This note maps publicly documented events to each of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17; common Protestant numbering). Items about personal belief or internal disposition can’t be verified from public records and are marked not assessable.
Scope and method
- Evidence standard: public record items (court rulings, official documents) and major fact‑checkers. Not theological judgments.
- Numbering: Exodus 20:1–17 (common Protestant ordering). Other traditions number differently.
Commandments 1–4 (worship, idols, God’s name, Sabbath)
- Nature: matters of worship/practice; not verifiable from public records.
- Assessment: Not assessable.
5) Honor your father and mother
- Nature: largely private; no dispositive public metric.
- Assessment: Not assessable.
6) You shall not murder
- Criminal charges/convictions for murder: none.
- Assessment: No direct violation evidenced in court.
7) You shall not commit adultery
- Context: Allegations of extramarital affairs (which Trump denies) were central backdrop to the New York case resulting in a 2024 conviction for falsifying business records connected to hush‑money payments meant to influence the 2016 election. The conviction was about records, not sex; testimony described an alleged encounter.
- Assessment: Related criminal conviction (records falsification), not adultery per se; underlying allegations are contested.
- Sources: CNN trial recap; NPR verdict explainer.
8) You shall not steal
- Finding: New York court determined misuse of charitable funds at the Trump Foundation; ordered $2 million in damages to charities and dissolution of the foundation, with admissions and future restrictions.
- Assessment: Documented legal finding tied to misuse of funds.
- Sources: NY AG press release; NPR report; AP coverage; FEC filing citing court decision.
9) You shall not bear false witness
- Records: Independent trackers documented extensive false or misleading statements during the presidency (e.g., Washington Post Fact Checker tally of 30,573). PolitiFact maintains numerous “False”/“Pants on Fire” ratings.
- Assessment: Robust public evidence of repeated false/misleading claims.
- Sources: Washington Post Fact Checker overview (article; Congress.gov PDF mirror; Docs.House.gov PDF mirror); PolitiFact index.
10) You shall not covet
- Nature: internal desire; not verifiable from public records.
- Assessment: Not assessable.
Sources (selected)
- Washington Post Fact Checker database (30,573 false or misleading claims, archived in congressional records): Overview • Congress.gov PDF mirror • Docs.House.gov PDF mirror
- PolitiFact Trump fact‑checks (filterable): PolitiFact index
- New York AG (Trump Foundation misuse settlement): AG press release
- NPR on Trump Foundation judgment: NPR report
- AP on Trump Foundation case: AP coverage
- FEC filing citing NY court decision details (PMUR 611/MUR 7425): FEC document
- CNN recap of NY hush‑money case: CNN trial recap
- NPR verdict coverage: NPR verdict explainer
Last updated: 2025‑10‑20