It’s impossible to avoid. If you’re interested in world affairs and are following developments in the nation to our south, you must have an opinion or at least an impression of the brash and bombastic Donald Trump. From the first news stories of the billionaire businessman’s run for the presidency, his unpredictable, off-the-cuff remarks have been front page news and oft-retweeted soundbites.

For a nation and a culture dominated by carefully-scripted political correctness, Mr. Trump’s bold statements about “building a wall” and “destroying ISIS” and “making America great again” were a breath of fresh air, if only for their apparent freedom from influence by the mainstream media. Americans, like Canadians, are tired of going deeper and deeper into debt. They’re tired of policies that put their citizens at risk and solutions to “problems” that don’t exist. They’re tired of political leaders who cave in to media spin and “go along to get along.” For them, Donald Trump arose as a person who speaks his mind and cares nothing for the opinions of others. The fact that he was financing his own campaign and not beholden to corporate donors also was a welcome change.

As the national primary campaign has rolled along, however, some of the deeper issues of personal character and integrity have begun to surface and Americans who favour smaller, more affordable government, a return to constitutional jurisprudence, and a reset on issues of life and family values are increasingly noticing the red flags that mark Donald Trump as a potential disaster for the Republican Party and for the United States of America.

Does personal integrity and lifestyle matter for politicians? It ought to. Like Canada, the US has been for years the victim of mind-numbing social chaos. Elementary schools and Universities have become places where biblical truth is no longer welcome. The Ten Commandments have been removed from many courtrooms and public displays. Planned Parenthood—in spite of the recent exposure of its illegal sale of baby parts—continues to receive tax money and promote its philosophy of libertine sexual mores and unhindered access to abortion. Traditional marriage is being squeezed out state-by-state, either by court rulings, compromised state legislatures, or a public opinion softened by propagandist media. Bill Clinton, nearly impeached for his disgusting adulterous shenanigans while President and his cover-up lies . . . still gets a million bucks for giving a speech. Yet millions of Americans are crying out for leaders who will restore to the nation its traditional respect for God, for moral purity, for respect for life and marriage, and for fiscal restraint.

Enter Donald Trump, a man who claims he will overturn the government excesses of recent decades and “make America great again.” What does he mean by that? Does he have the character and moral integrity to accomplish that goal? Based on his own life history, he can’t mean a return to moral government or biblical principles. His personal achievements are primarily or solely those of amassing substantial financial wealth. Some think his ability to create and acquire wealth may indicate an ability to pull the US out of its economic doldrums and eliminate the deficit. There may be some element of truth in that but much of his own wealth was acquired at the expense of others. Part of his wealth was generated by building and operating casinos. A casino is—by definition—a place where one person wins at the expense of others. The tragic stories of many who have lost their homes, families and sometimes their lives due to gambling away their savings should tell us that casino development is not something to boast about. Evidence is emerging that Trump’s business dealings, his real estate acquisitions and questionable university courses have often been designed to benefit one person—Donald Trump. The leader of a country should be someone who serves his fellow citizens and has their best interests at heart.

During the course of the campaign, Mr. Trump’s vulgar language, his sneering taunts, and disparaging personal attacks on his rivals, his shameful record of divorces (plural), adultery (multiple episodes), his arrogant statement that he doesn’t need to ask God’s forgiveness and his generally abrasive and disrespectful attitude toward others have caused many of his former supporters (thankfully) to rethink their commitment to Donald’s campaign. Perhaps that’s why he used the hype of a recent rally to demand a loyalty oath from attendees. Many dictators have done that.

Americans and Canadians alike must face the facts: corrupt and self-serving politicians can never lead the nation to new heights if they are not prepared to lead by example. Who they are and what they do is important. Emotion-soliciting words and brazen one-liners may move a crowd and may even correctly expose a social problem but unless there is a rock-solid foundation of truthfulness and moral character, the result of electing a pompous personality may be a nation without principles. May the US be spared the pain and embarrassment of choosing the Trump card. As some compulsive gamblers have learned, the Joker may not always make us laugh. A house of cards can collapse very quickly.

Canadian voters who are tired of double-speak and who want politicians to “tell it like it is” can look to the Christian Heritage Party for ideas and commentary based on principles rather than on celebrity status. We in the CHP believe in speaking the truth without compromise, but we also know it’s important to “speak the truth in love.” Integrity is more important than popularity and substance outweighs style. Don’t gamble on personality cults and partisan opinion polls; invest your support in the one party anchored in truthfulness and time-tested biblical values.

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