President Donald Trump recently delivered a speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. The bipartisan event, held annually since the 1970s, draws thousands of attendees from around the world. Trump’s speech reaffirmed his commitment to God and his belief in religious liberty. He also offered more context to his thoughts about the failed assassination in Butler, PA, last year.
“From the earliest days of our republic, faith in God has always been the ultimate source of the strength that beats in the hearts of our nation,” the president began. “We have to bring religion back. We have to bring it back much stronger. It’s one of the biggest problems that we’ve had over the last fairly long period of time. We have to bring it back. ”
“At every stage of the American story, our country has drawn hope and courage and inspiration from our trust in the Almighty,” Trump stated. “Deep in the soul of every patriot is the knowledge that God has a special plan and a glorious mission for America.” He reiterated, “And that plan is going to happen…I hope it happens sooner rather than later.”
President Trump reaffirmed his strong commitment to prioritizing religious freedom. ” Today, we must protect the fundamental freedom with absolute devotion. We must stand strong, just like generations of Americans have done on the battlefields of the world,” he said. “Every citizen should be proud of this exceptional heritage. We have an unbelievable heritage, and we have to use that and make life better for everyone,” Trump added.
Trump used a statue of Billy Graham to make a wider point about perseverance. “One floor below us, Reverend Graham’s statue stands with an open Bible, the page turned to a letter from the apostle Paul, which reads, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season, we will reap if we do not give up.” Never give up. Never ever give up,” the president said.
He took a moment to make a humorous aside. “How about me? If I would have given up, I would not be here right now. Who the hell knows where I’d be? It might not be a good place. If it was up to the Democrats, it would not be a good place at all,” Trump said to a laughing crowd. “Never ever give up. There could be no better message for the leaders gathered here,” he explained.
Trump also said that the attempted assassination in Butler, PA, changed his thoughts about faith. “Had I not made that turn — boom — …So, you never know, but God did that. I mean, it had to be,” Trump explained. He said that the near miss “Changed something in me…I feel even stronger. I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it. ”
Watch Trump’s Speech Here:
Trump concluded his remarks by saying, “God bless everybody. We want to come together…And I really believe you can’t be happy without religion, without that belief…So, let’s bring religion back. Let’s bring God back into our lives.” These statements came after President Trump signed a landmark executive order protecting Christians from bias.
Featured Image from Embedded Video