failings were corrected, they became outright ministers of God.

The Bible in Romans says “All authority is from God.” He gives authority to whoever He chooses. So, in that instance, we often get either what we need or what we deserve. He sometimes gives us leaders that are gonna lead us in directions that we will regret and then we want to get things straightened out. I think, in this case, the man, with all of his failings – I do admit that he has failings and faults, certainly in the past – he is trying to do what God wants him to do and what he promised he would do, which is to call us to responsibility and to a kind of living up to the principles which made America who we are (through) the Constitution and the Bible. Trump wants to call us back.

In my song Where Did America Go? I say “We gave up our own holy grail” That is our Constitution which still tells us how we should be behaving and how our government should be operating. Then, of course, the Bible is the foundation of America. America was founded on biblical principles intentionally by our founders. The Framers of the Constitution were developing a country that they wanted to be a modern Israel. Well, we just became a modern America based on the principles God gave Moses in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament, biblical principles. If we stick to the Constitution and the Bible we can be America again.

JWK: You also had a role in the recent Reagan movie. How do you compare Trump to Reagan?

PB: That’s an interesting question. I know that in one way, as I just said, each of them felt a call, a commission. Reagan was raised more as a Christian by his mama and his upbringing. He was a Bible guy. He often quoted the Bible. He was more, I think, acutely aware of his calling by God than Trump is now but that shot (that hit) his ear would have been in his brain had it not been for God’s hand in it – and he knows it. He knows that he has been given a mission and he is trying to fulfill that mission just as Reagan fulfilled his.

America, under Reagan, became a great nation. Of course, under Trump, the first time, we also became a very strong nation politically (and) economically. We were doing great during Trump’s first presidency. Then somebody took his place who went by totally different guidelines who opened up the border and we were flooded by a tremendous invasion which was counter to the rules of the Constitution and of the Office of the Presidency. They broke a lot of rules and we suffered for it…but now Trump is back. He knows who he is, he knows why he’s there and he is determined to return to the days of responsibility – financially, morally and, of course, politically.

I think he is a man on a mission…I think many, many of us – in fact the majority, according to the polls – believe that he is the man that’s supposed to be in the White House and doing what he’s doing – cleaning up the corruption in government, cleaning out the immorality in our society and even cleaning up our education of the kids who are being taught things that are not true. So, we’re on a right path. Whenever you have to correct your direction in a severe way – which we’re doing – it gets bumpy. It is bumpy but Trump and the people around him are committed to doing what they promised. That’s a rare thing in American politics.  

JWK: Do you think we had to go through the Biden years to get to this point?

PB: I think so because, as I said, all authority is from God. I think we were given (during those years) our own way. Politically and liberally, without really regard for the Constitution or the Bible, we were getting what a lot of society wanted. “Okay,” God said “here it is.”…We watched as the country came apart at the seams.

I just read again today (about) when the people complained not having the food they wanted when they were out in wilderness under Moses. They were complaining. He said “Oh, you want food? Okay.” He gave them quail. The quail came in at a certain time every day. They just reached out and grabbed them out of the air. They ate and loved it all until they…all began to get sick because this was not the kind of food that He intended for them to be eating. He intended manna which was perfect food from Heaven. Instead they wanted the earthly food and the plagues broke out among the people. Many thousands died. Finally, they had to pray and God took away what they had asked for. He gave it to them in spades and they suffered for it.

So, I think that’s what happened to us…under a regime that thought they were doing the right thing but they were not. They were not following sound principles, politically or biblically. They were giving into these people who want to do things that God says are an abomination. They wanted to not only allow them but to celebrate them. There were multicolored flags flying over the White House which was flag of a really dedicated group of people…Okay, you got it. He let you have what you want. They suffered. We suffered. Now, we’re on a tough but righteous path. I believe we’re gonna be blessed.

JWK: We’ve talked a few times now. First, it was about your movie The Mulligan with Eric Close.

PB: Yes, yeah.

JWK: Then we talked about your role in the Reagan movie and we talked about your music videos Where Did America Go? and ONE – Voices for Tanzania based on songs that you wrote. You’re 90 years old, right? I mean you’re one active guy. How do you keep it going?

PB: (laughs) First, I’ve been very blessed. (I’ve been) trying to ask the Lord to bless me all along the way to help me to do what He wanted me to do – even if it was being a teen idol, which I was, and a country artist and then to do some of the other things.

I recorded the first million-selling hymn album back when I was a teen idol. I knew that the kids would buy anything that I recorded. If it was a page out of the phone book they would buy it. So, I recorded the first million-selling hymn album called Hymns We Love and these teenagers bought it by the million. Then, along the way, I’ve recorded all of these songs that have come to me that are anti-abortion/pro-life songs like Let Me Live, songs that are meant to save lives – and they do. I’ve held many children in my arms that were allowed to live because of those songs that I wrote.

So, in a way, John, I have felt that God gave me a career as a pop and rock singer as a platform. I was gonna be a school teacher, maybe try to help kids in a classroom in a school somewhere. I thought that was gonna be a good way to live my life. It was a way (of) obeying the example I had gotten from my high school teachers and at a Christian college…but He gave me a platform I had not dreamed of. Well, I dreamed of being a singer but I didn’t think that it would ever happen – but He made me a pop singer, a rock-and-roll singer, a movie actor and a lot of things anybody would say “Well, those are dreams come true.” No, I actually didn’t dream those things. They just happened to me. Then I tried to make sure that I understood what was going on and why I was being given this popularity and celebrity.

In 1957, there was a worldwide poll. Elvis had already become a big hit. The poll was taken internationally – picking the people considered the best pop male singers, female singers, groups and so on. I was voted #1. Elvis was #2 in 1957. After that, he became #1 and I became #2.

JWK: 1957 is the year I was born.

PB: Oh, it was! Well, little did I know then that I was gonna be talking with you when I was 90.

JWK: That’s amazing.

PB: But here we are.

JWK: Here we are.

PB: By the way, I’m getting ready right now to go over to SiriusXM and record my weekly show called 50s Gold…I will (play) at least three of my own songs. I had 41 chart records in the fifties. Elvis had 40 – but I had a six-month head start on him so maybe that’s why I had one more hit record then he did. Of course, he became #1 for years but I was trailing along at #2. So, I’m going over right now – literally in about four minutes.

JWK: I’ll let you go then – but it’s an amazing life and you’re still feeling well, right?

PB: I am. I work out in the gym twice a week with a trainer. He puts me through some very rough paces. He’s amazed – and even doctors are amazed – when they measure my blood pressure, the oxygen absorption in my blood, my pulse. The doctors who go over the readings say “You’re a teenager!”

JWK: That’s amazing!

PB: So, He’s given me miraculous health. I don’t think it’s normal. I think He’s just given me special health so that I can keep on doing these things – writing books, songs and starting things like ONE. I think that ONE…is gonna save many lives. Literally, John! This is not just talk or “would be.” We’re gonna save real lives of young kids who are gonna be drinking fresh water for the first time in their lives and have a greater than five year life expectancy.

JWK: That’s fantastic. You do great work. I’ll let you get going. Always nice speaking with you.

PB:  Well, good to talk to you, John. You stay well too and we can do this again!

JWK: Okay, sounds great! Look forward to it!

John W. Kennedy is a writer, producer and media development consultant specializing in television and movie projects that uphold positive timeless values, including trust in God.