US President Trump says We will make America "more faithful to God than ever before" at Prayer Breakfast and Vows to Investigate Anti-Christian Bias
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I want to thank our great newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior, Doug Berham, who’s fantastic by the way, for being here this morning. I don’t know if he’s around; where is he? Oh, there you are! You are a handsome devil. He’s a good-looking guy. He’s got an even better-looking wife, I can tell you that. But I want to thank you and Catherine for being fantastic. I knew immediately—he was running in a group of people—and I spotted him right away and said, “That guy’s a winner." He didn’t get the gravitas because to get gravitas, you have to be controversial, and in many cases, a horrible human being. You get a lot of gravitas that way. But Doug is a very good human being, very smart, and I knew he was outstanding. He’s going to do an excellent job with Chris Wright. The two of them make a great partnership for Interior and Energy, and they’re going to get more Liquid Gold out of the ground than anyone has ever seen before. We’re going to drive the price down, and everything else is going to follow. He’s one of the really important people and a very, very great gentleman. By the way, he was a fantastic Governor and really learned the oil business as a governor because he made his money—he made a lot of money, which I like. I like people who make money because that means they can help us. They always want me to hire people who have failed. They say, "Please, sir, he’s made too much money and been too successful." They want me to hire people who’ve totally failed to run the Department of Energy—somebody who’s lost all his life. I don’t want to do that. I know it sounds nice, but I want to get somebody who has been successful because we’ve got to bring the country back. He and Chris are going to be unbelievable. I really believe it.
I want to thank you very much for what you’ve gone through. He’s been through a lot too, but he was easily approved because he’s an honest person. He gave a statement, they read it, and they said thank you. I also want to thank our co-chairs, Representatives Ben Klein and Jonathan Jackson. Thank you very much, fellas.
Congressman Eric Burles and visiting dignitaries from more than 120 countries, welcome.
From the very beginning of our Republic, America has always been a nation founded by people of faith, strengthened by the power of prayer, and united by four simple but very beautiful words: "In God We Trust."
You all know there was a movement to remove that phrase. I said, "No, don’t bring it up. I don’t want to hear it." There was a strong movement against it—just like the movement against saying "Merry Christmas." But now, people say it again. Remember, in 2016, saying "Merry Christmas" was a big part of my campaign. I said, "You’re going to say Merry Christmas." Well, now they do it again.
I don’t know if you’ve been watching, but over the last two weeks, we got rid of woke. Woke is gone! [Applause] Despite the other side stealing hundreds of millions of dollars to promote it, woke is finished.
Did you see what happened yesterday? They found that hundreds of millions of dollars were fraudulently given to newspapers and, I guess, Politico. I don’t know if they’re here—good morning, hope you’re enjoying your breakfast! But they gave all this money through USAID—right, USAID?—just tremendous amounts of money for things that had nothing to do with anything. It was terrible, but we’re catching them left and right.
We’re catching them so much that they don’t know what’s going on. They can’t believe they’re getting caught. And I have great respect for the people doing that work. Elon Musk is helping us, and he’s pretty good at it—very good at it. The numbers are astounding. Even Doug was shaken up by what he’s been reading. Can you believe it, Doug? It’s just very dishonest stuff.
But it was faith that led the Pilgrims to cross an ocean and settle this majestic continent—and we are going to keep it majestic. It was belief in our Creator that moved the patriot farmers to stand strong for liberty at Concord Bridge 250 years ago this April. We’re going to have a big party next year.
We’ve got the Olympics coming in, the World Cup coming in, and the 250th anniversary of our nation—all three at once. You know, when I was President, I secured the Olympics and the World Cup. The 250th anniversary, of course, just happens to fall at this time. But all of it came after what should have been mine—really should have been.
Then they had a little election that, let’s just say, didn’t work out too correctly. A lot of things have been found out about that. So I was forced to run again. I ran again, and now I have the Olympics, the World Cup, and the 250th anniversary.
I said, "This is interesting." When I secured the Olympics, I said, "The only bad thing is that I won’t be President when they happen." The same with the World Cup—I worked hard to bring it here because everybody wants it. But the only downside was knowing that I wouldn’t be President for it. And when you’re not President, you might not even be invited. Isn’t that sad?
Then, all of a sudden, I ran and I won. Somebody then suggested I should start thinking about the Olympics. I said, "You know, you're right. I never thought about that during the campaign. I'm going to be here for the Olympics and the World Cup. How about that?" God works in very strange ways. We had a great election. We won by a massive majority, won all seven swing states, and won the popular vote by millions and millions of people.
We have a mandate, some say the most consequential election in 129 years. That's good because I'm a believer, like you're a believer, and we want to have a believer in this position.
It was confidence in America's God-given destiny that pushed the pioneers to journey west and Americans to end slavery, crush fascism, defeat communism, and conquer every single challenge we faced, and they were very great challenges. Now, at the same time, we have to remember unyielding faith in America's mission that inspires us to make our country great again, and soon it will be greater than ever. We're doing really well. It's, I think in two weeks they're saying—I'm reading it, so I'm not even saying it, but I feel it—that we've done more than just about any president ever.
The first two weeks have been probably, they say, the most successful two weeks in the history of any presidency. Now, all we have to do is keep it going for another couple hundred weeks. But it's been very successful, and if this guy gets a lot of oil out of the ground to bring down everybody's prices, it'll be even better. So, Doug, you shouldn't even be here right now. You should get out of here, Doug. Start looking for oil.
After years of decline, Americans are reasserting our true identity as a people ordained by God to be the freest and most exceptional nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth. But we weren't that for four years, I don't believe we were. And we're getting there very soon, very quickly. I'll be able to say it, and we'll be able to say it again. As I said in my inaugural address two weeks ago, a light is now shining over the world, the entire world. And I'm hearing it from other leaders. I'm hearing it from leaders that have traditionally not been on our side, that there's so much more, there's such a good feeling in the air, so different than it was just a short time ago.
Because here in America, we are once again a nation that believes in ourselves, we believe in our destiny, and trusts in the providence of Almighty God. And I can tell you, the opposite side, the opposing side, they oppose religion, they oppose God, they've lost their confidence. They've lost their confidence. It's a different group of people than I remember. Over the past two weeks, our strength has been restored, our spirit has been revived, and a new national momentum has been sweeping across our land.
The Golden Age of America has officially begun. And I will tell you, I just read it this morning, a statistic just came out that in the last 15 years, we just broke the record for Army recruitment, and they think it's going to be 25 years. But right now, it's more than 15. Army recruitment has gone up. You've probably been reading that it's been way down in the dumps, and recruitment's the highest it's been in more than 15 years, and that's going to get higher, and it could be 25 years. But that's going to get higher and higher, and that's a tremendous thing. That's a tremendous thing.
And a poll came out that the spirit of the country is up 49%. Where did you hear that? That's a record. That's never gone up. That's gone up over just since the election, since November 5th. What a great day was that! A great day was that! Great is we're going to make our country great again. After years of stagnation, our economy is roaring back to life, optimism is soaring, hope is returning, and we have brought back the words "common sense" to our government.
We had a big day yesterday, you saw that, having to do with men in women's sports. No longer. It's over. But we're going to be securing our borders, defending our freedoms, and restoring the principle of meritocracy. Merit. We're a merit-based country again, and we have a Supreme Court ruling to that effect. Nobody thought that was going to happen. That was a great ruling. It didn't get the kind of notoriety that other things get, but in its own way, it was just about as important as anything. It gave us the right to go back to a merit-based—we're a merit-based country now. It's based on competence, intelligence, and based on ability, and all of the things that really can make a country great.
Around the world, America is being respected again, and you are already witnessing some very incredible results. Just days before taking office, my team negotiated a breakthrough ceasefire agreement to stop the bloodshed and killing in the Middle East and return the hostages held captive by Hamas back home to their loved ones. And as the Bible says, blessed are the peacemakers. And in that end, I hope my greatest legacy, when it's all finished, will be known as a peacemaker and a unifier. I hope that's going to be clear.
You know, when I left, we had no wars, we had no problems, we had no inflation. All we had was we were going to go just up. And I came back, we have Russia-Ukraine, we have the Middle East has exploded. All of these things would have never happened, and we have inflation that was the worst in the history of our country. But we're joined today by several brave families whose loved ones were taken hostage during the October 7th horrible attack, 16 months ago.
And I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that we're keeping you in our hearts and our prayers. And please stand up if you are one of the people who have been so gravely affected. Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, they're coming in. More are coming in today. They're coming in. It's a very traumatic situation, very tough, as the people know that are here with us. But they're coming in, and I made a statement, I meant it totally, that if they're not home by the time I get into office, all hell will break loose in the Middle East. And I think they respected that statement, so we'll see. But we have more hostages to come, and we hope they live up to their word. And I have to say, who knows if that's going to happen. But one way or another, it's going to work out. It's going to all work out. As president, I will not rest until every remaining hostage has been returned to their families.
So thank you all for being here. I appreciate it. Also with us is an incredible survivor of October 7th. What a horrible day that was. That would have never happened. Iran was broke. They had no money to pay to Hamas or Hezbollah. They were stone cold broke. And when I left, they started selling their oil again. They took the sanctions off. They did everything wrong. I mean, I'd like to say the opposite of that. I would. I would much prefer saying the opposite. But they did everything wrong.
That includes with Russia and Ukraine. That should have never happened. Also, all those millions of kids, you know, the soldiers are just being decimated. The two countries, probably 800,000 Russians, 600-700,000 Ukrainians, young people just laying on a battlefield dead. It's a horrible situation going on over there. We're working very hard and I think making progress to stop it.
Also with us is an incredible survivor of October 7th who was held captive by Hamas for more than eight months. Noah Agamani was at the music festival. She was at the music festival and attacked on that terrible day. Where are you? Where are you? Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. That's great that you're here. I watch you on television. I don't know what you're doing, but you look like a much younger person. I don't know what the secret is. Please give it to all of us. For 245 harrowing days, Noah showed unwavering strength and courage and faith as she endured the unendurable, really what she went through. But by the grace of God, she was rescued by the Israeli Defense Forces, and now she's come back to pray with us this morning, and it's such an honor to have you. And you're really an inspiration, Noah, to all of us. Thank you very much.
The innocent civilians attacked on October 7th were targeted for one reason: because they were Jews. They were murdered and kidnapped because of their faith. And these events remind us of how blessed we are to live in a nation that has thrived for two and a half centuries as a haven of religious freedom.
Although I will tell you, the last four years have been very difficult. The last four years have been very difficult. It would have been hard for me to make that statement if this speech were taking place two years ago. My administration is absolutely committed to defending this proud heritage, and I will always protect religious liberty. That is why today, while honoring many people, I am announcing the creation of a brand-new presidential commission on religious liberty. This will be a significant initiative, working tirelessly to uphold this most fundamental right.
Unfortunately, in recent years, this sacred liberty has been threatened like never before in American history. Nothing like this has happened in the past four years. Many things have gone wrong, but the persecution of religion has been particularly horrible. For example, most of us would not have believed that a grandmother with a severe medical condition—an elderly woman—would be jailed for praying in America. She was imprisoned simply for praying.
Today, we are joined by Paulette Harlow, a 75-year-old woman who was sentenced to two years in prison for peacefully praying outside of a clinic. She was charged under an obscure law that had not been used in years and was selectively weaponized against Christians by the previous administration. I never understood how; we won so many evangelical and Christians by a lot. But even that little that they got - Who are the people that would vote for them? When that administration treated people of faith so terribly. They were awful to people of religion—of all religions.
At her sentencing, the judge mocked Paulette’s Christian faith. Exactly two weeks ago, I had the honor of granting Paulette about 23 other persecuted Christians a full and unconditional pardon. We got them out of there, and now they are completely free. Paulette, you got a little lucky, didn’t you? She got lucky that I won that election. You were facing a long time in prison, but we made sure that never happened. What happened to you must never happen again in America. Thank you for being here, Paulette. Thank you very much—enjoy your life.
To confront such weaponization and religious persecution, today I am signing an executive order to make our attorney general; whose a great person; she's going to be a great attorney general. I'm appointing Pam Bondi as the head of a brand-new task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias. It’s about time, right? You don’t often hear about anti-Christian bias, but it exists. This task force will immediately work to halt all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government, including at the Department of Justice, the IRS, and the FBI. These agencies were terrible in how they treated Christians. In addition, the task force will fully prosecute anti-Christian violence and vandalism in our society and will move heaven and earth to defend the rights of Christians and religious believers nationwide.
If we do not have religious liberty, we do not have a free country. We may not even have a country at all. This week, I am also creating the White House Faith Office, led by Pastor Paula White. She is incredible.
He speaks briefly to an audience member...
We will protect Christians in our schools, military, government, workplaces, hospitals, and public spaces. We will bring our country together as one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.
Throughout history, those who seek control and domination have always tried to sever people’s connection to their Creator. At the same time, every nation with big dreams and great ambition has recognized that faith in the hearts of the people is their most precious resource. It is what makes our nation great. It makes other nations great. Without faith, nations do not achieve greatness. Without God, we are isolated and alone. But with God, as scripture tells us, all things are possible.
Look at me—I am standing before you today when I shouldn’t be here. A lot of people said I shouldn’t be here after what happened on a beautiful day in Pennsylvania. That shot should not have been missed. It got me a little bit, but it was pretty amazing. My sons, both great shooters, said that from where the shooter was positioned, it was like sinking a one-foot putt with that particular weapon. I just happened to turn at the right instant—a fraction of a second later or earlier, and it would have been over. My son Don said, ‘Dad, God saved you.’ That was a big statement from him. He was moved; Eric likewise. But truly, it was God who saved me.
(Applause)
Even in the darkest moments, hope is never lost. Two weeks ago, I visited a small town in North Carolina, a great place. We love North Carolina—we won it three times, including the primaries and elections. My daughter-in-law, Lara, comes from North Carolina and they love her in the state. But recently, the state was devastated by Hurricane Helen, a massive water storm. It created lakes in places that were always dry. Many people lost everything, and many lives were lost. FEMA, under Biden, was a disaster. The people were abandoned by their government.
One of the people I met was Pastor Ramona Nicks; a good woman. Her congregation is small, but they had just purchased a beautiful new church. People asked her what she would do with such a big building. Then, the hurricane hit, and the church became a lifeboat for the displaced community. It was one of the few buildings that withstood the storm. Before the end of the week, it was packed with supplies sent from all over the country. In the midst of so much hardship, Pastor Ramona did not express sorrow but joy. She said, ‘God is good.’ And she said it very strong.
It has been just 17 days since I took the oath of office. Time flies! We’ve been so busy that it’s hard to believe, but we have accomplished more in 17 days than some have in eight years. From the flood-ravaged valleys of North Carolina to the fire-scorched hills of California, we are working urgently to restore hope, prosperity, safety, and peace. I visited California and saw devastation like I had never seen before—rich and middle-income neighborhoods completely destroyed. Some of the wealthiest people in the country lost their homes.
We opened the floodgates a few days ago to let the water come down. The environmentalists didn’t want it to happen, but I did it anyway. Millions of barrels of water per day were released, and it was a beautiful sight. We are also working urgently to restore safety and prosperity, both in our country and abroad. Every single day, my administration will act with purpose and historic speed because, like Pastor Ramona in North Carolina, we know that God is good. Our future is bright, and America’s glorious destiny is within our reach. Together, we will make America stronger, prouder, safer, freer, greater, and more faithful to God than ever before.
I want to thank all of you—you are very special people. It is an honor to be with you. I will see you again next year. Thank you very much. God bless you all, and God bless America.
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