People love to slap D&D alignments onto real-life figures like they’re characters in a campaign – Obama’s Neutral Good, Trump’s Chaotic Evil, Biden’s Lawful Good, etc.
It makes morality easier to digest. More palatable. Like you can sum up years of leadership, war, diplomacy, and compromise into two words and a compass point.
A few of my friends believe that leaders like Obama, Trump, Bush Jr., and Biden – regardless of their politics – are at best Lawful Evil, pointing to executive orders for drone strikes that resulted in civilian deaths. And honestly? I didn’t argue with them. Not because they were right, but because I know they were focused on results, not intent.
And those two – intent and outcome – don’t always hold hands.
If You Knew Me…
Most people who know me would probably label me as Neutral Good or Lawful Neutral. Calm. Structured. Measured. I try to be fair. I weigh things. I keep emotion in check when the moment calls for it, but if my family were attacked – and I had the power to act – I wouldn’t hesitate. I wouldn’t send a warning. I’d eliminate the threat.
If that meant their families too? If it meant their children never grew up to try again? Then that’s how it would be.
I wouldn’t celebrate it. I wouldn’t hide from it either. I would live with the weight of those deaths. Because leadership isn’t always about what you want to do – it’s about what you must do.
So… does that make me Evil? Or does it just make me a realist with a conscience I don’t weaponize?
The Leaders and Their Labels
Let’s break down these “alignments” for people we know.
Barack Obama: Neutral Good
Focused on diplomacy, stability, and collective benefit. He compromised when needed and used pragmatism over idealism. His moral compass wasn’t always clean, but it was always pointed.
Donald Trump: Chaotic Neutral
Unpredictable, self-serving, and uninterested in norms. Not evil in the traditional sense – he didn’t act to cause suffering. He acted for himself. He didn’t want to destroy the system – he just wanted to own it. And sometimes? That’s far more dangerous.
George W. Bush: Lawful Neutral
He followed the rules – his rules, America’s rules, the system he inherited. His loyalty was to structure and order, not necessarily to what was right or good. His decisions weren’t born of cruelty – they were born of conviction in authority. Even when wrong, he stayed in formation.
Joe Biden: Lawful Good
He believes in systems. Rules. The quiet, grinding machinery of democracy. He doesn’t pretend to be a revolutionary. He leans on accountability, tradition, and fairness – even if that makes him slow, careful, and occasionally disappointing.
So no – I don’t think they’re all Lawful Evil. I think they’re human. Flawed. Navigating systems soaked in history and hypocrisy. Some are more self-serving than others. Some try harder to do good. Some genuinely care. Others… care more about appearances.
But alignment isn’t about the outcome – it’s about the intent behind the choice. It’s about what you weigh, who you protect, and how much of your soul you’re willing to burn to keep them safe.
So Tell Me…
If I ordered a strike that saved my country but cost another family their lives… Did I become Evil? Or was I just doing what every leader eventually learns: You can’t keep your hands clean if you actually plan to hold the sword.
